We usually go for walks around at night after dinner and even though we've been living in this neighbourhood for about 7 years, I never get bored of walking around, looking and discovering new streets.
We live in the West of Tokyo in the Meguro-ward. Stations around my hood are Musashikoyama [武蔵小山] and Nishikoyama [西小山]. The Meguro-ward ranked 15th in the "most want to live" town in the whole of Japan. Data from surveys taken annually show that 90% of Meguro citizens want to continue to live here.
Transport is convenient and there are a load of supermarkets, convenient stores and a lot of greenery in the form of trees lining the roads and the many parks too. There are a load of Shotengai including the longest indoor arcade in Tokyo being Musashokoyama Palm.
We bought our house here back in 2005 and you can read what its like to buy a house in the Tokyo Property Purchase post. I first encountered this area after I got married - wifey and I came to Japan on a honeymoon and we visited her brother who lived in this neck of the woods. I particularly loved the Palm shotengai and thought to myself that one day I'd love to live in this area.
Then many moons later after when I finally made it to Japan, the first property that the estate agent introduced to us just happened to be in the same area ^o^
If you are considering looking for somewhere to live be it to buy or rent then check out this area - get off at Musashikoyama on the Meguro line and just stroll around.
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Japan is pretty safe to walk around at night without having to look behind your back all the time - something that I had to do when living in Hackney London ToT
I'm not saying that there is no crime in Japan - but the crime rate is so low that the headline news would have something like an old man sticking ice cream in letter boxes ^^;
So where do you live? How long you been living there and do you want to continue to be there? Would you recommend it to a friend to live in?
Going to leave you wander through my neighbourhood through these photos taken yesterday night on our evening stroll - all snapped on the Sony RX100 P setting and auto ISO. Yes I know I still owe you a review ><
Nearly forgot to mention something - when I first came to Japan I was like "where are all the pavements?!" - but Just because we had them back in the UK, it does not mean that I should expect every country to have them. Humans have a bad habit of thinking that everything they know and think should be the same elsewhere with others. I know better now.
Anyway - the reason that we dont have pavements in many residential areas is because there is no room or need for them - despite the width, this road you see is actually a two way road. Pedestrians and cars give way to each other. Not sure about the history of why the roads are so narrow but I have a feeling its to do with land ownership of various clans many moons ago when there was no need for wide roads.
Do residential areas have pavement in your neck of the woods?
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