COMPACTION OF SPACE IN CONTEMPORARY JAPANESE MEGALOPOLISES

Abstract

Japan is one of these countries where the problem of urban overconsolidation and, correspondingly, the lack of vacant space, has been present and acute for a long time. If it is impossible to eliminate the population density and the construction boom of large cities, Japan has developed a compensatory mechanism capable of making the negative sides of high density less evident. Reduction of space manifests itself in many elements of urban development: miniature residential buildings have proliferated, capsule-type hotels, gardens and tea houses have shrunk to extremely small sizes.