Shibuya Common

12 Sep 2005 Category: Architecture, Features, Japan

Shibuya Town Council put forward a plan to redevelop the Shibuya Station area a few years ago. Behind the reasons for the redevelopment were existing plans to introduce a new subway line, and to move the Tokyu Toyoko (the line that goes from Tokyo to Yokohama) platform underground, since currently it occupies such a massive section of Shibuya Station. The new subway line will be introduced in a few years’ time, which means the redevelopment project will have to start around the same period. Shibuya Town Council’s redevelopment plan involved a huge skyscraper as the new Station building. Registerd architect, Toru Watanabe who lives in Shibuya offered a completely different plan from the council’s, in order to promote discussion over approaches to urban regeneration in Shibuya. PingMag talked with Mr Watanabe about “Shibuya Common”, a website where people can get information and talk about the issue.

Interview by Tom
Translated by Kyoko

You started the website Shibuya Common and are not only offering information on the Shibuya Station redevelopment project, but are also presenting a completely different plan from Shibuya Town Council’s own proposal. How and why did you get involved with urban regeneration to start with?

It was the 1940s when my parents moved to Shibuya. Since then, we’ve managed our land on our own initiative. In Japan the individual land-owner has power and land owners can do pretty much anything they want on their own property. On the contrary, once we get away from our own property, we have no way to voice our rights in community matters, such as “how town and streetscape should appear as a whole”.

I don’t know about other countries, but in Japan “chou-kai(town assembly)” are mere government subcontractors. And “cho-kai” tends to not get involved with topics such as community design. Anyway, I was nominated to be a member of the town assembly here and was asked to manage community activities in an abolished promary school nearby. Because we never discussed what a community design, I tried to create an environment where we can think and talk about it. It’s been 7 to 8 years now.

During this period, the topic of the renewal of Shibuya Station was brought up. I thought this was great subject to discuss in our class. Naturally, everybody who lives in Shibuya was curious about this topic.

You said that in Tokyo, land owers can do almost anything they want. In a way, the mega-metropolis that is Tokyo has been built by scores of single individuals all with different amounts of power, so you see brand new huge skyscrapers right next to small, old and…well, run-down houses….

You mean it’s pretty anarchic？

Right. I think that constant state of anarchy is one of the things that makes Tokyo attractive.

I have to admit that chaos makes Tokyo attractive. However, construction-related disputes are a really common affair in Tokyo, and of course in Shibuya, too. Let’s say a developer somehow managed to buy a large patch of land next to other buildings that are all 2 to 3 story houses, and that developer builds high-rise apartments without any hesitation. In my opinion, we should respect the low-rise residential districts as much as skyscrapers. We are not legally obliged to protect our town as a whole. This is all because we don’t plan things as a whole or ahead of time, I think.

Well, of course planning is not everything. And maybe chaotic streets are attractive. But it seems that Japan is too extreme in this sense, right now. From now on, local residents should be involved in planning more. Not told “this is what the future Tokyo should look like” by some authorities, but “this is the community we would love to live in” as envisaged by us - that’s the right way of town planning.

Japan is called a “civil engineering state.” It’s a fact that a large portion of the national budget is spent on public construction projects. And a big part of private investment is used to “tear down and re-build” - scrap and build. “Scrap and build” has definitely provided lots of jobs for us and our GNP is high. However, I feel like these projects don’t enrich our lives, considering the amount of hard work put in. Right now the average building is torn down after 30 years. I would like to make it longer, which might make people happier. That is a part of the reason I got involved with urban regeneration.

Tokyo is always looking for something new. So, it might be a chance for people in Shibuya to start a new trend - community involved with city planning. You know in Europe, we can’t even start the argument for redevelopment. People would say, “What? You want to tear down and rebuild the historical station building? Are you crazy? ” (laugh) But at least in Tokyo, you can bring up the topic such as “this might make city better place.”

That’s true.

I get the picture why you got involved with “urban regeneration.” Now can you tell me how put your words into action? I am sure that many people think things like “this is wrong” or “this would make it better.” But only a few people actually do anything about it. What was your trigger?

Actually Shibuya Ward gave me a chance to start up the whole thing. Shibuya Ward formed the Shibuya Station Environs Development Guide Plan 21 committee. This committee consisted of university professors and urban planning experts. The heads of “cho-kai” and heads of local merchant associations were also assembled as reps for the community. Shibuya Town Council was trying to start a more democratic approach to town planning, by creating a committee like this.

However to me, Shibuya Ward’s plan seemed to be heading in the wrong direction. Although we weren’t members of the committee, we had access to all the data they had through the committee’s reps for the community. We knew their plan in great detail. And there was also objective data provided for the committee, such as the regulation of railroads and the condition of bus lines. Therefore, I came to think that, “Since I can get all the data I need, I might be able to make an alternative plan by myself.”

So, that’s how you made altenative Plan B.

Yes. The thing is, if we have only one plan, we can’t make a good argument especially when most people are not experts in that particular area. Maybe we can say, “can you make it shorter?” or something arbitrary like that, but it won’t be an in-depth argument. If there is only one plan, what we can say is “Yes, I like it” or “No, I don’t like it”- that’s pretty much it. If they want constructive meetings and feedback, they should have more than one plan to start with. Of course two plans are not enough, but it’s far better than one, I think. Shibuya Ward’s intentions were good but they had no intention of making alternative plans themselves. So I thought, “I should make Plan B.”

Can you tell us difference between Shibuya Ward’s Plan A and your Plan B?

Plan A is characterized by the concentration of all the commercial facilities and the public institutions in the center. At first, Shibuya Ward proposed to build a high-rise station building and assemble major commercial facilities, business offices, a hospital, a public hall, a library, even hotels and residential apartments. We opposed that proposal. Over-concentration in the center means no one comes out to walk around the area anymore. In contrast, our Plan B suggested that the central area has less architectural volume and moved major facilities 100 to 150 meter away from the center. It’s like the outer rim of a crater.

However even in our plan, there is some central focus. After talking to community people, I realised that many people find it very important to have some kind of landmark in the center. I suggested a compromise solution that is to make a low-rise station building with some commercial facilities inside, and an outside terrace that can serve as a community plaza. And this could convince Japan Railways and Tokyu Corporation people who expect to make some profit out of it.

The Station building of Plan B looks like a hill or a forest. The floor area seems rather big.

That’s right. The height is only 50m, but some people thought the floor area is too large. There is the reason for this size, though. We are trying to keep the bus terminal inside the station building. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport has a plan to bypass Route 246 (a main road that passes right through Shibuya and past Shibuya station). I think there is a chance of this actually happening. If Rout 246 can be raised via an overpass to a 3rd floor level, the buses can enter the station building on the 246. And the bus terminal which now occupies the West Exit forecourt can move into the station building. Then we can make the West Exit forecourt into a pedestrian area like Hachiko square.

It is becoming very common throughout Japan to have a large traffic square in front of the station and people use a sky walkway or an underground shopping arcade to reach the downtown area. This kind of three-dimensional structure is a common scene. However, we believe that we should put priority on people not automobiles. People should be able to walk around at ground level, and auto traffic should be underground or above ground. If 246 moved up into the air, there would be less traffic jams in the Shibuya Station area, and pedestrians would have more freedom.

Can you tell us about how are you feeling now about this project? Was it difficult to be involved with urban regeneration actively as an individual citizen?

Well, to be honest, it didn’t go as I planned. What I tried to do is “bottom-up” urban development. Without connections to the authorities, I depended on a grassroots movement. In order to make people involved, I offered information and opened a message board. I even formed a conference group with community people. I expected the movement would grow so that the community people would make Shibuya Ward, and then Tokyo Metropolis and government to go with the plan in the end. But I’ve hit a brick wall…(laugh). Maybe brick wall is little exaggerated. Anyway, I need to reflect upon my approach.

Society consists of hierarchical layers. As far as Shibuya goes, there are residents, community-based organizations, Shibuya Ward, then Tokyo Metropolis, and National government. In an ideal world, if community-based organizations come up with some ideas, Ward offices would take care of it while coordinating with the other administrative institutions above them. But it doesn’t work like that in real life (laugh). And Shibuya Ward officers don’t have the necessary awareness, they don’t realize that this is “their job”!

Unfortunately, community people don’t believe in a “bottom-up” movement, either. At first I thought that we all had to change to make it happen. But people don’t change. They see me as an entertainer or something, and now they are saying, “hey no more act?” But luckily community people also see me as a teammate. So hopefully if I open my mind, they might open their mind and change themselves like me.

It’s a huge job to change a redevelopment direction of the station building to another. In the end it’s about changing society.

That’s right. Creating a town is creating a society. Thinking about it that way, it’s no wonder it’s not an easy thing to do. (laugh).

Thank you very much for speaking with us!

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