Compared to my experiences of the US and Canada, and I could probably assume in some European countries that suburban and urban landscaping is standard. Maintained tree lined streets, manicured lawns, meaningful flowering trees, etc.
Hell, in Florida, most of the exits on the highways are pretty much highway gardens with the amount of trees planted and maintained.
But in Japan, like, that ain’t a thing here? Just weeds everywhere and overgrown grass.
Buildings are also poorly maintained, with some needing a major pressure cleaning or repainting. And considering that “common areas” is charged in most rents, there should be no excuse why the buildings look like shit.
So, TLDR: why Japanese local governments give zero fucks about the scenic appearance of their communities.
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maybe with the covid to prevent people from going outside or maybe the money was paid back by tourism? idk
in any case it wasn’t like that before covid
They just build a huge bypass in my area, and at one end the road splits and comes back together creating a large open area. Would be a perfect area for some trees, but instead they cemented it all over.
Along the river near my house there are Sakura trees, and used to be a bunch of brush. Then I’m assuming the city came through and poured cement over the river banks.
Gotta keep the construction industry going
Trees (especially young trees) are a huge hazard during storms, I was told this is the reason many houses or residential developments avoid them
Tokyo isn’t so bad in terms of landscaping imo, but it depends on where you are in Tokyo. Everywhere else in Japan, however, is just concrete.
Yeah cities & towns are just not pretty here. Seems the focus is on other things… like Abe funeral
I always found it funny how the public schools look like old Soviet prisons.
Nice apartment buildings have nice landscaping outside
My area in Tokyo is always filled with different types of seasonal flowers. Never seen so many in my years in other countries.
Where are you at in Japan OP? Weird to generalise the entire country.
I guess, concrete is cheaper than manpower. The small parks in my neck of the woods are kept reasonably clean by community volunteers, but large green areas would need pros and they cost. And if our tax money goes into funky churches, there’s nothing left for niceties to the tax players.
Well for starters manicured lawns are [terrible for the environment](https://www.salon.com/2017/02/26/lawn-and-disorder-americas-obsession-with-the-perfect-home-lawn-is-terrible-for-the-environment/) but I suspect the reason why they aren’t common in Japan is more cultural than environmental. They don’t fetishize monocultured grass lawns in the same way most western/Anglo countries do.
Flowering trees are pretty common, mostly sakura and ume though.
Labor shortage.