Comments on: Did Nakameguro Really Ever Boom?

By: Aceface

Aceface — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 16:06:21 +0000

It’s a bit surprised that no one has yet mention the death of RELAX magazine has some implication to the closing of these cool Nakame shops.To me they are heavily related.

By: Mulboyne

Mulboyne — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 11:14:52 +0000

Roppongi Hills is an example of a landlord unwilling to reduce rents while still trying to be selective about tenants. Almost without exception, the tenants who did not renew their contracts either have sites in nearby Midtown; have opened other sites in Tokyo which are more profitable and no longer see any economic sense in maintaining Roppongi Hills; or else are moving to lower rent locations.

By: Nathan Barley

Nathan Barley — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 08:20:46 +0000

Where’s nathan ?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nathan_Barley

In Tokyo somewhere ?

By: W. David MARX

W. David MARX — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 23:32:08 +0000

RopHills did renplace 50 stores which is never a good sign.

By: Max

Max — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 22:59:35 +0000

addendum to Roppongi Hills post: I personally avoid it because of the anti-human ‘post-modern’ design of the place. I have bad memories of being lost in there a few times, trying to find a shop or trying to get to my train-line, and just wandering back-and-forth, up-and-down stairs in total frustration, guided by signs that only led me in circles.

By: Max

Max — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 22:53:21 +0000

Kind of related: Here’s an article about kind of mass exodus from Roppongi Hills now that people’s 5 year lease is up. Don’t know how accurate it is because it reported came from some tabloid press.

http://www.japantoday.com/jp/kuchikomi/505

By: Mulboyne

Mulboyne — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 12:08:55 +0000

When the bubble burst, development projects ground to a halt for over a decade. Japanese in their twenties and foreign residents who first arrived in the early nineties got used to a period unlike any other in Tokyo’s postwar history in that the layout and structures remained basically the same.

One knock-on effect of the recession is that landlords, with older building stock and fewer potential customers, began to rent out sites to people who they had previously regarded as “less desirable” tenants. This trend increased when limited-contracts for commercial tenants became possible. At the same time, there were fewer jobs available for school-leavers and new graduates but lower rents meant they could try their hand at bars, cafes, restaurants and boutiques. Some succeeded and a lot didn’t.

The economic recovery which brought development back to the city has not been accompanied by a pick-up in consumption so many of these small businesses are facing higher rents – whether in the same location or a different location – while their sales haven’t increased to compensate.

Oddly, The number of consumers in Tokyo has actually risen because the same low rents brought in residents who could cut down on their commuting time. Developers have also been throwing up residential tower blocks so there are more central places to live. Some of these people might go to “hip” boutiques but more are serviced by the chain stores and restaurants who can afford the higher commercial rents.

For “hip” to make a comeback, arguably rents need to come down or consumption has to pick-up.

By: W. David MARX

W. David MARX — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 04:25:47 +0000

For those readers who don’t have IP number access, this 15 Peter Twenty guy has been constantly hounding me on my multiple blogs for the last two weeks. Keep up the good work!

He/she also tag-teams with the person named Raccoon. Or could Racoon be a sock puppet for 15 Peter Twenty????

By: 15 Peter Twenty

15 Peter Twenty — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 03:33:21 +0000

Great to read of the escapades of a
skinny-jeaned self-fellating media node

By: jg

jg — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 02:15:37 +0000

For development trainspotters, what area do you think will become the next Marunouchi, Shinagawa or Shiodome? All three of those districts have completely transformed in less than a decade.

Do zoning laws keep areas like Koenji basically towerless? One day will great patches be bulldozed to make way for condos and shopping complexes? Shimo-Kitazawa has held on, but for how much longer?