Chapter 16 Consensus on mantra 'lost decade'

This is not public opinion, and it might be more appropriate to call it a "group consensus", that is, everyone thinks so.This phenomenon is spreading in Japanese society, and it can be said that it has a greater impact on society than "public opinion". In Tokyo, I like the view of the entire Tokyo city from Shenghong Bridge the most.This bridge is my favorite place. I have come here to see the scenery frequently for 15 years, but I always feel that I can't get enough of it. If you look at the photos I took here in the past 15 years, you will know that the scenery changes every year.Compared with 15 years ago, Tokyo today has undergone earth-shaking changes.

From Shinagawa to Akihabara are being "Manhattanized", and new high-rise buildings are rising. It can be said that Tokyo is changing all the time. During these 15 years, I would ride or drive here every Sunday to see the scenery of Tokyo.Thinking about it carefully, Tokyo was "Manhattanized", which is what happened in the past 15 years. During this period, it also aroused some thoughts for me. The term "lost decade" can just express my opinion.Because I feel that since the global economic downturn, everyone is losing various things during this period. is this real?

Perhaps not so, from the scenery seen on the Shenghong Bridge, it can be concluded that "we have not lost anything". When the global economy began to decline in 1989, Oi, Shinagawa, Hamamatsucho, Roppongi, Shimbashi (Shiodome), Ginza, Nihonbashi, Akihabara, etc. did not have these row upon row of high-rise buildings; but in 2006, the scenery here It has become completely different from before (see picture). The reason why everyone feels like they've lost this and lost that, I think it's because people keep saying "lost" all the time. Those businesses that were not affected by the "lose" curse still thrived.

During the "lost decade" and the following years, Tokyo's land prices continued to fall, because Tokyo has been undergoing urban redevelopment.It can also be said that in Japan, Tokyo is a different place. People caught in the "group consensus" did not notice these upheavals. But these do not clearly reflect that there is a gap between our understanding and reality.Regarding the upheaval in Tokyo, let alone the Japanese, few people in the world know about it.