Japanese Cities in Global Context

Abstract

Japan has been part of a transnational and cross-cultural exchange of planning ideas for many centuries. A comprehensive analysis of exchange between the island nation, its Asian neighbors, and the larger world is still missing, despite the growing interest in the study of transnational and cross-cultural urbanism. The articles in this special section illustrate the multiple ways in which foreign influences have shaped and changed Japanese urban form and in which Japanese practices have influenced the built environment elsewhere. They explore the theoretical, methodological, and practical results of this exchange. Sites discussed are inside Japan, notably Nagasaki and Tokyo, and also in the Japanese colonies (specifically through the lens of Seoul), and also outside Japan, specifically the United States and Europe. This introduction sets up the background and larger context of urban history and planning in Japan, identifies the threads that link the articles, and proposes further directions for research.