Rows of high-rise buildings stretch out in every direction.

Welcome to Takashimadaira in the north of Tokyo.

This is a "danchi," a housing complex made up of residential units

and a range of community facilities.

But 200 years ago, things were quite different...

A cannon!?

It was a vast flatland that served as an artillery training ground.

In the late 19th century, it was converted into farmland.

Then, during Japan's economic miracle in the 1970s,

it became a residential town centered on a massive housing complex.

It attracted young people who aspired to a modern lifestyle.

Half a century later, the community continues

to find new ways to improve quality of life.

"Dive in Tokyo"

Today we visit Takashimadaira.

Takashimadaira is about 30 minutes from central Tokyo by train.

It's a commuter town with a population of about 50,000.

Hello, everyone, I'm Daum Kim.

And, yes, today you're seeing a unique scenery to be Tokyo.

We are in Takashimadaira,

and behind me is a large housing complex

which is called danchi in Japanese.

We're going to discover the stories and history of this region.

Let's go check it out.

Daum is a PhD student in Tokyo researching ethnic enclaves.

She was born in Korea and grew up in China.

Takashimadaira Danchi is one of Tokyo's largest residential complexes,

with a total of over 10,000 units.

Completed in 1972,

it was built to address a serious housing shortage

amid Japan's rapid postwar population boom.

It's huge.

I think this might be familiar scenery

for those who are in Korea or China.

But in Japan? It's my first time seeing anything like this.

You know, what I find interesting

is, like, you see all this laundry in different colors

so you could really feel that this is a neighborhood

where many people are living.

There's a train station in front of the complex,

making it easy to commute to work or to school.

With recreational areas and parks located throughout the grounds,

it's a family-friendly environment for raising children.

More than 50 years on,

over 10,000 people continue to call the danchi home.

It's a convenient location. About 30 minutes to the city center.

Also...

We have community centers, as well as a hospital nearby.

They also get a lot of visitors.

You can buy good produce for cheap.

And my kid gets to run around.

So we come every week.

People gather here for a reason.

So we are now on the ground floor of this complex,

and here it says "shotengai," which means shopping street.

And you can see many people are walking around. There are lots of bicycles.

There's a supermarket. Let's see what they have.

You can hear that something's on sale.

Oh, wow. So this is an open supermarket.

So they have like soy sauce...

They even have Korean seaweed.

This supermarket, which has been here since the complex first opened,

plays a vital role in the community.

These older supermarkets tend to have lower prices.

Plus, these days you can get everything you need around here.

It's very convenient.

We move on to another shopping area on the grounds.

So it feels like this is a shopping street with history,

but I see lots of families, I hear lots of laughter.

It's like a very friendly, community-oriented complex.

Hello.

Is there a special event going on today?

It's our 12-day spring fair. Today's the final day.

This shopping street holds an annual festival

to coincide with cherry blossom season.

With live music and food trucks,

it's a lively affair that brings the community together.

We speak with Kuroda Masayoshi,

who's the chairman of the shopping street,

as well as the owner of a fish shop that's been here since the beginning.

These old-fashioned shopping streets were seen as a place for older people.

But that's changing.

We're now getting more young people thanks to our events and festivals.

Do you hold events often?

Yes. With these events...

I've had customers come in and tell me they used to live here as kids.

Events bring people back.

So I want to keep holding these festivals.

Events like these have cultivated the bonds of community at this danchi.

So, what's the story behind Takashimadaira?

To learn more, we head to Shogetsuin temple,

south of the housing complex.

Our guide is Hosomomi Yuuki,

a curator at the Itabashi Historical Museum.

I was told to start here if I wanted to learn more about Takashimadaira.

Yes!

Look over there.

What is that?

It's an artillery monument.

Artillery?

On temple grounds?

This monument is dedicated to Takashima Shuhan,

whom Takashimadaira is named after.

Takashima Shuhan was a gunnery specialist

who learned Dutch artillery tactics

at Nagasaki in the early 19th century.

The ruling Edo shogunate felt threatened by Western military power.

So they called upon Takashima,

who conducted Japan's first live-fire exercise

using Western artillery on the outskirts of the capital.

Similar exercises were held at the site for decades afterwards.

Back then this area was known as Tokumarugahara.

The shogunate used it for things like falconry.

It was a vast wetland with grass for horses to graze on.

Takashima Shuhan held a gunnery exercise where the housing complex is today.

This temple served as a resting area. A kind of base of operations.

They hung out here then went to the danchi area for the exercise.

Yes.

Later, this area was given the name Takashimadaira,

a combination of Takashima and "taira,"

which refers to the flat topography.

I'd like you to meet some folks who know much more about Takashima Shuhan.

Members of the Western-style Gunnery Preservation Society.

- Hello. Thanks for having us.
- Pleased to meet you.

The group holds reenactments of the artillery demonstrations

started by Takashima,

as well as other activities promoting his legacy.

They even carry replicas of the Western matchlocks used during the period.

Here, try to hold it.

This is heavy.

I'm going to let go!

Oh my God! It's heavy!

In reality, you'd also have a bayonet on the end.

Seriously?

I can't hold it!

It's incredibly heavy!

The group says that many residents aren't familiar with the local history.

They hope to spread awareness of Takashima Shuhan's accomplishments.

We are very happy that we get to perform demos in this historic area.

Through our activities...

our purpose is to bring joy to the people of Takashimadaira.

In the latter half of the 19th century,

the lands were cultivated on a wide scale,

turning the area into an important breadbasket for the capital.

The geographic location made it ideal for growing rice and vegetables

to feed Tokyo's growing population.

Then, in the mid-20th century,

Japan entered a period of rapid economic growth,

which dramatically transformed the face of the capital.

Amid widespread development,

it was decided that a massive housing complex

would be constructed in Takashimadaira.

We return to the danchi to meet with someone from the company

that manages the complex.

Hello, I'm Daum.

I'm Matsunaga. Pleased to meet you.

Why was this danchi built?

Takashimadaira used to be an area of paddy fields.

There were no roads, electricity, gas, water...

No infrastructure.

It was chosen because everything could be built from scratch.

The 365,000-square-meter development

included rows of residential high-rises, which were rare at the time.

A total of 64 buildings went up on the site,

with units both for rental and for sale.

At first glance, the structures may seem generic.

But look closely, and there are rounded corners,

uniquely designed railings,

and other touches that give them a distinct personality.

Matsunaga offers to take us up to a rooftop to check out the view.

This roof is so big!

We're atop a 14-story building.

Here you have a view of the complex.

Look at that!

You can really tell how flat this area is.

Right.

The high-rises are neatly arranged in rows.

The grounds include public facilities

such as a library and community centers.

That side faces north.

Ah, the view is more open!

Yes, over here you see a typical Japanese urban landscape.

Lots of buildings.

You can see Takashimadaira Station right in front of us.

Takashimadaira Station was built around the same time as the housing complex.

The influx of new residents became so great that the train line was extended,

with two additional stations built just several hundred meters apart.

It was exceedingly rare for a danchi development

to lead to the opening of three new stations.

The neighborhoods around the complex also underwent development.

How big was the area being developed?

The rental properties comprise about 20 hectares.

The entire area under development was about 20 times that size.

I see.

New roads and infrastructure were built through rezoning projects.

Those were started about 50 years ago

by our company's predecessor, Japan Housing Corporation.

In addition to the housing complex,

they also built distribution centers, a waste management facility, and more.

So there were facilities here not just for local residents,

but for all of Tokyo.

Matsunaga shows us a unique feature

that was part of the original design of the danchi.

This elevator setup is something you don't see anymore.

One stops on odd-numbered floors, the other on even-numbered floors.

Back then, elevator cars were small and slow.

If they stopped at every floor, it'd take forever to go up and down.

So they split up the floors into evens and odds to spread out traffic.

We head upstairs.

Oh, it's very clean!

- The insides are renovated.
- Right.

Let me show you something unusual.

Unusual?

This is where you throw out your garbage.

This is called a garbage chute.

Garbage chute?

You open the door...

place your garbage here, then close it.

It will drop down to the first floor.

It slides down?

It's a vertical shaft.

No way!

This building has many residents.

You don't want everyone going down at once with their trash.

This chute is specifically for kitchen waste.

Each floor has access to it.

If you have garbage lying around in your unit, it can start to reek.

So each building has a chute like this

for residents to dispose of food scraps.

It's kind of like the old version of a garbage disposal!

That's right.

Next, we check out one of the units.

I can smell the tatami mats!

Here we go!

This unit has two rooms and a separate kitchen/dining space.

It looks very nice.

Yes, many of the units are renovated.

This is the most common floor plan at this complex.

Most of the units have this layout.

Here's an original floor plan from 1972,

a 45-square-meter unit designed for a family of four.

At the time, it was rare for a Japanese housing unit

to have separate rooms for eating and sleeping.

The Western-style kitchens were another draw.

The Japanese masses aspired to eating meals

and having tea while seated at a table.

Each unit was also equipped with a flush toilet and a gas-heated bath.

Thanks to an array of modern features,

there was a rush of applicants wanting to move in.

Residents were selected by lottery.

The initial move-in period was an event onto itself.

The grounds were bustling with new tenants

carrying furniture and belongings up to their units.

For those moving into upper floors, it was a full-day ordeal.

The population quickly grew,

and within a year, the complex housed some 30,000 residents.

It's rare to see danchi buildings with this many floors.

Plus, the layouts and facilities were very modern at the time.

My understanding is that it was very popular.

Have some of those tenants continued to live here all this time?

Yes. We have some residents who have been here since the beginning.

Next, we meet with someone who can tell us more

about what danchi life was like.

- Good afternoon!
- Hello!

I'm Daum.

I'm Muranaka of Takashimadaira Shimbun.

Muranaka Takahide was born and raised at this residential complex.

He's the president of Takashimadaira Shimbun,

a monthly community newspaper that was founded by his father.

They cover local stories, issues, and events.

He shows us an album of photos taken around the complex in the '70s.

A children's playground.

Yes, we had a massive jungle gym.

Kids running around everywhere!

The place was filled with people.

We'd play cops and robbers, using the complex as our playground.

One time a kid hid in their house so we couldn't find them.

What was it like living here as a kid?

It was quite comfortable.

School was just around the corner.

No busy streets you had to cross.

And all my friends lived nearby.

We'd visit each other all the time.

In the summer, the complex hosted a festival,

which helped deepen community ties.

But the number of child-rearing households moving in

was higher than initially expected,

leading to a shortage of daycares and schools.

We lacked adequate services and facilities.

The hardware had been built, but the software needed to catch up.

So the community started stepping up.

Residents began renting facilities within the complex

to support each other in raising their children.

That included organizing parenting classes.

Eventually, their efforts led to the opening of a new daycare building.

And in this way, residents here

have played an active role in shaping their community.

We asked Muranaka for his take on the state of Takashimadaira today.

The population is aging.

The children grew up and moved out for work, to start a family, etc.

But their parents remain here.

The issue of an aging population

is a major challenge facing Japanese society today,

and Takashimadaira is no exception.

Muranaka runs a community space where residents can meet and mingle.

On this day, they're holding a mahjong class.

It's become one of their most popular activities.

- You know your stuff!
- Not at all!

I used to dabble at home.

But I hadn't played for a long time.

When they started this class, I started coming.

I'm trying to learn the scoring system.

Activities like these help the older residents stay connected.

We want to bring smiles to their faces.

At these events, you get to see everyone having fun.

You want them to feel glad about living here.

Being able to create those moments is what brings me the most joy.

There's something else that's changing in Takashimadaira.

Where are you from?

- From Mongolia.
- Mongolia!

It's becoming more international.

There's even a foreign foods grocery store at the danchi.

Let's go check inside.

This is kind of like my paradise.

I have the Chinese stuff on the right side,

and the Korean stuff right on the left side.

Shop manager Li Haruko is originally from China.

Where do your customers come from?

About one-third are Japanese.

Two-thirds are foreigners.

What's the story behind this store?

The number of international residents in this area is growing.

We opened this store to cater to their needs.

I was aware that we had many older residents.

One of the reasons more foreigners are moving into Takashimadaira Danchi

is because it doesn't have citizenship requirements or age restrictions.

We meet with Yoshinari Katsuo,

a 30-year resident who is working to build bridges

between international residents and older members of the community.

I was aware that we had many older residents.

But then I found out how many foreigners were living here.

I imagined both were feeling isolated.

So I wanted to bring them together to create a community.

Yoshinari worked for many years

providing employment support to foreigners living in Japan.

Wanting to reach out to his international neighbors at the danchi,

he founded a nonprofit

called Asian Community Takashimadaira in 2011.

They hold weekly Japanese language classes,

as well as events designed to promote cultural awareness and appreciation.

On this day, they're holding a mixer at a local community center

for the members of the Japanese language class.

Among them is Qin Yazhou

who's been living at Takashimadaira Danchi for a year and a half.

The organizers serve "amazake,"

a sweet beverage made from fermented rice.

Amazake is commonly served at festivals.

It's great for people who don't drink alcohol.

It's good.

How's danchi life?

It's wonderful!

Everyone is so nice.

Thanks to our teacher, my Japanese is improving steadily.

Qin says that he hopes to learn not just the language,

but about the culture, too.

The older residents are full of energy, so they can lead these activities.

And by welcoming foreign residents, we can revive this town.

Imagine walking around and seeing a diverse community.

People greeting each other and chatting. That's my vision.

Honestly, before coming here,

I had not heard of Takashimadaira before, and I did not know what to expect.

But my favorite part was, each of the members of this community

had a strong sense of ownership for the community

that they are actually co-living and co-designing

a better life for themselves and for Takashimadaira.