The Problems And Challenges Of Tokyo City

Cities have many issues. But people continue to move to them in search of a better life. That's why I would like to address the UN general assembly to raise awareness about the consequences of urbanisation in Asia specifically Japan. Located in the continent of Asia. Japan covers 364485. 00 square kilometers of land and has a population of 127. 368088 million people.

Japan has 103 cities in total. Tokyo, with almost nine million inhabitants, is by far the largest Japanese city.

Poor safety/high crime rate

Tokyo is usually considered a safe city. Nevertheless, even in Japan there are bad towns and dangerous situations and there are only a few areas that the japanese might recommend avoiding like Kabukicho and Ueno.

Overpopulation

Tokyo has become so crowded that scientists say the accumulated heat from all the human activity is changing local weather patterns. Heat islands are the result of high concentrations of people.

Cultural, entertainment and educational possibilities

Tokyo is home to the fabulous food, great shopping and it's own Disneyland which can attract many people. In rural areas of japan it can be hard to even get to a supermarket, let alone a school.

Good transportation

Tokyo’s world-class, public-transport system will get you anywhere you need to go. . It isn't priced too much or too little and comes around every five minutes at most in central Tokyo, and stations have left-luggage lockers for baggage.

Economic impacts

Inequalities

Urbanisation has caused unprecedented economic growth, however that growth has caused huge inequalities. They are caused by different factors, growth in the service industry and high-tech sectors, has brought disproportionate rewards to the most skilled workers and the adoption of capital intensive industrial development which creates a limited number of new well-paid jobs.

Economic growth

According to the Global Monetary Report, countries that have 40% or less people living in urban areas have significantly lower income levels, and higher poverty rates. Therefore, levels of urbanisation are linked to national income, this can be seen as mostdeveloped countries are highly urbanised.

Social impacts

Environmental impacts

According to Tokyo Metropolitan Government (TMG), Tokyo has to deal with with two huge environmental crises.

Air pollution

The first crises is the damage to our respiratory system due to the pollution in the air made by the huge amount of transportation all around the city and the number of chemicals released into our ozone layer.

Heat island effect

The other problem is the heat island effect in the urbanised areas created by a lot of energy consumption and global warming because of the increase of carbon dioxide in the air.

Liveability and sustainability

Today more than half of the world’s population live in cities. This fact places a great responsibly on the world’s urban leaders to create and put in place sustainability initiatives to address climate change as well as sustain our economies and societies.

What is being done?

The great energy challenge

Energy is an issue that touches every person on the planet. The Great Energy Challenge convenes and engages influential citizens and key energy stakeholders in solutions-based thinking and dialogue about our shared energy future.

Tokyo Cap-and-Trade

Climate change from global warming is a serious environmental issue throughout the world. In order to mitigate the risks of climate change, the TMG, launched the Tokyo Cap-and-Trade Program, which makes it mandatory for large-scale facilities in Tokyo to reduce their carbon dioxide emissions.

How efficient are these?

The great energy challenge

The great energy challenge has proved effective, because in the end you find results when you become a compact city, because it is low-carbon, socially and economically sustainable, and it becomes an easily livable city.

Tokyo Cap-and-Trade

Other than reducing emissions through their own efforts, facilities falling under this program can achieve their reduction targets by procuring the excess emission reductions of other facilities through emissions trading. This system allows businesses to advance initiatives in an economic and rational way.