Tokyo is unique as an urban phenomenon. On the surface it looks chaotic, but it operates incredibly efficiently. This contradiction, among many other examples of duality, is what makes Tokyo so intriguing.

The Ameyoko shotengai or Ameyoko “shopping street,” located near Ueno station, is one of the most well known undertrack infills. Taking Ameyoko and 2k540 aki-oka, our next site, as case studies, we can use the beginnings of Tokyo’s modern transit and transit hubs to understand the city’s mix of planned and organic growth.

In the early post-WWII years, Ameyoko grew organically with squatters and black markets occupying the space under the elevated train track. Over time, Ameyoko was planned and developed in collaboration with locals, the JR Corporation railway company, and multiple levels of government.

In the 1950s the temporary black market stalls were removed, and the war returnee’s association was given permission to subdivide the undertrack area into micro lots. These formalized stalls eventually transformed into small shops with residences above. The template was the shotengai or shopping street, rather than the inward facing shopping mall.

Ameyoko is layered and shared. Its circulation elements include trains on elevated tracks and pedestrian pathways with room to accommodate bikes and supply carts, plus all the varied wares inhabiting the pavement. The planning strategy laid out the framework, but Ameyoko’s vibrancy and liveliness is organic and can be attributed to the various scales of shops, the diverse mix of tenants (food markets, clothing stores, bars and restaurants), the walkability and permeability of its layout, the opportunity for interactions with all walks of life, and the collective drive and resourcefulness of its small entrepreneurs.