A Gen Z Urban Journalist Warns About Japan in the Age of Social Media

Even Tokyo’s renowned Koreatown, Shin-Okubo, is turning into Niseko

The book “Niseko-ization of Japan,” published at the end of January under the theme of Reiwa-era Urban and Consumer Theory, is attracting the attention of business professionals.

The author is Kazuki Tanigashira, a Gen Z urban journalist who analyzes Japan’s present state through cities and commercial facilities.

Hokkaido’s Niseko is known as a ski resort that attracts wealthy foreigners. In the book’s introduction, Tanigashira writes:

“Right now, Japan is undergoing ‘Niseko-ization’ in every aspect.”

So, what exactly does “Niseko-ization” refer to? He explains that “It refers to a place becoming like a theme park through selection and concentration.”

What made an urban journalist, who frequently covers chain stores and theme parks, turn his attention to Niseko? We asked him directly.

“Actually, I didn’t set out to write about Niseko from the beginning.

Observing recent trends in chain stores and commercial facilities, I noticed that more places were adopting strategies that precisely target specific demographics and aim to satisfy them. In other words, the approach of selection and concentration has become stronger.

Around that time, I happened to read Katsuhide Takahashi’s book Why Did Only Niseko Become a World-Class Resort? The book explained that Niseko became an international resort by implementing ‘selection and concentration’ for wealthy foreign visitors. That made me realize the same phenomenon was occurring in tourist destinations as well.

If that’s the case, I thought, using ‘Niseko’ as a lens, I could seamlessly discuss everything from urban areas and commercial facilities to our consumer behavior.

To be honest, I also wanted to make the title catchy by including the keyword ‘Niseko-ization’ (laughs). Interest in Niseko has been extremely high in recent years.”

If “Niseko-ization” is happening all over Japan, then where else, besides Niseko, is thriving due to “selection and concentration”?

Without hesitation, Tanigashira pointed to Shin-Okubo, which he also covered in Niseko-ization of Japan. In the 1980s bubble era, Shin-Okubo was known as a neighborhood where many Korean hostesses lived. Today, it has transformed into one of Japan’s leading Koreatowns, lined with Korean restaurants, K-POP idol merchandise stores, and Korean cosmetics shops.

“In my book, I wrote that Shin-Okubo’s selection and concentration happened naturally.

Triggered by events like the Japan-Korea World Cup and the rise of Korean dramas, Korean-themed shops concentrated in the area, attracting visitors who selected it, which in turn led to even more concentration.

I also enjoy Korean dramas, so I visit Shin-Okubo from time to time, and it’s truly astonishing. Most of the signs you see are in Hangul. From the store designs to the way signs are made, it really feels like you’ve stepped into Korea. For those who love Korean culture, it’s an incredibly fun place.

However, this phenomenon is occurring only within a specific area of Shin-Okubo. If you step just one block away, you’ll find a diverse mix of people from various nationalities, and a more everyday urban atmosphere. It’s like Disney Resort—one section has become a Korea within Japan due to selection and concentration, creating a theme park-like space.”

 

The way you see Shibuya changes completely depending on the social media platform you use

In the 1960s, Shinjuku was the go-to district for young people. From the late 1970s to the early 2000s, Shibuya took over as the youth hub. So, which areas do Gen Z figures like Tanigashira find interesting today?

“The neighborhoods young people frequent vary significantly depending on the communities or clusters they belong to.

For those involved in music or theater, Shimokitazawa is the hottest spot right now. It seems that the redevelopment project led by Odakyu Electric Railway in collaboration with local residents was a great success. I go there often myself, and no matter the time of day, you’ll find plenty of young people moving around.

On the other hand, I’ve heard that people in the art scene are gravitating toward Higashi-Tokyo, particularly around Kyojima in Sumida Ward. The relatively affordable rent in that area makes it easier to set up art studios, which may be a key factor.

Overall, it seems that the trendiest districts are now scattered just outside the Yamanote Line—a little removed from central Tokyo. As redevelopment drives up prices in the city center, places that remain less developed are gaining more pull.”

For instance, in the 1970s and 1980s, PARCO played a central role in shaping youth culture in Shibuya. Tanigashira describes Niseko-ization of Japan as an urban theory for the SNS era. He argues that, since the 2010s—when smartphones became widespread and social media use skyrocketed—the way youth districts form has changed drastically from the past.

“When it comes to Shibuya, the way people perceive the city depends on which social media platform they primarily use—whether it’s X, Instagram, or TikTok.

For those who mainly use TikTok, their mental map of Shibuya likely revolves around MIYASHITA PARK. It’s now called the holy ground of TikTok, and at night, you’ll see many young women dancing in front of their smartphones there (laughs).

Instagram users, on the other hand, see the Jinnan area, closer to Harajuku, as the center of Shibuya. That’s where stylish, Instagrammable cafes and shops are concentrated.

Meanwhile, visiting foreigners often come to Shibuya specifically to take photos of the Scramble Crossing, and to them, that’s the heart of the city.

In short, different social media platforms create different views of the city. In an era where the internet and social media allow people to easily find things that match their interests, businesses need to target their audiences more precisely and apply selection and concentration thoroughly—otherwise, it’s hard to attract people.”

Since the start of Shibuya’s massive redevelopment—often called a once-in-a-century transformation—some have claimed that Shibuya is no longer a youth-centric city. However, young people can still be found in certain areas. But the current redevelopment led by Tokyu Group is not focusing on them.

“To put it simply, Tokyu Group’s Shibuya redevelopment can be summarized as a shift ‘from a youth city to an adult city.’

A little-known fact is that the redevelopment has been happening in two phases. The first phase, from 2012 to 2020, primarily targeted tourists and office workers. In the second phase, residents were added to the mix. This is a stark contrast to when Shibuya 109 was designed specifically for teenagers and people in their twenties.

With the recent wave of redevelopment, it’s true that the area around Shibuya Station is no longer a place where young people can just loiter aimlessly. And in a way, since young people have actually stopped hanging around the station, Tokyo’s strategy can be considered a success.”

Selection and concentration always come with exclusion. What lies beyond?

Even after Tokyu sold Tokyu Plaza Ginza to Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Panasonic Finance in 2023, it continued to manage the facility. However, the property was recently acquired by a Hong Kong-based fund, and Tokyu has withdrawn from operations entirely. The facility’s name is also expected to change.

“Despite being located at Ginza’s prime Sukiyabashi intersection, Tokyu Plaza Ginza has been nearly empty since the post-COVID era.

It seems like they misjudged the needs of both inbound tourists and local visitors. More importantly, they were too tied to the traditional department store model, trying to cover everything instead of specializing.

Nowadays, across Japan, category killers—specialty stores focusing on a single product type—have taken over. Because of this shift, department stores are often seen as places where they have everything, but nothing you actually want to buy.

Successful department stores today have adapted by targeting inbound tourists and high-net-worth individuals. However, Tokyu failed to give Tokyu Plaza Ginza a distinct identity as a commercial facility. I think that’s why it struggled in Ginza.”

As Tanigashira writes in his new book, the phenomenon of “Niseko-ization” may indeed be spreading across the cities we live in, the commercial facilities in those cities, and even public spaces. However, urban development and city planning based on selection and concentration may become increasingly difficult in the future.

Moreover, Tanigashira points out in his book that “Niseko-ization” itself carries inherent problems. The key issue is that selection and concentration always come with exclusion.

If that’s the case, does the increasing fragmentation of selection and concentration—driven by the influence of social media—also lead to an equally increasing number of exclusions?

“For example, if all selection and concentration strategies are designed exclusively for the wealthy, it creates a structure where affluent individuals are selected while the middle and lower classes are excluded.

This is far from an ideal outcome, but I don’t think the trend of ‘Niseko-ization’ will stop. In a consumer society that has matured with the evolution of social media, people will continue to seek content that resonates deeply with them.

To minimize exclusion, the only solution is to increase the variety of selection and concentration strategies. It is then the government’s role to balance the multitude of selections that emerge.

At the same time, I believe we need to pause and reconsider ‘Niseko-ization’ itself. The reason is that in any ‘Niseko-ized’ space, those who are excluded will inevitably feel division. In other words, we must also think about how to resolve this division.”

In his book, Tanigashira openly states, “At the very least, I am deeply concerned about ‘Niseko-ization’ in Japan.” Because of this, his book deliberately avoids selection and concentration, covering a wide range of topics from tourist destinations and cities to commercial facilities and even fan culture.

“I connected seemingly unrelated industries using the concept of ‘Niseko-ization’ and compiled them into a single book. By making it a cross-sectional, comprehensive work, I wanted to express my resistance to selection and concentration and my personal stance against division.

I didn’t intend to write this book as a critique. But in the end, it may have taken on a critical nature. I see criticism as a genre of writing that can connect different topics and discuss them in relation to each other.

In the era of ‘Niseko-ization,’ I feel that criticism has a surprisingly important role to play.”

▼ Kazuki Tanigashira

Urban journalist, chain store researcher. Born in 1997. Graduated from Waseda University’s School of Culture, Media and Society and completed a master’s degree in Japanese language education at Waseda University’s Graduate School of Education. Winner of the Toyo Keizai Online Award 2024 MVP.
His published works include Why Does Don Quijote Have a Penguin? (Shueisha Shinsho) and Thinking Through Book Off: The Cultural Infrastructure Born from Casual Consumption (Seikyusha).

Kazuki Tago’s new book “Niseko-ka suru Nippon” is available here.