Tokyo is an ugly cit y. There are hardly any beaut iful or even
good buildings; t here are few parks; there are no m ountains or even hills inside or outside t he cit y; there is no green belt; t here are few monument s w ort h looking at ; t he air pollut ion is terrifying; the
But not all is ugliness in Tokyo. There are a few good buildings and impressive t emples and shrines; t here are a few parks w orth visiting. And t he overcrow ding, t he lack of space, has one advant age,
pleasing at least to the eye. Everything has to be small in Tokyo: houses, rooms, shops – even, one feels, people, t o fit int o t he small
houses. Long side-st reet s consist of t iny houses only, and t his often creat es a t oy-like, unreal qualit y, w it h small w omen t ip-toeing along in t heir kimonos and equally small men sitt ing, mot ionless, inside t heir t iny shops.
