Also not as disparate as memes would have you believe, depending on how you look at it.
The Tokyo Metro Area is very dense at 38 million / 13,000km2, compared to the London Metro Area’s 15 million / 9000km2. But the density of Tokyo rapidly decreases as you go further out, even with the Metro Area.
Even agglomerating up to the entire Kanto Region only gets around 42 million / 32,000km2. London + East + South East Regions gets you 31 million / 50,000km2.
I don’t think comparing comparing Regions is very useful, but this only yields that Kanto is approximately twice as dense as London + surroundings. National level figures have Japan at 330/km2, Vs UK’s 285/km2.
A much more suitable comparison would be the central areas of Tokyo and London, which are the 9 special wards in/around the Yamanote Loop and Inner London (roughly zone 2). This is around 2.2mil / 140km2 or around 15,000/km2 for Tokyo Vs 3.4mil / 320km2 or around 11,000/km2 for London. Again, not nearly the massive discrepancy suggested by memes.
Apologies if my tone is pointed - having lived and commuted in both cities the way the internet thinks of Japan really bothers me. I do think Tokyo is worse for crowdedness, but honestly not by much, especially when London tube lines can be so long they go outside the station.
If you repeat the exercise and focus only on central areas, you will find that most major cities actually have very similar densities.
Okay, now compare the population and population density. 😁
Also not as disparate as memes would have you believe, depending on how you look at it.
The Tokyo Metro Area is very dense at 38 million / 13,000km2, compared to the London Metro Area’s 15 million / 9000km2. But the density of Tokyo rapidly decreases as you go further out, even with the Metro Area.
Even agglomerating up to the entire Kanto Region only gets around 42 million / 32,000km2. London + East + South East Regions gets you 31 million / 50,000km2.
I don’t think comparing comparing Regions is very useful, but this only yields that Kanto is approximately twice as dense as London + surroundings. National level figures have Japan at 330/km2, Vs UK’s 285/km2.
A much more suitable comparison would be the central areas of Tokyo and London, which are the 9 special wards in/around the Yamanote Loop and Inner London (roughly zone 2). This is around 2.2mil / 140km2 or around 15,000/km2 for Tokyo Vs 3.4mil / 320km2 or around 11,000/km2 for London. Again, not nearly the massive discrepancy suggested by memes.
Apologies if my tone is pointed - having lived and commuted in both cities the way the internet thinks of Japan really bothers me. I do think Tokyo is worse for crowdedness, but honestly not by much, especially when London tube lines can be so long they go outside the station.
If you repeat the exercise and focus only on central areas, you will find that most major cities actually have very similar densities.