Tokyo residents got a glimpse of what the future walkway would look like when the Tokyo Expressway was closed off for pedestrians in early May.
Photographer: Toru Hanai
A New York-Style High Line Is Coming to Tokyo
A post-war mentality that prioritized cars in urban planning is making way for more pedestrian-friendly thinking in Japan’s capital.
Tokyo is getting its own High Line-like elevated pedestrian walkway, marking a nascent shift in the city’s emphasis on automobile supremacy.
A plan to move part of a major expressway in the heart of the Japanese capital underground is reducing the importance of the KK Line, also known as the Tokyo Expressway. After discussions on whether to demolish the KK Line, the city decided in 2021 that it would revitalize the 2-kilometer (1-mile) stretch of road into a place for pedestrians. The project is set to partially open in 2029, with full completion aimed for the 2030s or 2040s.