America could have $4 lunch bowls like Japan but for zoning laws
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America could have $4 lunch bowls like Japan but for zoning laws
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Re: America could have $4 lunch bowls like Japan but for zoning laws
#2>Individual regulations, each reasonable in isolation...
Every single one of these rules that amounts to death by a thousand cuts preventing these sorts of businesses (as well as many others) will be rabidly defended by many/most if presented in the abstract. That sort of inability to reason about the forest based on what you're doing to the trees is the root problem. And it's a social/ideological/moral one, even if it expresses itself via governments.
It's no more "reasonable in isolation" to peddle rules than it is to justify littering in the park because they don't take effect in isolation. If everyone does it everything goes to crap and we all know it so we don't let anyone justify littering in the park using the effect in isolation.
Re: America could have $4 lunch bowls like Japan but for zoning laws
#3>Individual regulations, each reasonable in isolation... Every single one of these rules that amounts to death by a thousand cuts preventing these sorts of businesses (as well as many others) will be rabidly defended by many/most if presented in the abstract. That sort of inability to reason about the forest based on what you're doing to the trees is the root problem. And it's a social/ideological/moral one, even if…
And nobody who sells $4 lunch bowls will have enough cash left over to lobby for rule changes in their favour.
Re: America could have $4 lunch bowls like Japan but for zoning laws
#4Why does the article start talking about Japan, then show some photo of Koreatown Manhattan?
Re: America could have $4 lunch bowls like Japan but for zoning laws
#5>Individual regulations, each reasonable in isolation... Every single one of these rules that amounts to death by a thousand cuts preventing these sorts of businesses (as well as many others) will be rabidly defended by many/most if presented in the abstract. That sort of inability to reason about the forest based on what you're doing to the trees is the root problem. And it's a social/ideological/moral one, even if…
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Re: America could have $4 lunch bowls like Japan but for zoning laws
#6>Individual regulations, each reasonable in isolation... Every single one of these rules that amounts to death by a thousand cuts preventing these sorts of businesses (as well as many others) will be rabidly defended by many/most if presented in the abstract. That sort of inability to reason about the forest based on what you're doing to the trees is the root problem. And it's a social/ideological/moral one, even if…
I really enjoyed Lex Fridman's interview with Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson on this topic, as part of their book tour for Abundance. Even if I disagree with some of their proposals, I really liked their focus and clarification of the issue. We should be mindful of the POSIWID principle and be talking a lot more about the results of our policies.
Re: America could have $4 lunch bowls like Japan but for zoning laws
#7Pay Japanese salaries, get Japanese prices [0]. That $4 kombini bento feels like a $13 burrito or Cava bowl when on a Japanese salary.
Japan only appears cheap if you earn in USD, GBP, and Euros. For most Japanese households, costs have risen higher than salaries [1][2] and they are now facing inflation due to tourist spending [7][8][9].
It also doesn't help that the median household income in Japan is around $25,000 [3] compared to $83,000 [4] in the US. Even Koreans (who used to be Japan's "Mexicans") now earn more in Korea than in Japan, which is a massive psychological shock in JP.
This is why you've starting seeing the rise of populist far right parties like 参政党 in Japan campaigning on an anti-tourist and anti-foreigner plank - it's overwhelmingly young Japanese (18-34) who are facing the brunt of tourism-induced inflation and a bad job market, and have as such shifted right [5][6]. And mainstream Japanese parties like the LDP have had to shift further right as a result.
[0] - https://www.nippon.com/ja/japan-topics/c14023/
[1] - https://privatebank.jpmorgan.com/apac/en/insights/markets-an...
[2] - https://www.iima.or.jp/docs/newsletter/2025/nl2025.48.pdf
[3] - https://newsdig.tbs.co.jp/articles/mro/2029703?display=1
[4] - https://www.census.gov/library/publications/2025/demo/p60-28...
[5] - https://asia.nikkei.com/opinion/sanseito-brings-far-right-po...
[6] - https://asia.nikkei.com/politics/japan-election/nostalgia-an...
[7] - https://asia.nikkei.com/business/travel-leisure/japan-s-tour...
[8] - https://therobinreport.com/japans-backlash-on-luxury-tourism...
[9] - https://www.princetonpoliticalreview.org/international-news/...
Re: America could have $4 lunch bowls like Japan but for zoning laws
#8reducing everything to zoning laws is lazy analysis. nobody will ever sell $4 lunch bowls in SF because the rent is too high. so these market incentives will influence/force the proprietor to sell them for more!
Re: America could have $4 lunch bowls like Japan but for zoning laws
#9The parking thing caused us not to buy a building. Not enough spots, not enough handicap spots too.
The annoying part is that we lived 4 houses down from the building. We would never drive there ofc. The other thing is that the parking lot was so small, all spaces could be seen as Handicap accessible.
Instead we rented in a different area and the handicap spaces are significantly further from the building.
Maybe it ended up working out since our company grew and I know that space would not have been big enough.
Re: America could have $4 lunch bowls like Japan but for zoning laws
#10It probably isn't as simple as the writer thinks. Houston, for example, has no zoning laws and no $4 lunch bowls.