What does a compassionate city look like?
That question guided us on a recent journey across Japan — through Tokyo, Hiroshima, and the island of Osakikamijima — where we had the privilege of collaborating with leading architects, developers, entrepreneurs and scholars. Together, we explored a shared ambition: how can cities become places where people thrive, not just survive?
We learned that Japan calls them well-being cities. And on this trip, we saw just how aligned our Nordic approach is with rising Japanese priorities.
A few reflections we’ve bought home:
– Urban loneliness is universal
39% of Japanese residents report feeling lonely. Nordic countries, though often ranked high on happiness indexes, also face rising urban isolation. Loneliness may be invisible, but it’s built into the fabric of our cities — and that means we can redesign it.
– Mental well-being is not just a health issue, it’s an urban design issue
This signals the need to rethink how our cities either support or erode mental well-being. In the Nordics, we’re beginning to treat mental health as a spatial responsibility, embedding social infrastructure and psychological safety into everything from housing to parks.
– Circularity in the built environment is gaining ground
Japan’s “scrap-and-build” approach to architecture has long prioritized newness, yet we now see growing interest in longevity, modularity, and reuse. In the Nordics, we focus on lifecycle thinking and adaptive buildings. There’s fertile ground for shared innovation in how we shape future-proof, regenerative environments.
We’re already looking forward to returning to Japan. On 2 October, we will curate the full-day program in the Nordic Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka, diving deeper into the themes of urban well-being. Join us there – reach out for more info.
Our Japanese activities are no longer just touchpoints, they are forming a network of partnerships and long-term collaborations. During our visit, we hosted events, a workshop, sparring sessions, deep-dive interviews, and met many new potential partners.
A huge thank you to our many collaborators, old and new. This includes partners like Nikken Sekkei Ltd, Mitsubishi Estate Co., Ltd., BuildVision, Hakuhodo Inc., the municipality of Hiroshima and many more.
And a special thank you to Yuka Harikai Drejer for including BLOXHUB in her brilliant new book on Danish innovative work culture. We spotted it in bookstores across Japan!
More to come….