Ryuzo Oyama and his family have been living in Tsukishima, a neighborhood on a reclaimed island in Tokyo's Chuo Ward, since his grandfather's generation.

Known for its maze of narrow alleys, wooden nagaya row-houses and eateries offering monjayaki (a local pan-fried concoction of batter, vegetables and meat or seafood), the area offers visitors a whiff of Showa Era (1926-89) nostalgia despite being situated on prime real estate in the center of the capital.

That scenery is disappearing fast, however, and Oyama will likely be forced to relocate as the entire block he lives in is slated to be razed for a slick 50-story, 190-meter-tall, 750-unit residential tower scheduled for completion in 2024 — one of several similar redevelopment projects in the neighborhood that is threatening to destroy Tsukishima's distinct shitamachi (literally, "downtown") allure.