Twenty-nine Japanese families have found their version of happiness by creating their own idyll in a Tokyo suburb. Together with eco-architect Akinori Sagane they have built Kinoka no Ie, a community development in Machida-shi in the south of the city. It's a 21st-century alternative to the hippy commune: ecologically sound, but without the home knits and tie-dye. Sagane found the land, advertised for buyers and then organised the group's purchase of the plot. Residents own their apartments - which range from 45 to 80 sq m - and each has a share in the rooftop vegetable gardens.