It's probably due to Australia having such a fucked up town planning. When I lived at my gran's place for half a year during high school, I almost went mad.
To get from point A to B was a nightmare as you had to always take either the bus or a car to get there. In fact I couldn't be fucked going out much so I led a pretty reclusive life and gained 7 kilos without growing much in height. I swear that the closest shops were 2 km out, and that everywhere in between my house and the milk bar was just houses after houses.
Regarding the neighbours that was another thing; since we lived in a dead end street, I was well acquainted with most of the people on the street, but that's mostly because the people on the street had lived there for decades. There were several new people on the street but they would seldom if ever talk to the older folk on the street. I also felt very lonely walking on the street because there was literally no one else walking on the sidewalks.
Anyways, here in Tokyo, I feel much better. The neighbours around me are affable enough, and we greet each other, talk about the weather, and go on with our business. There are pubs and shops anywhere within walking distance. Hell, you could go to several towns with a crappy old bicycle.
I miss Australia, it's wilderness, and the people there, and hate how Japanese gun laws manages to be far shittier than Aus'. However, I can't stand how most towns in Australia require cars for grocery shopping and how inconvenient life is there. I also hate how everything is sprawled all over the place. I fucking hate the Tokyo heat and the Tokyo concrete jungle, but it sure as hell beats suburban Australia, that's for sure.
