Zoning and parking minimums are the real problem. Ensure houses are safe (fire, collapse, etc.) and let the market decide where, when and what should be built.
There are zoning codes in Tokyo, but they're quite flexible compared to what people in the US are used to. In addition, perhaps most importantly, it's not possible to oppose construction, as opposed to the the US, where literally anyone can halt a construction project indefinitely for literally any bogus reason. "It might cast shade on 1 square foot of the street!"
zoning, absolutely. however, in a lot of places we have homeowners' associations as well.
random density doesn't help much, need to build density near existing and planned infrastructure.
Care to explain more? I hard disagree, and I think the research is on my side.