[Crea]

Originally Posted by tommasi

So I suggest others to not over-generalize Tokyo cos you don't know what you are talking about.

The longest I've been in Japan is only three months in Tokyo, and while compared to Nyororin and tommasi, that makes me far from an expert on this matter, I'd still want to discourage you from writing off Tokyo entirely.

I don't think Nyororin was really bashing Tokyo as unlivable and such, but was just giving a founded warning about the foreign community there.

But I'd say that would sort of depend on the person. Again, I may be inexperienced, but I feel as a student, you'd be less prone to these "expat community" problems. Also if you keep these warnings in mind, strive to make Japanese friends instead of hanging out with English-speaking buddies all the time, I think you'd be very well off. Of course occasionally meeting people from home may help transition into life in Japan or to fight homesickness (if you're the type to feel it).

Minus the whole expat situation, Tokyo is as vibrant and dynamic as big cities get. And as tommasi said, one of the greatest things I like about Tokyo was the balance of bustling city life and quiet residential areas, and each area also has its own unique vibe.

My friend lived in a student dorm about a 7-min walk away from Mitaka Station for three years, and she has nothing but praise for the city. I've also been there multiple times, and really enjoyed the quiet, student-friendly streets. There's Kichijoji as tommasi mentioned, and Jiyuugaoka and Shimokitazawa are other "hip places" to live and hang out mainly due to the laidback atmosphere. Nerima-ku and Setagaya-ku are also great residential areas, albeit slightly more expensive.

Again, I do know that three months isn't enough to get the true picture of life in Tokyo, and I still may be wearing rose-colored glasses when I look at the city, but I think I've read enough burnt-out Tokyo foreigners' comments on forums like these to be wary of the expat community there as well.

But I feel if you keep this and Nyororin's words in mind, Tokyo is just as good of a place to live and study than any other city in Japan.

I'll be back in Tokyo this fall for a year, and who knows, maybe this time I'll end up hating it. My previous three months there was spent pretty much apart from the expat community (besides of one disastrous night at a Roppongi club that makes me understand Nyororin's words even more), and I don't intend to get involved when I return. I also know a lot of English-speaking Japanese or kikokushijo who attend bilingual universities such as ICU and Sophia, and I never got the bitter sense of 'foreigner burnout.' Again, my friends and I are still young, but I think everyone experiences things differently, so sorry for the long post but just giving my pro-Tokyo two cents here.