God I miss Tokyo so much

[Nyororin]

Originally Posted by tokusatsufan

I read if you want a job then you have to work in Tokyo or you're nobody,basically. I don't believe everything I read but I think that might be true.

And this false belief is why people keep going to Tokyo, suffering through it, and end up whining about the work conditions, poor pay, etc. (Talking about Japanese people.)

My husband gets called in fairly regularly to Tokyo to do specialty work. He gets paid more than his counterparts in Tokyo, has a bigger house, better commute, fewer hours, etc etc than they do... And apparently is enough of "somebody" to be called in.

If you actually look at economic growth, these days it is so expensive to keep a business open and running in Tokyo that a lot of companies dropping a small office there and moving their main operations elsewhere.

It`s more like "If your company doesn`t have a branch in Tokyo" than "If you don`t work in Tokyo", really, as any company worth something will have at least one branch in Tokyo.
Any real economic growth in Tokyo has been zero for the past so many years, with other prefectures in a much better state when it comes to employment.

[kenmei]

I find it quite similar to other big cities. San Francisco for example is similar (although very dirty in comparison). Big City, lots of people, good high paying jobs, really good food, tons of atractions and good public transport. Then on the negative it has higher prices, housing costs are outrageous and traffic sucks.

To some people the positives outweigh the negatives, and for others the opposite. It depends what type of person you are, I guess.

I personally enjoy the "suburbs"...smaller versions of their bigger counterparts. As mentioned earlier, the surrounding areas of tokyo are great...and just a short ride into the city if you ever need anything. Kind of like my living situation here in California, SF is just a short drive away. But far enough away that I'm not in a crowded city.

[Kayci]

you know, i am only in Kyushu. I have been to three towns/cities so far. (Hita, Koishiwara, Fukuoka.)

I had not intention of wanting to live or visit Tokyo long term, and will probably always be that.

I love this island, Kyushu. I am intending on going to Kansai region next summer however, so we will see which one i love the most. (But Hita City is always in my heart. Too attached.)

[dfida]

Originally Posted by SobaUdon

I miss the crowded streets. I miss eating delicious cheap soba that's better than the most expensive ones in my country. I miss all the pretty Japanese girls. I miss all the lights. I miss all the narrow streets with hundreds of shops in them. I miss the giant electronic stores. I miss spending the night at a manga cafe after missing the last train home.

I miss packed bicycle lots, chirping Suica machines, watching people at Nagatacho eki, getting on the wrong train, finding the right car, balancing, looking out the window, being stranded in the station after work.

I miss hyakuen shops, yaoya, hard-off, tachisoba, tachiyomu, starbucks, excelsior (hotto doggu), lawson (chicken nuggets - "reddo"), mcdonalds, yoshinoya, ebiten, spaghetti and hanbaagu.

I miss running along Tokyo Bay, the raucous crows, electric buzzing semis, getting soaked in downpours during awful heat.

I miss 500 yen coins, member's cards, the post office, eco-, failing my driver's test the first time, not understanding anything at the kuyakusho.

I miss old ladies and old men, little kids walking to school, short skirts and baggy pants.

I miss every fallen leaf and every crack in the sidewalk.

This is about 1/1000 of what I could think of. And, although I now live in America, in what is arguably one of the safest/best cities in the world, it simply does not compare to life in Tokyo. I get very sad when I think about how life there is passing me by. But someday - I will return.

[Nyororin]

Originally Posted by MissMisa

I really miss Osaka. Tokyo was awesome. I just miss being in Japan, I really want to go back. Gah. Don't get me wrong, I love England too, and I think some of it is a case of 'grass is greener' but y'know, I did love the short time I was there.

I just spent a couple days in Osaka... While I like it much more than Tokyo, I have to ask - is the entire city that dirty? Seriously, everywhere I went seemed to have a layer of grime on it. Not to mention tons of grafitti all over the place.
I wasn't there for sightseeing, so I didn't go around to any of the normal tourist bits... So maybe they are more "shiny", but in general Osaka struck me as being, well, grimy.

[godwine]

Originally Posted by MissMisa

I really miss Osaka. Tokyo was awesome. I just miss being in Japan, I really want to go back. Gah. Don't get me wrong, I love England too, and I think some of it is a case of 'grass is greener' but y'know, I did love the short time I was there.

Likewise, I miss it beyond just Tokyo, I miss the shrines and temples, the streets, the trains. Cheap ramen, convenience store cup noodle... Buns from Vie de France.. gigantic BBQ pork buns from Chinatown yokohama... the long walk along train tracks.. the street stalls, the yakitori, the arcade and pachiko parlor.. Cheap funky stuff from Village Vanguard Yokohama, Odaiba... I miss the feeling of my ear and nose all stucked from traveling on the shinkansen, I miss seeing the rice paddy, i miss getting sick from eating too much at a matsuri....

I just miss it dearly.. my plans to travel this year is doomed, my plan to travel next year is also doomed as my wife is expecting.. the earliest I get to return is probably just over summer next year for a few days in Okinawa for Karate stuff, not even a real trip.. sigh...

[godwine]

Originally Posted by Nyororin

I just spent a couple days in Osaka... While I like it much more than Tokyo, I have to ask - is the entire city that dirty? Seriously, everywhere I went seemed to have a layer of grime on it. Not to mention tons of grafitti all over the place.
I wasn't there for sightseeing, so I didn't go around to any of the normal tourist bits... So maybe they are more "shiny", but in general Osaka struck me as being, well, grimy.

Now that you mention it, it is true, Osaka seem more "polluted" than almost anywhere else I've been, maybe except for Hakata.... but then, I haven't been to too many places.. so...

Chinatown in Yokohama is almost just as dirty.....

[Kayci]

Well Fukuoka seemed clean...then again, I am from Fresno, California.

Hita city is mostly clean, except the river...some kids use it as a trash can. Makes me sad.

[Nyororin]

I can't really comment on how clean (or not) places in Japan are when compared to places in other countries... I've lived here exclusively for far too long. I don't even remember the state of cleanliness when I lived in the US.

But compared to places I have been in Japan - quite a few - Osaka takes the cake when it comes to griminess. Not saying that the city is a bad place, of course. I would live there over Tokyo if I had to choose between the two... But by my standards, it is a really grimy place.

Nagoya is just really clean, which I suppose doesn't really help my feelings about it either.

[Kayci]

Originally Posted by Nyororin

I can't really comment on how clean (or not) places in Japan are when compared to places in other countries... I've lived here exclusively for far too long. I don't even remember the state of cleanliness when I lived in the US.

But compared to places I have been in Japan - quite a few - Osaka takes the cake when it comes to griminess. Not saying that the city is a bad place, of course. I would live there over Tokyo if I had to choose between the two... But by my standards, it is a really grimy place.

Nagoya is just really clean, which I suppose doesn't really help my feelings about it either.

I keep hearing from friends who visit there saying how clean Nagoya is....xD

My hometown disgusts me, and being in Japan was a relief. I got on another American kid's case last weekend when he willingly threw trash on the ground in a very clean park too. (Gahhhhh)

I feel healthier here too, but maybe its me being silly.