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flow
Joined: 31 Aug 2012
Posts: 44
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 Posted: Thu Jun 06, 2013 12:26 am Post subject: Kanto - Suburbs - the good, the bad, and the ugly! |
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I am new. Any Tokyo suburbs best avoided for work location due to overcrowding or pollution, heavy industry or any other horror location for that matter in the Kanto area best not work in? Any old timers out here who can advise?
Thanks! |
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rxk22
Joined: 19 May 2010
Posts: 1629
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| Posted: Thu Jun 06, 2013 1:25 am Post subject: Re: Kanto - Suburbs - the good, the bad, and the ugly! |
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| flow wrote: |
I am new. Any Tokyo suburbs best avoided for work location due to overcrowding or pollution, heavy industry or any other horror location for that matter in the Kanto area best not work in? Any old timers out here who can advise?
Thanks! |
The western part of Chiba, ie the Boso peninsula is pretty polluted from Goi to Chiba city. it's all water front factories. Not all that crowded. I mean it is Japan after all. |
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move
Joined: 30 May 2009
Posts: 132
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| Posted: Thu Jun 06, 2013 11:07 am Post subject: |
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| I'd say most of Tokyo is crowded, but not as crowded as the trains. Live close to work if you can, life it too short for commuting. |
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TokyoLiz
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Posts: 1548
Location: Tokyo, Japan
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| Posted: Fri Jun 07, 2013 4:43 am Post subject: |
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I'm in the northern part of Chiba Pref., 30 minutes from Ueno.
If I had to live in Tokyo, I'd choose Shitamachi because it is friendly, convenient and cheap in some places. It is also charmingly grungy in some parts, and there is a lot of concrete.
Ibaraki Pref. is less densely populated, has lots of greenery, horse riding, golf and farm fields. Tsuchiura and Tsukuba Cities are not far from Tokyo.
Your choice of home base depends on where you work. And Kanto is a vast place. |
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Pitarou
Joined: 16 Nov 2009
Posts: 1116
Location: Narita, Japan
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| Posted: Fri Jun 07, 2013 5:33 am Post subject: |
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| flow wrote: |
| any other horror location for that matter in the Kanto area |
The whole damn area is a horror story. You just haven't noticed it yet, because the screams are empty
To get a sense of what I'm talking about, visit the Ushiku Daibutsu (the Great Buddha of Ushiku) in Ibaraki Prefecture. It's the tallest statue of Buddha in the world. Few know that it exists. Even fewer care.
It dwarfs the Statue of Liberty. Completed in 1993, it's the ultimate expression of the "build it, and they'll come" mentality that persisted even after the bubble burst.
But they didn't come.
Instead of the great throngs of eager worshippers they must have hoped for, they subsist selling trinkets to the trickle of tourists, and slices of carrot to the children who visit the petting zoo.
The architects built spaces, but nothing grew in them. My advice to you is: find a place. Somewhere, however grungy and insignificant, where the people know who they are and where they come from. Find a spiritual oasis in this wasteland, and learn to love it. |
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kah5217
Joined: 29 Sep 2012
Posts: 270
Location: Ibaraki
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| Posted: Fri Jun 07, 2013 7:53 am Post subject: |
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I live near Tsuchiura, and yes, it is very convenient to get to Tokyo. The main train line for the area, the Joban, goes straight into Ueno and it takes about an hour and a half depending on which fare you buy. Commuters can ride a high speed car that gets you there in 45 minutes.
Though, I recommend going to Matsudo if you're in the Saitama/Chiba/Ibaraki area. It's not as big as Tokyo, but there are a lot of convenient stores right around the station. |
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mitsui
Joined: 10 Jun 2007
Posts: 1562
Location: Kawasaki
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| Posted: Fri Jun 07, 2013 9:18 am Post subject: |
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Southern Kawasaki has factories and is crowded.
You don`t want a long commute to work.
I drive and it can take an hour in the morning.
If I took the train it would take longer.
A short commute puts you in a better frame of mind.
Trains into Tokyo can be so crowded, so you want your time on the train to be as short as possible.
Some trains, like the Saikyo, are notorious for groping. |
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Solar Strength
Joined: 12 Jul 2005
Posts: 557
Location: Bangkok, Thailand
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| Posted: Fri Jun 07, 2013 9:20 am Post subject: |
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| mitsui wrote: |
Southern Kawasaki has factories and is crowded.
You don`t want a long commute to work.
I drive and it can take an hour in the morning.
If I took the train it would take longer.
A short commute puts you in a better frame of mind.
Trains into Tokyo can be so crowded, so you want your time on the train to be as short as possible.
Some trains, like the Saikyo, are notorious for groping. |
Good advice.
What's the Chuo Line famous for? |
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mitsui
Joined: 10 Jun 2007
Posts: 1562
Location: Kawasaki
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| Posted: Fri Jun 07, 2013 9:36 am Post subject: |
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Well the Chuo is convenient since trains come frequently but some people
jump in front of trains, which make for delays.
I work near a station on the Chuo Line, and students are frequently late, but some use it as an excuse. |
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Solar Strength
Joined: 12 Jul 2005
Posts: 557
Location: Bangkok, Thailand
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| Posted: Fri Jun 07, 2013 9:38 am Post subject: |
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| I asked my girlfriend about getting an apartment somewhere along the Chuo-sen and she said it would be one of the more expensive places for us to rent. |
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flow
Joined: 31 Aug 2012
Posts: 44
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| Posted: Fri Jun 07, 2013 5:13 pm Post subject: |
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Interesting. Thanks folks!
And, keep on shooting those great sugestions my way 
I am a total newbie here in Tokyo and a bit lost  |
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rxk22
Joined: 19 May 2010
Posts: 1629
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| Posted: Fri Jun 07, 2013 5:26 pm Post subject: |
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| Solar Strength wrote: |
| I asked my girlfriend about getting an apartment somewhere along the Chuo-sen and she said it would be one of the more expensive places for us to rent. |
Kinda. Depends on how far from Tokyo you want to be. The Keio line is more expensive by far |
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HLJHLJ
Joined: 06 Oct 2009
Posts: 1218
Location: Ecuador
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| Posted: Fri Jun 07, 2013 6:10 pm Post subject: |
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| rxk22 wrote: |
| Solar Strength wrote: |
| I asked my girlfriend about getting an apartment somewhere along the Chuo-sen and she said it would be one of the more expensive places for us to rent. |
Kinda. Depends on how far from Tokyo you want to be. The Keio line is more expensive by far |
Not always, I live midway between a Chuo line station and a Keio line station. The Keio is significantly cheaper. A 3 month commuter pass into Shinjuku is Y5,000+ cheaper with Keio, and there's no extra charge to take the express trains. |
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rxk22
Joined: 19 May 2010
Posts: 1629
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| Posted: Fri Jun 07, 2013 6:42 pm Post subject: |
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| HLJHLJ wrote: |
| rxk22 wrote: |
| Solar Strength wrote: |
| I asked my girlfriend about getting an apartment somewhere along the Chuo-sen and she said it would be one of the more expensive places for us to rent. |
Kinda. Depends on how far from Tokyo you want to be. The Keio line is more expensive by far |
Not always, I live midway between a Chuo line station and a Keio line station. The Keio is significantly cheaper. A 3 month commuter pass into Shinjuku is Y5,000+ cheaper with Keio, and there's no extra charge to take the express trains. |
I was talking rents not train fare |
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HLJHLJ
Joined: 06 Oct 2009
Posts: 1218
Location: Ecuador
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| Posted: Fri Jun 07, 2013 11:42 pm Post subject: |
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| Oops my mistake! Though again the rents here don't seem to change much whether you are nearer the JR or the Keio station. In both cases they get cheaper if you head to the opposite sides of the stations, rather than the area sandwiched between. |
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