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kocchy · Joined: 28 Mar 2006 Posts: 3

Having been considering teaching somewhere in Asia for the last year or so I'm now set on going to Japan...However, I'm not sure which City out of the above three.

Obviousley Tokyo has to be number 1 just because its 'Tokyo' but on the otherhand it could just be to busy and crazy for me...Kyoto seems like it could be nice and relaxing but also large and lively enough to have plenty fun and Osaka seems cool too.

What's been your experiences and viewpoints of teaching/visiting in these cities and the major differences you found between them?

I'm a newbie 24 M, no Tefl only honours degree and no experience working abroad though I have travelled a lot before, recently to Thailand. Is Tokyo similar to Bangkok at all?

Wasabi Bomb · Joined: 03 Jul 2007 Posts: 33 Location: Osaka, Japan

I live in Osaka, which is under an hour from Kyoto. Kyoto's a bit nicer and quieter than Osaka, but if you like city life I think you'd tire of it very quickly. I'm personally a downtown city person, and I couldn't live in Kyoto because the nightlife doesn't cut it for me. Other people love it. Just to compare, Osaka has around 2.5 million people while Kyoto has around 1 million.

Tokyo is in a different category with over 7 million, not including any surrounding towns. It's a much more globally important city, and has that kind of international feel to it that Bangkok has, with lots of expats and more Western goodies. I love the atmosphere there, but it's so big that commuting can be a bitch, and living downtown costs a lot more than in Osaka. If I were making 500,000 yen a month or more, I would love to live in Tokyo. But on 270,000 a month I can't really enjoy what the city has to offer.

None of these 3 cities are as dirty or stinky as Bangkok.

Gypsy Rose Kim · Joined: 08 Dec 2006 Posts: 151

Tokyo is much more manageable than Bangkok. One is not better than the other, but Tokyo isn't that overwhelming. It's crowded, but orderly. Don't rule it out because you think you can't handle it, that's all. You can.

Really, if you haven't got your heart set on any one place yet, apply for jobs all over and see what kind of offers you get. It's the people you meet in your new home that will make it great or ordinary, and there's no way of knowing about them before you move.

sallycat · Joined: 11 Mar 2006 Posts: 303 Location: behind you. BOO!

i lived in osaka and kyoto and preferred kyoto because it was much less smoggy, and also because i could cycle home from a night out, whereas in osaka i had to wait for the first train home. it depends what you like, really. i found kyoto nighlife cool and osaka nightlife sleazy, but it's quite possible that i just didn't know the right places to go.

one thing i would say. i knew quite a few people who recommended living somwhere cra.ppy because "you can always visit [place you really like best] on the weekend". don't fall for that one: generally, if you look hard enough, you can find a cheap enough place anywhere. there's no reason for living somewhere you don't like: it'll just make you miserable and maybe shorten your stay in japan.

anyway, don't fret. once you're settled in japan, you can set about figuring out which place you like best.

Wintermute · Joined: 11 Jun 2007 Posts: 79

I live in Osaka now and if I had my choice of places (from those three) I would choose Kyoto if I had to do it all over again. Then again, it depends where in Kyoto. Some places are quite remote but if it was in or near the city, definitely. Osaka and Tokyo are huge, dirty cities and they can really drag you don't sometimes, at least with Kyoto you can get outside and enjoy the environment instead of being a victim of it. However, it all boils down to lifestyle. If you like an active nightlife then it is hard to beat Tokyo/Osaka - Kyoto simply isn't big enough. On the other hand, if you want a slightly more laid back lifestyle thhen Kyoto is your ticket.

Wasabi Bomb · Joined: 03 Jul 2007 Posts: 33 Location: Osaka, Japan

sallycat · Joined: 11 Mar 2006 Posts: 303 Location: behind you. BOO!

Wasabi Bomb · Joined: 03 Jul 2007 Posts: 33 Location: Osaka, Japan

seanmcginty · Joined: 27 Sep 2005 Posts: 203

I'd agree that Kyoto is the best option.

Its a big city with all the amenities but its small enough that even if you live in the city centre you are within bicycle distance of some really fantastic mountain hikes. Its also got a boatload of stuff with cultural/historical interest so if you are into that stuff (like me) Kyoto is the place to be in that regard.

Osaka is a very unattractive, noisy city. Its got Kyoto beat in terms of nightlife/shopping/restaurants and other entertainment, but of course due to their proximity you can still take advantage of Osaka while living in Kyoto by just hopping on the train any time (and its no like Kyoto doesn't have a pretty decent amount of stuff to do either).

Tokyo is a hole. Expensive, noisy, crowded, pretty much everything of historical interest was destroyed in the war...even the Yakuza are less colorful characters than the ones in Kansai. Don't go there.

You may also want to consider the fact that there are a ton of other quite nice cities in Japan other than those three. Hirsohima, Kobe, Fukuoka, Nara....I would rank all of these way higher than Tokyo or Osaka on the livability scale.

JaredW · Posted: Mon Jul 09, 2007 4:36 pm Post subject:

To the OP,

If you enjoy the lively but nice and refreshing cities, don't rule out Kyushu. Fukuoka, Kumamoto, and Kagoshima are nice with a lot of culture.

Wasabi Bomb · Joined: 03 Jul 2007 Posts: 33 Location: Osaka, Japan

sallycat · Joined: 11 Mar 2006 Posts: 303 Location: behind you. BOO!

Miyazaki · Joined: 12 Jul 2005 Posts: 635 Location: My Father's Yacht

Wasabi Bomb · Joined: 03 Jul 2007 Posts: 33 Location: Osaka, Japan

This whole thread really just reinforces that it's all personal taste. I loved Taipei, AND Bangkok!

I think Jakarta is the only big city I've ever felt was a total dump.

seanmcginty · Joined: 27 Sep 2005 Posts: 203