Job Discussion Forums

jimmyheart · Joined: 10 Sep 2007 Posts: 9

got a job starting in jan with geos and put down tokyo as my first choice, but osaka looks kinda cool as well and is also close to kyoto which would be cool to visit regularly, which do you guys prefer and why

markle · Joined: 17 Jan 2003 Posts: 1316 Location: Out of Japan

Wintermute · Joined: 11 Jun 2007 Posts: 79

Osaka is close to Kyoto, Kobe and Nara. Tokyo is close to...Greater Tokyo. Not to mention that you can get to most other areas in Japan by plane in under an hour.

Angelfish · Joined: 18 Jan 2006 Posts: 131

You do know there's a very big chance you might not be placed in Tokyo or anywhere you ask for? Geos can and will stick you anywhere.

I haven't heard of many people getting where they asked. I asked for somewhere warm and got Hokkaido Rolling Eyes

southofreality · Joined: 12 Feb 2007 Posts: 579 Location: Tokyo

I like living in Tokyo now, but, I'm glad that I lived in Japan for 2 years before moving to Tokyo. I'd visited Tokyo a few times before moving here, but never stayed too long.

I lived in both west Japan and Tohoku for 1 year each. I came to really enjoy so many things about this country while living in those areas. Once I started living in Tokyo I started having mixed feelings about remaining in Japan for too much longer. I eventually got used to it and enjoy living here now, but if I had gotten my first impressions of what it's like to live in Japan while living in Tokyo, I'm pretty sure I would have gone home after the first year. Having lived in and visited many places outside of Tokyo, I know that Tokyo doesn't represent all of Japan and that there are places very rich in culture with lots of friendly people. Not saying there aren't friendly people in Tokyo, but there is an annoying abundance of self-centered, heartless pri.cks here, IMO.

Brooks · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 1369 Location: Sagamihara

I think Osaka is better but the question is, can you get a decent job there?
If so, go for it.

Tokyo is just too big and crowded, and it does have a lot of annoying, self-centered people. It is true.
Osaka is smaller and easier to deal with. People have time to talk to you.
But in Tokyo people are always "busy".

Mark · Joined: 23 Jan 2003 Posts: 500 Location: Tokyo, Japan

One thing to remember is that Tokyo is a huge urban sprawl that actually includes Yokohama. You could call the Yamanote line Inner Tokyo and you can find the border of Outer Tokyo by drawing a line on a map from Yokohama through Hachioji, then Omiya, and finally Chiba city. More or less anyway. If you live outside of that outer line, you'll have a different experience.

Osaka's an actual city and there's a bit of space between it and the other cities in the Kansai areas. There also seem to be cultural and other differences between the different cities in Kansai. Obviously there are suburbs and in-between cities and whatnot, but I didn't get the feeling of being in the centre of a huge multi-prefecture sprawl.

I also agree with the comments about the people here.

Yona Yona · Joined: 20 Jul 2007 Posts: 26

Been in Osaka for 10 years and like it a lot.
Good atmosphere,easy to get around, not too difficult to find
a reasonable sized apartment. Good, cheap food. You can see mountains
even when you are right in the city. It is a lot "greener" than it used to be.
There are a lot of places to drink good Japanese beer (meaning craft beer)..there are in Tokyo too, but prices are generally higher.
I can get a seat on the train in the morning and sometimes at night.
My girlfriend lives in Yokohama, and while I enjoy visiting Tokyo/Yokohama, I would find it hard to live there.
An American friend of mine spent 2 years in Osaka and decided for various reasons to try Tokyo. He told me recently that he far prefers Osaka.