Job Discussion Forums

[Maaku]

I have been living in Tokyo over a year now, and I thought it was time for a change. Some parts of Kanagawa are quite close to Tokyo, whereas, Tokyo can be easily accessible for a morning commute. And for the weekends, Yokohama in itself is a great place to hang out.

While the advantages of living in central Tokyo do not have to be stated. I thought some advantages of living in Kanagawa would be lower rent and possibly a bigger apartment, people tend to be friendlier, less crowded streets and trains. Yet, easy access to Tokyo or Yokohama for work or hanging out.

Any thoughts or experiences?

Thanks!

[RingofFire]

I lived in Kanagawa for two years, and never considered living in Tokyo. I was maybe twenty minutes from Tokyo and, as you suggest, could easily choose my lifestyle each weekend, whether to go into the city or stay at home. I'm not sure I would say the people are necessarily friendlier, though.

I do know the rent of some of my friends who lived in Tokyo was somewhat higher than mine. With what they were paying, my observation was that they felt they needed to make it all worth the trip, meaning going to clubs and doing all of the touristy things on most weekends, which meant spending much of the rest of their take-home pay. I never had that experience, so I could have a mix of the Tokyo life on some weekends and quiet all-day TV on others.

I think the difference in size or the quality of apartments alone are not significant enough to justify a move. If you live in Tokyo and plan a move to Kanagawa, it is more or less for a change of scenery. As for me, I've always lived just outside of a big city, whether it's NYC or Tokyo, so Kanagawa was a nice fit for me. I don't think I would enjoy living in Tokyo, unless it's one of those nice, large apartments that's right in the middle of Ginza and is only a two minute walk from the station.

[Apsara]

I lived in Yokohama and worked in Fujisawa for 2 and a half years and have now lived in Tokyo for about 5.

Kanagawa has a lot going for it because you have the ocean, the mountains, the big city, the historical city (Kamakura) and the climate is actually a couple of degrees milder there than Tokyo. If I were moving back to Kanagawa and still working in Tokyo I would probably look for somewhere on the Tokyu Toyoko line as you can be in Shibuya really quickly. Commuting into Tokyo on the Tokaido or Yokosuka lines is a crowded nightmare so I wouldn't do move to Kanagawa if I was going to have to do that commute. If you are going to be working in Yokohama then anywhere in the prefecture that appeals would be fine.

I agree with the above that it's not necessarily that much cheaper or roomier than Tokyo (until you get well south of Yokohama anyway), but worth moving there if you wanted to spend more time at the beaches(unlovely as they are) or hiking in Tanzawa or similar.

[RingofFire]

[Apsara]

Yes, quite possibly. And a straight run to Shin-Yokohama to catch the shinkansen as well.

[southofreality]

Living now on the Tokyu Toyoko line about 20 mins south of Shibuya on the Kanagawa/Tokyo border. I'm also 20 mins from Yokohama station so it's really a convenient location. Also, the Hibiya line connects with the Toyoko line so I can catch a direct rides to places like Ginza, Akihabara, and Ueno.

I guess what I like most is that my neighborhood is very quiet, but I can be in a very lively location in 20 mins. The people aren't necessarily friendlier in my neighborhood, though. I'll make a generalization here, even though I usually hate to do so, but Kanto people tend to suck compared to people in the other parts of Japan where I've lived.

[Brooks]

for me, being close to work is important. I spend only about ten minutes on the train.
I don't like long commutes.

So it comes down to how long a commute you can stand. Some people spend up to 90 minutes on trains in the morning and another 90 minutes in the evening.

Kanto people aren't friendly generally, but some are if you live in western Kanagawa (Odawara, Hadano, Isehara).

[Brooks]

for cheaper rent, yes Kanagawa will be less but eastern Kanagawa isn't cheap.
For example it costs almost the same to live in Sagami-Ono, Ebina and Hon-Atsugi.
It depends on how small the place is and how far from the train station it is. And if the closest train station is a local stop, then it will be cheaper than if you live near an express stop.
If you have to take a bus on ride a bike to the closest station, then it will be cheap.

the Yokohama Line has cheaper places than those near private lines (Odakyu, Denentoshi, etc.)

Single people like living in Tokyo because it is easier to meet people, especially on the weekends.

[Maaku]

I guess, I wanted a change of pace. Myself, being from NY as well, sometimes the allure of Tokyo doesn't seem that amazing. Plus, many New Yorkers don't actually live in NYC, but live in Queens, Brooklyn, etc in order to save money. And they commute to NYC for work daily.

Basically, with the whole Nova debacle going on, I am starting to realize how important saving money is. Especially if one plans to live in Japan for a couple of years.

As far as people being friendlier. In my own personal experience, I found people in Kanagawa to be friendlier to Americans, than in Tokyo. But, maybe that is a topic for another post.....

[flyer]

I would choose Kanagawa anyday

not so many people per sq metre = more space = more relaxed?