Tokyo or Osaka?

phramc · Post by **phramc** » Jun 5th, '07, 03:45

I have a choice of whether to spend 3 months in either Tokyo or Osaka? Which one do you reccomend and which did you like better if you've been to both. Basically negatives and positives about each. thanks guys!

spacecommand · Post by **spacecommand** » Jun 5th, '07, 19:59

I know many people are biased towards Tokyo, but Osaka region is just as good, the entire Kansai region has plenty of cities and things to do, such as Kyoto, Kobe are nearby.

I would go with whatever floats your boat, both Kansai (osaka) and Kanto (tokyo) regions are fantastic for anyone to spend time in.

Both are great.

Wattstax · Post by **Wattstax** » Jun 24th, '07, 08:59

Depends. If you want to travel Japan in this 3 months, Osaka is ideal for its central location. You can visit Cities between Tokyo and Fukuoka in less than 3 hours by train. Also Shikoku is nearby and, as spacecommand already mentioned, lots of other great cities. I especially liked Kobe. But Tokyo would be better for visiting Hokkaido. Maybe. Haven't been there.

Otherwise both cities are great, but I prefer Osaka. Not that big, a bit cheaper in my opinion and great local indiebands in the region

Alpedra · Post by **Alpedra** » Jun 28th, '07, 13:52

Tokyo... Love that town.. been there quite a few times in my life...

Can´t choose Osaka over it, because I don´t know Osaka that well to have an opinion (been there for only a couple of days)

lsqB · Post by **lsqB** » Jun 28th, '07, 14:12

going to tokyo now will be like decades ago when people on the east coast rushing to Hollywood only to realize it's not instant stardom, or Asian immigrants rushing to SF only to realize the streets aren't paved in gold.

In Tokyo, people smoke while walking, the subway stinks, the air stinks, the air is dirty, the heat&humidity from the ground is unbearable, the trains are packed, the trains are filled with perverts, the trains are filled with inconsiderate teenagers, the roads are filled with people rushing their way and bulldozing everyone in their paths.

But if you're going to visit, you'll see none of that because all you're thinking is how cool it is now that you're in Japan.

Oosaka. I've never considered it my "home" so I can't see its bad aspects, but... coming from a tourist's point of view, it has lots of culture to offer. There's history, there's tradition, there's contemporary culture. There's food--oh, the food is good. not machine-made cardboard like Tokyo.

But then the native language there is Kansai-ben and even Oosaka-ben. If you're a Japanese student who's not very familiar with the language (unlike a native) you might have trouble guessing what they're saying.

It really depends on what you'll be doing in Tokyo/Oosaka, but for a general visitor, I'd say Tokyo. There's many more opportunities there. You'll get to see the REAL, UGLY Japan.

sorry. I've been listening to one too many friends complaining about Tokyo lately.
I grew up in Tokyo and I'm pretty much a Kantonese. ;)

vulgarshudder · Post by **vulgarshudder** » Jul 6th, '07, 21:00

I lived in Tokyo for over a year, and I've lived in Osaka for 6 months.

Hands down now I'd go for Osaka.

I thought Tokyo was pretty cool while I was there, but once I started living in Osaka (I was reluctant at first) I really fell in love with it. Mainly for the people, they're much more friendly than Tokyo people, and I just love how colourful Osaka-ben is.

For me Osaka has everything I need, I find it a much more colourful and warm city than Tokyo. Plus I get to avoid the bitchy gaijin scene in Tokyo, horrah!

But I dunno what's importiant to you...

phramc · Post by **phramc** » Jul 7th, '07, 02:10

basically I just want to enjoy Japan and become more fluent. I heard that Osaka dialect is kind of hard to understand at first. is this true?

vulgarshudder · Post by **vulgarshudder** » Jul 7th, '07, 04:13

phramc wrote:basically I just want to enjoy Japan and become more fluent. I heard that Osaka dialect is kind of hard to understand at first. is this true?

I would say...no. There's a few words which are unique, and different endings, but once you know them they're easy to pick out. And that mainly applies to casual conversations, speaking politely to people they will use standard japanese I think.

ILoveKoyuki · Post by **ILoveKoyuki** » Jul 7th, '07, 04:35

hey i dont mean ta interject in the conversation but specifically which wards of tokyo are the wrost, i mean i kno that Shibuya is croweded a lot but are you talking in general of all tokyo as being cold and uninviting, oh is it also true that Adachi-ku is a high crime area

vulgarshudder · Post by **vulgarshudder** » Jul 7th, '07, 04:41

ILoveKoyuki wrote:hey i dont mean ta interject in the conversation but specifically which wards of tokyo are the wrost, i mean i kno that Shibuya is croweded a lot but are you talking in general of all tokyo as being cold and uninviting, oh is it also true that Adachi-ku is a high crime area

In general Tokyo's said to be cold.

Which are the worst...mmm I guess it would be the 'down town' areas outside the yamanote sen. But I lived in itabashi ku, a couple of stops from Ikebukuro. Ikebukuro has a bit of a bad reputation, but I wouldn't really say it's bad.

As for Adachi-ku having a high crime area I have no idea. High crime probably means lots of bike thefts.

okitagirl · Post by **okitagirl** » Jul 7th, '07, 04:49

I was in both Tokyo and Osaka last year and I think they are both crowded with smokers every where. I didn't find the ppl in Tokyo any different then Osaka. I didn't think Tokyo smelled either other then cigarette smoke. If you want fast Tokyo is the place to be. Shibuya and Shinjuku are really fast paced. Everything is in Tokyo. Yes it's crowded but no more so then Osaka was to me. Some of the words are a bit different and some of the customs are a bit different too in Osaka. I could live in either place with no problem. Tokyo had some really nice ppl and so did Osaka. Very helpful and friendly. I don't think there is hardly any area that is "high crime" but I live in the US so.... Shinjuku is where the Yakuza is but if you don't bother them, they don't bother you. I was out a night with friends in Shinjuku and we were all fine. Only thing is it seems no one in Tokyo ever sleeps! I guess I not much help.

But let me say this. Japan is one of the cleanest place I've ever visited. I didn't think it was dirty at all. Being on the trains and the buses I didn't run into any "perverts" and I was traveling alone. I treated them with respect and they treated me the same way. I was all over Japan and was never treated rudely. Yes there were teenagers on the trains and buses but I never worried that they were gonna rob me or bother me. I took the attitude that I was in their country and when in Rome....

spacecommand · Post by **spacecommand** » Jul 7th, '07, 22:37

a lot but are you talking in general of all tokyo as being cold and uninviting

Tokyo just like Osaka is a very big place. People have a biased view of Tokyo as neon lights and skyscrapers or what is often portrayed in the media, there are many many areas in Tokyo that are nice and quiet, there are also hiking trails and mountain ranges for the outdoor types etc. I enjoyed hiking up the mountains in Tokyo.

Both places are large city metropolis's. Can't go wrong with either.

lsqB · Post by **lsqB** » Jul 8th, '07, 01:02

ILoveKoyuki wrote:hey i dont mean ta interject in the conversation but specifically which wards of tokyo are the wrost, i mean i kno that Shibuya is croweded a lot but are you talking in general of all tokyo as being cold and uninviting, oh is it also true that Adachi-ku is a high crime area

I...err... lived in Adachi-ku

back in ancient times.
we never had any burglary or anything, and my mom even sent me (who was 3 year old) out to buy bread by myself.

ngpossible · Post by **ngpossible** » Jul 12th, '07, 07:09

i'd recommend tokyo. when i was in tokyo, there was a lot of variety from shopping to food. it was just like nyc...a lot of restaurants, different malls... A LOT of neon lights everywhere...karaoke...u'll always be entertained. despite it being an extremely crowded place, it's reasonably quiet at night. but the thing is that if ur lost, people might not be as willing to help because they're always on the go (after all, they are known for being hard working). so just keep that mind.

osaka was nice...not as much pollution, but i guess that's the only real pro i saw. it's definitely not as loud and crowded as tokyo, but u'll find things to do there.

most of ur activities will probably take place in tokyo or the cities around it, so it's best to just stay there unless you want to take the shinkasen and waste a total of four hours altogether.

as a tip: bring a map and have the telephone number of ur hotel just in case you get lost.

cebusnacker · Post by **cebusnacker** » Aug 10th, '07, 01:30

hmm well maybe you should split your time between the two? Like go to Tokyo for the first month then the second month go to Osaka then the thrird month can be spent in the city you liked better. As for postitives and negatives about each I can only point out the obvious haha I've never been to Japan in my life. So for Tokyo its busy and happening. That can be either good or bad. and also you will be able to get a lot of shopping down. For Osaka, well thats kind of more country, so you will be able to enjoy the scenery a bit more and I am not sure but it might not be as fast-paced Tokyo, So you will be able to feel that ancient Japanese culture better. hhhaha maybe I dont know that is only what I think haha Sorry if I wasn't any help at all.

spacecommand · Post by **spacecommand** » Aug 10th, '07, 21:04

r. As for postitives and negatives about each I can only point out the obvious haha I've never been to Japan in my life. So for Tokyo its busy and happening. That can be either good or bad. and also you will be able to get a lot of shopping down. For Osaka, well thats kind of more country, so you will be able to enjoy the scenery a bit more and I am not sure but it might not be as fast-paced Tokyo, So you will be able to feel that ancient Japanese culture better. hhhaha maybe I dont know that is only what I think haha Sorry if I wasn't any help at all.

Yes you obviously haven't been to either place to know what you're talking about.
Osaka isn't any more or less country then Tokyo is. Both are very urbanized metropolitan areas.

The entertainment districts of Osaka are just as busy as entertainment districts in Tokyo. Osaka and the surrounding region have many shopping, entertainment districts to keep one busy for a lifetime as well.

In fact the food in the Kansai area is probably better known and better then food in the Tokyo region. Tokyo just combines various foods from all over the place and isn't really known for its own flavour. The Kansai region also has more history and culture then the Tokyo region. Since you have nearby Kyoto, Himeji, Nara. So there is a lot to see in Osaka and the entire Kansai region, from food, history, culutre and entertainment and you can't go wrong with Osaka if you decide it over Tokyo.

If money is an option, Kansai region (Osaka) is cheaper.

Hero · Post by **Hero** » Aug 25th, '07, 20:47

I just got back from Japan and this time went to both Tokyo and Kansai.
I definately prefer kansai, Tokyo is too westernized imo whereas Kansai had a lot of history and culture stuff to see, like going to Gion in Kyoto where you get the chance to see real life maikos, which is cool.
Then theres universal studios in Osaka which is ok, bit small but a great day out.
Shopping is just as good imo.
And visiting different temples around Kyoto is pretty good...and you get to feed deers in Nara.
And then theres Kobe which is a really beautiful harbour city.

spacecommand · Post by **spacecommand** » Aug 26th, '07, 00:53

Though I'm a bit pro Osaka in this thread, it always irks me when people say Tokyo is "too westernized" or that Tokyo is not real Japan. Tokyo is in fact very much Japanese. Japan was one of the first asian nations to industrialize itself, its been adopting western culture and styles since the Meiji era (if not before), what is western about Japan is also uniquely Japanese as well. I don't know what people expect sometimes when they say "its too westernized"? Rickshaws running around everywhere in place of taxi's and buses and people wearing Kimonos to work everyday? Maybe there's a confusion of westernization with advancements and practicality of modern urban life.

Asian DramaWiki Forum

Tokyo or Osaka?

Tokyo or Osaka?

Who is online