Tokyo vs NYC (middle-class, fit in, apartments)

[kirk902]

Which city do you guys think is better. the high tech city tokyo or the capital of the world

[Hustla718]

Tokyo

Pro's:

-HDTV is the standard. Better cellphones/services. Better all around technology.
-Better subway system. Cleaner, better kept and better technology.
-Better maintaince, less gritty. Cleaner.
-Much safer. No ghetto's, huge pockets of poverty.

Cons:

-Earthquakes. (However recently the northeast has had an increase in Earthquakes. Unlike Tokyo, NYC is unprepaired)
-Hurricanes. NYC is less likely to have them, but would be devistated if hit by a large one. A large one is expected to hit NYC in the next few decades.
-Floods, well Tokyo has solved this problem with a new system of tunnels. Still listing it though becuase it was a major problem in the past.
-Expensive. I belive it is more expensive then NYC. However NYC is also expensive, don't know if this is much of a con in comparison.
-Less diverse, if that is a problem for you. I hear they don't like outsiders too much.

-

NYC:

Pro's:

-Taller skyline. Lots of towers, nice to look at.
-Big in terms of theater. Don't know how Tokyo compares.

Cons:

-Diverse but highly segregated.
-High crime rate. (by world standards yes). The worst sections of NYC are as bad as the worst in any US city. Most violent crime occures in these areas. NYC is lucky to have a smaller percentage of the population dealing with serious crime then most US cities.
-Run down subway. Dirty, gritty.
-Run down neighbohoods (Those that are not rich). Bad maintance, dirty. Gritty.
-Although Hurricanes/floods/ect are rare, when they do happen they are disasters. City is very unprepaired. Tokyo kills NYC in aspect.

I should also add, although both cities are major terror targets, the USA seems to be in the crosshairs these days. Especially a city like NYC.

-

I think Tokyo is the winner.

[jason1117]

New York city is way better if you are not Japanese.
Tokyo is least diverse and you have to learn some Japanese if you want to live there for a long time.The only good thing about Tokyo is safety.

Austin is a high tech city in U.S.

[Hustla718]

Originally Posted by jason1117

New York city is way better if you are not Japanese.
Tokyo is least diverse and you have to learn some Japanese if you want to live there for a long time.The only good thing about Tokyo is safety.

Austin is a high tech city in U.S.

Did you even look at the pro's and con's I posted?

And Austin may be high tech in American terms, but the culture is not that of east Asia. Japan is far ahead of us when it comes to everyday electronics. Look at the differences in cell phone technology, sevice plans. Look at the subway system. Look at HDTV standard. Look at how Japan has overcome problems. A huge tunnel system built to swallow the storm surge and heavy rains of a hurricane.

[mead]

It really depends. In many ways Japan is 100 years ahead of us, and in other ways it is still stuck in the 19th century compared to the USA.

Tokyo definitely has a nicer (read: CLEANER!) subway system than New York, and they at least have thoe signs in every station that will let you know how long it will be until the next train arrives.

In fact Japan on the whole is a whole lot cleaner than the USA. NYC is pretty filthy, even by American standards, and Tokyo looks sparkling clean in comparison.

Japan also has very good electronics, but I don't think this is relevant except for the select few who can afford to purchase such gadgets.

Japan is much safer in terms of nearly all crime than the USA. Japan does have some crime, but it is much different from what we are accustomed to in the USA. For example many Japanese women live in a state of fear if they have to live in a 1st floor apartment, because there are lots of Japanese men who go around stealing women's underwear from clothes lines. Other than that Japan is a really safe country.

Also Japan has a much stronger middle class than does the USA. There is not a huge income disparity as there is in the USA where you have lots of people living in opulent wealth and dire poverty, and a shrinking middle-class separating the two. In Japan the overwhelming majority of people are comfortably middle class.

The bullet trains are also great, however I don't think they would ever work in the USA because of how large our country is. In America, Jet airplanes simply make more sense.

The cons of Japan? There are MANY.

Next to no diversity and not even an interest in having any sort of diversity of people. If you are not Japanese you will not fit in, ever. Of course you could argue that this is a good thing since it helps bulster a more stable society.

There is a HUGE reluctance to go against the grain of society in Japan. If something is considered to be common knowledge or behavior in Japan, then Japanese people go against such thinking or behavior at their own peril.

Japan is a very conservative society that has so many different social rules and norms that even outsiders who study them can still get tripped up by all of the accepted customs. Compare this to the USA where just about any behavior goes, as long as you aren't rude or inconsiderate to others.

The PRICES! Japan is a really expensive place to live. The cost of food and basic food stuffs is really high in Japan.

Apartments cost a lot more per foot in Japan than they do in the USA. The Japanese compensate for this by living in tiny little shoeboxes of apartments, that would not be considered suitable by your average American.

Weirdness/creepiness. There are a lot of weird aspects of Japanese society. Perhaps this is due to their really uptight/conservative expectations of people, but this tends to breed a lot of wackos. The most obvious are the panty thieves, but there are lots of other groups of people in Japan who are equally weird, such as the guys on crowded subways who try to fondel women standing next to them and other such pervs.

So if I had to chose between Tokyo and NYC, I'd go for NYC, but with a caveat. I think NYC could learn a lot from Tokyo to be honest, especially when it comes to cleaner & more efficient subways, and also from having a safer city.

[TheOneOnDrugs]

Yeah. I've always wanted to go to Japan for a visit and to study the language abroad. The only problem i'd seriously have with it there, would be the diversity. I mean, I'm actually from NYC, and here, you have you're sections in which there are the Rich(Upper East Side and whatever) and the poor neighborhoods, but here I have friends from those areas despite being fromn what is called a "bad area." But here, pretty much we get along. But, from what i hear about Japan, the people arent as friendly to outsiders and such and thats pretty scary, but the city of Tokyo is so beautiful, so it must be worth it...

[Hustla718]

Originally Posted by mead

It really depends. In many ways Japan is 100 years ahead of us, and in other ways it is still stuck in the 19th century compared to the USA.

Tokyo definitely has a nicer (read: CLEANER!) subway system than New York, and they at least have thoe signs in every station that will let you know how long it will be until the next train arrives.

In fact Japan on the whole is a whole lot cleaner than the USA. NYC is pretty filthy, even by American standards, and Tokyo looks sparkling clean in comparison.

Japan also has very good electronics, but I don't think this is relevant except for the select few who can afford to purchase such gadgets.

Japan is much safer in terms of nearly all crime than the USA. Japan does have some crime, but it is much different from what we are accustomed to in the USA. For example many Japanese women live in a state of fear if they have to live in a 1st floor apartment, because there are lots of Japanese men who go around stealing women's underwear from clothes lines. Other than that Japan is a really safe country.

Also Japan has a much stronger middle class than does the USA. There is not a huge income disparity as there is in the USA where you have lots of people living in opulent wealth and dire poverty, and a shrinking middle-class separating the two. In Japan the overwhelming majority of people are comfortably middle class.

The bullet trains are also great, however I don't think they would ever work in the USA because of how large our country is. In America, Jet airplanes simply make more sense.

The cons of Japan? There are MANY.

Next to no diversity and not even an interest in having any sort of diversity of people. If you are not Japanese you will not fit in, ever. Of course you could argue that this is a good thing since it helps bulster a more stable society.

There is a HUGE reluctance to go against the grain of society in Japan. If something is considered to be common knowledge or behavior in Japan, then Japanese people go against such thinking or behavior at their own peril.

Japan is a very conservative society that has so many different social rules and norms that even outsiders who study them can still get tripped up by all of the accepted customs. Compare this to the USA where just about any behavior goes, as long as you aren't rude or inconsiderate to others.

The PRICES! Japan is a really expensive place to live. The cost of food and basic food stuffs is really high in Japan.

Apartments cost a lot more per foot in Japan than they do in the USA. The Japanese compensate for this by living in tiny little shoeboxes of apartments, that would not be considered suitable by your average American.

Weirdness/creepiness. There are a lot of weird aspects of Japanese society. Perhaps this is due to their really uptight/conservative expectations of people, but this tends to breed a lot of wackos. The most obvious are the panty thieves, but there are lots of other groups of people in Japan who are equally weird, such as the guys on crowded subways who try to fondel women standing next to them and other such pervs.

So if I had to chose between Tokyo and NYC, I'd go for NYC, but with a caveat. I think NYC could learn a lot from Tokyo to be honest, especially when it comes to cleaner & more efficient subways, and also from having a safer city.

Good post except a few things.

Many of the electronics are not that expesnsive, they are the STANDARD. Japanese have had HDTV for years now. We still have not gone HDTV standard. Probably won't until 2012. The Japanese have a cell phone system much more advanced then here in the USA. From 4G video phones with high megapixel cameras being the standard for example. There everyday technology is much more advanced.

As for "diversity". Yes NYC has a lot of different races and ethnicities, however did you take into account the level of segregation? No people aren't exactly friendly to outsiders in NYC either. In fact it just might be worse. Remeber Fat Nick. Or even more common stuff like the hate crime on the Williamsburg bridge a day or two ago?

The Japanese may not like outsiders but can you blame them, they don't want us ****ing up their pretty well off society.

[rantanamo]

Sorry, but electronics are expensive in Japan.

NYC is more segregated by income than anything.

Japanese has plenty of ******* up things in their society.

[Hustla718]

Originally Posted by rantanamo

Sorry, but electronics are expensive in Japan.

NYC is more segregated by income than anything.

Japanese has plenty of ******* up things in their society.

HDTV is the standard. That means everyone has it. Also when you look at their basic cell phone lineup, it's better then the top of the line in USA. Not to mention they have 4G cell phone broadband. That means streaming video phone calls, instant music download, hi speed net access.

So yes Japan is ahead of the USA when it comes to everyday technology in the hands of the average person. From basics such as TV and Cell Phone to preventing disasters like an advanced tunnel system that swallows a hurricanes storm surge.

As for segregation, it's divided by a lot more then income in NYC. In fact it's even divided by ethnicity. How do I know this? I live in NYC. There are plenty of studies that back my claims.

[NYCBoy1212]

New York is way better. Plus I live there so i should really be on top of this subject. New York Barely has crime. I watch the news for all around NY but there not that much crime
New YorK is safer do to building codes. The city has better subway and just to let u know Manhattan (New York County) is getting a new subway line nice and clean on second ave from 125 st to battery park. Tokyo dosent have ghettos because theres only like one race of people. In New York we have people from all over the world. We even have space to build. You squize millions of people into cramped homes regular size apartments in japan is barely affordable. Ghettos in New york Are being rebuilt with nice condos clubs and resturaunts. Tokyo is to crowded its like u cant go nowhere with out touching anybody. many people squize on to the subways leaving no personal space. In New York With the New Downtown Manhattan Plans For the world trade ceter site you cant our tall buildings. Go to wtc.com to see future plans. In New York our City has better land shape. 4/5 boros are not coneted to the contenental US; Manhattan Island, Brooklyn and Queens on and island called long island with other countys, staten island, the bronx is the only one connected to the rest of the country. Our subway design is better you can never get lost in new york the streets are parallel.