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What I don't like about Tokyo is there are several different companies running the subways/railways.
The tickets are not mutually acceptable. It can be confusing to visitors.
I lived there for [... fill in number ...] years and always wish I could move back.
For American cities I feel the happiest in [.......]. Even though it's not realistically comparable to [... insert foreign city ...] and in fact in many ways the exact opposite, I can still live the similar lifestyle [sic]. Other cities may have one or two similarities to [... insert foreign city ...], but are still not the same.
I know how you feel, I used to feel that way about Italy and Greece and had this idea that maybe some city here would be like some city there.
I know these aren't in the U.S but consistent density Mexico City and Toronto to a lesser extent are much closer than most U.S cities.
Toronto??? How? Aside from the immediate downtown area where there is a concentration of high-rise condos, it really isn't dense at all. The most dense areas in Canada are in Montreal and Vancouver. And they are nothing compared to the boroughs of NYC, SF, and Philly.
What I don't like about Tokyo is there are several different companies running the subways/railways.
The tickets are not mutually acceptable. It can be confusing to visitors.
You can use the Suica or Pasmo card that can be used across the different rail companies.
I'm really tempted to look for real estate in Tokyo, probably now more than ever because BION, houses are actually cheaper than those American cities listed that are the closest in similarity to Tokyo, especially now with the yen to dollar rate. It's still close to unrealistic though, for trying to establish residency and what to do for work. The six month digital nomad visa might be something worth looking in to.
With the climate in recent years, NYC is a lot more bearable as it doesn't have brutally cold winters like it used to. It has cherry blossoms as well. I wouldn't want to live in the city though but somewhere about an hour away. I'd have to travel there and become familiar with the area before I jump into anything.
So what US city looks and feels like Tokyo? Doesn't necessarily have to have a large Japanese/Asian population but as far as the climate, architecture, layout, moderness, efficiency, and polite/respectful people.
Honestly, none. I have lived in Tokyo for 8+ years now, and every time I go back to the States, I am never reminded me of anything "Japanese". I suppose, out of its size, NYC, but that misrepresents reality.
Regarding climate, I would image Tokyo would be similar to a Sunbelt city in terms of hotter summers, mild winters, wetness, lack of snow, and humidity.
Architecturally, any modern building can be transplanted from city A to city B, and you wouldn't even know it. One thing about Tokyo about I have noticed, is that many houses are custom-designed. They tend to be quite abstract, boxy, minimalistic. When I visited a friend in Seattle, his house was amazingly similar, but that's just an anecdote. Few people have yards in Tokyo.
Layout? At best Boston, or any city built before the car.
Modernity? Well, Tokyo was bombed during WW2 more or less, and haphazardly sewn back together, judging by its streets, alleys, and housing stock.
Efficiency? Hm, hard to say. The public transportation is efficient, and I'm only familiar with my hometown Chicago. I find that the biggest differences in "efficiency" isn't the city-level, but rather through apps, data processing, and so forth between the US and Japan.
Both are polite and respectful, though people mind their business more in Japan compared to Americans. Take that for what you wish.
This is just my anecdotes and experiences.
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