What is tokyo (the capital of Japan) like?

Anyone live in Japan/Tokyo? What is it like there?

• I'm 14 and a half now and when i'm in my mid / early 20's i'm gonna plan to go Japan! I wanted to know what the lifestyle is like what people are interetsed in? what kind of clothes do they wear? is japan like what you see on tv, federal mob and gangs and bambo sticks beating the crap outta each other? What is the food like, do they have stuff like vending machines, what is the 3d technology like there (like PS3 etc, is it cheaper?) Also becuase i live in England if i go to japan, i don't know how to speak japanese and i say sumthing in english, they wont understand me? Do any of ya live in japan? Is it cool? :D Thanks

• Answer:

  I just turned 16, and I've been living in Japan for all my life except for a ten months in the U.S. and a couple of short trips. Lifestyle? People work. That is the main lifestyle. The work hours are crazy, and there are tremendous pressures caused by the intense hierarchies within the companies. This is true for studying except switch all the words "work" to "study" et cetra. Because the free education is lacking so much, many kids go to places called "juku" where they simply study to unhealthy extents. What are people interested in? What's hottest is what's hot in the U.S., but Japan is not very good at translating U.S. trends into Japanese trends, so things might look sort of wierd. Just imagine a bunch of Japanese kids trying to look "gangsta" or "hip-hop" by wearing their school uniforms so loose you can see their undies. That sort of explains what happens when Japan tries to be "international." However, Japan also has its own trends and "what-people-are-interested-in-things" like anime and manga and games and technology. But it's really not as big as people overseas make it out to be. In fact, people who are interested in these sorts of things are called "otaku" (a loose translation might be "nerd") and are frowned upon. People wear clothes that are pretty similar to what people where in the States, and what I imagine, people where in the U.K. Meaning, working people will wear business suits, and students will wear uniforms et cetra. It's just that as far as casual clothes are concerned it's really not that different from the U.S./U.K. And the gangs (yakuza) and bamboo sticks are mostly exaggerated. What I mean to say is that such things exist, but they are blown out of proportion. I've never heard of a major yakuza fight with a federal mob in which they "beat the crap outta each other." But that's not to say there may be a notorious household with high fences all around the house, a wife that's very private and a husband who's barely seen but is suspected of being a mobster. We have a house like that down the road. The food is a mixture of the East and the West. They may eat toast at breakfast, onigiris (rice balls) for lunch, and whatever for supper. But really, you can get anything, so no fear! Just don't expect sushi every night, it's some of the most expensive stuff out there. My family only eats sushi on birthdays. And they have vending machines for... Drinks (hot and cold/soda bottle and can) Tobacco (though I believe this is going to be illegalized) I don't think they actually have condom vending machines or porn vending machines, like they say (at least in the U.S.). I've never seen one. Technology is existant, but is generally more expensive than the U.S. and to the extent of my knowledge, the U.K. The cell phones are fantastic though, I have to say. They will serve as TVs, credit cards, and digital cameras, not to mention phones. To me, and many in Japan itself, cell phones are the coolest technological specimens out there. As for speaking English in Japan, they'll probably think they understand you but they probably don't really. You might ask for a watch, and end up being watched like an animal in a zoo. (Expect this a lot. Old people stare at foreigners almost just as much as babies on the trains do.) To sum it up... Point 1: Japan has a lot to offer you if you have the money to offer. Point 2: If you're coming to Japan to study, expect hard work. If you're coming to Japan to have a fun time, have a full wallet, but you'll have to work hard to get it. Point 3: Prepare yourself for greyness. It seems like all the colors in Japan are somewhat desaturated, compared to say, the colors in the U.S. Meaning most building are either dirty white or concrete gray. And 99% of the street lights are fluorescent lights, meaning everything looks bluer, and less lively. More mechanical, and less humane. Point 4: Expect coldness from people. Japanese people don't think they're cold, and amongst themselves they aren't. Just that they won't tell you to have a good day as you step out of a store, and they won't help you if you fall down on a sidewalk with a heart attack. They are concerned with their own business, and they are in fact too busy to be concerned by the businesses of others. But this is normal in Japan. And if you get used to it, it's not too bad. In fact for me, when I go to the U.S. I always find people too friendly; all up in my face if you know what I mean. Point 5: Choose to live within society (accepting/embracing the Japanese cultural norms) or choose to live outside of society (a gaijin, free to sing on the streets or mean mug people on the train). Both are fun, but it takes more effort to do the first, and you may have a better conscience as well. I hope this answered all of your questions. I guess this made it sound like a boring and problematic place, but it's really not that bad if you get used to it. And a certain amount of it is left up to you. The first step to making living in Japan "cool" is your own effort. And if you do that, it can be quite fun!