Tokyo, Japan

Tokyo, Japan
Population of Metropolitan Area: 34,670,000 World Rank: 1
Population Density: 4,430/km^2
Gross Domestic Product: $1,191,000,000 USD World Rank: 1
Year Founded: 1497

Tokyo serves as the seat of the Japanese Government and is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. The greater Tokyo Metropolis is divided into 23 special wards, each governed as individual cities. The economy is driven largely by its status as one of the 3 world finance centers of the world, with New York and London being the other two. With over 34 million people living in its metropolitan area, Tokyo is the largest urban area in the world and is significantly larger than any other city. To provide some prospective New York City has just over 21 million people. The city is made up of a number of distinct areas, most notably, Roppongi Hills, Shinjuku, Shibuya, Ginza, and Ueno.

Though Tokyo is clearly a very modern city, its city planning is medieval in nature, comprised of a maze like network of narrow back alley ways and winding streets. This combined with never ending cityscape and flat topography make keeping a bearing very difficult without a map. Fortunately though, Tokyo has one of the world’s largest subway systems which is not only affordable but easy to use and nearly every sign is also in English.

Tokyo looks and feels like a sci-fi movie. From the stereotypical diagonal stair expression to the barrage of neon signs that light up the night sky the city is distinctly futuristic in character. The crowded narrow streets of Shinjuku served as the inspiration for the movie blade runner and hold true to this day. Though Tokyo is very old, almost all of its buildings are relatively new. Around the turn of the century the city was leveled by a massive earthquake and while Tokyo was sparred from the Atomic Bomb during WWII, it’s bombing was so extensive that very little of the old city survived.

Because the area is so heavily populated, land is extremely hard to come by and the city is constantly reinventing itself as old is torn down in favor of new. One of the most successful of these urban renewal projects is the mega development of Roppongi Hills, where a shopping center, hotel, high rise office, museum, and viewing pavilion provide entertainment for everyone.

The Japanese are famous for there work ethic, and the city offers plenty of opportunities for its residents to spend their money. The Ginza district is comparable to 5th Avenue and offers every store imaginable. The residents of Tokyo are with out a doubt the best dressed I have ever seen, most wear suits and dresses to go out in the evening.

Tokyo is also one of the safest cities I have visited, especially considering that dark, narrow, twisting alleys are the norm, and the city is so expansive. However, the city is so vibrant, so full of people, that no street is deserted. I was also surprised to see very few homeless in a city with such a high cost of living. With that said, living in Tokyo would be very cramped, as buildings are often built within inches of each other and with no access to the road. Spaces are so sought after that structures are even built underneath elevated trains and highways.

In all I was exceedingly impressed with how easy it was for me to get around and interact with others in the city. Most things are also written in English and usually some one is around who can speak well enough to be helpful. Its hard not blown away by the barrage of neon. Tokyo is like Times Square, but twice as large and six times throughout the city. I did feel though that the city has something of an identity problem. The city is so large that it largely looks exactly the same, and most of the cities buildings leave much to be desired. Also few of the buildings are much taller than 20 or 30 stories, so there is a constant building height that is never ending and indefinable. There is no real Skyline like there is in New York, but rather more like the pictures I’ve seen of Sao Paolo. I was also surprised to find that it was nearly impossible to find a souvenir that said Tokyo or Japan. Nearly every store sold American eagle-esque shirts of American Places. I guess it’s somewhat a product of the fact that of the 13 or so million in Tokyo proper, only 353,826 are foreign residents.

The extreme lack of diversity in the city is an interesting topic in itself. Most of the American Ghetto’s were formed by the influx of African American’s into the cities and the so called white flight into the suburbs. I do wonder how the Japanese would respond to the influx of other cultures, but for now, its nothing Tokyo has to worry about. In the end though I feel like Tokyo is an amazing city with its own character, but in my mind it’ very comparable to New York, and I feel that New York executes a number of things much better. Tokyo is amazing to visit, but I still feel that if you’re looking to move to the big city, New York’s still got it beat.