It’s been well over a year since we’ve moved to Tokyo. Even though it’s a substantial amount of time compared to just visiting, I feel it went by extremely quickly. I’m sure every person has their own perspective on Tokyo. Myself? I love Tokyo. Let me tell you why.
Tokyo is definitely the most convenient city I’ve ever lived in. I love it because it’s safe, clean and has great public transport. The food is simply amazing, and there is always something to do. You can spend a fortune here if you like, but everyday life is actually not that expensive.
I’m sure one can find many more reasons to love this city. But let’s explore the 8 things about living in Tokyo, that I think are the most impactful.
1. It’s safe
The first great thing about Tokyo is that it’s really really safe. For a big city like Tokyo, I find it staggering how safe it is. There are basically no places that are not safe to go to at any time. Coming back home alone at night is generally not a problem. Kids going to school and back by themselves are fine too.
I think it all ties to the necessity of convenience and the busy working lives of people in Tokyo. Safety is a necessity here. Let’s take kids traveling to school for example. In Tokyo, it’s nothing peculiar to see 6-year-old kids traveling all by themselves to school, by bus, by train or just walking. I don’t think it would be possible for many parents that often have a long commute and long working hours to always pick up their kids from school. There is quite an interesting short documentary about this topic titled “Japan’s Independent Kids”.
Pickpocketing and theft are rarely a problem as well. It’s generally safe to leave your belongings unattended. For example in the cafes, most people leave their laptops on the table when going to the toilet.
Usually, the only things that might get stolen are bikes and umbrellas. When it’s raining people leave their umbrellas in front of the shops and when you walk out you might find yours missing. It happened to us several times, but only to those cheap transparent umbrellas from a convenience store, you can get for a few hundred yen. I think since so many people forget those and the shops usually end up with stacks of those after a rainy day it seems to be socially acceptable to just grab an umbrella from the stance and go…
Nevertheless, super annoying for the owner of the umbrella. Owning an umbrella that is not transparent and looks more expensive seams to help. We never got our “proper” umbrellas stollen. I’ve also heard that decorating your umbrella’s handle with tape/stickers etc also helps.
2. It’s clean
I don’t think there is any country with cleaner cities than Japan. Tokyo, even though a huge metropolis, is not an exception. You rarely see any rubbish on the street, even though bins on the streets are a rare find.
The fact of the matter is, that generally, people in Japan do not litter. You can stumble upon some cans (and vomit) in the early mornings though. But even those get cleaned up quite quickly by nearby business owners who don’t want the mess to leave a bad impression on potential customers.
Besides the local businesses, you can also see normal residents regularly maintaining spaces in front of their houses. They sweep the sidewalks and get rid of fallen leaves for example.
Another thing you might notice when visiting Tokyo, or other places in Japan, is that the trains and stations are spectacularly clean. You won’t ever get dirty leaning against anything inside the train car or by putting your bag on the floor.
What surprised me even more, after moving to Tokyo, is that the construction trucks get they wheels washed prior to leaving the construction site, to not get streets all soily.
I’m sure there are many more examples of how Japanese people keep Tokyo clean, but I think the reason for that is rooted in the culture. For people in Japan, cleanness is very important, so they make sure the spaces around them are clean and in order.
3. Food
For me, Tokyo means a never-ending sublime food adventure. From $1.30 onigiri from a convenience store, through $10 ramen at a local ramen shop, to $50–$100 (or more) fine dining experiences. It’s all simply amazing.
There are so many places to eat out that even if you would eat in a different place every day it would take you years to try everything. Plus there are new restaurants continuously being open – never-ending adventure guaranteed. The quality of served food generally ranges from good to fabulous, it’s not very easy to find mediocre or poor food quality in restaurants.
Some even consider Tokyo the best dining city in the world. It’s hard for me to relate to that as I’ve never ever been to other renowned food cities like New York or Paris. Also, I’m not accustomed to eating in really high-end places. Having said that, I love the food here. I love most of the Japanese food, especially ramen, nigiri sushi, udon, okonomiyaki…
I think the common misconception about Japanese food is that it’s all about fish and seafood. Most likely because the seafood variety and quality here is outstanding. Probably the best in the world.
However, there are many great non-seafood options in Japanese cuisine. A great example of Japanese non-seafood food is okonomiyaki, yakiniku, yakitori, wagyu beef, ramen or udon. Not to mention other countries’ cuisines readily available in Tokyo. I had some of the best burgers, spaghetti carbonara and steaks ever actually here in Tokyo.
4. Public transport
Trains in Tokyo are just amazing. They are always on time, clean, quiet and they run every few to several minutes. I never have to check timetables. I just go to the station, pick the platform and wait a few minutes for the train to arrive. Super easy! Finding your way around stations and platforms is usually very easy as well. In many cases there is only one line per platform, so boarding the wrong train is less likely.
Because of the vast train and subway network in Tokyo, you don’t really need to own a car. If you live further from the station there will be regular bus service available. Getting to the station by bike is also an option that many people choose. However, when you are in a pinch to get somewhere quickly or it’s just pouring rain, just grab a taxi. It’s not cheap, but the abundance of taxis makes it a convenient and quick option.
The transport network in Tokyo has an additional convenience of the IC card (Suica or Pasmo card), so you don’t have to buy a ticket each time you use a train or a bus. You just top up the card and use it instead. It makes traveling quicker and much, much easier. You don’t have to figure out how much you should pay for each train, as the card is always charged the right amount. Many vending machines and shops also accept IC cards as a payment method.
For me, the only downside of using trains in Tokyo are the rush hours, when virtually all trains are just packed with people. It’s possible to lessen that a bit by going a bit earlier or later if possible, or using a less crowded car (car closer to the platform’s exits on big stations are obviously more popular). But you still generally need to squeeze in between other people.
If you want to know more about how public transport works in Tokyo, check out our guide on how to use trains in Tokyo for essential basics and useful tips and tricks. We really hope you will find it useful.
5. All-round convenience
Japan went above and beyond to make the lives of people here as convenient as possible. Most things here are extremely optimized, so people can go about their long-hour work routine without worrying about petty things. Like cooking for example, as there is a convenience store at virtually every corner, with an abundance of cheap and tasty food options including reheated ready-made meals.
Convenience stores don’t only sell products, but also services. You can pay your utility bills there, send a parcel, print (including photos) and scan, or take money out from an ATM. All of that, 24/7.
Moreover, because of a fast and reliable postal and courier services that operate 365 days a year, ordering online is extremely convenient. If you buy something in the morning there is a great chance it will be delivered to your door on the same day.
The delivery is often cheap or free when buying from big shops like Biccamera, Amazon, etc. Because of that, we buy online regularly, especially chemicals, non-perishables, and all those heavy things like a bag of rice or a case of sparkling water. In Japan, and central Tokyo in particular, space is premium, so by optimizing courier services Japan’s industry is able to save on storage space.
All of this convenience is truly great, but when coupled with long working hours it sometimes seems to make the lives of many people here like on auto-pilot. The lack of everyday challenges gives more time for busy and tiring work life.
6. Great quality of service and goods
Quality of service, customer service and quality of produce is spectacular. It’s usually far ahead and beyond what you can get in many other countries. Most things I bought here in Tokyo feel well-made, have a sense of quality to them and don’t really fall apart after the first use. Customer service is also exceptional, staff will go out of their way to make sure the customer is happy. You might have heard that the customer is king, but in Japan, the customer is God.
Even products and services on low-pricing-end usually do not disappoint. Products from 100 yen shops, convenience stores, and cheap ramen shops are among my favorites. If you ever visit Tokyo and want to embrace quality things just go to any big department store. Stationary and house goods are my favorite so I sometimes go to Loft or Tokyu Hands to just browse through and be amazed.
7. There is always something to do
Tokyo is one of the biggest cities in the world, with the metropolitan area only totaling around 13 mln people according to Wikipedia. It really feels like many cities squashed together. Each of them has its own shopping centers, food streets, parks, etc. Some areas are definitely more business-oriented like Nishi-Shinjuku and other more residential-oriented like Nakano. Other places, especially around Shibuya, Roppongi and Shinjuku feature an abundance of attractions, parks, cafes, restaurants, bars, shopping streets, shrines, museums.
Tokyo is also home to many famous temples and shrines like the Meiji Shrine in Yoyogi and the Sensoji Temple in Asakusa. And hundreds more. Together with old architecture and shops, it makes Tokyo a great city to explore the traditional part of Japanese culture. You can find those everywhere, but especially in Asakusa, Kawagoe (known as Little Edo), Golden Gai and Yanaka.
For fans of Japanese pop culture and anime Tokyo is definitely a promised land. Places like Akihabara’s electric town, Harajuku’s Takeshita Street, Odaiba, Tokyo station’s Character Street or Ghibli Museum are all great for geeks, families and kids alike.
Families with kids can also enjoy an impressive number of Zoos and Amusement parks in and around Tokyo.
8. Tokyo is not that expensive
Contrary to a popular belief, Tokyo is actually not that expensive, at least when compared to other big metropolitan areas in the world, like London, New York, San Francisco or even Sydney or Auckland. Tokyo used to be relatively expensive in the 80s and 90s, but it has since been overtaken by the rest of the world.
As with other big international cities the most expensive thing in Tokyo is accommodation, everything else is similar to, if not cheaper then other places in Japan. However, many people are able to mitigate accommodation costs by living further away from the main Tokyo area. Thanks to a reliable and quite affordable public transportation system many people decide to live on the outskirts of Tokyo and commute to work every day.
In my opinion, it’s definitely possible to live in or visit Tokyo on a budget. Obviously, it all depends on your lifestyle, but I think Tokyo is actually a fairly inexpensive city to live in if you choose local produce and way of life. If you would like to eat a considerable amount of fruits every day, indulge in fine dining, own a car and reside in Shibuya or Shinjuku then yeah, you might need quite a budget.
However, when living as locals do, things like grocery shopping, transportation, eating out, medical expenses, childcare, and even accommodation can be actually cheaper than in other big cities around the world.
Have you ever visited Tokyo, lived here or would like to check it out one day? Do you agree with anything above? Would love to know your thoughts.