Eight ways Tokyo kicks any North American city's butt.

[Anubis]

Originally posted by: zinfamous

Originally posted by: Inspector Jihad

Originally posted by: michaels
I wonder if people in Japan despise all the nerdy and weird Japanophiles.

would be ironic, but its prolly true.

i doubt it. the japanese people on average are quite immature by our standards. note the 30-40 something businessmen openly reading manga and porn on public transit, playing their video games..etc

EDIT: oh, and they're also Emo. Anyone aware of the mass anonymous suicide fetish over there? Bizarre and ridiculous....

reading manga and playing video games makes someone immature? thats close to the most moronic thing ive ever read

 

[uhohs]

Originally posted by: zinfamous

Originally posted by: Inspector Jihad

Originally posted by: michaels
I wonder if people in Japan despise all the nerdy and weird Japanophiles.

would be ironic, but its prolly true.

i doubt it. the japanese people on average are quite immature by our standards. note the 30-40 something businessmen openly reading manga and porn on public transit, playing their video games..etc

EDIT: oh, and they're also Emo. Anyone aware of the mass anonymous suicide fetish over there? Bizarre and ridiculous....

yukko syndrome
that tragedy still makes me :brokenheart: often

 

[alkemyst]

Originally posted by: Anubis

Originally posted by: zinfamous

Originally posted by: Inspector Jihad

Originally posted by: michaels
I wonder if people in Japan despise all the nerdy and weird Japanophiles.

would be ironic, but its prolly true.

i doubt it. the japanese people on average are quite immature by our standards. note the 30-40 something businessmen openly reading manga and porn on public transit, playing their video games..etc

EDIT: oh, and they're also Emo. Anyone aware of the mass anonymous suicide fetish over there? Bizarre and ridiculous....

reading manga and playing video games makes someone immature? thats close to the most moronic thing ive ever read

Yeah mistaking culture for maturity is bad.

 

[alkemyst]

Originally posted by: pontifex

Originally posted by: xospec1alk
i agree with most everything on the list.

however, in tokyo, the trains stop running at midnite or 1am, and the last train outta the city is a freaking sardine can.

the thing about the cell phone is totally true. EVERYONE texts over there...its only recently that the western world has caught on to texting i think.

oh and the vending machines...MY GOD I LOVE those vending machines

can someone please explain why you buy a TELEPHONE so you can text?

think meetings, think loud environments, think not having to wait for them to pick up or leave a message.

Also they use the telephone portion of it as well. Makes no sense except for a geek to have multiple devices.

When the trains stop the taxi's raise their rates too which sucks.

 

[foghorn67]

I have no desire to visit Tokyo. If went there for business, I will look forward to it...but I have no desire to go on my own.
Living in pods doesn't really appeal to me.

 

[JS80]

Originally posted by: alkemyst
WTF

1) in Tokyo you can get lost in the crowd pretty easily....most hold on to their friends. There is no personal space on the commuter trains usually.

2) In any picture/video/in person display of Tokyo seeing people on cells whether texting, looking up the train schedule or talking is extremely frequent.

3) See #1...it's punctual but you are much like a sardine.

4) They are big on this...like their toilets and a/c units. Even their hairdryers and vacuums are much quieter than US counterparts, mostly because they aren't looking for the cheapest product though. The Japanese will pay for quality. Many Americans expect it for the same price or less than an inferior product.

5) This was sort of two issues...those that cover up with colds are common but it's not 100%. In Japan it's not a problem to call out someone who is rude, being inconsiderate and the like. In American you are likely to be sued over it.

6) The Japanese women have grown an inch on average to their bust/hips and waist over the last few years. Mostly due to american food becoming popular. Also it's a lot to do with their genetics. There are very fat Japanese women and men, they get clothing with no problem. Many go to Korea to shop anyway.

7) Same here in our big cities. People try to compare CowTown USA with Manhattan a lot of times miserably.

8) While those toilets exist it's also common to find what amounts to a urinal in ground to squat over. They usually do give you something to hold on to though...many times you don't get any wall around you though.

What happens is Westerners hit the western hot spots that cater to them...they don't venture off the beaten path. Many people think Jamaica is wonderful because of the Atlantis resort. Travel off the beaten path there and things get very scary for most people.

Tokyo is a great place, but most of that has to do with the Japanese are not so self-centered as americans.

True story - my friends went to Jamaica during college and "traveled off the beaten path" and was approached by a big Jamaican with a machete trying to rob them. My friend was held "hostage" by him and my other friend was standing there like wtfmate (plus they were both stoned off their asses and drunk). The guy said he would hurt his friend if he didn't give him money. This was happening next to this bbq chicken cart/stand. My friend, instead of just giving the guy money, somehow negotiated his way out of the situation by offering to buy a piece of chicken. They settled on 2 pieces of chicken. My friend is now a lawyer in LA.

 

[foghorn67]

Originally posted by: JS80
True story - my friends went to Jamaica during college and "traveled off the beaten path" and was approached by a big Jamaican with a machete trying to rob them. My friend was held "hostage" by him and my other friend was standing there like wtfmate (plus they were both stoned off their asses and drunk). The guy said he would hurt his friend if he didn't give him money. This was happening next to this bbq chicken cart/stand. My friend, instead of just giving the guy money, somehow negotiated his way out of the situation by offering to buy a piece of chicken. They settled on 2 pieces of chicken. My friend is now a lawyer in LA.

That story is off the beaten path. But that is awesome.

 

[mrSHEiK124]

Originally posted by: foghorn67

Originally posted by: JS80
True story - my friends went to Jamaica during college and "traveled off the beaten path" and was approached by a big Jamaican with a machete trying to rob them. My friend was held "hostage" by him and my other friend was standing there like wtfmate (plus they were both stoned off their asses and drunk). The guy said he would hurt his friend if he didn't give him money. This was happening next to this bbq chicken cart/stand. My friend, instead of just giving the guy money, somehow negotiated his way out of the situation by offering to buy a piece of chicken. They settled on 2 pieces of chicken. My friend is now a lawyer in LA.

That story is off the beaten path. But that is awesome.

x2

 

[puffff]

Originally posted by: foghorn67
I have no desire to visit Tokyo. If went there for business, I will look forward to it...but I have no desire to go on my own.
Living in pods doesn't really appeal to me.

You wouldnt want to live in NYC or London then either.

 

[jagec]

1. Lost In Space:

OK

2. The Silence Menace:

OK

3. In Transit Gloria:

And yet, somehow, we keep voting down a much-needed mass transit system here.

4. White Noise:

Kinda neat, but you have to wonder about costs. Construction is noisy, period...how do they keep it down?

5. Economies of Scale: To deal with the sheer volume of stuff, everything is designed for efficiency, productivity and hygiene, from the individually wrapped cookies (which also goes hand in hand with the emphasis on presentation)

Means that packaging waste is a huge problem.

6. Portion control: The largest clothing size for women maxes out at about a six (though in most places, it's a four), which is tyrannical for an average-sized Western woman on a shopping expedition. But, if I had stayed long enough, I could easily have fit into them thanks to smaller portion sizes for food and drink (and I wasn't even hungry!)

Good if you have poor control, bad if you're a skinny guy with a big appetite. Also expensive.

7. Convenience Stores: The Japanese "just-in-time" manufacturing philosophy trickles down from the department store down to the corner convenience store. The 7-Elevens restock ready meals and fresh items like bread and delectable pain au chocolat just as they are about to run out of them.

OK

8. Ablutions: Once you have used the Japanese version of a Western toilet, it's hard to come home. In a pristine, quiet and privately enclosed space, complete with purse hook, bench and a gently warmed seat, they have built-in front and back bidets controlled at the touch of a button (like a car wash) and, for the toilet-timid, sound effects like faux-flushing, birdsong or chimes summoned with a wave of the hand.

Euro style 2-flush with Japanese seat = WHY ARE THESE NOT MADE?

Toilets suck in most places in the world. I'd say the American 1-flush, non-siphon is the most common design, and it's a huge water waster if you're peeing, half of them don't get it all down when you're taking a crap, and they tend to leak. How can people screw up the design that badly? At my place there's a low-flush toilet that's very very quiet, doesn't leak, and ALWAYS swallows whatever's in there. It's not a 2-flush though. And no Japanese seat.

 

[alkemyst]

Originally posted by: puffff

Originally posted by: foghorn67
I have no desire to visit Tokyo. If went there for business, I will look forward to it...but I have no desire to go on my own.
Living in pods doesn't really appeal to me.

You wouldnt want to live in NYC or London then either.

This is assuming one is not wealthy though.

You can get a decent apartment in Tokyo for 'cheap', it won't be a pod...but it will have pretty thin walls and be older.

With the train system though it's pointless to overextend yourself anyway. Most only spend time in their apartments to get ready and sleep. In Japan it's common to go out to socialize and eat.

 

[alkemyst]

Originally posted by: mrSHEiK124

Originally posted by: foghorn67

Originally posted by: JS80
True story - my friends went to Jamaica during college and "traveled off the beaten path" and was approached by a big Jamaican with a machete trying to rob them. My friend was held "hostage" by him and my other friend was standing there like wtfmate (plus they were both stoned off their asses and drunk). The guy said he would hurt his friend if he didn't give him money. This was happening next to this bbq chicken cart/stand. My friend, instead of just giving the guy money, somehow negotiated his way out of the situation by offering to buy a piece of chicken. They settled on 2 pieces of chicken. My friend is now a lawyer in LA.

That story is off the beaten path. But that is awesome.

x2

I am thinking the Big Jamaican didn't want to mess with anyone that wanted to feed the guy about to kill his friend.

 

[The Boston Dangler]

Originally posted by: ultimatebob

Originally posted by: HammerCurl

Originally posted by: ultimatebob
I hear that you can also buy used panties from the vending machines if you're into that sort of thing.

But they max out at a size 6!? :thumbsdown:

Fat bottomed girls apparently do NOT make Tokyo's rockin' world go round

that's awesome! thanks for the laugh

 

[NikolaeVarius]

I've lived in Japan for a month and these were were my thoughts.

Heated Toilets seats are the greatest invention mankind has ever made. You do not know the pleasure of sitting in one until you have tried it. Nothing beats sitting down on a pre warmed seat.

Cellphones do everything. You know the Iphone? They've had that stuff in their phones for 2 years, in a smaller, better, cheaper package. Cell phones have single player games, music, TV, radio, MMORPG'S, Internet, etc...

Everything is expensive there.

Everyone carries those electronic dictionaries. No exceptions

Their clothes Sizes are tiny. At a store, I tried on the largest jacket they had, the sleeves came short about 3 inches.

 

[tomywishbone]

I'm pretty sure, the hookers in Reno are better than their counterparts in Tokyo.

Score :
Reno 1
Tokyo 0

 

[The Boston Dangler]

Originally posted by: tenshodo13
Nothing beats sitting down on a pre warmed seat.

that's a big, godzilla-sized negative. i'll take my toilets as white as snow, and just as cold.

 

[electronicmaji]

LOL

Sorry I would never be able to live in japan

their toilets SUCK ASS


and I weight 280 pounds

 

[randay]

Originally posted by: electronicmaji
LOL

Sorry I would never be able to live in japan

their toilets SUCK ASS


and I weight 280 pounds

gochira!!!

 

[MrPickins]

Originally posted by: The Boston Dangler

Originally posted by: tenshodo13
Nothing beats sitting down on a pre warmed seat.

that's a big, godzilla-sized negative. i'll take my toilets as white as snow, and just as cold.

QFT.

I have 5 siblings. I developed a distaste for prewarmed seats when I was a kid.

 

[electronicmaji]

I wonder how the sumo wrestlers get enought food to be fat....and poop on those small squating toilets...



I WANT MY BABY BACK
BABY BACK
BABY BACK RIBSSSSSSSSSSSSS

 

[natto fire]

Originally posted by: The Boston Dangler

Originally posted by: tenshodo13
Nothing beats sitting down on a pre warmed seat.

that's a big, godzilla-sized negative. i'll take my toilets as white as snow, and just as cold.

I agree. If you are really obsessed with a warm seat, you could always sit on a toilet that was just used...

Interesting read though, I knew about the vending machines and crazy toilets, but the noise thing was new to me.

 

[NikolaeVarius]

Originally posted by: Captain Howdy

Originally posted by: The Boston Dangler

Originally posted by: tenshodo13
Nothing beats sitting down on a pre warmed seat.

that's a big, godzilla-sized negative. i'll take my toilets as white as snow, and just as cold.

I agree. If you are really obsessed with a warm seat, you could always sit on a toilet that was just used...

Interesting read though, I knew about the vending machines and crazy toilets, but the noise thing was new to me.

Its not just a warmed seat, lots of other features too.

The on at my place had like self cleaning that used UV/Water to clean itself, self wiping ( Sprays water at your butt and dries it off with air, Lol) Self lifting ( Had a button on the wall next to the light that automatically lifted the toilet as you got up.

And etc..

 

[mooglemania85]

Originally posted by: tenshodo13

Originally posted by: Captain Howdy

Originally posted by: The Boston Dangler

Originally posted by: tenshodo13
Nothing beats sitting down on a pre warmed seat.

that's a big, godzilla-sized negative. i'll take my toilets as white as snow, and just as cold.

I agree. If you are really obsessed with a warm seat, you could always sit on a toilet that was just used...

Interesting read though, I knew about the vending machines and crazy toilets, but the noise thing was new to me.

Its not just a warmed seat, lots of other features too.

The on at my place had like self cleaning that used UV/Water to clean itself, self wiping ( Sprays water at your butt and dries it off with air, Lol) Self lifting ( Had a button on the wall next to the light that automatically lifted the toilet as you got up.

And etc..

Was it everything you hoped it would be?

 

[QurazyQuisp]

Originally posted by: xospec1alk
i agree with most everything on the list.

however, in tokyo, the trains stop running at midnite or 1am, and the last train outta the city is a freaking sardine can.

the thing about the cell phone is totally true. EVERYONE texts over there...its only recently that the western world has caught on to texting i think.

oh and the vending machines...MY GOD I LOVE those vending machines

They text because they haven't figured out yet that you can talk and accomplish the same conversation in about 1/999th of the time.

I will admit that there are cases where texting is quicker, but any meaningful conversation it is not.

 

[CTrain]

Originally posted by: QurazyQuisp

Originally posted by: xospec1alk
i agree with most everything on the list.

however, in tokyo, the trains stop running at midnite or 1am, and the last train outta the city is a freaking sardine can.

the thing about the cell phone is totally true. EVERYONE texts over there...its only recently that the western world has caught on to texting i think.

oh and the vending machines...MY GOD I LOVE those vending machines

They text because they haven't figured out yet that you can talk and accomplish the same conversation in about 1/999th of the time.

I will admit that there are cases where texting is quicker, but any meaningful conversation it is not.

Well I used to think texting was a waste of time too but over time its quite addicting and has some advantages:
1) If you just want to tell somebody something real quick and not make a conversation of it.
2) If you know that person is busy(in school, work, etc..) and usually would not pick up the phone. Or if someone is sleeping, they can see it when they wake up.
3) You can send a text to a mass amount of people at once.
I'm pretty sure there are more that I don't know about.