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I'm writing this on the Joetsu Shinkansen on my way back to a reasonable pace of life in rural Niigata. What a day. Had a few meetings and did a bit of shopping, but I'm exhausted and I got to admit I really don't like visiting Tokyo now. The train is chocca, the Yamanote at 6:30 was unbearably full - and smelly - who would want to experience that every day? Must be mad if you ask me. Even the shopping has lost the appeal that it used to have because now we can get anything online so easily.

 

Wouldn't live there for 5 times what I earn now.

 

Rant over.

 

smile

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i think a lot of country folk move to the city when they graduate and kind of get stuck there, as jobs are hard to find outside. a lot of city folk like myself end up going the opposite way and end up missing the bustle.

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There's no monetary figure that could get me to live in Tokyo. Too many other factors are important to me than just making money. I don't mind visiting cities for very short periods but could never live in one again.

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Originally Posted By: Go Native
There's no monetary figure that could get me to live in Tokyo.


Everyone has a price. Not even if you earned enough to live in place the size you wanted with a helipad & private helicopter to get you out whenever you felt like?!
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I don't think "everyone" does actually.

 

Well, I don't think I do have a price to get me to live there, no. I am lucky to be fairly comfortably off anyway and I'm not the kind who seeks out material things.... simply don't need to be mega rich. I would rather be scraping by living where I do.

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Originally Posted By: tokabochi
I don't think "everyone" does actually.

Well, I don't think I do have a price to get me to live there, no. I am lucky to be fairly comfortably off anyway and I'm not the kind who seeks out material things.... simply don't need to be mega rich. I would rather be scraping by living where I do.


I think exactly the same. I don't need a whole lot of material things to make me happy and I certainly don't need some big house with my own private helicopter. It's just not my dream. Living in a little country town surrounded by natural beauty and in a region that receives some of the biggest snowfalls on the planet, that's my dream...and hey I'm living it! clap
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Have to say I have always been a country boy, was born and raised in the country, but been in Tokyo since I have been in Japan due to work and wife being from Tokyo.

But from next year we will be leaving Tokyo and we will be living in the countryside full time, yipee!

Tokyo is handy, for many things, but have to say I much prefare the countryside any day.

It is amazing how many people love Tokyo, why I will never understand.

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Originally Posted By: Nisoko
I'm sure it can be exciting but a day or two getting squeezed into a train is enough to put me off for life!


More like crushed into the train, luckily I hardly ever have to experience that!!!
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It is all dependent on the type of person you are. I grew up in an area famed for its beaches, but since moving to the city 6 years ago, have only been back twice.

 

I loved Tokyo (even though I was only there for 2.5days) and don't think I would have any qualms about moving there. Having said that, I could still live in a rural town, provided I had decent access to the internet, snow, a car and a city within a decent distance.

 

You can be happy anywhere, provided you surround yourself with the things that really make you happy - loving family, good friends, good food. (Ohh dear, I'm sounding more like my gypsy ancestors than I realise...)

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I agree sciclone, you CAN be happy anywhere given the right surroundings - but that is equally true of being unhappy anywhere if the surroundings are 'off'.

 

We moved into my current suburb 6 years ago - the house did not work for me - the suburb was lovely but I was unhappy and soothed my discomfort with carbs -stacking on weight. It was a nice house, but something was off, and my moods reflected that. We put up with it for 3 years and then moved one street over to a house that immediately felt like home, and my world has changed. Same suburb - takes 3 minutes to walk to the old house - but different feel.

 

I reckon your personal experience of Tokyo would have a lot to do with how you feel about it.

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I know what you mean Mamabear. Sometimes, it isn't anything you can put your finger either...

 

It's not just houses/suburbs/cities that you can feel like this. I was born in Australia and lived here all my life, but have never really felt Australian per se. So for someone to not feel at home in a city with a population greater than many countries, its understandable that they may not feel like they belong.

 

And bad/good first impressions can have a lasting effect. When in Tokyo, we never got squeezed in any trains (although we travelled subway the whole time, including Peak hour), and found people friendly and helpful, so that probably added to the impression.

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Originally Posted By: RobBright
hate it when I'm there, miss it when I'm not there, when I'm in another country I love it.


Ditto.

If I had to work there, I wouldn't die. It's not like you can't leave once in a while, or find a little space or piece of nature if you want. There's a certain underlying "fun" I can manage to find there that I actually can't find in Sapporo - I can't really define it. Tokyo can be "fresh" too - if you see a certain fashion trend in Sapporo, it's already old hat in Tokyo.

One thing I miss about Tokyo the most is poeple walk like they drive - on the left. Okay, it's like watching a bunch of robots, but up here with all the snow blocking things up for half the year, people walk randomly all over the sidewalk like headless chickens.
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Have to agree with GN, I enjoy a visit to places like Tokyo. Will enjoy a couple of days there in January. BUT, I keep thinking that "this is a nice place to visit, but who'd want to live there?" whenever I am in a city (even a small city like Sydney wink ) for too long.

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