Living In Tokyo
I have been here for 8 months at this point, so here are 10 things I love about living in Tokyo.
1. Public Transport
It’s no secret that public transport in Japan is convenient, on-time, affordable and for the most part clean and safe.
The Tokyo metropolitan area is the most populated and busiest on the planet, yet the busses and trains run like clockwork. The drivers and other staff are smart and dedicated to their jobs.
No matter where you are in Tokyo, it’s only a short walk or bus journey to the nearest train station, connecting you to wherever you may need or want to go.
Some people may take it for granted, but I am from the UK where buses are almost always late, trains cancelled and even the shortest journeys costing a small fortune.
Tokyo’s excellent public transport simply had to be the first on my list of 10 things I love about living in Tokyo.
2. Food
With a relatively diverse population, as far as Japan goes, Tokyo has an abundance of various delicious cuisines.
Eating out is extremely popular here, so much so that many people eat out more often than they do at home.
With plenty of options and most being very affordable, often considerably more affordable than it would be to cook at home, it’s no surprise that good food is one the most common shared observations of visitors and residents when talking about Tokyo.
Some favourites of mine are Udon, Yakiniku, Tempura and of course Ramen.
3. Gardens
It may surprise you to learn that the concrete jungle that is Tokyo has many wonderful green spaces, including some truly beautiful and tranquil gardens, nestled within some of the most major parts of this mega-city.
Many of these gardens were once privately owned, since donated to or purchased by the local government and now open to the public.
If you ever visit Tokyo, please be sure to visit at least one of these and be amazed that such natural beauty can be found in the least expected places.
4. Convenience Stores “Konbini”
The convenience stores in Japan, known as “konbini” are the definition of the word convenience.
Open 24/7 providing the customer with hot and cold food – ready to eat, printing and fax services, ATM, toiletries, stationary, umbrellas, towels, clothes such as socks, t-shirts and underwear, alcohol and tobacco, fried chicken, toilets, bins…. The list goes on.
You can buy food and they will heat it up for you. They even have hot water with which to prepare your cup ramen!
Some large, some small and some even have a small eating area.
From Family Mart to Seven Eleven, Lawsons to Mini-Stop and more, each with it’s own distinct identity and champion products and never more than a few minutes walk away from wherever you may be. The Japanese convenience store is without a doubt one of the things I love about living in Tokyo.
5. Temples and Shrines
No list about things to love about Tokyo would be complete without mentioning the culturally significant and beautiful Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines.
Often confused with one another, an easy way to distinguish one from the other is the Tori gate… If there is a Tori gate, then it is usually a Shinto shrine.
Many of these Temples and Shrines are hundreds of years old and existed long before the city was built up around them, each with it’s own distinct significance within their corresponding belief system.
A temple will be dedicated to a certain deity or aspect of the Buddhist faith and each shrine will be home to a certain Kami of the Shinto faith.
Two separate belief systems which compliment each other well, neither being contrary to the other.
Most temples and shrines will have a Goshuin – a unique stamp and calligraphy design which many pilgrims will collect in a special book to record and remember their visit.
6. Day Trips
It might seem strange to say that one of my favourite things about living in Tokyo is leaving it for the day, but it’s true.
Sometimes you just need to get away from the city, and with so many great transport links to other places it’s incredibly easy to do!
One of my favourite outings so far has been to Okutama, and I highly recommend it!
Read my blogpost about Okutama here!
7. Activities – Things To Do
There is certainly no shortage of things to do in such a large metropolitan area.. Whether it is having fun at karaoke or a game centre, learning about culture or history, escape room games, shopping or visiting an aquarium that you prefer… or indeed almost anything you could ever want, Tokyo has you covered.
Many people in Tokyo work hard and long hours during the week and rarely get much time to go away, so the weekend and public holidays are an important time to relax, unwind and have fun.
8. Regular Street Cleaning
OK, so it might not sound all that exciting a thing to write about… But the street cleaning here is on another level!
I have seen more street cleaning vehicles go past my house in my first 8 months of living in Tokyo, than I did in my entire 12 years back at my old place in the UK!
The vehicles themselves not only sweep and remove debris at the front, but they also wash the road with a spray at the back.
They complete this task once every week! The result is that the roads are immaculately clean.
Street cleaning standards here are a great representation of the Japanese attention to detail and the responsibility we have to take care of the world around us.
9. Second-Hand / Used Items
There are used goods shops all over the place, whatever you want can be found quite easily. It’s not solely the availability of items but also the price and standard of goods, which impresses me.
Japanese Shinto belief encourages one to look after one’s things, as Kami (gods) are believed to inhabit inanimate objects. The result of this is that Japanese people generally take more care to maintain their belongings, than most Western people do.
I have bought musical instruments, a DSLR camera and lenses which look and feel brand new, for a fraction of the retail price.
Furthermore, if your native currency is stronger than the Japanese Yen, for example USD or GBP, then you can be sure to find a bargain on your visit to Tokyo..
So be sure to keep an eye out for second-hand shops such as “Hard Off”
10. Safety
It’s no secret that Japan is (for the most part) a safe country to live in. People generally respect each others property and belongings.
For example, when entering a cafe or fast food restaurant, it is very common and perfectly reasonable to find an empty table and leave a bag or hand towel there to reserve the space while you go and order.
If you drop or lose your wallet, it will very likely be handed into the police station, where you may easily track it down.
If you forget your bag or suitcase on the train, it will eventually end up at one of the stations, simply call the train company and they will likely have it safe for you.
People regularly sleep on the train while holding their phone. I have even on multiple occasions witnessed a sleeping passenger drop their phone, and someone picks it up carefully and respectfully places it back in the sleeping owners hand or lap.
Personal attacks are incredibly rare and people generally allow each other the right and freedom to exist as they wish, without interference.
There are exceptions to this… They have women only cars on the train, and forced camera shutter sounds on phones for genuine reasons, but for the most part one can travel around and live in Japan without much worry.
Tokyo is a capital city, and the most populated metropolitan area on the planet, yet it is substantially safe… That is quite something and absolutely one of the top 10 things I love about living in Tokyo.
Be sure to check out my next post, 5 Things I Don’t Love About Living In Tokyo, here!
Thank you for reading.
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