One year in Tokyo

This week marks my first year in Tokyo. I’d like to go through the good and bad parts that I’ve noticed so far. I have a tendency to focus on the parts that could be better, so in an effort to be more positive, I’m going to challenge myself to find silver linings in the bad parts after stating them. Let’s start with the bad and then move on to the good!

The bad

Homogeneous society with low diversity

Some people might disagree with me on this, because Tokyo is probably the most diverse place in Japan and perhaps one of the most diverse in East Asia. That’s not untrue, but compared with where I moved from, Tokyo is very much homogeneous.

Vast majority of the people come from the same or similar ethnic group, and their behaviors often conform to one set of societal and cultural norms. Being different from the mass makes you stand out like a sore thumb and earns you quite a bit of attention (unwanted for some.) As mentioned in the previous blog, I’m still finding my own balance of where to conform vs where to stand my ground.

Alright, now to put this in a more positive tone, the conforming culture often means people follow rules or processes closely here. Once I learn how something works, almost every time it will work the way I understand or expect it to be. This can remove a lot of stress when I go through certain process flows.

It could be an application process for something I need from the city hall or public offices. It could be a crowded place or event where more order significantly improves the experience. Or it could be as simple as having the trains arrive right on the dot (and getting apologized to way too many times when they don’t.)

This allows people to make plans better if they would like and reduces stressful situations where people are forced to deviate from their plans for no good reason. In particular, it can also help reduce stress for people who naturally get more anxious about unclear processes and instructions.

Space is a lot smaller

Living space, restaurant space, bathroom space…you name it. Space is on average much smaller than my previous town. The one that matters the most to me is living space, since I spend the most time home.

LA, where I moved from, is a very spread out metropolitan. The apartment space there was likely bigger than an average concentrated city, which made the shrink feel even more drastic. This is a big reason I made it a point to my real estate agent how much I care about space in my own place. I ended up with a decently sized (for Tokyo) apartment so I adapted in ways I knew matter to me the most.

The bright side of this one is that it simply keeps me from buying useless things. I think hard before every purchase and have strong motivation to keep my belongings to the minimum. I’m not a huge shopper or hoarder to begin with, but I definitely became more mindful after my personal space shrank by more than half.

I miss having a car

This might not be the case for people who don’t drive or like to drive, but it’s one of the most noticeable differences for me. In LA, driving was the most common way to get around. While I appreciate the exceptional public transport system in Tokyo, I do miss being able to drive off somewhere spontaneously when I’m having a bad day.

The upside of this is quite obvious. I don’t have to worry about looking for parking and paying for all kinds of car-related expenses. It can be expensive to keep a car.

That said, I have equipped myself to drive in Japan, by getting my driver’s license here. Last month, I rented a car for a family trip and drove for the first time in Japan. It was a little weird driving on the opposite side of the road from what I’m used to, but after the first few miles were over, I felt more at ease. It felt good to drive again and to know getting around by car can be an option for me.

The good

Getting around the city is a lot easier and safer

Good and trustworthy public transport system might seem like a basic for major cities of developed countries, but it’s actually not always present in reality. Tokyo is a ginormous city and somehow most corners are reachable by subway and bus. It’s just amazing.

Drivers are generally safe drivers. Of course once in a very long while I encounter irresponsible drivers, but mostly I can count on drivers to follow traffic rules. This makes it safer to move around freely for pedestrians, cyclers and drivers alike… An astounding contrast to where I moved from.

*Image by Jackie Alexander via Unsplash*

A biproduct of good public transport is it’s very easy to get around to meet people, so it’s better for my social life, lol. On top of that, it brings me so much peace of mind to not have to worry about where to park, how much parking might be, and whether the walk from the parking lot is safe. Personally, this significantly lowers the hurdle to go out to explore new areas on my own.

Traveling within the country is also relatively easy

Japan is a pretty big country by the land it covers. Besides by car and by plane, the Shinkansen (high speed train) is also a convenient and common way to travel. Because the Shinkansen is very fast, the travel time usually does not become unreasonably long even for longer distance. It’s a lot easier to get to places in a completely different part of the country without getting to the airport, which can be a hassle in itself.

I can feel the four seasons

This can be a bad thing for some people, but I’ve always wanted to live somewhere with clear seasons. In Japan, each season also offers completely different sceneries wherever you go.

It’s fun to go to explore various places throughout the year searching for spectacular views I hadn’t seen before. I also just like to know which time of the year it is by feeling and smelling the air. Seeing things change around me also gives me the energy and courage to carry on in my life. In times when I’m down, it recharges my energy and encourages me to get back up. It really makes me appreciate the present more.

Wrapping up

These are the shifts that I’ve felt the most in the past year transitioning into life in Tokyo. Some of them might not be what Tokyo is most known for or what people imagined to be a big deal, but they were what made an impact on my life personally. While Tokyo isn’t perfect, I feel blessed and certain that I am where I am supposed to be.