When I came to Japan for the first time in August 2006, I was steadfast in only one thing: I refused to live in Tokyo. Too expensive, too crowded, too annoying, too cosmopolitan, too cool. Considering the amount of money I brought over (enough for approxomately 12 meals at Sukiya), my Japanese language level (a poorly pronounced “arigato” and not much else) and the reputation for sweltering summers (I am a sweaty mess if it gets over 25 degrees), the Big Mikan was not an option. Instead, the company I worked for had placed me in Niigata, a two-hour shinkansen ride north. I spent about 18 months there. A little wiser to the ways of Japan and no longer ascared of the big, bad Tokyo, I moved to the Ikebukuro area a short time ago. So let us not be too judgemental in my comparison between the two places. After all, I just got here.

WEATHER

Tokyo: F#!@ing muggy as all hell in July and August. More enjoyable in the fall and winter months, with spring reigning as the most beautiful time of year. Plus, a lot of blue skies.

Niigata: F#!@ing muggy as all hell in July and August. (My recruiter had told me the summer wasn`t “all that bad” after I told him I hate humidity). The fall is sublime, but winter resembles an Ingmar Bergman flick with its constantly gray skies and chilly winds. Lotta snow, too.

Advantage: Tokyo

PEOPLE

Tokyo: In a word, uncaring. I know everyone is in a hurry and all, but how about a little human decency? Speaking from a public day-to-day perspective, Tokyo is all business and no heart. Service at stores is fine, but even neighbors seem a little too self-absorbed to give a rip. I tried introducing myself to a few people in my building but failed convincingly. Admittedly, gaijin down here are seen as just more warm bodies blocking the train exit, so the charm of being foreign is gone, but where is is the heart, man?

Niigata: A hell of a lot nicer. Maybe because the folks in Hokuriku do not get much of a chance to interact with other cultures. Maybe because there is more room to roam. Whatever the reason, people are generally courteous, kind and interested in keeping harmony. Not once did someone plow into me in a train station. And meeting new people is actually not so difficult in Niigata; sometimes a simple hello gets you in the door.

Advantage: Niigata

ENTERTAINMENT

Tokyo: Ubiquitous.

Niigata: Sparse.

Advantage: Tokyo

COST OF LIVING

Tokyo: Not as bad as I would have originally thought. You want cheap, you can find it, and more of it, too. Eating out is probably just as inexpensive as slaving over a hot single gas-burner. And oh, the choices! In one day, I saw Wendy’s, Denny’s, Matsuya, Sukiya, Yoshinoya, countless 100-yen toriniku stands, ramen shops under 600 yen, etc. … As for internet and utilities and whatnot, it appears to be the same everywhere in Japan. Clothes are more accessable too. Rent is ridiculous.

Niigata: Fresh produce and rice are a steal in Niigata. Lots of farmland there, so the product is always good and cheap. Unfortunately, the eating out choices are scarce. I probably sent the owner of the local Sukiya on a two-month cruise around the world I ate there so much. Standard costs of everyday living are acceptable, but the big boon is the cheap rent. I had a 14-mat apartment on the ninth floor, five minutes from the station, and it ran about 55,000 yen. Eat that, Tokyo.

Advantage: Push

So, for now, it’s Tokyo by a nose. Check back in a few months from now and see whether I have throttled any chikans, been ripped off at a recycle shop or jumped by kids whose hair resembles the “Lost Boys.” By then, I should have a much fairer assessment.

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