Comments by "XSportSeeker" (@XSpImmaLion) on "What a Typical Tokyo Neighbourhood is Like" video.

  1. Yeah... this system, standard, or something that Japan has is often an untold part of the whole experience in Japan. Kombinis are often called to summarize it, because of convenience, but the whole neighborhood centered around train stations taken to the next level is what I personally think allows Tokyo to work like it does - it's the most populous metropolitan area in the world, but it doesn't feel like it... because it seems wherever you are, you don't quite feel stranded. I've been to just a few other metropolitan areas in the top list, and the difference is quite drastic. For instance, in Sao Paulo, depending on what you need, if you are at some random point in the city, you are faaaaaar more likely to need a car ride for it - if not taking a bus, then a train, and then a car ride. Ignoring safety factors, cleanliness and whatnot, just considering geography and city planning in general... you just don't have these clear indicators on where to go and what to expect. Each neighborhood is different, and you don't have a whole lot of organization or standardization to rely on. Rather, it's almost the opposite... commercially speaking, there are neighborhoods where you only have like, one type of service for several blocks, like car mechanics, or chothing stores, or furniture stores.... blocks and blocks of them. The philosophy is different that way - it's built for you to have multiple options tightly packed so you reach the neighborhood by car, but then can shop around on foot. On my two trips to Japan we stayed in hotels close to stations... though the first trip was more neighborhood-like. First one was close to Shiki station, in between Tokyo and Saitama. Lovely neighborhood that was still expanding at the time, local supermarket open 'till 2 am, plus kombinis, and at the station you had a sweets shop, a ramen-ya, bookstore, drugstore, and a few other things. Around the station you had pachinko and other stuff. Narita station on the other hand, the one I stayed on my second trip, isn't a great example of typical neighborhood because it's highly focused on people on business trips rather than a typical japanese neighborhood. Perhaps a good tip for tourists - you might want to avoid staying around stations where lots of business trip people also stay at, typically close to airports. Lots of business hotels, lots of car parking towers, lots of kombinis and izakayas, but you'll have less family restaurants, mom and pop shops, bakeries, shotengai stuff. I dunno how to explain it... there are still plenty of conveniences for tourists and all that, but you don't get a feel of community per se... it's like no one really lives there, it's just a permanently transient space rather than something build by and for people living there, you know? Anyways, great video Greg! Love revisiting my trips considering the perspective you a put up on these videos.... xD
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