I’ve read this sub and have seen so many similar comparisons but thought my background may be slightly different than others.
I am a Japanese native and have been in Tokyo for the last 10 years, but also lived in other parts of Asia and the US throughout my childhood.
I find Tokyo depressing, stagnant, lacking diversity and nature, questionable work life balance and isolated from the world.
I get paid well as I work in fintech and not for a Japanese company, so I know I am better off than others here but would like to move out soon.
My options are New York or London through my current job. I would definitely need to negotiate my salary but what would be a better option given the following;
I’m planning to move with my partner who is in IT and a small black Shiba dog. We do not plan to have children. I don’t see this as a permanent move though things may change.
Things that I would prioritise -vacation days -parks, any green areas -ease of travelling -dog friendlyness -ease of getting a masters -ease of job hunting if necessary -diversity in food, including groceries
Things I’m concerned about -safety -rent -weather -making friends -cleanliness -work culture
I’m well aware of what is said about the two cities but I want to know how bad is it “actually”.
I live in London and have visited Tokyo and New York. I agree with most of this post. If I was going to emigrate to a new city, it needs to be worth the hassle and opportunity cost. London is at best an equal or worse city than Tokyo, so it’s far off the desired standard that would be worth migrating to from Tokyo.
I would +1 the comments about nature. The public parks are too busy. The green neighborhood spaces people talk about are for private communities (people who bought houses 20+ years ago).
If nature was my concern, I’d prefer to live in Tokyo where you can bullet train to stunning hikes and even go skiing