Nice pics, but to be honest, looking at them reminds me why I live in a town of 600 people surrounded by fields, farms and mountains. ;)

For those of you who are into more rural areas, I have a second job acting on Japanese TV and movies, and for certain scenes we often go to places such as this:

[attachment=17782:Sights24Thumb.png] Full View

For this episode we went north of Tokyo to Ibaraki, but Tokyo has areas on the outskirts that look the same.

Living on a farm surrounded by wheat fields and only 2,000 people in town is why I not only left my town, but the whole country. There are no cities in America busy enough and big enough for my tastes. I will never go back to such a sedentary lifestyle where I have to ride my bicycle 10 minutes over dirt roads just to get to pavement, and a further 10 minutes to get into town.

Besides, Tokyo has more than just buildings.

Today was quite a beautiful day and I took these shots today from my room after getting home from work.

[attachment=17781:Sights23Thumb.png] Full View

[attachment=17780:Sights22Thumb.png] Full View

The only thing I miss about living in the country is the animals, but Tokyo does have its share of exotic animals too. I took this shot on the same day as the ones in my first post, on my way home after work.

[attachment=17784:Sights25Thumb.png] Full view

There are usually a lot more birds hanging out there but as I said in my first post it was a Saturday and most of the birds were at home watching cartoons.

L. Spiro

Living on a farm surrounded by wheat fields and only 2,000 people in town is why I not only left my town, but the whole country. There are no cities in America busy enough and big enough for my tastes. I will never go back to such a sedentary lifestyle where I have to ride my bicycle 10 minutes over dirt roads just to get to pavement, and a further 10 minutes to get into town.

Besides, Tokyo has more than just buildings.

Today was quite a beautiful day and I took these shots today from my room after getting home from work.

(As a contrary here I ve got an awfull day) some cities always bring me down by its extremally unpleasant noise and boredoom -

I prefer to ride a bike kicking the angry dogs than walking this horrible boring cities, what could i do there?, watching the jevelery or tv sets on shops - ( though it was nice to watch this gallery of distant place)

Going back to that one major downside of Tokyo, my building just shook violently in what has been the strongest earthquake in my area this year.

It is still shaking under its own momentum now even after the earthquake has ended.

It felt like “the big one” destined to hit Tokyo within the next few years for a moment.

Information about its size and location isn’t posted yet.

As for the difference between living in big cities and countrysides, I feel the opposite regarding boredom. Usually people complain about pollution and I can understand some people not liking noise, but Tokyo doesn’t have much pollution or noise. I think people think of New York City and jackhammers when they think about most big cities, although of course even Tokyo isn’t as quiet as the countryside.

But that is one of the reasons I don’t like the countryside. Way too quiet. I feel isolated and alone. I live high enough up that I don’t hear the outside world, but I can look out my window and be reminded I am surrounded by civilization, and a short ride down an elevator can bring the noise of the roads back within seconds.

But the main thing is convenience.

Back in my small village it was 10 minutes by car to get to the only convenience store/gas station.

1 road was considered the “commercial zone” and all it had was a video-rental store, Pizza Hut, a bank, a barber, a few other shops I never visited because I am not into antiques, and…a grain silo. Oh, and a flower shop. Yay…

Now that’s boredom. 35 minutes to the nearest mall. 45 minutes to the nearest theater. Don’t get into an accident because the nearest hospital is 40 minutes away.

20 minutes to the nearest fast-food place.

Here in Tokyo and even in Bangkok the nearest convenience store is just across the street.

Mall? 2 minutes by bicycle.

Theater? 3 minutes by taxi.

Hospital? 2.83 minutes by taxi.

Plus a video-game store 1 minute by foot.

McDonald’s is 30 seconds by foot and a curry shop is literally 1 second away from my building by foot.

Toys‘R’Us, electronics stores, arcades, tons of places to eat, parks, etc., all within minutes by foot.

I don’t know how you came to the view that big cities are nothing but jewelry stores and TV’s behind glass, but I’ve never had that experience after living in Bangkok and Tokyo for 5 years each. Bangkok did have a jewelry store near by room but it’s only one, and I don’t have to look at it if I don’t want.

Everything else is about fun and convenience.

They reported the earthquake as I posted: http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/09/04/japan-quake-idUST9N0FT08020130904

L. Spiro

In the countryside vs city regard I've found Finland to be the best place. Finnish cities (except for the biggest ones) are usually a patchwork of downtowns, hills, ancient forests and lakes. The city I lived in (Jyväskylä) had tons of life (even in the winter, but especially in the summer), restaurants, clubs, people all around, but if you get bored/fed up with people (like I often do) there's the untouched jungles within 5 minutes of walk. Not some well-kept park but a real forest, just like in some summer-camp. A little more walk and you'll end up in a city-scape again.

Didn't take any pictures though.

As for the difference between living in big cities and countrysides, I feel the opposite regarding boredom. Usually people complain about pollution and I can understand some people not liking noise, but Tokyo doesn’t have much pollution or noise. I think people think of New York City and jackhammers when they think about most big cities, although of course even Tokyo isn’t as quiet as the countryside.

But that is one of the reasons I don’t like the countryside. Way too quiet. I feel isolated and alone. I live high enough up that I don’t hear the outside world, but I can look out my window and be reminded I am surrounded by civilization, and a short ride down an elevator can bring the noise of the roads back within seconds.

But the main thing is convenience.

Back in my small village it was 10 minutes by car to get to the only convenience store/gas station.

1 road was considered the “commercial zone” and all it had was a video-rental store, Pizza Hut, a bank, a barber, a few other shops I never visited because I am not into antiques, and…a grain silo. Oh, and a flower shop. Yay…

Now that’s boredom. 35 minutes to the nearest mall. 45 minutes to the nearest theater. Don’t get into an accident because the nearest hospital is 40 minutes away.

20 minutes to the nearest fast-food place.

Here in Tokyo and even in Bangkok the nearest convenience store is just across the street.

Mall? 2 minutes by bicycle.

Theater? 3 minutes by taxi.

Hospital? 2.83 minutes by taxi.

Plus a video-game store 1 minute by foot.

McDonald’s is 30 seconds by foot and a curry shop is literally 1 second away from my building by foot.

Toys‘R’Us, electronics stores, arcades, tons of places to eat, parks, etc., all within minutes by foot.

I don’t know how you came to the view that big cities are nothing but jewelry stores and TV’s behind glass, but I’ve never had that experience after living in Bangkok and Tokyo for 5 years each. Bangkok did have a jewelry store near by room but it’s only one, and I don’t have to look at it if I don’t want.

Everything else is about fun and convenience.

Well, I was living in 4 cities some time and two of them I consider ok, and two of them I consider horrible -

The nicest thing in city is probably big public library with a handfull of books to get at home.

The worst is noise and city boredom - When i go to the city to do something it drains magically all my energy and I can do nothing - I waste amazing amounts of time just to move over the city, when I go home I feel deadly tired.

Many things about city depends on social environmenti think, I was great time at university studying physics but then I was living inside university less in the city itself :C Cities with some great social environment (friends to walk over it at night) can be stand, but walking alone is deadly ..

Now i am living in small village - lot of riding a bike, and river swimming, very good environment for hard work garage game coding because I do not waste a time,i just go out to get an amount of oxygene I need often, [in general I like the city better in winter and village in summer so maybe a mixed living would
be better]

Try to say "Hamamatsuchou" 3 time in a row... hehe

If you think that is hard to say, the head office of my agent when I was teaching English in Thailand was on Borommaratchachonnani Road.

L. Spiro

Awesome thread, reminded me of my own three day trip to Tokyo. Like you I arrived super early (overnight bus from Kansai where I was living at the time - liked it better than Tokyo overall, especially the people). I sat coldly in the only open McDonald's sipping on some hot coffee and texting my friend whom I was supposed to stay with haha. As miserable as it may sound it was actually somewhat charming in an odd way - drinking coffee sitting by the window and watching the behemoth of a city slowly wake up one store at a time.

As Tom said, meccha natsukashii yo!

Edit: Also just remembered, trying to save money, my daily lunch was a Meron pan and carton of milk from a konbini - man that stuff was delicious and kept you fueled haha!

L. Spiro, you should visit swamps and undergorund structures of Japan island . Though Tokyo is legendary....