3 ms·

You don't want to raise kids in Tokyo. Almost no parks, too much concrete, kindergarten places are sparse and expensive, train stations don't have elevators for

by jsemrau 10y ago

You don't want to raise kids in Tokyo. Almost no parks, too much concrete, kindergarten places are sparse and expensive, train stations don't have elevators for the pram, trains are overly crowded, apartments are small.

inglor 10y ago
There are plenty of parks in most of Tokyo and apartment costs are reasonable if you get 10-20 minutes of metro away from the center. There are excellent educational centers in Tokyo too if you know where to look and every single train station has an elevator (albeit - only in one out of several exits which can make your trip longer). I think the main issue would be the "hidden" discrimination against foreigners (gaijin) though and very demanding and destructive company culture.
- jdale27 10y ago
  You two seem to have completely opposite impressions of the same city. Is it really that big? Or just subjective?
  - andyjohnson0 10y ago
    I've never been to Tokyo, but Google Maps shows a number of large public parks and quite a few small ones too [1]. [1] https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/Tokyo,+Japan/@35.6826505,139.715148,13.25z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x605d1b87f02e57e7:0x2e01618b22571b89!8m2!3d35.6894875!4d139.6917064?hl=en https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/Tokyo,+Japan/@35.6826505...
    - ronnier 10y ago
      Be warned, those parks, while big, can't be used for much. Most of them have "no ball sports" signs, and yes, it's enforced. Can you imagine going to a huge park and not being able to throw a frisbee?
      - mjevans 10y ago
        Must be a translation issue, a frisbee could be classified as a projectile, but not as a ball.
  - mantas 10y ago
    Yes, Tokyo is huge. And yes, different parts of it are different. IMO parks availability is OK. You can't escape the urbanity (skyscrapers visible from any point in any park I visited), but greenery is there. Lots of small cozy green pockets by channels/rivers. Huge wast flood-plains (?) in the city itself. Gorgeous famous parks that may require a quick train ride. Loved the mountains on the north-west side too. Less than an hour ride, from most parts I think? Take it from somebody who is really used to green stuff. Like seeing wild animals <10 minutes from home and having several swimmable lakes nearby. And we have pretty good mountain bike trails in the city limits, including right next to downtown. Overall I think Tokyo is a great place to live. Corporate culture is atrocious though. I'm not a big fan of well... modern Japanese social culture either. I believe kindergartens are sparse. But that's because Japanese don't use them much. Once giving birth, women are expected to raise kids (they're ok to do career if they go childless though). Apartments are small to americans. But ok-ish for europeans. I can totally see why somebody wouldn't like Tokyo (or Japan in general) but objectively I think it's one of the better places the world.
dangjc 10y ago
Tokyo is one of the most walking/biking friendly cities I've ever seen. Once you get out of central areas like Shinjuku/Shibuya, there are tons of lovely lanes where cars are technically allowed but so rarely go that the street is just filled with people walking. So you don't need to cart your kids everywhere. It's so safe that Japanese parents let their kids walk to the grocery store to run errands for them. Having grown up in suburban America, I hate the feeling of being stranded after school waiting for my parents to pick me up, or not being able to explore or go to the comic store in the shopping center myself. Once a kid is older than 5, Tokyo would be amazing.
- emodendroket 10y ago
  Most of the same is true about other Japanese cities that aren't so nightmarishly dense.
ronnier 10y ago
That's partly why we left. Not to mention, we were in a small apartment on the 29th floor of a building in Shinjuku. Kids couldn't really do much but stay inside all day. We moved back to the Seattle area and the kids are a lot happier (they are only 5 & 7) now that they can run through the neighborhood as they want -- open fields, forests, tails, parks. Quality of life is a lot better for a family in Seattle compared to Tokyo.

by jsemrau 10y ago

inglor 10y ago

There are plenty of parks in most of Tokyo and apartment costs are reasonable if you get 10-20 minutes of metro away from the center. There are excellent educational centers in Tokyo too if you know where to look and every single train station has an elevator (albeit - only in one out of several exits which can make your trip longer). I think the main issue would be the "hidden" discrimination against foreigners (gaijin) though and very demanding and destructive company culture.

jdale27 10y ago
You two seem to have completely opposite impressions of the same city. Is it really that big? Or just subjective?
- andyjohnson0 10y ago
  I've never been to Tokyo, but Google Maps shows a number of large public parks and quite a few small ones too [1]. [1] https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/Tokyo,+Japan/@35.6826505,139.715148,13.25z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x605d1b87f02e57e7:0x2e01618b22571b89!8m2!3d35.6894875!4d139.6917064?hl=en https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/Tokyo,+Japan/@35.6826505...
  - ronnier 10y ago
    Be warned, those parks, while big, can't be used for much. Most of them have "no ball sports" signs, and yes, it's enforced. Can you imagine going to a huge park and not being able to throw a frisbee?
    - mjevans 10y ago
      Must be a translation issue, a frisbee could be classified as a projectile, but not as a ball.
- mantas 10y ago
  Yes, Tokyo is huge. And yes, different parts of it are different. IMO parks availability is OK. You can't escape the urbanity (skyscrapers visible from any point in any park I visited), but greenery is there. Lots of small cozy green pockets by channels/rivers. Huge wast flood-plains (?) in the city itself. Gorgeous famous parks that may require a quick train ride. Loved the mountains on the north-west side too. Less than an hour ride, from most parts I think? Take it from somebody who is really used to green stuff. Like seeing wild animals <10 minutes from home and having several swimmable lakes nearby. And we have pretty good mountain bike trails in the city limits, including right next to downtown. Overall I think Tokyo is a great place to live. Corporate culture is atrocious though. I'm not a big fan of well... modern Japanese social culture either. I believe kindergartens are sparse. But that's because Japanese don't use them much. Once giving birth, women are expected to raise kids (they're ok to do career if they go childless though). Apartments are small to americans. But ok-ish for europeans. I can totally see why somebody wouldn't like Tokyo (or Japan in general) but objectively I think it's one of the better places the world.

dangjc 10y ago

Tokyo is one of the most walking/biking friendly cities I've ever seen. Once you get out of central areas like Shinjuku/Shibuya, there are tons of lovely lanes where cars are technically allowed but so rarely go that the street is just filled with people walking. So you don't need to cart your kids everywhere. It's so safe that Japanese parents let their kids walk to the grocery store to run errands for them. Having grown up in suburban America, I hate the feeling of being stranded after school waiting for my parents to pick me up, or not being able to explore or go to the comic store in the shopping center myself. Once a kid is older than 5, Tokyo would be amazing.

emodendroket 10y ago
Most of the same is true about other Japanese cities that aren't so nightmarishly dense.

ronnier 10y ago

That's partly why we left. Not to mention, we were in a small apartment on the 29th floor of a building in Shinjuku. Kids couldn't really do much but stay inside all day. We moved back to the Seattle area and the kids are a lot happier (they are only 5 & 7) now that they can run through the neighborhood as they want -- open fields, forests, tails, parks. Quality of life is a lot better for a family in Seattle compared to Tokyo.