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What about Japan seems like the future? Maybe you should try Singapore or many of the big cities in China. Singapore's architecture looks far more in the future

What about Japan seems like the future? Maybe you should try Singapore or many of the big cities in China. Singapore's architecture looks far more in the future than anything in Japan at this point. So do many other more modern Asian cities. China has lots of poverty but the big cities are far further along in their switch to digital than Japan. It was a big deal during lockdown that so much of Japan's government runs on paper documents that have to be stamped with official personal seals (hanko). The new prime minister has claimed it's one of this top priorities because Japan is so far behind.

latch 6y ago
I've lived for multiple years in Singapore, Shanghai and Hong Kong. I think they're all great. For the sake of argument, I'll try to keep this about Tokyo, but a key observation of mine is that _all_ of Japan is like this. Objectively, Tokyo has the lowest pollution. Singapore is close, on average, but it can have awful week-long spikes. Tokyo has the lowest crime rate. Again, Singapore is basically the same, but it does have a high incarceration rate. Japan has the lowest income inequality gap (couldn't find Tokyo-specific statistics). Japan has the highest life expectancy and the lowest infant mortality rate (tied with Singapore re infant mortality). Japan also has the highest rate of people who completed tertiary education. Pollution and income inequality are, for me, major indicators. Income equality benefits everyone; and, as much as I love Singapore (I really do), it's hard for me to consider it an ideal future city because of this (and the inequality has a racial aspect which, I think, is the source of its persistence). The lockdown highlighted the worst in every country. Both China and Singapore had clear failings (and successes). I guess we're measuring "future" differently. Technology vs [e]quality of life.
- andi999 6y ago
  What I thought as the most striking difference between singapore and tokyo is the noise level feels much less in tokyo.
- golemiprague 6y ago
  Singapore is boring, the whole place seems like a plastic copy of whatever the original is. Tokyo has its own culture and vibe and it shows, it is just much more fun. Every day in Tokyo you can discover new things, in Singapore the only thing you discover is another international food franchise. So apart from all the technicalities those are not even comparable places.
  - deleted 6y ago
    [deleted]

latch 6y ago

I've lived for multiple years in Singapore, Shanghai and Hong Kong. I think they're all great. For the sake of argument, I'll try to keep this about Tokyo, but a key observation of mine is that _all_ of Japan is like this. Objectively, Tokyo has the lowest pollution. Singapore is close, on average, but it can have awful week-long spikes. Tokyo has the lowest crime rate. Again, Singapore is basically the same, but it does have a high incarceration rate. Japan has the lowest income inequality gap (couldn't find Tokyo-specific statistics). Japan has the highest life expectancy and the lowest infant mortality rate (tied with Singapore re infant mortality). Japan also has the highest rate of people who completed tertiary education. Pollution and income inequality are, for me, major indicators. Income equality benefits everyone; and, as much as I love Singapore (I really do), it's hard for me to consider it an ideal future city because of this (and the inequality has a racial aspect which, I think, is the source of its persistence). The lockdown highlighted the worst in every country. Both China and Singapore had clear failings (and successes). I guess we're measuring "future" differently. Technology vs [e]quality of life.

andi999 6y ago
What I thought as the most striking difference between singapore and tokyo is the noise level feels much less in tokyo.
golemiprague 6y ago
Singapore is boring, the whole place seems like a plastic copy of whatever the original is. Tokyo has its own culture and vibe and it shows, it is just much more fun. Every day in Tokyo you can discover new things, in Singapore the only thing you discover is another international food franchise. So apart from all the technicalities those are not even comparable places.
- deleted 6y ago
  [deleted]