Friendliest cities and towns in Japan?

[chaztagster]

Funny. I agree with most of the cities mentioned but I didn't find Kanazawa to be a friendly place. The people that I met there were quite proud and formal. When someone in Kanazawa says "asobi ni kite kudasai," it's usually a meaningless, perfunctory, greeting. But if someone from Hamamatsu says it, it's a dinner invitation.

 

[Lukes]

It seems like you know Okinawa decently well. How many times have you been there and how long do you usually stay each time?

Would you ever consider working and living in Naha or on the island in general?

I've been a few times and usually stay about a week when I do. I am by no means an expert on the place though.

I might have considered living and working there but there aren't any jobs in my field on the island. Otherwise I might have done it. Probably Naha or it's immediate surroundings would be your best bet because it gets pretty rural (not sure if that's even the right word for a tropical island) real fast if you leave it or the few larger cities.

Probably best you visit it and see for yourself. I like it but it's definitely not for everyone (like actually living there I mean). Plus there's the slight problem of it being an island and you get everything that comes with that. Good things and bad things.

 

[Ken1988]

For me the friendliest place in Japan that I know is Izu Oshima.

 

[Majestyk]

For me the friendliest place in Japan that I know is Izu Oshima.

I’ve read about this fine place. Direct ferry connections are good. Definitely, a must-visit for me. Cheers!

 

[Sudsy]

I've actually been giving this one some thought, and really, I've only found one place in Japan to be relatively unfriendly - Nagoya as mentioned before. And even Nagoya warms up once you get the local vibe.

Unpleasant interactions with locals anywhere in Japan are pretty few and far between. The only unpleasant dealings I've had with anyone outside of work in the last year have been with other foreigners.

 

[Ken1988]

I’ve read about this fine place. Direct ferry connections are good. Definitely, a must-visit for me. Cheers!

Yes, I highly recommend. It's so close to Tokyo, but so different. The only downside may be that the island doesn't have nice beaches. Nii-jima is a better destination if you are looking for good scenic beaches.

 

[MikeH]

I've actually been giving this one some thought, and really, I've only found one place in Japan to be relatively unfriendly - Nagoya as mentioned before.

Ask any Japanese and they tell you the same so at least they treat everyone the same.

Unpleasant interactions with locals anywhere in Japan are pretty few and far between. The only unpleasant dealings I've had with anyone outside of work in the last year have been with other foreigners.

Now you didn't have to say that, did you? Now everyone knows you met me.

 

[TokyoJoeblow]

Hakodate
Noboribetsu
Furano
Asahikawa
Doyako

One of the friendliest Japanese people I ever met was a older Japanese man that I met while eating at a famous ramen restaurant in Asahikawa called Aoba Ramen. He is actually an Asahikawa local but often travels around Hokkaido for his business.

I have not been to those other cities yet, but Noboribetsu looks incredible. I will definitely visit more of Hokkaido someday.

P.S. Aoba Ramen was just amazing and so was the shoga ramen from Mizuno.

 

[TokyoJoeblow]

For me the friendliest place in Japan that I know is Izu Oshima.

I have heard good things about the islands, but surprisingly have yet to visit any of them. I did to a road trip with my former roommate around the entire coast of Izu. Damn that was chill and fun. Met a lot of laid back locals in such a short period of time.

You have inspired me to visit Oshima and possibly Nii-jima this summer lol.

 

[TokyoJoeblow]

I've actually been giving this one some thought, and really, I've only found one place in Japan to be relatively unfriendly - Nagoya as mentioned before. And even Nagoya warms up once you get the local vibe.

Unpleasant interactions with locals anywhere in Japan are pretty few and far between. The only unpleasant dealings I've had with anyone outside of work in the last year have been with other foreigners.

Oh, I have definitely met a lot of other foreigners here that were just pricks to me right away. I have even gotten dirty looks when crossing paths with them on the street lol.

 

[TokyoJoeblow]

Funny. I agree with most of the cities mentioned but I didn't find Kanazawa to be a friendly place. The people that I met there were quite proud and formal. When someone in Kanazawa says "asobi ni kite kudasai," it's usually a meaningless, perfunctory, greeting. But if someone from Hamamatsu says it, it's a dinner invitation.

It is too bad that most of the food in Hamamatsu isn't that great...aside from the gyoza and chicken wings lol. I would take the fresh sashimi here in Shizuoka City over it any day of the week.

As for Kanazawa, maybe I was only meeting locals that were interested in foreigners (the hostel staff, restaurants nearby the hostel, etc). I didn't socialize much with locals all over town. I was only in Kanazawa for 2 days, so there is that too.

 

[Ken1988]

I have heard good things about the islands, but surprisingly have yet to visit any of them. I did to a road trip with my former roommate around the entire coast of Izu. Damn that was chill and fun. Met a lot of laid back locals in such a short period of time.

You have inspired me to visit Oshima and possibly Nii-jima this summer lol.

It sounds like you really like Shizuoka-ken except for those large cities like Shizuoka and Hamamatsu.

Back in the 80s, Nii-jima and its neighboring island, Shikine-jima, were known as the Tokyoite's party islands, or "nampa jima". Those days are long gone, but you still might hit a luck there.

 

[TokyoJoeblow]

It sounds like you really like Shizuoka-ken except for those large cities like Shizuoka and Hamamatsu.

Back in the 80s, Nii-jima and its neighboring island, Shikine-jima, were known as the Tokyoite's party islands, or "nampa jima". Those days are long gone, but you still might hit a luck there.

Well, Shizuoka City overall isn't bad. I do like the countryside areas in Shizuoka prefecture because there aren't many people and there is just room to breathe. Also, most of the people that are in these towns and villages are friendlier and more laidback than most.

I didn't find Hamamatsu that friendly, but it wasn't too bad. I did meet a few cool people, but I would need to visit more often to have it grow on me more.

 

[warubuta]

Ive been to Oshima, Niijima, Hachijojima and Ogasawara (Hahajima and Chichijima). I think this business of friendly vs unfriendly needs more scrutiny. People in the country, including the islands, can be open and engaging. If that is how you definition of friendly, then I guess they are more friendly than city folks. But a lot of these country people can be real drips. Boring unimaginative narrow minded dullards. If I walked into a random yakitori place in the countryside vs ueno or kanda, my chances of actually becoming friends with the guy sitting next me at the bar are better in Kanda or Ueno. Don't romanticize the county folk. They are boring jerks most of the time.

 

[Keihan]

I've actually been giving this one some thought, and really, I've only found one place in Japan to be relatively unfriendly - Nagoya as mentioned before. And even Nagoya warms up once you get the local vibe.

Unpleasant interactions with locals anywhere in Japan are pretty few and far between. The only unpleasant dealings I've had with anyone outside of work in the last year have been with other foreigners.

I lived in Osaka for many years and most Kansai folks tend to focus their disdain on Tokyo and its people, so I never did learn much about Nagoya and never bothered to stop there. However, I actually spent a couple of nights there this past year and while I thought the city was small and boring and shitty, I actually didn't mind the people there. I suppose my experience will generally differ as I'm ethnically Japanese and will usually be treated differently, but after spending years in that purgatory of Osaka--which is filled with nosy fucking morons who can barely tie their own shoes without an illustrated 30-page Anpanman tutorial--I was pleasantly surprised that Nagoya people just leave me alone. Whereas in any Osaka city, the sight/sound of a Japanese-looking guy who can speak English will elicit a five minute cacophony of "EEEEEHHHH!!?? EEHH!!?? EH!!??? EEEEEEEEHHHHH!!???" from any man, woman, child or dog sitting within ten yards of me, followed by a lengthy and loud discussion among individual groups of where I could possibly be from, am I Chinese, am I showing off, hey let's practice our English, hey let's watch that guy eat and drink for the next half hour, etc., Nagoya folks treated me pretty much the same as Tokyo folks: as if I barely exist.

I appreciate that. And I fucking hate Osaka.

 

[Keihan]

Some other cities:

Hirakata - People seemed a lot friendlier overall than most of the Osaka City locals. Some locals I met really got a kick out of the few Osakaben phrases I had learned from my first Japanese gf, whom was born in Hirakata.

It never ceases to amaze me how small the world is. I worked in Hirakata City for three years, dated a few girls there (and hate all of them to this day) and since the day I resigned my position and caught the train home back in 2005, I've never, ever bothered to go back again.

There's a good reason people--and females, in particular--might've seemed friendly to you there. Just as how the Panasonic/National HQ sustains the economy of Kadoma City a little further down the line, Hirakata City is largely bolstered by the existence of Kansai Gaidai, which is one of the most infamous universities in Osaka and is known, basically, as an overpriced private school for predominantly-female morons, and its main attraction is a very large and prominent "international" department that sends horny, brain-dead young girls, hungry for gaijin cock, on overpriced homestay semesters abroad to Canada, Australia and America. Basically, if your daddy has money, you were too stupid to get into a normal school and your only dream is to become a flight attendant for a year until you can find a white guy who'll knock you up and take you back home with him to Los Angeles where you can spend the rest of your days shopping and hanging out with other pretentious moronic Japanese bimbos at pretentious cafes and never work a day in your life, Kansai Gaidai is where you go. And if you're so severely stupid that you can't even pass the entrance exam to the regular KG uni (meaning you probably can't spell your name or do basic addition and subtraction), they even have a "community college" on campus which basically costs the same as the real school but they have extra staff on hand to make sure you don't accidentally eat any lead pencil tips or drown in the water fountain and stop paying your tuition.

So if you're a guy in your 20s and white (or from a popular tourist destination), Hirakata can be a very fun place to be, teeming with dimwit skanks just dying to grab their ankles for a chance at that green card. I must admit, I don't know how I made it out of those three years STD-free (and illegitimate child-free, for that matter) and it was a wild ride, but I can't help but look back at that time and place with nothing but contempt.

Still, when I think back to a drunken night in 2004, getting a blowjob in the garden area outside Hirakata Station while chugging a lemon chu-hai and admiring how I'd tied my tie at the perfect length, so that it didn't impede my date's oral efforts even when I leaned forward to observe the progress (while disgusted looking old women walked by) I can't help but stop hating Osaka for just a few moments in time.

 

[MikeH]

and its main attraction is a very large and prominent "international" department that sends horny, brain-dead young girls, hungry for gaijin cock, on overpriced homestay semesters abroad to Canada, Australia and America.

Come on, don't give only the good side of things to us, there must be something negative about the place too?

 

[Keihan]

Come on, don't give only the good side of things to us, there must be something negative about the place too?

Far be it for me to turn down ass, but believe me, KG attracts some of the hands-down stupidest subhumans I've ever encountered in nearly two decades of prowling around Japan. Even at 25 years old I came to the wise conclusion that I'd rather stay home and drunkenly masturbate to Full House re-runs than suffer through another 4hr gokon at Doma-Doma sitting next to some chunky twat whose only interest is showing me 300 photos of her Mickey Mouse doll collection and droning on about how she wants to visit Disneyland...after which strategically ensuring we both miss our last trains so I can end up drunkenly babbling to myself and whining in protest, lying on a crappy king mattress at a shithole love hotel, staring at the ceiling and wishing I was home while cautiously glancing at the naked whale next to me with long pubes and longer nipples, knowing I'll probably end up mounting her and crying myself to sleep the next afternoon.

I miss being 25 years old, and then I don't. I prefer to call it wisdom.

 

[MikeH]

I miss being 25 years old, and then I don't. I prefer to call it wisdom.

You are preaching to the converted brother. The only thing I really miss from being young is the quick recovery time. In my twenties I had an automatic weapon, now it's like an old musket and needs to be muzzle-loaded with delicate and complicated maneuvers.

 

[TokyoJoeblow]

Keihan, thank you so much for this story and sharing the details on Hirakata City that I didn't know of before. My first girlfriend was a Japanese woman from Hirakata City and her father was the VP of the Panasonic sales department...no wonder he was since the HQ is there. It is hilarious because my first ex gf was one of these braindead, horny and hungry for gaijin cock Japanese women that her rich father sent to southern California to study and live for college. I must say that although the sex was great, she was one of the dumbest, most selfish and bitchy women I have ever met in my life. I guess they are raised that way in that area lol. I'm so glad I never had children with that woman...I would be even crazier than I already am now.

P.S. Please stay active on this forum...you are hilarious.

 

[Keihan]

Keihan, thank you so much for this story and sharing the details on Hirakata City that I didn't know of before. My first girlfriend was a Japanese woman from Hirakata City and her father was the VP of the Panasonic sales department...no wonder he was since the HQ is there. It is hilarious because my first ex gf was one of these braindead, horny and hungry for gaijin cock Japanese women that her rich father sent to southern California to study and live for college. I must say that although the sex was great, she was one of the dumbest, most selfish and bitchy women I have ever met in my life. I guess they are raised that way in that area lol. I'm so glad I never had children with that woman...I would be even crazier than I already am now.

P.S. Please stay active on this forum...you are hilarious.

Worry not, I've actually found TAG to be quite therapeutic. Almost like AA for traumatized ex-pats who spent too many of their good years in the neurotic land of the fading sun.

And regarding Hirakata, the area is indeed a breeding ground for entitled, useless twats and not just because of KG. The city is basically the midway point between Osaka and Kyoto, and in the Kansai pecking order, Kyoto people think of themselves as superior to those in all of the other surrounding cities, particularly Osaka. Therefore, Hirakata people fancy themselves as better than the folks from further south on the train line just because they're closer to the old capitol. Pot and kettle...or shit telling puke it stinks...but go figure.

On a similar note are most employees of Panasonic/National, who consider themselves superior to all other salarymen in the region and proudly wear their stupid ass National lapel pins as if it's the fucking Congressional Medal of Honor. Six years of having to catch the train each morning with those empty douchebags, with their expensive watches, cheap suits and shitty Daiei shoes, prancing around with their noses up in the air and a delusional air of superiority...is it any wonder I only buy Samsung nowadays?

And I don't even like Korea.

 

[TokyoJoeblow]

Worry not, I've actually found TAG to be quite therapeutic. Almost like AA for traumatized ex-pats who spent too many of their good years in the neurotic land of the fading sun.

And regarding Hirakata, the area is indeed a breeding ground for entitled, useless twats and not just because of KG. The city is basically the midway point between Osaka and Kyoto, and in the Kansai pecking order, Kyoto people think of themselves as superior to those in all of the other surrounding cities, particularly Osaka. Therefore, Hirakata people fancy themselves as better than the folks from further south on the train line just because they're closer to the old capitol. Pot and kettle...or shit telling puke it stinks...but go figure.

On a similar note are most employees of Panasonic/National, who consider themselves superior to all other salarymen in the region and proudly wear their stupid ass National lapel pins as if it's the fucking Congressional Medal of Honor. Six years of having to catch the train each morning with those empty douchebags, with their expensive watches, cheap suits and shitty Daiei shoes, prancing around with their noses up in the air and a delusional air of superiority...is it any wonder I only buy Samsung nowadays?

And I don't even like Korea.

Holy shit, after reading your posts I just know that TAG is going to get a lot more interesting.

 

[RightOn6975]

Exception of taxi drivers, I have to say where I am located and it's a US military town. I think it is because the Japanese guys have a more of a chance of getting with an American Female or Guy than any other city as well, surprisingly enough the females are legit interested in seeing what Asian men have to offer. I suspect the actors from Ninja Warrior and the boy band BS whatever are the culprits.