Osaka vs. Tokyo

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So I just finished a small little adventure to Osaka. Osaka was the first city I visited coming to Japan on a trip quite a long time ago, so I couldn't realize the differences until I moved to Tokyo here, and taking a second trip years later. It's undeniably different, but I didn't realize just how different until now. It's a little shocking. My first day I was honestly a little put off by how "rude" I thought everyone was. But then I realized it's moreso Tokyo being so hyper-polite which gave me a bit of a skewed perspective.

Anyone else have any thoughts on this?
 
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Guuu said:
So I just finished a small little adventure to Osaka. Osaka was the first city I visited coming to Japan on a trip quite a long time ago, so I couldn't realize the differences until I moved to Tokyo here, and taking a second trip years later. It's undeniably different, but I didn't realize just how different until now. It's a little shocking. My first day I was honestly a little put off by how "rude" I thought everyone was. But then I realized it's moreso Tokyo being so hyper-polite which gave me a bit of a skewed perspective.

Anyone else have any thoughts on this?
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I have exactly the same thoughts.
 
If you can read Japanese, there is this site about all the small differences between Kanto and Kansai: http://www.touzai-bunka.com/

I don't think Osaka people are "rude", but I haven't spent more than one day in a row in Tokyo for several years now so it's hard to compare apart from overcrowded trains and people standing on the wrong side of the escalator...
 
RoboReptar said:
I really can't wait till baseball season starts so I can head over and catch a game. Grew up a SF Giants fan so I'll have to root for the Yomiuri Giants (y)
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Be sure to attend a game at Tokyo Dome. Watching a Tigers vs. Giants game at Koshien Stadium is straight up suicide for a Giants fan.
 
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I never had trouble with Osakans. Very nice to me. But recently there has been anti-foriegner sentiment. That might be what you experienced. I actually use my Osaka experiences in luxury shops to manipulate Tokyo types to treat me more politely. So I can't think of any rude behavior in Osaka, only great things. My fondest memory was banging a cherry blosdom or 2. ha ha
 
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RIDER 00 said:
Be sure to attend a game at Tokyo Dome. Watching a Tigers vs. Giants game at Koshien Stadium is straight up suicide for a Giants fan.
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Why? The legendary backscreen triple homerun happened over thirty years ago.



Bass - Kakefu - Okada !
 
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First time in both Tokyo and Osaka and I have to say I'm finding Osaka locals much more open to gaijin. Especially as a brown-skin asian I've been pleasantly surprised by how welcoming and approachable service providers are in Osaka. Also in normal bars and eateries, staff feels more welcoming.

Also there are far fewer touts bothering you / trying to scam you like in Tokyo. that is a big plus!
 
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Chaki-chaki Edo-ko Tokyoites are cut from the same cloth as their garrulous Osaka cousins. Both share the culture of wheeler dealers who grew up in the shadow of a big castle. But most people that you meet in Tokyo are not Edo-ko. They're the flotsam and jetsam of a country that urbanised rapidly. Their history in the city may not go back further than a couple of generations. Their mental maps of the city don't tell them which areas are beyond the pale. Getting along is about respecting the privacy of others, whereas in Osaka it's more about knowing how you're connected.
Or perhaps I'm talking out of my ass.
 
Chaztagster, what you say makes perfect sense! i think it holds true for every major metropolis i've lived in / visited... the "locals" these days actually comprise origins from a wide radius around the city...

btw the touts that bothered me in Tokyo are not Japanese at all. was approached by a few nice Japanese touts also, who were always soft-spoken and polite... but the foreign english-speaking touts really put a bad taste in my mouth bc of their aggressiveness and clearly ulterior motives. anyway, don't want to delve on the negatives, having a fantastic time in Japan overall :)

chaztagster said:
Chaki-chaki Edo-ko Tokyoites are cut from the same cloth as their garrulous Osaka cousins. Both share the culture of wheeler dealers who grew up in the shadow of a big castle. But most people that you meet in Tokyo are not Edo-ko. They're the flotsam and jetsam of a country that urbanised rapidly. Their history in the city may not go back further than a couple of generations. Their mental maps of the city don't tell them which areas are beyond the pale. Getting along is about respecting the privacy of others, whereas in Osaka it's more about knowing how you're connected.
Or perhaps I'm talking out of my ass.
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Generally speaking, Osaka people describe Tokyo people "too cold" "snobby" while Tokyo people think Osaka people are too nosy.
I can understand both points of view. I am originally from more Kansai region but I am comfortable to live in Tokyo now.
 
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Manami TMK said:
Generally speaking, Osaka people describe Tokyo people "too cold" "snobby" while Tokyo people think Osaka people are too nosy.
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I'm always amazed at how similar these mutual views between Tokyo-Osaka people are to the mutual views between São Paulo-Rio de Janeiro people in Brazil.

"Paulistas" are cold, workaholic, uptight <---> "Cariocas" are lazy, vulgar, over-the-top, etc :p
 
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zecarioca said:
I'm always amazed at how similar these mutual views between Tokyo-Osaka people are to the mutual views between São Paulo-Rio de Janeiro people in Brazil.

"Paulistas" are cold, workaholic, uptight <---> "Cariocas" are lazy, vulgar, over-the-top, etc :p
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Or north and south Europa, haha.
 
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I never really noticed that when I went to Osaka except from the cab driver when we asked for a lift from the train station to our hotel when I was with friends. Other then that I primarily was on cloud 9 and constantly had "Happy" by Pharrell playing. It also helps that I don't take myself to seriously and was dancing the entire time out in public. I think the highlight of the trip was when we went to USJ and I did the ENTIRE PONPONPON dance while waiting in line to have the entire crowd look at me. Not to mention screaming profanities at the top of my lungs while on said roller coaster at my friend for tricking me on to getting on a roller coaster (I FUCKING HATE ROLLER COASTERS!!!!), apparently it was so loud that my friend riding in the car behind had to tell me to be quiet and they both were laughing so hard that they couldn't enjoy the ride.
 
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Guuu said:
So I just finished a small little adventure to Osaka. Osaka was the first city I visited coming to Japan on a trip quite a long time ago, so I couldn't realize the differences until I moved to Tokyo here, and taking a second trip years later. It's undeniably different, but I didn't realize just how different until now. It's a little shocking. My first day I was honestly a little put off by how "rude" I thought everyone was. But then I realized it's moreso Tokyo being so hyper-polite which gave me a bit of a skewed perspective.

Anyone else have any thoughts on this?
Click to expand...
What about your trip?
 
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