Living in Japan, I get to see many interesting things. One of the more interesting aspects of living here is seeing the “rivalry” between Tokyo and Osaka. A long term expat told me that I’ll mostly like one or the other, but never both. Before coming to Japan, I thought I would like Osaka more since my idea of the city was more like the “Los Angeles” of Japan. However, since living here, I must say that I prefer the hustle and bustle of Tokyo more so than Osaka. It’s nice to visit Osaka, but I think my personality fits more with Tokyo.
In America, there’s a sort of rivalry going on between Los Angeles and New York City. Each with it’s own set of stereotypes, both cities offer a unique flair that sets them apart from each other. Personally, I prefer more of an “LA” style than “NYC” since it’s seems to be more stuffy and fast paced. Either way, the rivalry between both cities is similar to how people look at Tokyo and Osaka.
Questions:
1) Which do you prefer, Tokyo or Osaka? Why?
2) Have you lived in both cities? If you had the chance to move to the other city, would you? Why or why not?
3) What are some of the generalizations you have heard about Tokyo or Osaka people?
4) What are some of the generalizations you have heard about New York City or Los Angeles?
5) If you had to choose, where would you go New York City or Los Angeles? Why?
Key Words and Phrases:
rivalry
expat
hustle (and) bustle
more with
flair
stuffy
fast-paced
