Japan life - Part one - Quiet Tokyo

[hawkmoon]

I have had requests from people to document my life here a bit. Few people get a chance to visit Japan and even fewer actual live like a normal person - well normal~ish anyway.

These photos were taken today on my walk to the train station, the inside of the station, areas around my work and office and finally my apartment.
Notice there is almost no one around. 35 million people in this city and it empties out on the holidays.

This is not your Discovery channel Japan. No Geisha or Godzilla. No temples or insane crowds. This is real life.

 

[hawkmoon]

Leaving my station, arriving at my work location. Outside on the street McDonald's greets you.
The tall tower is my 9-5 home.

 

[hawkmoon]

The Apartment

This is what $1700 USD gets you in Tokyo.
30sq meters. Nothing included.
Essentially a studio. It's considered a nice place in a very nice location.

 

[MrCyp]

OMG 1700 for that. Thats nuts. I live in a dumpy 500sq ft 1bdrm but its near the beach in CA and its $950 and I thought that was insane. I had no clue it was so expensive there. Btw, if there are 35mil people there, where are they all? Was it a holiday?

 

[BigChef]

Nice pics Hawk! What kind of work u do over there? How long you been living there for?

 

[Phidias]

Leaving my station, arriving at my work location. Outside on the street McDonald's greets you.
The tall tower is my 9-5 home.

Please don't fool us into believing you get up early to start at 9... when in fact it was 10.28 AM when you took pics inside the train station!!

 

[EYE2EYE]

It is amazing to me how well the japanese make use of small spaces.
Looks very clean over in Japan. Peace.

 

[hawkmoon]

Please don't fool us into believing you get up early to start at 9... when in fact it was 10.28 AM when you took pics inside the train station!!

HAHAHA
It was a national holiday today. Tokyo is already emptying out for the New Year holiday.

 

[STEVO 47]

Please don't fool us into believing you get up early to start at 9... when in fact it was 10.28 AM when you took pics inside the train station!!

Boss had off that day remember it's the holiday season

 

[hawkmoon]

Nice pics Hawk! What kind of work u do over there? How long you been living there for?

IT for a Financial Services company. Great job and people.
I've been here just over two years now. I was here in 96-98 as well.

 

[PHIL HERNON]

Yes but

Please don't fool us into believing you get up early to start at 9... when in fact it was 10.28 AM when you took pics inside the train station!!

10:28 is chinese time for 9 am Paris time.

 

[ENraged]

I have wanted to relocate the family to Tokyo for years!
Maybe someday I will at least be able to visit on holiday.

 

[BOOMSHAKER]

This is what $1700 USD gets you in Tokyo.
30sq meters. Nothing included.
Essentially a studio. It's considered a nice place in a very nice location.

HAWK, what can $1700.00 buy you if you weren't in such a nice neighborhood? Can you post up some adds of othe rplaces and what it buys you? I'm sure a lot bigger but less of a nice neighborhood right?

 

[Phidias]

10:28 is chinese time for 9 am Paris time.

Actually 9 am Paris time is 5 pm in Tokyo, JAPAN. Never tell a Japanese citizen he/she's Chinese... best way to upset him, I know it first hand...

 

[BigRican]

Cool pics man, keep this thread going, it's always nice to learn from other cultures!

 

[MonkeyBoy]

Very cool pics, thanks for sharing.
I have a new boss here at work and he was over in Japan for 5 years, he said it was hard to get used to at first but once he settled in, he loved it.

 

[Lenny]

Cool pic thread...giving us a taste of the Japan life through your eyes!

 

[hawkmoon]

HAWK, what can $1700.00 buy you if you weren't in such a nice neighborhood? Can you post up some adds of othe rplaces and what it buys you? I'm sure a lot bigger but less of a nice neighborhood right?

I would say my area is 2x what the next prefecture (Kanagawa; about 1 hour away from downtown Tokyo, South of Yokohama) runs. Ex-pats in my area have places that can range from 4k to 10k a month.

My place is actually very well priced. I was lucky to get in after Lehman failed, as a lot of expats went home, bringing prices down. A few months earlier my place was 2-2.1k

 

[hawkmoon]

Actually 9 am Paris time is 5 pm in Tokyo, JAPAN. Never tell a Japanese citizen he/she's Chinese... best way to upset him, I know it first hand...

Truer words never spoken.
Very serious issue for both sides.

 

[wostok]

I really like your Japan reports!

I wonder what you eat over there?

Ive heard that its kind of hard for a big guy to get his grub.

What are the basic foods you shop at the local store??