Wealthy expats reject ‘unfriendly’ Tokyo for onerous work culture and slum-like streets

10 comments

1. kagurazaka is a slum…? this article is insane

2. This article is literally just rich people complaining that Tokyo isn’t upper crust enough for them. You’ll have to forgive my lack of sympathy.

   Also, nobody interviewed in the article called Tokyo slum-like, but it sure makes for an attention grabbing headline.

3. This article is hysterical. Their biggest complaint is…visible power lines? The next biggest complaint is that the 1% in Japan don’t flaunt their wealth enough? After that they complain there aren’t many apartments over 300 square meters available? I know this article isn’t satire, but my fucking god is it tone deaf. If above ground power lines and lack of massive western style living spaces is what constitutes a slum then what the hell does the author consider US or UK cities then? Literal hell?

4. This is one of the most positive articles about Tokyo I’ve read in a long time.

5. This is an article written by an insane person.

   > The uglification of what used to be “[the world’s](https://artsandculture.google.com/story/hiroshige-s-one-hundred-famous-views-of-edo-brooklyn-museum/pgWRwzk-PQcA8A?hl=en) most [beautiful city](https://issuu.com/gsdharvard/docs/transformingomishima)” before westernisation does not stop there.

   He links to articles about Tokyo in… the 1400’s? There is also no quote in these articles saying “[the world’s](https://artsandculture.google.com/story/hiroshige-s-one-hundred-famous-views-of-edo-brooklyn-museum/pgWRwzk-PQcA8A?hl=en) most [beautiful city](https://issuu.com/gsdharvard/docs/transformingomishima).” He literally just pulled it out of his ass. That’d get any serious journalist reprimanded severely, and an immediate termination for a lot of publications (it definitely won’t here though as ‘i’ is owned by the Daily Mail).

   Also, there are so many unsound logical jumps in this article. He just picks out things he personally doesn’t like and makes the connection that rich foreigners must not like it either. And this article also uses zero numbers for his claims, which seems like the most obvious point to bring up if what he says is true.

6. How condescending can this article get?

   Like oh, look over there at those indigenous villagers in the streets of Kagurazaka. Those peasants! Look at them. I bet they can’t even afford the old Ferrari I inherited when I was in college.

7. >Tokyo’s road widening policy turned the main thoroughfare of Tokyo’s French expat quarter – Kagurazaka – into a slum-like eyesore (Photo: Michael Fitzpatrick)

   caption below a picture of a neat, empty lot with no sign of garbage to be seen. that’s it, it’s time we eat the rich.

8. I’ve been living in China for 4 years, always wanted to live in Japan….. But maaaaaaaaan, I just can’t see myself living in a place that sounds like the worst HOA ever. Love the camping life in JP.

9. >The uglification of what used to be “the world’s most beautiful city” before westernisation does not stop there.

   Well, if a few more B-25’s had missed..

10. Man, I know we are all wired in our own ways so I don’t want throw stones and such but, whoever believes this bullshit is on another level.