Home is Where You Make It: The Unique Charms of Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, Fukuoka, and Sapporo

I am a corporate nomad, transferring to various locations across Japan.
In particular, a valuable experience I can cite ishaving lived in all five of Japan's major cities: Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, Fukuoka, and Sapporo.I feel that there are not many corporate nomads in the world who can say the same.

I am highly adaptable, and I have a nature where I end up loving wherever I go, believing that "home is where you make it," butI would like to write about the characteristics and charms of these five major cities based on my own personal experiences.

Tokyo: A city where the sheer number of people gently wraps around you

I was born and raised in Tokyo.
Since I had never moved until I graduated from university and started working, I feel that becoming a company employee, transferring to various places in Japan, and being able to live in different cities has been a very good experience.

Tokyo is often called a "cold city."
As the center of Japan, there is a high turnover of people, and compared to rural areas, neighborhood relationships tend to be thin.
Since I am a local, I have many friends and family here, but for those coming to Tokyo from other regions, this lack of human connection might be easily felt as a characteristic of Tokyo.

However, I personally feel that Tokyo is actually a city of gentle silence.
It does not interfere with others or pry into their business in a good way.
That kind of distance is just right and comfortable for me.

I believe that the "margin" in human relationships that arises precisely because the city is so huge is what makes Tokyo so comfortable to live in.

Osaka: A city where the closeness of distance naturally makes people friends

When you live in Osaka, the "closeness" of human relationships becomes addictive.
Strangers will talk to you normally, and once you become a regular at a shop, the staff will often tease you like a friend.

It is confusing at first, but once you get used to it, it becomes strangely comfortable.
There is a sense of security in knowing that "even though I am alone, I am not lonely."

I feel that Osaka is a city that "naturally treats you like a friend," regardless of whether you want it to or not.

However, there are regional differences even within Osaka; the Hokusetsu area where I lived is between Osaka and Kyoto, and it is rather calm. The southern part, such as Kishiwada, famous for the "Danjiri Festival," feels closer to the stereotypical image of Osaka that people outside the prefecture imagine.

People in Hokusetsu often joke, "Why don't they just make the area north of the Yodo River independent as Hokusetsu Prefecture?"

Of course, this is not limited to Osaka; I feel that in prefectures other than Tokyo, it is a common joke for locals to say, "Don't lump us together with them."

Nagoya: A city where quiet stability slowly organizes your life

Nagoya is famous for its extravagant weddings and funerals. At least that was the case when I lived there (over 15 years ago).

Also, when you live there,you realize that it is a city with high basic living standards.

Rent is cheaper than in Tokyo, and it is a car-oriented society where getting around is easy.
The food culture is rich with red miso, and there are quite a few gourmet dishes like ankake pasta that are hard to find outside the Nagoya area.

Also, there are many Toyota-related companies, and a living sphere has been created where you can live from birth to employment and retirement without ever leaving Nagoya, and there is a strong love for the local area.

Compared to Tokyo and Osaka, it tends to be positioned as third-tier, but Nagoya has a strong "sense of security in life."

After all, these are cities I love and find comfortable to live in.

Fukuoka: A city where outward brightness and inward warmth coexist

Fukuoka Prefecture is a place I have a personal attachment to, partly because my mother is from Kitakyushu.

Because Hakata has flourished as a port town since ancient times, Fukuoka is open-minded, yet it also has a strong sense of local pride, which can give the impression of keeping people at a distance at first.
However, once you become part of the group, they are surprisingly caring, and the emotional distance closes in an instant..

True to its nature as a port town, it is tolerant of outside cultures, the city is compact and easy to navigate, and the food is delicious.
"Even people from elsewhere eventually become locals before they know it."
It is a city with such a mysterious capacity for acceptance.

Also, Fukuoka has such a strong centripetal force within Kyushu that it could be called the "Tokyo of Kyushu," with many people gathering there from other prefectures in the region. This is likely one of the factors that fostered its inclusive nature.

Incidentally, even within Fukuoka Prefecture, Fukuoka City and Kitakyushu have different characters, and they habitually tease each other, saying things like, "That's the Kitakyushu prefecture side," or "We are in the Honshu cultural sphere."

I feel that having multiple large cities within the same prefecture and seeing them compete with each other is one of the interesting aspects of the region. By the way, I like both Fukuoka and Kitakyushu.

Sapporo: A city where a lack of social entanglements makes human relationships easier

Because Sapporo has a short history, there are fewer social entanglements, making it very open, and human relationships are somewhat lighthearted and based on the assumption that people are inherently good.

People don't intrude more than necessary, but they are there when you need them.
I have had the experience several times of becoming friends with someone I happened to sit next to at a snack bar or pub, even though we were strangers, and then hitting it off and going to the next place together.

Despite being a snowy city, people's hearts are truly warm.
The food is delicious, and nature is abundant. The summer has low humidity and is far more comfortable than in Honshu.
Once you get used to the winter cold and snow, it is a very comfortable city to live in.

In fact, at my company, there was a senior colleague who transferred to Sapporo from elsewhere; he and his wife and children liked it so much that they bought a house there, even though it wasn't their hometown. When he was transferred back to his home region, he ended up living there alone, leaving his family in Sapporo.

Also, like Fukuoka in Kyushu, Sapporo is positioned as the "Tokyo of Hokkaido," and young people from all over the prefecture aspire to gather there.

Summary

I had never lived outside of Tokyo until I started working, butbeing able to live and reside in various cities due to job transfers has been a very good experience and a treasure in my life.

Perhaps I was fortunate to have a personality that is more adaptable than I realized, allowing me to quickly settle into new lands and make friends in my private life through hobbies and other means, in addition to my company colleagues.
Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, Fukuoka, and Sapporo each have their own personalities, and I truly feel that I am glad I was able to live in each of these cities.

Perhaps it was my good fortune to have had the experience of truly feeling that "home is where you make it."