Japan's Most Cosmopolitan City

[FG Lurker]

Saw a debate on a different forum about what Japan's most cosmopolitan city was and it got me wondering what the folks of FG might think.

[waruta]

Prolly Tokyo, but it pains me to have to vote for Tokyo when I live in Yokohama... I love the 045.

[IkemenTommy]

Come on.. Osaka? Bitch please..

[Mulboyne]

JETRO always says Osaka City has the highest foreign population ratio among the country's major cities but it's a low nominal number, compared with Tokyo, and includes a far larger proportion of zainichi Koreans than the capital so it's not so evident.

I don't think you can really argue against Tokyo by the most usual definitions of cosmopolitan. Foreign tourism is still in its infancy so there aren't yet any places outside the mainstream which have been flooded by foreigners of all stripes as Yokohama and Nagasaki once were.

There's probably a more relaxed air of cosmopolitanism in Kansai, or somewhere like Fukuoka, but that's a different kind of a judgement.

[Samurai_Jerk]

JETRO always says Osaka City has the highest foreign population ratio among the country's major cities but it's a low nominal number, compared with Tokyo, and includes a far larger proportion of zainichi Koreans than the capital so it's not so evident.

I don't think you can really argue against Tokyo by the most usual definitions of cosmopolitan. Foreign tourism is still in its infancy so there aren't yet any places outside the mainstream which have been flooded by foreigners of all stripes as Yokohama and Nagasaki once were.

There's probably a more relaxed air of cosmopolitanism in Kansai, or somewhere like Fukuoka, but that's a different kind of a judgement.

Besides, calling Zainichi Koreans foreigners is a bit of a stretch anyway. Gaijin, yes, but foreigners by the strict English definition of the word, no.

Yeah, I went with Tokyo using a standard definition of cosmopolitan.

By the way, if you vote "other" you should tell us where and why.

[Iraira]

Cosmopolitan....Okinawa? Dokdo/Takeshima?

[omae mona]

Are we allowed to vote based on our biased, highly uninformed opinion if we haven't visited all cities on the list?

[Yokohammer]

Before I vote, what part of "cosmopolitan" are we talking about?
I assume we're not simply talking about numbers of foreigners, since those numbers should be known. So we're talking about what city is most accepting toward foreigners? The most comfortable for foreigners to live in? The city with the most facilities geared towards foreigners? Are we including, say, Chinese brides?

[Taro Toporific]

[omae mona]

Sheesh. All of us long-termer inmates of Nippon have worked in the top ten Japanese cities.

I'm working on it... but actually have never made it to Kobe.

Tokyo is more "cosmopolitan" in terms of my perfect measure: wood-fired Neapolitan pizzerias with STG*.

Oh, man, I am with you on that. And also the number of Krispy Kremes.

[Taro Toporific]

I'm working on it... but actually have never made it to Kobe.

Kobe is a GR-R-REAT place for FGs. I would love to work there again if the opportunity presented itself.

[Greji]

Cosmopolitan to me is cheap booze and cheaper whores. McTojo can handle the rest of the culture stick....

[IkemenTommy]

Kobe is a GR-R-REAT place for FGs. I would love to work there again if the opportunity presented itself.

The girls there are somehow finer, in general, than the ones in Tokyo fa sho.

[dimwit]

[Adhesive]

Other: Honolulu

[Samurai_Jerk]

Tokyo is more "cosmopolitan" in terms of my perfect measure: wood-fired Neapolitan pizzerias with STG*.

What would you say is the best place because so far I've been unimpressed the soggy flavorless crap that passes for pizza napoletana?

[IparryU]

Cosmopolitan to me is cheap booze and cheaper goat whores. McTojo can handle the rest of the culture stick....

IFIFY

[Greji]

IFIFY

That too! Thanks for the fix....