Essay

Which do you prefer, Tokyo or Osaka?

By Samantha Loong

Having lived in both cities, I'm often asked which I prefer: Tokyo? Or Osaka?

Now, every country has rival cities that are always being compared with each other: Which has better coffee? Auckland or Wellington? Which is best for starting your own business? Melbourne or Sydney? Which place is best to raise your children in? Los Angeles or New York?

Tokyo and Osaka were recently ranked No. 1 and No. 2 respectively, on a list of the world's most expensive cities for expatriates to live in. For the sake of their residents, perhaps this is one time where these two cities should not compete for the top spot.

But stating a preference between Tokyo and Osaka is difficult, because there are many things about both cities that I love.

I love Osaka's proximity to Kyoto. I also love how much easier it is to see random acts of kindness, such as locals approaching and offering help to strangers who seem lost. I have seen women, upon noticing that their fellow shoppers appear confused over what melons to buy, take it upon themselves to demonstrate the best way to determine optimum ripeness.

Tokyo, of course, has its share of kind strangers, but like other big metropolises, perhaps Tokyo's random acts of kindness are more difficult to spot, obscured by the blur of people that crowd the city.

The quirkiness of Osaka is another charming factor of the city. Osaka's citizens seem to have an amusing sense of humor. This was illustrated in an episode of the "Himitsu no Kenmin Show," where a reporter would suddenly pull a "finger gun" on random people and say "Bang!" — and the Osaka citizens played along and feigned being shot.

Osaka's famed obasan are also known for offering candy, or amechan, to strangers for no real reason. I was taught never to accept candy from strangers, but there's something about a smiling obasan clad in tight-fitting animal-print clothes that makes that candy seem more acceptable.

Tokyo on the other hand, has cheese. And I don't mean the processed, pre-sliced kind. Even in a small, suburban supermarket, one can find fancy cheeses like Camembert, fresh balls of mozzarella and occasionally even ricotta.

The availability of such international foods is also probably why Tokyo's international cuisine is outstanding. Subway travel is also much cheaper in Tokyo, and a greater availability of English information does make sightseeing and living in Tokyo a little easier.

So Tokyo? Or Osaka? I DO love them both. But, when I think of little things like the creamy sesame seed tofu of one Umeda izakaya; the Kamo River, where during summer couples sit respectfully one meter apart from other couples; and those obasan, who, with their combination of leopard-, tiger- and zebra-skin patterned clothing truly put the "jungle" in "urban jungle" — I think that, yes, in the end, my heart belongs to Osaka.

Shukan ST: July 31, 2009

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