Tokyo taken on the sharp one

Tokyo, capital and symbol of Japan, constitute one of the extreme poles of our phantasms and our representations. Since the orientalists modes of 19th century, while passing by the yellow peril of inter-war period, the economic samouraï of the years of strong growth or youth disorientated and suicidal of today, all the stereotypes circulates on the megalopolis, giving us an often caricatural image - but not inevitably distorts of a city and a country whose diversity makes the richness. Here a course in the generally accepted ideas on Tokyo.

Tokyo, is a ceaseless, crawling crowd pushers with white gloves in the subway... and of the small empty and charming streets to the atmosphere of peaceful village!

Tokyo is the most expensive city of the world. It is true according to a recent study (cabinet Mercer HRC, June 2005) Tokyo and Osaka are the two most expensive cities of the world, followed from London, Moscow and Seoul, Paris is only into twelve position. But one can also find many goods planes, and tourism is not there inevitably expensive than elsewhere !

The tokoïtes live in rabbit cages. The surface of an average apartment in Tokyo east of approximately 28 m², which makes a beautiful rabbit cage! Average surface inhabited per occupant is of 33 m² in Japan against 37 in France, which does not constitute a colossal difference.

They speak badly or at all the foreign languages, as in film of Sofia Coppola, Lost in Translation. One cannot include oneself/understand. All is written in Japanese, one cannot nothing make all alone. They is completely false: all is re-wrote in Roman alphabet in the trains and subways. And contrary to what occurs in film referred to, it is also to the traveller to seek to adapt and make efforts of communication. Some Japanese words will open the doors and the smiles to you.

Japanese work all the time at infernal rates, under inhuman conditions, as in Stupor and Tremors of Amélie Nothomb. It May be the case in certain large companies...
But the majority of the Japanese work in small structures and rising generation is changing gives it, while aspiring from now on to choose a trade which they like, even if it means to remain with unemployment, and by rejecting the model of the use with life which was that their parents. Only 17 % of the young Japanese from 15 to 29 years old estimate that the life of their father had a sense.


Japanese are conformists, they are all similar, of a morbid timidity, it is unbearable for individualistic Westerners. This apparent uniformity is only one lure, a means of living comfortably in company, a courtesy of surface which makes it possible never not to lose the
face.

Tokyo is a polluted city, with the saturated air. But one breathes there often better than in Paris thanks to his proximity of the Pacific.