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[Natetan]

The Tokyo subway isn't necessarily cheaper, depending on how much you travel. With an Oyster card, which I believe can be picked up easily for tourists, there is a maximum amount of money that you can spend a day. (I believe that this is the price of a one day travel card.) If you travel a lot on the Tokyo Metro, however, you can easily end up spending two times or three times that limit.

Also, again, the culture in Tokyo is nice, but Tokyo's National Museum doesn't really have much against the British Museum.

Assuming a Japanese tourist knows about how to buy an oyster card. My experience even with English speaking tourists is they just drop the four pound non-oyster penalty fare or whatever to ride the tube because they don't know what's going on (and no real sense how much four pounds is worth). Plus the oyster equivalent in Japan can be used at resturants, shops, etc). Also, the tube closes entire stations and even lines for 'engineering works' on weekends or whenever the feel like 'updating their victorian infrastructure' so that disqualifies it from being the best mass transit system.

I would say one of the best cities for museums is Washington DC. They are also free. Sure the british and VA museums have an extensive collection, but i didn't think it was presented very well. The tate modern turbine hall was so cluttered, it felt like someone's closet of giant art.

 

[Trojan X]

LOL! All I can do is laugh and show the article to my gf.

I can easily imagine that the percentage of the japenese that falls to this are mostly women. Oh well. Move along.

 

[gutter_trash]

the rudeness is all talk, Parisians are all talk so you can counter back and shut them down and they will cower

 

[Xun]

Off topic, but did you know Art Attack's Neil Buchanan is now a guitarist in a heavy metal band:

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/odd/news/a313394/art-attacks-neil-buchanan-plays-heavy-metal.html

Holy shit what.

 

[gerg]

Assuming a Japanese tourist knows about how to buy an oyster card. My experience even with English speaking tourists is they just drop the four pound non-oyster penalty fare or whatever to ride the tube because they don't know what's going on (and no real sense how much four pounds is worth). Plus the oyster equivalent in Japan can be used at resturants, shops, etc). Also, the tube closes entire stations and even lines for 'engineering works' on weekends or whenever the feel like 'updating their victorian infrastructure' so that disqualifies it from being the best mass transit system.

Sure, the Underground can be a pain at times. I just wanted to suggest that the Tokyo Metro isn't always cheaper. I'm sure I've spent around £10 or £15 in a single day when I've been travelling around a lot. That's impossible in London with an Oyster card.

The tate modern turbine hall was so cluttered, it felt like someone's closet of giant art.

What installation did you see? They change every year.

 

[Natetan]

Sure, the Underground can be a pain at times. I just wanted to suggest that the Tokyo Metro isn't always cheaper. I'm sure I've spent around £10 or £15 in a single day when I've been travelling around a lot. That's impossible in London with an Oyster card.

They sell subway day passes, and you were probably using JR, which is technically the UK equivalent of 'national rail services'.

Anyway, I can understand how this would happen. An older japanese woman who expects it to be basically japan, but with different (but equally delicious) food that is always as high a standard as the french food she ate in Japan and beautiful architecture (but the hotel is not en suite and the water pressure sucks). She's had better pot au feu and fougasse back at home than in paris.

 

[Gilby]

Holy shit what.

Just what I was about to say. This requires further investigation.

 

[Raist]

Now be nice you english-speaking natives. You have the well deserved reputation of lazy folks who don't bother learning other languages too much. But then again it might be due to your messed up education system

 

[Blackace]

I guess there couldn't be a better name for running home like a chicken...

 

[daviyoung]

Alright since we're comparing tourism, and this is for Japanese people.

Seriously, this isn't a metropolitan pissing contest. There is no objective 'best' city, get over it. London is great, I'm sure Tokyo is too, and I'm sure Calgary is as well.

Even though you can't get a perfect city, you can get a perfect traveler.

 

[Daft_Cat]

I visited Paris last summer with the expectations that people would be as rude as everyone says.

I was surprised to find that in general the people were as polite as they come. A wonderful city that I'd gladly live in some day.

I'm a Canadian by the way so I know some relatively basic french. I found that any attempt to speak in French, even if it was nothing more than a "merci" or a formal greeting was appreciated by waiters and locals. I had an excellent time and have spent the last year trying to work away at the "rude" stereotype. Why go to a new country if you're not even going to try and fit in and be respectful to a different way of life?

I love Paris and France in general might be my favourite European country.

As far as capturing the "Amelie" atmosphere..I wonder if these people actually ventured in and around Montmartre?

 

[gerg]

They sell subway day passes, and you were probably using JR, which is technically the UK equivalent of 'national rail services'.

I do know what the JR is, having lived in Japan for the past nine months. I'm pretty sure that I was using the Metro the entire time (although, given that I left Tokyo some time ago, my memory is a bit hazy) and I do understand why the Osyter card system of spending limits can't be implemented in the same way in Tokyo, given the differing private and national rail networks.

Nevertheless, I stand by in saying that the Tokyo Metro isn't always cheaper than the London Underground.

 

[Natetan]

I visited Paris last summer with the expectations that people would be as rude as everyone says.

I was surprised to find that in general the people were as polite as they come. A wonderful city that I'd gladly live in some day.

I'm a Canadian by the way so I know some relatively basic french. I found that any attempt to speak in French, even if it was nothing more than a "merci" or a formal greeting was appreciated by waiters and locals. I had an excellent time and have spent the last year trying to work away at the "rude" stereotype. Why go to a new country if you're not even going to try and fit in and be respectful to a different way of life?

I love Paris and France in general might be my favourite European country.

As far as capturing the "Amelie" atmosphere..I wonder if these people actually ventured in and around Montmartre?

I agree, I thought people in Paris were very helpful. If I spoke at a reasonable pace in English, there was usually someone who would politely help me. It's also a great cycling city in my experience, especially in the warmer months. I stayed at my old roommates parents house in rue de la pompe though, so perhaps i didn't get a very balanced idea of the city...

 

[Apple Sauce]

Off topic, but did you know Art Attack's Neil Buchanan is now a guitarist in a heavy metal band:

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/odd/news/a313394/art-attacks-neil-buchanan-plays-heavy-metal.html

The fuck?! This is actually thread worthy.

 

[BobTheFork]

Fine, I'm going to lay into the nest person who doesn't speak fluent english like a fucking viper. It should be nay second now.

 

[Kurtofan]

I guess there couldn't be a better name for running home like a chicken...

Why is that?
Because French people are cowards?Is that the joke?

 

[Raist]

Fine, I'm going to lay into the nest person who doesn't speak fluent english like a fucking viper. It should be nay second now.

Yourself?

 

[industrian]

London sucks, Paris sucks...

It's not even the best city in the British Isles. Edinburgh is so much more liveable it's silly.

 

[BobTheFork]

Yourself?

well in this case I think I have to break my own fingers. Honestly, I find that so surprising. Yelling at someone in this country who can't speak english fluently would be pointless. It's also considered offensive to complain about how people talk here.

 

[hteng]

....

someone post that Japan weird shit picture

 

[Osietra]

Also Goa syndrome, which entails Japanese girls going on their first jaunt, and ending up insensible on drugs and getting led away by their hair by predatory westerners for a beasting.

Sickening.

 

[Technosteve]

They should visit Montreal, it's clean and filled with nice people. I've been to montreal many times for vacation from the states. Quebec was full of french speaking douche bags but the, food was great tho.

 

[Raist]

well in this case I think I have to break my own fingers. Honestly, I find that so surprising. Yelling at someone in this country who can't speak english fluently would be pointless. It's also considered offensive to complain about how people talk here.

Honestly, that might have been overblown. I mean maybe the guy just tried to speak slowly and louder assuming that they might eventually understand. I mean we're talking about people who can spend 15 minutes bowing at each other to say hello. Yet have stores selling schoolgirls' used panties.

 

[Blackace]

Why is that?
Because French people are cowards?Is that the joke?

Well that is their nickname in Japan... Has something to do with fleeing from the Earthquakes.

 

[Wanace]

Well that is their nickname in Japan... Has something to do with fleeing from the Earthquakes.

All the French in China fled too after the earthquake.

Only the French would surrender to a natural disaster.

Spoiler

I know the French aren't really surrender monkeys.

 

[Simplet]

Well that is their nickname in Japan... Has something to do with fleeing from the Earthquakes.

What is their nickname? Chicken?

 

[samus i am]

I went to Prague and didn't want to be seen as a stupid American so I tried to study how to order things. The entire week, as soon as I got to any restaurant they immediately started speaking English to me, lol.

 

[Gallbaro]

As a New Yorker I have to say that Japanese Tourists are among the rudest and most entitled tourists. Of course this applies to the Japanese families with 4 people and 5 cameras.

 

[VistraNorrez]

I would say one of the best cities for museums is Washington DC. They are also free. Sure the british and VA museums have an extensive collection, but i didn't think it was presented very well. The tate modern turbine hall was so cluttered, it felt like someone's closet of giant art.

Berlin has great museums as well, just the Museumsinsel alone. I love going to museums. The only art I haven't seen that I really want to is The Last Supper. Maybe that's why I love the European cities, they are giant museums.

 

[Kurtofan]

Well that is their nickname in Japan... Has something to do with fleeing from the Earthquakes.

Seriously?Really unfair to say that,and I think it was more because of the nuclear problems, according to the witness accounts we got from French people living in Japan.

Kind of funny when you know the popularity of Japan in France.

 

[Seraphinianus]

I went to Prague and didn't want to be seen as a stupid American so I tried to study how to order things. The entire week, as soon as I got to any restaurant they immediately started speaking English to me, lol.

I've been here in Prague for a few weeks and yeah, they ask you to speak English instead. My professor has been coming here for years and he said the same thing.

People here are so mellow, I love it. Never once gotten any attitude for being foreign. Even when there's a communication breakdown with a clerk or something, it's still smiles and understanding that we just couldn't work it out (versus disgust or impatience you get in other places.)

I ditched Paris and London for more days in Prague to avoid wallet rape and because Chicago is enough of a modern metropolis to deal with on a daily basis. Seemed like a waste to spend thousands on a few nights in what are essentially different versions of my home versus maybe a thousand to live very comfortably for another full week in Prague.

I'll hit them up one day, but when I can truly afford it. I'm more of a "spend a long vacation in one awesome place to do it all and get immersed" kinda guy.

 

[Blackace]

Seriously?Really unfair to say that,and I think it was more because of the nuclear problems, according to the witness accounts we got from French people living in Japan.

Kind of funny when you know the popularity of Japan in France.

I live in Japan... So yeah, not that funny anymore..

 

[Blackace]

What is their nickname? Chicken?

Someone is being French if they are being chicken...

 

[Aruarian Reflection]

Seriously?Really unfair to say that,and I think it was more because of the nuclear problems, according to the witness accounts we got from French people living in Japan.

Kind of funny when you know the popularity of Japan in France.

Not unfair to say that when French people were fleeing Japan en masse because of their government panicking. France had a really bad reputation because of this and "French" was being used to refer to the panicked foreigners.

 

[jorma]

Fine, I'm going to lay into the nest person who doesn't speak fluent english like a fucking viper. It should be nay second now.

I såna här lägen önskar jag att jag hade kunnat franska. :/
Min engelska verkar dock vara något bättre än din.

 

[Simplet]

I live in Japan... So yeah, not that funny anymore..

So yet another case of american/english people propagating retarded stereotype about the french around the world, yes?

I couldn't believe it in China when everytime I met someone I had to reply to the most idiotic questions like "Is it true that french guys are cowards/dirty/rude/assholes/will cheat on you with seven other women? That's what my american/english friends told me".

So thank you very much, english-speaking people, for making the world a better place for us everywhere you go.

 

[Kurtofan]

Not unfair to say that when French people were fleeing Japan en masse because of their government panicking. France had a really bad reputation because of this and "French" was being used to refer to the panicked foreigners.

When you see how the French government handled the Tchernobyl accident("the cloud stopped at the border"), I don't blame it for taking too many precautions, in case it gets blame for something, or the French expatriates fearing a nuclear incident.

Someone is being French if they are being chicken...

Wow this is even worse.

 

[Simplet]

Someone is being French if they are being chicken...

Well the Rooster is actually the symbol of France, especially in sports. And seriously, how awesome is that? Every other country HAS to have like an imperial eagle, a tiger or a dragon or whatever as a symbol, but we have a fucking chicken. We tell you right here and there that we're all talk, I think it's awesome.

 

[daviyoung]

So thank you very much, english-speaking people, for making the world a better place for us everywhere you go.

Is it true that Americans are fat and British have bad teeth? Is it true that Germans are serious towel-snatchers? Is it true South Africans are uneducated Australians? Is it true that Norwegians live in neo-nazi igloos? Is it true that Canadians give birth on ice-hockey rinks?

Your country isn't exempt from stereotypes mate. Another case of French arrogance coming into play I think ;-)

 

[jorma]

Is it true that Americans are fat and British have bad teeth? Is it true that Germans are serious towel-snatchers? Is it true South Africans are uneducated Australians? Is it true that Norwegians live in neo-nazi igloos? Is it true that Canadians give birth on ice-hockey rinks?

Your country isn't exempt from stereotypes mate. Another case of French arrogance coming into play I think ;-)

Is it true that some forumposters start to make shit up when they run out of examples?

(I had never heard of any of these, save the American and the British sterotyping)

 

[Blackace]

So yet another case of american/english people propagating retarded stereotype about the french around the world, yes?

I couldn't believe it in China when everytime I met someone I had to reply to the most idiotic questions like "Is it true that french guys are cowards/dirty/rude/assholes/will cheat on you with seven other women? That's what my american/english friends told me".

So thank you very much, english-speaking people, for making the world a better place for us everywhere you go.

What? lol Japanese came to this conclusion on their own.. In my 8 plus years here I have never heard the French called yellow until the Earthquakes and Fukushima.. So yeah try again

 

[daviyoung]

(I had never heard of any of these, save the American and the British sterotyping)

People hold stereotypes of those that live in neighboring towns, let alone neighboring countries.

 

[Simplet]

Is it true that Americans are fat and British have bad teeth? Is it true that Germans are serious towel-snatchers? Is it true South Africans are uneducated Australians? Is it true that Norwegians live in neo-nazi igloos? Is it true that Canadians give birth on ice-hockey rinks?

Your country isn't exempt from stereotypes mate. Another case of French arrogance coming into play I think ;-)

I have never heard of any of those stereotypes, except the bad teeth one. None of my spanish, italian, german, south american, romanian, armenian etc etc friends had any such problems. All the chinese people I knew had some stereotypes about them, but rarely the really bad ones like they had for the french. And every single time it came from their english-speaking friends, every. single. time. Fortunately they don't often believe it entirely, thus why I get those awesome questions all the time.

 

[Kurtofan]

Is it true that Americans are fat and British have bad teeth? Is it true that Germans are serious towel-snatchers? Is it true South Africans are uneducated Australians? Is it true that Norwegians live in neo-nazi igloos? Is it true that Canadians give birth on ice-hockey rinks?

Your country isn't exempt from stereotypes mate. Another case of French arrogance coming into play I think ;-)

I think being called a coward is much worse than the other ones
I don't mind people saying French people stink, are arrogant, always on strike, rude, whatever, but being called a coward is a much bigger insult, there are so much heroic French people in history.

 

[Simplet]

What? lol Japanese came to this conclusion on their own.. In my 8 plus years here I have never heard the French called yellow until the Earthquakes and Fukushima.. So yeah try again

Yeah man I'm sure it had nothing at all to do with the fact that the american media and cultural products have been giving this image of France around the world for the last 50 years. I'm sure the maybe 3000 french people living in Japan and the few hundreds (tens?) that left the country gave this image of the entire french population all by themselves.

People hold stereotypes of those that live in neighboring towns, let alone neighboring countries.

And yet every chinese person I know knew of these stereotypes about the french. I'm pretty sure China is not next to France.

 

[daviyoung]

I have never heard of any of those stereotypes, except the bad teeth one.

The point isn't whether you've heard them or not, I've heard them all and more from other countries. Do you really need more examples?

I have no idea why the Japanese made it up themselves, but you obviously know why the Allied countries did. People obviously didn't know about the resistance, and forget the fact that not everyone in the country was ever like that, and that only a few people at the top made those decisions that fueled the stereotype. Some things just aren't going to change, and it only gets worse the less educated people are.

The English still like to rile on the Germans about one soccer game 50 years ago.

 

[bggrthnjsus]

when i went to paris people were pretty rude, but i didn't care because i was drunk most of the time. actually maybe only like 40% rude, there were a lot of really nice people. and good parties.

 

[Bleepey]

It's not even the best city in the British Isles. Edinburgh is so much more liveable it's silly.


No, London sucks hard. Overcrowded, dirty, overpriced with shitty pubs and bars that offer nothing.

A few isolated pockets of culture do nothing to change the fact that as a city it's awful.

London being expensive is bull. You just have to no where to shop, whenever i leave London the only time i have ever been shocked at something being cheaper was when i was in Birmingham and i saw a sandwich shop selling egg baguettes for 50p. That was amazing. Other than that when i leave London i end up saying shit like: why is it so hard to navigate the city? What do you mean the shops close at 6 when i am in the city centre? Buses cost how much? Last bus, what bullshit is this?

 

[Steelrain]

Japanese people call French people cowards because they hauled ass after the earthquake.

Blame Americans.

 

[segasonic]

As a New Yorker I have to say that Japanese Tourists are among the rudest and most entitled tourists. Of course this applies to the Japanese families with 4 people and 5 cameras.

I think you're mixing up Japanese and Chinese