Originally Posted By Mr X So, I was talking to a Japanese friend of mine tonight and he was mildly surprised to hear that (afaik anyway) Tokyo is a very well known city. I said that I thought pretty much everyone in America knew of Tokyo, and that it was considered one of the world's most well known cities (along with New York, Los Angeles, London, Paris etc...)... So, first I'm wondering if I'm right in assuming that (I do live in Tokyo after all lol). And secondly, he asked which Japanese cities Americans (in general) knew about. We talked about a few, and he seemed genuinely surprised at the ones I thought Americans knew and the ones that I thought were less familiar (or practically unknown). I'm intentionally omitting all the other city names for the purpose of this thread for now, but I'm curious as to any "top 5 best known", or "top 5 most famous" or even "top 3" if you can't think of five, anyway whatever you can come up with off the top of your head (which is kind of the point). So, if you could all chime in with any comments you'd like to, and please include a list (either a personal "most recognizable" or "most famous" list, or else a list of cities you think most folks in America consider famous or recognizable in some way), I'd be very interested to hear what the U.S.A. knows or thinks about the major cities in Japan...
Originally Posted By trekkeruss FWIW, I've been to Japan a few times. I'd say the top 5 most famous would be: Tokyo Kyoto Hiroshima Nagasaki Sapporo (because of the Olympics) Sorry, Osaka-ites!
Originally Posted By dshyates Tokyo Hiroshima (WWII Fame) Nagasaki (WWII Fame) Osaka Yokohama Sapporo Kyoto I have to embarrassingly admit I don't know very much about Japan.
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo Hmmmm, in recall order: 1. Tokyo 2. Hiroshima 3. Nagasaki 4. Osaka 5. Kyoto 6. Yokahama 7. Nagano 8. Chiba 9. Nagoya 10. Kobe
Originally Posted By Mr X Good stuff, guys. Exactly what I'm looking for (I'll chime in with my thoughts more later, once we get more consensus going on). Dave, did you mean Chiba city or Chiba prefecture? Am I correct in assuming that knowledge springs from knowing about the TDR? I remember the first time I spoke to Japanese folks about Tokyo Disneyland, before I'd ever traveled to Japan..and they explained that it wasn't in "Tokyo", but rather in "Chiba City"...I only learned later that their explanation was based on the fact that they didn't know the word for "prefecture" in English...since TDR is in fact located in URAYASU city (my hometown), in the prefecture of Chiba which borders Tokyo (I can see Tokyo from my house! ). BUT, there is also a city of Chiba, the capital of Chiba prefecture, located about 30 minutes from Urayasu...think "New York, New York".
Originally Posted By Mr X New York, New York, in Japanese parlance, is referred to as "Chiba-ken, Chiba-shi" if anyone is interested. Ken = prefecture (sort of like a state, there are 43 of them in Japan), Shi = city. So Tokyo Disney Resort is actually located in Urayasu-shi (city of Urayasu), Chiba-ken (prefecture of Chiba).
Originally Posted By officerminnie Tokyo - definitely one of the world's most well known cities Hiroshima - from WWII history Nagasaki - from WWII history Sapporo - Olympics fame And Tachikawa - only because my parents met there when my dad was in the Air Force and mom was civil service many, many years ago. But I think it's actually part of Tokyo?
Originally Posted By Mr X That's too funny, Minnie...I was in Tachikawa just yesterday (pretty far from home, and I've never been there before!). Yes, it is technically part of Tokyo (Tokyo is freakin HUGE, by the way), but it feels like a city unto itself if that makes any sense... I'm a little surprised to hear so many comments about Sapporo (I thought it was more famous for beer lol), and not so many for Nagano (another Olympic city). Sapporo was the winter games when? In 1972? Great stuff, guys. Thanks so much! (I'll see my friend again in a few days, and I want to share some of these observations with him!)
Originally Posted By Autopia Deb I almost put down Sapporo, but couldn't remember if it was a beer named after a city or just a beer.
Originally Posted By avro_imagineer <- Is so Osakan (At least what the average LPer thinks of me). <- May be returning to Tokyo in 2010 I have a friend who's inviting me.
Originally Posted By SuperDry Tokyo Hiroshima Nagasaki Yokohama Osaka Should we add Obama to the list? I have a funny story to tell. A friend of mine used to work in the tire section of a major wholesale store. They had a tire section, and this guy comes up to him that appears that he was from "the hills" and was an older gentleman. He asks "What kind of tires do you have?" My friend said "We carry Michelin and Yokohama, sir." The guy got very animated and replied "Yokohama?!?! Last time I heard that name we was bombin' it!"
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo Yep, before my grandmother died in the 80's she used to be terrible and said "You know, WW2 was simply a battle, but the Japs did win in the end". Of her time, she would also flip if she knew I spoke fluent German (having lost her 1st husband on the normandy landings)
Originally Posted By Mr X My dear old Grandmother (rest her soul) was very, VERY concerned when I first got my contract to perform at Tokyo Disneyland. Mostly, she was afraid they wouldn't pay me for some reason lol. When I was heading for the airport, she looked me straight in the eye and said "don't trust them, and NEVER forget Pearl Harbor!". (this was in 1998 )
Originally Posted By ernieb Well since ive been to japan i know this cities: Tokyo Kyoto chiba osaka Hiroshima kobe nara Hakone (those were the cities we visited) and other cities i know it: sapporo nagoya nagasaki
