Help! Tokyo cinemas

Might I add that most bread in Japan is awful compared to European bread, the only way I could eat it was by toasting it (which I normally only do when the bread is 3 days old...) and even then it was mostly air.

 

Clothing is also cheaper, but I couldn't find a pair of vans old school of my size in all Tokyo XD

 

that's because you have to buy the bread at the panya-san and not ina sûpâ. then you can get european standard bread as well. altough a bit pricey!
the standard japanese doesn't know a lot about good bread.

 

Well one, you're comparing Euros you make to Yen that Japanese people make. Euro seem stronger now as the markets are skewed in it's favor, but Japanese people still make yen (and not very many, on average). This is a middle-class society (although changing) so to Japanese, Japan pretty much always seems expensive.

There are many charts like the one I linked. Some cater to expats, others cater to middle class people living in said city based only on it's currency and average salary. At the end of it all, you will be hard pressed to find another city that charges so much for so little across the board (especially living conditions). Average size of a home in the city (even a good 30 minutes by train in the city) is tiny. And not very tolerant to the weather. However, I've found the quality in Japan on the whole is higher. After spending 2 years in Hawaii, it was apparent that everything was expensive and shoddy (especially homes). I'd spend more in Tokyo, for less, but the quality was way better.

Okay, produce prices suck ass. To boot, my wife and I have a pretty high standard when it comes to produce, so we only buy "the good stuff". Yes, there's a massive difference in quality. You don't have to spend as much, but even the price of cheap produce is expensive compared to even good produce in states. Can't comment on Europe, but I would imagine it's not as bad. I bought a 300 yen apple the other day and my wife got upset I didn't buy the "proper" 500 yen apple (yes, 1 apple). I frequently find myself walking out of Kinokuniya having spent 5000-6000 yen, and only having fruit to show for it. I'm a fake vegetarian. I eat fish, but no other meat. There are some great places to eat, but speaking the language helps 1000-fold.

On that note, since eating out is slightly cheaper compared to the rest of the world (the restaurant business is amazingly competitive, which keeps prices low), the cost savings of cooking at home are nothing like what you'd get in most US cities, and probably western cities. I've had plenty of lunches/dinners at home that I can easily tally up to 1000 yen to make. Can you eat cheap? Sure, real cheap. Depends on your threshold though.

Cheap clothes are cheaper. Brand labels are more expensive across the board (a lot more expensive). I'm fucked either way as basically nothing fits me other than Zara and the Gap. Zara used to have good stuff but they've been on a downward spiral for a few years now.

Are you getting your bread out of the dumpster? Japanese French bakeries are better than French French bakeries. (This is coming from French people, mind you). The Aux Bacchanalles in Akasaka is conveniently located under a Societe Generale. It is the one western food that Japan didn't fuck up. If you're going to Little Mermaid, I can't help you. If you want to go to a proper one, do some research. It is well worth it.

EDIT:
HEre read this:
http://www.travellady.com/Issues/March06/3121AuthenticBakeriesinTokyo.htm

Viron in Shibuya (the one the writer first mentions after the convenient store debacle) is my standard panya-san. I'm in there 3 times a week. The girls love me, and know I don't eat meat, so give me fair warning if I'm trying something new.

 

What? Are you mad? Bread in Japan is expensive but far from bad.
Japanese bread is so soft and tasty. Every one I know from Europe says that they prefer Japanese bread.

yakumo

 

ok yakumo, but you're from uk, i think they share a little bit the same problem when it comes to tasty quality bread :lol: ;-)

for example, swiss is a real bread-country with hunderts of different types of bread. to find something like that in japan is impossible. but as i said, if yo go to the specialist here, you can choose from a lot of good bread types (french, germany, swiss types and some own localized creations).

 

Can I buy Fogases at the combini? XD

 

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Everyone says our food is piss poor.

Yakumo

 

Name one type of food you can buy hundreds of in one single store in Tokyo. I'm seriously thinking but can't come up with one.

 

Instant cup noodles?

 

There's about 10 types of cup noodles you can buy in a convenient store. Not even close.

 

lol..don't take me by my words so harsh, GP^^
what i like to say is, that you have the possibility to buy a lot of good bread at japans bakerys but for sure you won't find the assortment like in a swiss bakery e.g.
so this means, if you know the right place to buy bread, japan is a good place to live concerning this matter, what again means that Giel was teh wrong.

 

Well you do know that there are these funny little places in Japan called Supemarkets which are bigger then a conveince store and have a lot more items in them... :lol:

 

But even those don't have 100 different *types* of one item. That was my point. Do to geographical challenges, you have a finite limit of choices. Look at the electronic shops compared to the ones in the US (and probably UK). They care very little low-end stuff. If they have to waste the real estate, they'd apparently rather do it for expensive stuff. That's for another thread though.