Still trying to decide Taiwan Vs Japan...did you think of Japan also? Are you happy now in Taiwan?

I just want to get more info on those that chose Taiwan over Japan and how they feel now. I think I will choose Taiwan as well, but I have this strong urge to try japan as well…so I just don’t know! :slight_smile:

If you had this debate before you came to Taiwan, can you tell me how you like it there now? Do you ever still think of Japan?

Thanks for your help, this choice is killing my mind!
:smiley:

No, no, no! You are going to Taiwan … we already discussed this!!! LOL!!! :laughing:

Kin

[quote=“IamtheWalrus”]I just want to get more info on those that chose Taiwan over Japan and how they feel now. I think I will choose Taiwan as well, but I have this strong urge to try Japan as well…so I just don’t know! :slight_smile:

If you had this debate before you came to Taiwan, can you tell me how you like it there now? Do you ever still think of Japan?

Thanks for your help, this choice is killing my mind!
:smiley:[/quote]

I had that same strong urge. I dealt with it by trying both–four years each, so far.

What’s your main reason for coming?
Money? Girls? Culture? Beatel Nut?

I haven’t been to Japan yet, but I get a lot of positive feedback about it from people when I ask them. Anyone that’s split between going to Japan or Taiwan hasn’t done any reseach (IMO). If you investigate jobs availible, culture and so forth, there should be no coin flipping.

The one thing I always hear about Japan is it’s cost of living (in the big cities). Unless you live in the sticks it puts a hurtin’ on your pocket (I’m sure you know that though).

My (obvious) vote is Taiwan. Have you asked this question on a forum for expats in Japan? What answer did they give you. :wink:

My original plan was to do a year here and then a year in Japan. After 8 months here, I knew I was staying. Taiwan is a great place, despite our bitching about it.

Same as Maoman. I had a thing for Japan because of all the novels I read and movies I watched at the time. The image I had in my head was very far removed from reality and was based on the Bladerunner, Neuromancer, Snow Crash input: I wanted the noise and chaos of the Gibson-like city, flashing neon signs, advertisements screaming out slogans everywhere, pizza deliverers wearing arachnofiber suits and bearing swords.
But of course, Tokyo is a pretty normal city, even if you wander around Shibuya where young people still like to dress up, you can see 10 Kyo’s and at least 20 gothic brides; and they’re all costumes, not a reflection of real life.

So I landed up in Taipei, because Japan was too expensive and I thought I could use Taiwan to save enough money to settle in Tokyo or Kyoto. And I’ve found just about everything I was looking for; while Japan can be extremely groomed, Taiwan is a living thing, growing almost without any interference from architects or city planners (they’re starting to plant trees and design buildings now, which is why some parts are even starting to resemble Western cities, but I’m hoping they’re too late).

In Taipei you can wander in a brightly-lit screaming street, and then turn a corner and meet Ice-T on top of a sprawling, dirty discarded mess (yes, I know the movie sucked).

So after a while I had no more plans to exchange Taipei for Tokyo, even though every single poster on my wall is a Japanese singer or anime clip, and even though I would like to fly there every now and then just for a Dir en grey gig.

Money…it’s about money…right?

Take a look at the exchange rate…minimum wage in Japan is 250,000 yen which is about 72,000NT…

you gotta work alot of hours to make that here…and if you have experience, there is no reason that you can’t make 300,000 Yen (87,000NT)…

I love Taiwan, and am very settled here…but I am thinking that if the economy is still the same or worse I may sublet here and try Japan for a year…I think there are probably some good jobs that include a housing subsidy…in a less travelled city maybe…I may take a holiday there and check out Nagano’s opportunities…

But I would much rather see the NT strengthen…Japan is freakin’ expensive…like I said, I am just thinking about it…all things being equal, I’d choose Taiwan over Japan…and have… :wink:

to tell the truth, and ask any foreigner who is living in Japan, JAPAN is a much better place to be than effing Taiwan. Don’t kid yourselves, although you are and you will, compared to Japan, Taiwan is a waste hole in the universe. Of course, if Japan did not exist, Taiwan would be cool. But if we are comparing, losers go to taiwan, winners go to Japan. Sorry but that’s the truth.

Me, never been to japan, so guess that makes me a loser. SMILE

When I was looking to go to Japan (I ended up here by accident) I saw a lot of deals offered that included accomodation. A friend of mine who went there emailed recently to inform me that she came back from her vacation to find her employer rummaging in her cupboards. She also caught him redistributing money from her salary, and has now learned that he never made the payments to get her the medical cover she was supposed to get.

It sounds like this was an isolated incident, but as I’m here and not having to deal with that kind of crap any more I couldn’t see the benefit in moving. We’re saving about the same amounts - me less 'cos I drink too much.

The only thing that really would make me reconsider is the shit on the beach, in the sea, on the mountains, by the roadside etc. And not being able to breathe half the time, that’s a problem.

My advice is to make a checklist of what’s important to to you and then compare the two countries.

Another mate of mine went to Saudi after 3 years in Japan. He loves it.

Oh yeah, apparently it’s easy to go from Taiwan to Japan - but if you try to go the other way you’ll go crazy.

[quote=“formosa”]But if we are comparing, losers go to Taiwan, winners go to Japan. Sorry but that’s the truth.
Me, never been to Japan, so guess that makes me a loser. [/quote]
Aren’t you coming back in September for another round? Doesn’t that make you a two time loser? :slight_smile:

[quote]to tell the truth, and ask any foreigner who is living in Japan, Japan is a much better place to be than effing Taiwan. Don’t kid yourselves, although you are and you will, compared to Japan, Taiwan is a waste hole in the universe. Of course, if Japan did not exist, Taiwan would be cool. But if we are comparing, losers go to Taiwan, winners go to Japan. Sorry but that’s the truth. [/quote]I honestly don’t know if you’re a moron or not :?

Hmmm… not really. Lived in Taipei for years before going to Tokyo (and now back). Taipei is much more liveable…

*more convenient- Tokyo doesn’t have a 7-11, bank, restaurant on EVERY corner/street like Taipei does.

*much cheaper- so you can have more freedom, have your own place.

*not as crowded- the Tokyo subway at rush hour is INSANE (try Shinjuku station)

*more friendly- Japanese are more polite, but (other than the girls looking for gaijin guys) it’s hard to make friends so easily.

I know there are PLENTY of things in Taipei that make it hard to live here. We bitch about them in this forum all the time. But overall, still, I think it’s easier to live in Taipei.

japan is obviously the bigger draw for westerners. americans probably have more exposure to japanese culture than any other except perhaps british. anime, video games, etc.

the problem is most westerners want to experience all the cool stuff in tokyo, and tokyo is incredibly expensive. rent and food alone will suck up a ton of your funds. you can go to the boonies, but most westerners who want to experience the japan they see in the media would be bored living in the middle of nowhere. even in the boonies, things are still much more expensive than in taipei. keep in mind i’m an american who has lived in both manhattan and san fran. if you’re from an area much cheaper than those i’ve lived in, you’ll be in for a bit of a shock in tokyo when you find out that club your friends are going to has a 4500 yen cover and those after work snacks and drinks at the local mom and pop yakitoriya has just run you 3000 yen. :wink:

japan’s polished and clean. taiwan is disorganized and messy. in japan that boxed lunch you bought looks like a beautifully wrapped christmas present. in taiwan, you can get hot soup noodles to go in a plastic bag.

it all comes down to what you want to get out of it. my advice is if you’re coming to taiwan, you’d better come with an open mind. the people who hate it most here are those that can’t accept the differences between taiwan and the nice clean organized country they came from. the people who like the most here and end up staying for a while are those that can accept all the weird shit that happens here. :slight_smile: taiwan is more “different” than japan is to a westerner. don’t know if that’s a plus or minus for you.

Larsen Ni wrote “Aren’t you coming back in September for another round? Doesn’t that make you a two time loser?”

Yes, two time loser, and I like being a loser, obviously. Winning isn’t everything, if you catch my drift…

Since most people’s basic definition of ‘civlization’ has something to do with ‘nice clean organized’, you’ve really insulted Taiwan.

I totally agree with you. :sunglasses:

What about the girls?

Japan is a good place for dating.

But the impression I get from reading stuff on here is that Taiwan is perhaps better.

The stereotypes about fat ugly guys getting hot girls in Japan is not true, I know far more decent looking nice guys who have a hard time finding a Japanese gf than fuglies who have an easy time.

I’m right now having an intense struggle in deciding if I want to leave Japan (been here 2 years) and give Taiwan a whirl.

The fact is it’s hard to get a decent urban life style in Japan, those jobs are the most highly sought after, and the wages are the same as the country jobs, whilst the rent is much higher.

I disagree that the Japanese country side is an expensive place to live, I put away close to US$1000 a month, but it is not a fun place to live.

Moving to any of the major Japanese cities would probably involved a massive cut in how much I can save, and a long drawn out job hunt.

I’m anticipating a fun life in Taipei, with some loss of savings, a wide range of jobs to choose from, a worse environment but a better atmosphere, and seemingly as good perhaps better dating scene.

well, if I choose to give it a try that is…

Eat

[quote=“Eatlife”]What about the girls?

I disagree that the Japanese country side is an expensive place to live, I put away close to US$1000 a month, but it is not a fun place to live.

Eat[/quote]
Eat-
Yes girls here are nice. But not as fashionable as J-girls (what I saw in Tokyo). The cuteness obsession exists here too. You’ll see Hello Kitty, that bitch, parading around on bags and motorcycle helmets.

If you have teaching experience, it’s very easy to live in Taipei, rent you’re own studio apartment, buy a scooter and save USD$1000/month, if you’re willing to put in the hours (I’d guess for that much, 25-30 hrs. a week… depending on how much money you spend getting into clubs to meet girls).

Good luck.

actually, taiwan wanna be, taiwan is a sub-prefecture of Japan and you will feel completely at home, Hello Kitty SMAP and all the rest, including late night AV porn stuff on TV. You could just tell your friends you are moving to southernmost Japan, otherwise known as Taiwan-ken. Sushi rules, even those reovlving sushi plate places are here. Just think of Taiwan as a long trip to Chinatown in Yokohammer.

I read somewhere that while Taipei was ranked in the top 3 or 5 of the best places for expats to live in Asia, Fukuoka ranked first. Can anyone that has lived there tell me why. I am curious and want to go take a look.