I spent a week in Tokyo, this is what shocked me.

So first i want to say that's it's been a while since my last blog, life took over and i had no time to maintain the continuation, but just last week i went to Tokyo for the first time and i will now explain what left me shocked.

if you have read any of my previous blogs, you will know that i live in Japan already, I've made a few trips to different cities so i have an understanding to compare each city to each other and more importantly Tokyo, Japan's capital city.

My first shock was actually how busy it is, all day, every day. I knew it was going to be a busy, bustling city but i never expected it to be how it is. We used the subways to get around the city and only a handful of stops were actually pretty quiet, the trains too which made it easier to get around.

Now, like all capital and major cities around the world, Tokyo has its problems, less in comparison to other cities but problems none the less. One problem is lack of empathy, we have a baby with us, and she was in her pushchair the entire time. Nobody even attempted to move out of the priority space for pushchairs or even wheelchairs which meant we had to stand in the doorway which wasn't ideal for passengers getting on and off. The swinging bags nearly hitting my daughter gave me a lot of stress, i came to a quick summarisation of Tokyo in less than 24 hours………………. Tokyo is not for families!

Problems kept showing themselves thick and fast, the arrogance and self-importance of Tokyo's people showed every second, nobody wanted to move out of your way, nobody was helpful, everybody was simply nasty!

Then there's the foreigners, the same self-importance and arrogance as the locals, which is unusual considering they live in tiny Leo Palace flats (like living in a capsule hotel but with a floor and a kitchen). They all looked ugly too, don't get me wrong I'm not exactly the most attractive man in the world, but seeing that lot gave me confidence in my looks. The huge foreheads, patchy beards (guys too), the obesity, large noses, crooked noses, wonky eyes and body odour, never have i ever seen an uglier bunch of people in my life.

The way they looked down on me and family like they have anything that i don't, i have a job, a house, wife, baby, a car, i have everything i want and more, they have ugly kids, partners and the rest, like the old saying goes "Don't judge". 

Out of the genders the women didn't fair too well, doing their best to judge looking how they did, the ones with Japanese partners are really punching above their weight. The guys were handsome and could have any woman they wanted, yet they chose a woman who looked like a witch! Either she has a really good personality, or his sight is incredibly poor, i have money on the latter.

The foreigners there have the `I live in Tokyo, therefore I'm better than you` vibe going on, which essentially means `i work at an eikawa on little money but I'm arrogant enough to gaslight you`

Beyond these awful people, there is of course so much to see and do in Tokyo, don't let these empty-headed lot get to you.

We visited pretty much everywhere in Tokyo, the Skytree, Tower, MET building, Shibuya crossing, Senso-ji, Asakusa, Shinjuku, Roppongi etc.

Because we visited just before Christmas, the lights and markets are up and running and in full swing, but are they any good? As an Englishman who has visited many Christmas markets in England, it was my duty to check on what was on offer here. The German tourist board and embassy have teamed up to create so many markets around Tokyo to give us the Christmas feeling which means it should be good, no….it has to be good!

I was proven wrong, every single market was the exact same thing, bratwurst, beer and hot chocolate, you just need to decide which shape, size and price before you take the dip. The lights were often wonderful, but what is a market without anything to buy for your Christmas setup at home? i can't take an open cup of hot chocolate home with me 3 days later, it was hopeless to feel what we say in England "Christmassy".

Overall Tokyo was fun, the air was thick, the foreigners were poor quality, the Christmas feeling was severely lacking and most importantly it wasn't for families. Will i go again, it's a resounding yes but will i go with family? only when my kids are grown up. The lack of lifts in the stations were disgraceful, showing a lack of respect for young families.

It was nice to meet you Tokyo, but you should be more like Yokohama, family friendly and like Osaka, friendly to everyone!