Advice I live in Tokyo, ask me anything

[Rance]

Hi all, I just joined this forum because I'm interesting in geomaxxing. Looking to move to China soon to teach English. Thought I would first provide my current experience.

I moved to Tokyo two years ago. I went to a language school and then got a job in software.

In my two years I've had a lot of good sexual experiences and dated several girls. I can tell you anything about the various areas of the city, what to do and what to avoid, things to look out for, where to have various types of fun, etc.

I also worked part-time in the nightlife in Kabukicho and I've seen a lot of scandalous shit.

My first foray into dating was with HelloTalk which was insanely effective so I can speak to that as well.

Not sure what people would be interested in hearing specifically so feel free to ask.

 

[14passport]

Have you noticed a lot of difference knowing no japanese vs being fluent? when it comes to dating

cause from my observations i see lots of japanese girls that would love to date foreigners but they speak 0 english
all the guys i know that speak japanese have ascended a lot
while normies that don't speak jp have struggled quite a bit (relative to how easy some asian countries are)

 

[Rance]

Have you noticed a lot of difference knowing no japanese vs being fluent? when it comes to dating

cause from my observations i see lots of japanese girls that would love to date foreigners but they speak 0 english
all the guys i know that speak japanese have ascended a lot
while normies that don't speak jp have struggled quite a bit (relative to how easy some asian countries are)

It's ludicrously important to speak Japanese. On an average night out you frequently see tourists getting mogged by expats because the tourists just can't communicate properly. Not only can the expats communicate, but they understand cultural nuances and "walk the walk." If I had to sum it up in a sentence a lot of Japanese girls want a "Japanese guy in a foreign body." The non-verbals like eye contact, volume, knowing when to speak and when to not, hand gestures, etc. are actually a huge part of proper game. This would also apply to things like fashion: sunglasses, backpacks, shorts, backwards baseball caps, etc. scream tourist and hurt your chances.

The great thing is you do NOT need that much Japanese to be successful, at all. I'd say a weak JLPT N4 level will cover most of the language you need to date casually. You can do it in several months. A tiny bit of Japanese is always better than none.

Also note that a lot of Japanese girls do speak decent English but are just embarrassed or unwilling to speak it. If you make it clear that you can use Japanese as a "safety net", many are happy to speak about 50/50 English and Japanese.

 

[predeterminism]

I also worked part-time in the nightlife in Kabukicho and I've seen a lot of scandalous shit.

like what

 

[predeterminism]

The non-verbals like eye contact, volume, knowing when to speak and when to not, hand gestures, etc. are actually a huge part of proper game.

so just not having diagnosed autism then?

yeah thats gonna be hard because 95% of geomaxxers have autism so makes sense

 

[BeardedUnicorn]

Hi all, I just joined this forum because I'm interesting in geomaxxing. Looking to move to China soon to teach English. Thought I would first provide my current experience.

I moved to Tokyo two years ago. I went to a language school and then got a job in software.

In my two years I've had a lot of good sexual experiences and dated several girls. I can tell you anything about the various areas of the city, what to do and what to avoid, things to look out for, where to have various types of fun, etc.

I also worked part-time in the nightlife in Kabukicho and I've seen a lot of scandalous shit.

My first foray into dating was with HelloTalk which was insanely effective so I can speak to that as well.

Not sure what people would be interested in hearing specifically so feel free to ask.

lets cut to the chase, hows the cooming? prices for whores? how easy are the women? will they willingly open up their yellow holes for subpar excess white males from western countries?

 

[BeardedUnicorn]

It's ludicrously important to speak Japanese. On an average night out you frequently see tourists getting mogged by expats because the tourists just can't communicate properly. Not only can the expats communicate, but they understand cultural nuances and "walk the walk." If I had to sum it up in a sentence a lot of Japanese girls want a "Japanese guy in a foreign body." The non-verbals like eye contact, volume, knowing when to speak and when to not, hand gestures, etc. are actually a huge part of proper game. This would also apply to things like fashion: sunglasses, backpacks, shorts, backwards baseball caps, etc. scream tourist and hurt your chances.

The great thing is you do NOT need that much Japanese to be successful, at all. I'd say a weak JLPT N4 level will cover most of the language you need to date casually. You can do it in several months. A tiny bit of Japanese is always better than none.

Also note that a lot of Japanese girls do speak decent English but are just embarrassed or unwilling to speak it. If you make it clear that you can use Japanese as a "safety net", many are happy to speak about 50/50 English and Japanese.

I would love to see some narcy blonde chadlite who posts lifestyle instagram reels get brutally culture mogged by some average looking weeb who speaks fluent jap lol

 

[BeardedUnicorn]

It's ludicrously important to speak Japanese. On an average night out you frequently see tourists getting mogged by expats because the tourists just can't communicate properly. Not only can the expats communicate, but they understand cultural nuances and "walk the walk." If I had to sum it up in a sentence a lot of Japanese girls want a "Japanese guy in a foreign body." The non-verbals like eye contact, volume, knowing when to speak and when to not, hand gestures, etc. are actually a huge part of proper game. This would also apply to things like fashion: sunglasses, backpacks, shorts, backwards baseball caps, etc. scream tourist and hurt your chances.

The great thing is you do NOT need that much Japanese to be successful, at all. I'd say a weak JLPT N4 level will cover most of the language you need to date casually. You can do it in several months. A tiny bit of Japanese is always better than none.

Also note that a lot of Japanese girls do speak decent English but are just embarrassed or unwilling to speak it. If you make it clear that you can use Japanese as a "safety net", many are happy to speak about 50/50 English and Japanese.

eh maybe one day but sounds like alot of effort. I have developed yellow fever but was never a weeb so any yellow hole is okay with me

 

[Rance]

like what

My longest gig was working in a yakuza "strip club". Unsurprisingly it is actually managed by Nigerians and most of the clientele are foreign tourists. I spent most of my time drinking beer and watching the cameras with my buddy, but the business revolved around getting tourists to spend as much money as possible, hooking customers up with P4P, making sure people weren't doing dumb shit with cocaine (which may have been sold on the premises but I had nothing to do with), and chasing down people who owed money.

People online do not stop spouting about how Kabukicho is "dangerous" and you should "never go there". In reality it's completely fine if you keep your head on straight and don't drink in random bars with nobody in them. I have seen people beat up, robbed, milked for money until their credit cards are at limit. But without fail it's always tourists who go way in over their head and act like nothing can hurt them. Therefore if anyone is interested in going to Kabukicho in particular I can give some general guidelines and help them have a fun time without having a bad memory.

so just not having diagnosed autism then?

yeah thats gonna be hard because 95% of geomaxxers have autism so makes sense

Having autism/not understanding social cues will cripple you for sure, more so than in the West. But what I meant was specifically in regard to Japanese mannerisms, which can be easily learned by neuronormies.

 

[Rance]

lets cut to the chase, hows the cooming? prices for whores? how easy are the women? will they willingly open up their yellow holes for subpar excess white males from western countries?

P4P isn't cheap compared to places like Southeast Asia but the best part is that you get to enjoy a vibrant, clean, and relatively safe city while having unfettered access to prostitutes whenever you like. There are reputable places to go where you have no chance of being scammed. The girls are proud of the work they do.

Full service will usually run 15000 to 25000 yen (so maybe $100-$170 USD). There are places that offer only lighter services like oral which will run you maybe $60, or a handjob for $40. You go up to the counter and pick a girl out of the book. A male staff member takes you to a nearby love hotel (paid for by the establishment). You hand over the money and 5 minutes later the girl arrives, you get 40-60 minutes (or pay for more time), then go your separate ways.

Protip for P4P: the "lighter" the service, the more beautiful the girls are. Prostitutes offering full service are usually "career prostitutes" and not as beautiful. Women offering only oral sex are often cute university students just trying to get some extra cash.

Non-P4P: White guys will do better in Japan than in the West but not nearly the level of SMV boost you'd see somewhere like Thailand or the Philippines. There is of course a certain look that the Japanese girls like: thin body, light skin, clean shaven, long hair, narrow face, "pointy" features like nose and chin. I sometimes see tall, tan, jacked guys with square faces get blown out and they don't understand why. Chads in the West but just not the beauty standard of Japan.

Japanese women are extremely sexual and tie little importance to the act of sex itself. On the plus side, this means quick lays are easy to come by. On the negative side, forming meaningful relationships can be difficult, and cheating is incredibly rampant.

 

[BeardedUnicorn]

P4P isn't cheap compared to places like Southeast Asia but the best part is that you get to enjoy a vibrant, clean, and relatively safe city while having unfettered access to prostitutes whenever you like. There are reputable places to go where you have no chance of being scammed. The girls are proud of the work they do.

Full service will usually run 15000 to 25000 yen (so maybe $100-$170 USD). There are places that offer only lighter services like oral which will run you maybe $60, or a handjob for $40. You go up to the counter and pick a girl out of the book. A male staff member takes you to a nearby love hotel (paid for by the establishment). You hand over the money and 5 minutes later the girl arrives, you get 40-60 minutes (or pay for more time), then go your separate ways.

Protip for P4P: the "lighter" the service, the more beautiful the girls are. Prostitutes offering full service are usually "career prostitutes" and not as beautiful. Women offering only oral sex are often cute university students just trying to get some extra cash.

Non-P4P: White guys will do better in Japan than in the West but not nearly the level of SMV boost you'd see somewhere like Thailand or the Philippines. There is of course a certain look that the Japanese girls like: thin body, light skin, clean shaven, long hair, narrow face, "pointy" features like nose and chin. I sometimes see tall, tan, jacked guys with square faces get blown out and they don't understand why. Chads in the West but just not the beauty standard of Japan.

Japanese women are extremely sexual and tie little importance to the act of sex itself. On the plus side, this means quick lays are easy to come by. On the negative side, forming meaningful relationships can be difficult, and cheating is incredibly rampant.

insanely based write up. you and cool are seriously making me consider japan now lol.

 

[Orientalist]

Age? I assume you needed to grind to at least like B1-B2 Japanese in order to land the software job? I'm trying to figure out for the life of me how a foreigner can get a relatively high-paying (tech) job that lets me live in Asia instead of cucking myself in the US.
And why are you switching to China? Especially if that entails a whole new language to learn again

 

[AlexBrown84]

This would also apply to things like fashion: sunglasses, backpacks, shorts, backwards baseball caps, etc. scream tourist and hurt your chances.

@BeardedUnicorn @kamster and you fools called me crazy for telling you not to wear shorts, backpacks, and to wear long sleeves and pants like me when in asia

it’s cuz they taught this at langley

 

[Orientalist]

@BeardedUnicorn @kamster and you fools called me crazy for telling you not to wear shorts, backpacks, and to wear long sleeves and pants like me when in asia

it’s cuz they taught this at langley

Got fashion mogged by viet girls wearing 2 layers in 90°F and never wore shorts again

 

[Rance]

Age? I assume you needed to grind to at least like B1-B2 Japanese in order to land the software job? I'm trying to figure out for the life of me how a foreigner can get a relatively high-paying (tech) job that lets me live in Asia instead of cucking myself in the US.
And why are you switching to China? Especially if that entails a whole new language to learn again

Mid-20s when I arrived, and still am.

Yeah, a strong B1 or weak B2 is about JLPT N2 which is generally the minimum requirement for tech jobs, and jobs in general. There are companies like Rakuten and Mercari that hire non-speakers but they're competitive, lower pay, and tiring working conditions. I got really lucky and despite only having JLPT N3-ish Japanese (maybe a weak B1 or very strong A2), I got the job because of prior work experience and education. I am in more of a business role than a developer role, and the small firm I work is highly international and uses a bit of English.

My job is hard and doesn't pay very well. I started learning Chinese casually about six months ago because I was dating a girl from China. One day I got curious about jobs in China and realized English teachers there made more than I do here, with a lower cost of living to boot. I think it would be interesting to speak three languages and have a new experience so I'm going all-in on the plan now. The geomaxxing doesn't hurt either.

Unfortunately learning Japanese to the N2 level without actually living in Japan is a brutal puzzle that many people try to solve and few succeed. The people I've seen get to N2/N1 level have all been extremely dedicated to an obsessive level.

 

[Rance]

@BeardedUnicorn @kamster and you fools called me crazy for telling you not to wear shorts, backpacks, and to wear long sleeves and pants like me when in asia

it’s cuz they taught this at langley

Long sleeves aren't so important in Japan, but there is a certain t-shirt cut that a lot of guys wear. Sleeves down to the elbows, and very baggy. I think they are usually referred to as "oversize" or "box cut" t-shirts in English.

 

[Rance]

insanely based write up. you and cool are seriously making me consider japan now lol.

I regret nothing but I wouldn't recommend it in general unless you have a strong attachment to the culture (read as: you are a weeaboo). Japan is probably better for geomaxxing than Korea and Taiwan but that's it.

 

[BeardedUnicorn]

@BeardedUnicorn @kamster and you fools called me crazy for telling you not to wear shorts, backpacks, and to wear long sleeves and pants like me when in asia

it’s cuz they taught this at langley

nah still not compromising on that in thailand lol.

 

[AlexBrown84]

Got fashion mogged by viet girls wearing 2 layers in 90°F and never wore shorts again

it’s so easy to mog the viet retard expats that live there in terms of fashion who constantly wear flip flops, shorts, and tank tops, showing their shit tats

almost hilariously easy

 

[AlexBrown84]

Long sleeves aren't so important in Japan, but there is a certain t-shirt cut that a lot of guys wear. Sleeves down to the elbows, and very baggy. I think they are usually referred to as "oversize" or "box cut" t-shirts in English.

yea uniqlo sells them

the airism line i believe

good for normie westerners that have no style and want to fit in

but for me that retail stuff doesn’t cut it for me anymore

i need vintage everything

 

[AlexBrown84]

nah still not compromising on that in thailand lol.

then continue to be just another sardine in the flock of western expats

 

[Orientalist]

Mid-20s when I arrived, and still am.

Yeah, a strong B1 or weak B2 is about JLPT N2 which is generally the minimum requirement for tech jobs, and jobs in general. There are companies like Rakuten and Mercari that hire non-speakers but they're competitive, lower pay, and tiring working conditions. I got really lucky and despite only having JLPT N3-ish Japanese (maybe a weak B1 or very strong A2), I got the job because of prior work experience and education. I am in more of a business role than a developer role, and the small firm I work is highly international and uses a bit of English.

My job is hard and doesn't pay very well. I started learning Chinese casually about six months ago because I was dating a girl from China. One day I got curious about jobs in China and realized English teachers there made more than I do here, with a lower cost of living to boot. I think it would be interesting to speak three languages and have a new experience so I'm going all-in on the plan now. The geomaxxing doesn't hurt either.

Unfortunately learning Japanese to the N2 level without actually living in Japan is a brutal puzzle that many people try to solve and few succeed. The people I've seen get to N2/N1 level have all been extremely dedicated to an obsessive level.

Oh yeah I read OP as you having worked as a teacher for 2 years, not having attended the language school. Refold/MIA/AJATT if you're not familiar with it. Yeah teaching in China isn't bad at all. If you're willing to work full time, 25k+ CNY/month isn't hard and outside Shanghai that's solid as hell for QOL and enough to save a bit. I contemplate the matter constantly

nah still not compromising on that in thailand lol.

You don't really even feel much hotter since it blocks the sun

 

[Rance]

Oh yeah I read OP as you having worked as a teacher for 2 years, not having attended the language school. Refold/MIA/AJATT if you're not familiar with it. Yeah teaching in China isn't bad at all. If you're willing to work full time, 25k+ CNY/month isn't hard and outside Shanghai that's solid as hell for QOL and enough to save a bit. I contemplate the matter constantly

Oh yeah, I've never taught but I have friends who do. In Japan you basically either go:

1. ALT route - placed in rural town in the middle of bumfuck nowhere, shitty pay ($25,000 ?), bored to tears
2. Eikaiwa route - work 45 hours a week, have to do dancing monkey tasks like selling textbooks, also shitty pay ($30,000 ?)

25k CNY/month is about what I'm aiming for in China with zero experience which is over $40,000 USD a year. If I could manage to get a job in Chengdu or Chongqing, which are fun but extremely affordable cities, I'd basically be rolling in cash.

I have never been to China, but it also seems like the social status of English teachers is relatively higher. When you tell a girl you're an English teacher in Japan it doesn't do you any favors. In China, it seems like a more white-collar position socially which I'm happy about. I don't carry any judgement about this myself (I worked part-time as a glorified thug) but it's good for dating.

 

[Orientalist]

Oh yeah, I've never taught but I have friends who do. In Japan you basically either go:

1. ALT route - placed in rural town in the middle of bumfuck nowhere, shitty pay ($25,000 ?), bored to tears
2. Eikaiwa route - work 45 hours a week, have to do dancing monkey tasks like selling textbooks, also shitty pay ($30,000 ?)

25k CNY/month is about what I'm aiming for in China with zero experience which is over $40,000 USD a year. If I could manage to get a job in Chengdu or Chongqing, which are fun but extremely affordable cities, I'd basically be rolling in cash.

I have never been to China, but it also seems like the social status of English teachers is relatively higher. When you tell a girl you're an English teacher in Japan it doesn't do you any favors. In China, it seems like a more white-collar position socially which I'm happy about.

1000% brah - being a teacher is somewhat high status because of Confucianism, and Chengdu and Chongqing is also exactly what I was thinking. I've only been to the former but it was pretty sweet and seems like a pretty underrated spot to be an expat
Not surprised it's brutal in Japan. Never looked into it because I've heard it's basically dying in there and Korea, and Taiwan is next or something? In China, not only is it not dead-end like SEA but TEFL actually gets you real career trajectory especially if you grind additional accredation like a master's in education online or whatever; you can work at prestigious private schools etc. and work up to like 40k/month

 

[AlexBrown84]

I have never been to China, but it also seems like the social status of English teachers is relatively higher. When you tell a girl you're an English teacher in Japan it doesn't do you any favors. In China, it seems like a more white-collar position socially which I'm happy about. I don't carry any judgement about this myself (I worked part-time as a glorified thug) but it's good for dating.

you should explore the country before settling on living in a city, especially when it’s not an obvious one such as shanghai/guangzhou/shenzhen. i just spent the entire summer traveling around the country and have settled which city i’ll move to.

and on the point of social status of teachers in china, it’s due to confucian teaching i reckon, especially in tier 2 non coastal cities where historical colonization hasn’t influenced it too much. compared to korea and japan, basically american colonies nowadays

 

[Rance]

1000% brah - being a teacher is somewhat high status because of Confucianism, and Chengdu and Chongqing is also exactly what I was thinking. I've only been to the former but it was pretty sweet and seems like a pretty underrated spot to be an expat
Not surprised it's brutal in Japan. Never looked into it because I've heard it's basically dying in there and Korea, and Taiwan is next or something? In China, not only is it not dead-end like SEA but TEFL actually gets you real career trajectory especially if you grind additional accredation like a master's in education online or whatever; you can work at prestigious private schools etc. and work up to like 40k/month

I personally doubt Korea and Taiwan are next. Korea has a similar program to JET called EPIK with similarly poor salaries. It's also probably the worst place in Asia to geomaxx for dating. As for Taiwan, I've been there, it's alright but far too small and modest to be amount to much. Taipei is a surprisingly boring city.

I have a master's in an unrelated subject so I'm trying to swing that into teaching a subject at a university. The pay isn't that much different though so I'd be happy to teach at a secondary school. But 10000%, as you say, going down the career teaching path seems to have crazy opportunities in China.

 

[AlexBrown84]

and i will caution you guys on chengdu/chongqing

i was fixated on chengdu and was going to settle on it after having gone there, but when monitoring the air quality and summer temperatures, decided to cross it out

there were days when it was 100 degrees at 3pm plus 120+ aqi lol fuck that

and chongqing is way too crowded and hilly for me. reminds of me of itaewon times 10 in korea. no rental bicycles are available because of this

 

[Rance]

you should explore the country before settling on living in a city, especially when it’s not an obvious one such as shanghai/guangzhou/shenzhen. i just spent the entire summer traveling around the country and have settled which city i’ll move to.

and on the point of social status of teachers in china, it’s due to confucian teaching i reckon, especially in tier 2 non coastal cities where historical colonization hasn’t influenced it too much. compared to korea and japan, basically american colonies nowadays

Unfortunately visa restrictions make casual visitation as a tourist quite complicated. I'm an American citizen so I'd have to wait 3 months for clearance among some other complexities. Teaching contracts are year-to-year, so I don't think I'll be too tied down.

I do think Chengdu and Chongqing are kind of among the ranks of the other major cities. I've read a lot of good things. I agree that seeing it with my own eyes would be better, but I can make do.

My current ordered preference list would be something like:

1. Chongqing
2. Chengdu
3. Shanghai
4. Shenzhen
5. Guangzhou
6. Beijing

Edit: Saw your next post. Damn, I'll have to do research on the air quality. I personally like super hot temperatures but there's also a good probability the schools won't have air conditioning. As for the crowdedness and hilliness, I'm all for it. Weirdly kinda don't mind riding the crowded sardine can trains in Tokyo at rush hour

 

[AlexBrown84]

Unfortunately visa restrictions make casual visitation as a tourist quite complicated. I'm an American citizen so I'd have to wait 3 months for clearance among some other complexities. Teaching contracts are year-to-year, so I don't think I'll be too tied down.

I do think Chengdu and Chongqing are kind of among the ranks of the other major cities. I've read a lot of good things. I agree that seeing it with my own eyes would be better, but I can make do.

My current ordered preference list would be something like:

1. Chongqing
2. Chengdu
3. Shanghai
4. Shenzhen
5. Guangzhou
6. Beijing

i’m american also

you work for gov or something? then i understand about visa problems

if not, just fly to hong kong and apply for a 10 year visa there. got mine in like 3 days which allows me to stay 2 months at a time. i would then take a train to hong kong for a visa run and repeated this process twice

and good choice putting beijing last lol. although good place for work/academia and such

 

[Orientalist]

Unfortunately visa restrictions make casual visitation as a tourist quite complicated. I'm an American citizen so I'd have to wait 3 months for clearance among some other complexities. Teaching contracts are year-to-year, so I don't think I'll be too tied down.

I do think Chengdu and Chongqing are kind of among the ranks of the other major cities. I've read a lot of good things. I agree that seeing it with my own eyes would be better, but I can make do.

My current ordered preference list would be something like:

1. Chongqing
2. Chengdu
3. Shanghai
4. Shenzhen
5. Guangzhou
6. Beijing

It took me a week to get a visa in Ho Chi Minh City tf? Maybe you could apply for the 10 year visa while you're at it

and i will caution you guys on chengdu/chongqing

i was fixated on chengdu and was going to settle on it after having gone there, but when monitoring the air quality and summer temperatures, decided to cross it out

there were days when it was 100 degrees at 3pm plus 120+ aqi lol fuck that

and chongqing is way too crowded and hilly for me. reminds of me of itaewon times 10 in korea. no rental bicycles are available because of this

Any suggestions for T1s besides Shanghai? Besides that and CQ next year I'll hit Guangzhou and Xi'an but need at least 1 or 2 more

 

[Rance]

i’m american also

you work for gov or something? then i understand about visa problems

if not, just fly to hong kong and apply for a 10 year visa there. got mine in like 3 days which allows me to stay 2 months at a time. i would then take a train to hong kong for a visa run and repeated this process twice

and good choice putting beijing last lol. although good place for work/academia and such

I might have gotten confused about the tourist visa, didn't look too much into it. No government work or anything like that. I'll see how fast I can get it from Japan vs. U.S. vs. Hong Kong

Beijing just doesn't seem like the juice is worth the squeeze relative to property prices. Might as well be in Shanghai.

 

[Orientalist]

Beijing just doesn't seem like the juice is worth the squeeze relative to property prices. Might as well be in Shanghai.

There's tourist stuff in the center but other than that it's really quite boring and most Chinese people agree

 

[AlexBrown84]

It took me a week to get a visa in Ho Chi Minh City tf? Maybe you could apply for the 10 year visa while you're at it

Any suggestions for T1s besides Shanghai? Besides that and CQ next year I'll hit Guangzhou and Xi'an but need at least 1 or 2 more

none other

only benefit of shenzhen is being close to hong kong while having cheaper QOL

 

[Orientalist]

none other

only benefit of shenzhen is being close to hong kong while having cheaper QOL

I got bored of Hong Kong after a week ngl but I also did no research

 

[cool]

Hi all, I just joined this forum because I'm interesting in geomaxxing. Looking to move to China soon to teach English. Thought I would first provide my current experience.

I moved to Tokyo two years ago. I went to a language school and then got a job in software.

In my two years I've had a lot of good sexual experiences and dated several girls. I can tell you anything about the various areas of the city, what to do and what to avoid, things to look out for, where to have various types of fun, etc.

I also worked part-time in the nightlife in Kabukicho and I've seen a lot of scandalous shit.

My first foray into dating was with HelloTalk which was insanely effective so I can speak to that as well.

Not sure what people would be interested in hearing specifically so feel free to ask.

Another rance enjoyer, based. have you played rance X? I wish I could read japanese to experience it.

I just came to tokyo and I'll be here for a while so I have some stuff to ask, any advice would be appreciated.

What did you use for dating after hellotalk?

Where would you recommend to experience nightlife as a foriegner with bad japanese?

Do you wish you explored more in Asia before choosing to live and work in Tokyo for that long?

Any looksmaxxing you've done to fit more to Japanese standards?

How did you balance having fun and completing your tasks in Japan (school, language learning, work, etc.)

You look seem like really good user so I'm happy you found the forum

 

[DreadPirateRoberts]

how did you find this forum

 

[Rance]

Another rance enjoyer, based. have you played rance X? I wish I could read japanese to experience it.

I've only played Sengoku but I'm gonna try to play them chronologically when I get the chance. I just thought Rance would be a good analogy for this forum in reference to Sengoku, for obvious reasons.

What did you use for dating after hellotalk?

My HelloTalk era basically ended when I had enough connections that I didn't feel the need to check the app very much. I was meeting with a few girls I met on the app as well as some I had met in the nightlife in Shibuya. I was living in Shibuya at the time. I made friends with some club promoters and just started cruising on the relationships I made that way.

Where would you recommend to experience nightlife as a foriegner with bad japanese?

There are essentially four major hubs of nightlife in Tokyo:

1. Shibuya: the loudest and most flagrant hub of partying. It's the tourist attraction. You'll find the largest nightclubs, music, dancing, and international bars here. A typical night would begin at HUB (a British-themed pub chain), Tasuichi (a densely-packed foreigner bar)... or several others. From there you could go to one of the 10-12 nightclubs to make friends and hook up. The nightclub comparison is an entire post unto itself.
   
   Shibuya is the place to go for beginners. While it's the highest energy of the Tokyo locations, it's also the cleanest, safest, and most straight laced. It does what it says on the tin. It has the youngest clientele consisting of mostly 18-24 year old university students, young workers, and a fuck ton of tourists. People out in Shibuya want to have good, clean fun, to drink a bit, dance, and get lucky. You can be as stupid as you want here and never get yourself into trouble because it's a Disneyland for adults. Zero drugs, zero scams, zero prostitution.
   
   
2. Shinjuku: the most densely-packed sector of Tokyo, home to the notorious Kabukicho neighborhood. Shinjuku station is the largest train station on the planet in terms of daily passengers. There are several districts like 3-chome (known for izakaya) and 2-chome (known for gay nightlife) that have some cool drinking establishments, very much worth hanging out in with friends, but I won't go into them because they're mostly just hangout locations you'll go to after you've made friends. It would also make my writeup twice as long.
   
   We're going to focus on Kabukicho. Kabukicho is likely the largest red-light district in Asia outside of Bangkok and it's a huge cesspool of carnal pleasure. If you want something, it's here. You may be familiar with it because it's the setting of many of the Yakuza/Like a Dragon video games. Women pay fat stacks at the host clubs to talk to cute boys. Men pay to talk to women at the kyabakura. Girls bars, snack bars, kyabakura, strip clubs, cozy dive bars, karaoke bars, people drinking in alleyways, drugs, fetishes, whatever you can imagine. You may notice there are no police officers on the streets. The yakuza have an arrangement where the police don't patrol at night. It is the dark side to the light side of Shibuya's "clean fun".
   
   Infamous in Kabukicho are the African touts who will try to lure you to their bars for "titties" and "all you can drink". Half of them are yakuza pawns; the other half are cartel pawns. Several of these guys are my good friends and I want to dispel the stereotype that they're all scammers. Many of them have legitimate establishments where you can have a good time. But if even 10% of these bars are dangerous, that's reason enough for you to not follow them into bars when solicited, if you're alone. It can be more tempting than you think. If you have friends with you, it's okay to follow the touts, but do the sniff test when you get there and leave if the bar is empty or anything feels too "off". Nobody will ever physically touch you or force you to do anything, but they will use all manner of verbal tricks. Never use your credit card; cash will keep you safe.
   
   It is incredibly easy to get laid in Kabukicho but the girls you find will mostly be bartenders, dancers, prostitutes, DJs, and kyabajo. Aged 20-35. Real nightlife ladies who will reward you with the best nights of your life (like seriously, holy shit), but far from relationship material.
   
   There are also 3 great, "normal" nightclubs in Shinjuku where you'll find "normal" people. Two are in Kabukicho; one is just outside Kabukicho.
   
   I realize I may be spooking you a bit with Kabukicho but I promise it's not dangerous if you act like a sane human being. Nobody here ever gets into trouble unless they dig themselves into that trouble. It's a wonderful part of the city and you'll miss out on great fun if you skip it.
   
   
3. Roppongi: where people go after Shibuya if they still want to party past 4:30 AM. Clubs in Shibuya close at 4:30 AM or 5:00 AM except for Jumanji 33 which closes at 7:00 AM. The veteran partiers will take taxis to Roppongi somewhere in this time range. The nightclubs here close at 10:00 AM on weekends. There is a particular large bar called Blue Bar that is open until 2:00 PM on weekends. If you want to meet washed-up yakuza, depressed expats, and other such people in way over their heads, go to Blue Bar. Roppongi is the "advanced" location, there's no risk in checking it out, but don't get in over your head. I consider Roppongi to be more dangerous than Kabukicho because not only do you find the same kind of scammy establishments, but there's a police enforcement layer on top. I recommend never doing illegal drugs in Roppongi. If you decide to do this, do it in Kabukicho. If you absolutely must find yourself doing it in Roppongi, never leave a club with it on your person. Additionally, all of the P4P in Roppongi is scam or scam-adjacent. Do not go with the massage ladies.
   
   Roppongi is known for wealthy expats and semi-working girls. If you roll into a bar you'll quickly find girls glancing your way and speaking sweet words to you. They aren't prostitutes per se, but they want your wallet. This is another reason I consider Roppongi "advanced".
   
   As a final historical note, ten years ago (before my time), Roppongi used to be Shibuya. If you research old threads on Tokyo nightlife, you'll find a lot of people recommending Roppongi as the hub of partying. Those days are over.
   
   
4. Ikebukuro: I don't know much about it because I've only been here a handful of times but just think of it as a smaller and more dilapidated combo of Shibuya and Kabukicho. Some cool bars and very cheap prostitution. I don't recommend going here at all beyond just checking it out.

Note that everywhere I mention "on weekends", the same thing applies on weekdays, just an hour or two earlier. Tokyo never sleeps.

Wow, I wrote a lot here but if I had to give a general game plan it would be to hang out in Shibuya at first. Make solid friends and go with them to other places like Kabukicho. It won't take long for you to find people, Japanese or foreigners, who know the ins and outs and can introduce you to every aspect of the nightlife.

Do you wish you explored more in Asia before choosing to live and work in Tokyo for that long?

Not particularly. I didn't come to Japan with any kind of geomaxxing in mind, I just wanted to get good at Japanese. I only visited Taiwan which I wasn't crazy about.

If you do intend to visit multiple locations in Asia, Tokyo is a fine hub from which to do so.

Any looksmaxxing you've done to fit more to Japanese standards?

Honestly I fit the Japanese looks standard pretty well. I'd consider myself a 6.5 higher-tier normie in America but I meet all the "Japanese white boy" standards which probably boosts me to an 8 in Japan. The only thing I changed was my fashion. Look around you when you're out and keep a mental note of what the "cool guys" are wearing, then shop around. Go to Shimokitazawa for secondhand clothes.

How did you balance having fun and completing your tasks in Japan (school, language learning, work, etc.)

I had some rough breaks in language school where I skipped for a while, heavily influenced by my nightlife job in Kabukicho. I managed to snap out of that pretty quickly before graduating and I learned to stay straight. The only advice I can give is to always focus on the reason why you came here in the first place. If you are coming to Japan, your goals should be to learn Japanese, network with Japanese people, and carve out a good future for yourself.

I "made it", but many of my peers and friends did not. They started skipping classes (or even work), using drugs regularly, drinking around the clock, blowing their money on prostitutes and bottles.

If you have trouble with this kind of stuff I recommend living a little bit away from Shibuya and Shinjuku. After I lived in Shibuya, I literally lived inside Kabukicho. It did not help.

You look seem like really good user so I'm happy you found the forum

Thanks, likewise, I'm glad I found other people like yourself who I can have a good conversation with.

 

[anki]

My first foray into dating was with HelloTalk which was insanely effective so I can speak to that as well.

how direct were u about meeting when talking to ppl on hellotalk? did you allude to the fact you wanted ppl to 'show you around' or something in bio

i see a lot of girls have ''no romance'' in their bio on there but I assume they just mean ''i dont want indians to hit on me ''

 

[Mafumofu]

My first foray into dating was with HelloTalk which was insanely effective so I can speak to that as well.

How did you get people to respond ro your messages? What picture did you use? What is your facial anatomy like?

 

[14passport]

Long sleeves aren't so important in Japan, but there is a certain t-shirt cut that a lot of guys wear. Sleeves down to the elbows, and very baggy. I think they are usually referred to as "oversize" or "box cut" t-shirts in English.

Japanese/Korean/Chinese fashion is mostly casual, oversize and streetwear when it comes to the nightlife areas with young people
and yeah, it's ridiculous how bad westerners dress vs asians (exception for some in korea that adapt to the style)

 

[AlexBrown84]

Japanese/Korean/Chinese fashion is mostly casual, oversize and streetwear when it comes to the nightlife areas with young people
and yeah, it's ridiculous how bad westerners dress vs asians (exception for some in korea that adapt to the style)

you mean to tell me my jorts, sandals; and cross body bag isn’t stylish?

 

[14passport]

you mean to tell me my jorts, sandals; and cross body bag isn’t stylish?
View attachment 8659

can you blame them?
they still getting 100s of matches in bangkok lol

 

[Pained4ever]

@BeardedUnicorn @kamster and you fools called me crazy for telling you not to wear shorts, backpacks, and to wear long sleeves and pants like me when in asia

it’s cuz they taught this at langley

letting the sun cuck you is gay af so i agree with this

 

[Rance]

how direct were u about meeting when talking to ppl on hellotalk? did you allude to the fact you wanted ppl to 'show you around' or something in bio

i see a lot of girls have ''no romance'' in their bio on there but I assume they just mean ''i dont want indians to hit on me ''

Your bio should be agnostic, not overtly flirty. Something like
>Hi all, I'm (name)
> I'm new to Japan!
> 日本語がんばてる

The dance of HelloTalk is that both people know there's some kind of dating/romantic intention going on, but neither will say it. Don't address it, and only use subtle flirting. When women are on their way to meet you in-person they're thinking "cool, a language partner, but... maybe it could be something more... ooh idk". Then you work your game on them during the date.

As for the "no romance" thing in women's bios, this typically doesn't mean "no romance", it means "ugly guys please don't send me creepy messages."

HelloTalk being a non-dating app is both a strength and a weakness

 

[Rance]

How did you get people to respond ro your messages? What picture did you use? What is your facial anatomy like?

I almost never reached out first. I had too many messages to deal with.

HelloTalk shares attributes of both Instagram and Tinder:

The Instagram side: You will want to use the "Moments" feature to post interesting photos with funny little captions. They should demonstrate that you have an exciting and sophisticated life, while also relating to your home country or English language in some way. For example, I posted a photo of American Independence Day fireworks, then a photo of myself with them in the background. I explained the significance of the holiday. For another post, I just posted a photo of my dog. By doing this, you will collect likes, comments, and followers. You will be popping up on everyone's feed and they'll message you. Obviously your success will depend on how attractive you are. There is a powerful "social status" aspect here and I often received messages like "oh you're so popular on HelloTalk, I bet a bunch of pretty girls are messaging you huh."

The Tinder side: Your photos should be exactly as they would be on Tinder or any dating app. The only difference is that you should not be using overtly sexualized photos or any photos that scream you're looking for a date. No shirtless photos, flexing in the mirror, etc. (although I wouldn't use these on a dating app either tbh). Your direct messaging should be more or less how you do it on a dating app minus sexually-charged messages (you can do it if you're careful to be subtle) and with the addition of language/cultural exchange messages.

I personally tick most of the "white guy that Asian girls like" boxes like light skin, thin face, straight blond hair, blue eyes, thin and long nose. However, I am still plain looking and don't consider myself anything more than a normie in the West.

 

[14passport]

did you try western dating apps there? tinder/bumble

which other countries did you hit, just Japan and Taiwan?

 

[14passport]

Your bio should be agnostic, not overtly flirty. Something like
>Hi all, I'm (name)
> I'm new to Japan!
> 日本語がんばてる

The dance of HelloTalk is that both people know there's some kind of dating/romantic intention going on, but neither will say it. Don't address it, and only use subtle flirting. When women are on their way to meet you in-person they're thinking "cool, a language partner, but... maybe it could be something more... ooh idk". Then you work your game on them during the date.

As for the "no romance" thing in women's bios, this typically doesn't mean "no romance", it means "ugly guys please don't send me creepy messages."

HelloTalk being a non-dating app is both a strength and a weakness

any girl that agrees to meet with you, is looking for something more if you play your cards right
a loyal girl with a bf would never do that, she would most likely find same sex ppl to learn the language or would make it very clear they have bf

no romance is the equivalent of puting no ONS on dating apps
if you are hot enough, they will
it's mostly no ugly guys and to avoid being seen as a slut if any of their friends find their profile

 

[Pained4ever]

any girl that agrees to meet with you, is looking for something more if you play your cards right
a loyal girl with a bf would never do that, she would most likely find same sex ppl to learn the language or would make it very clear they have bf

loyal girl lmao

 

[BeardedUnicorn]

I've only played Sengoku but I'm gonna try to play them chronologically when I get the chance. I just thought Rance would be a good analogy for this forum in reference to Sengoku, for obvious reasons.



My HelloTalk era basically ended when I had enough connections that I didn't feel the need to check the app very much. I was meeting with a few girls I met on the app as well as some I had met in the nightlife in Shibuya. I was living in Shibuya at the time. I made friends with some club promoters and just started cruising on the relationships I made that way.



There are essentially four major hubs of nightlife in Tokyo:

1. Shibuya: the loudest and most flagrant hub of partying. It's the tourist attraction. You'll find the largest nightclubs, music, dancing, and international bars here. A typical night would begin at HUB (a British-themed pub chain), Tasuichi (a densely-packed foreigner bar)... or several others. From there you could go to one of the 10-12 nightclubs to make friends and hook up. The nightclub comparison is an entire post unto itself.
   
   Shibuya is the place to go for beginners. While it's the highest energy of the Tokyo locations, it's also the cleanest, safest, and most straight laced. It does what it says on the tin. It has the youngest clientele consisting of mostly 18-24 year old university students, young workers, and a fuck ton of tourists. People out in Shibuya want to have good, clean fun, to drink a bit, dance, and get lucky. You can be as stupid as you want here and never get yourself into trouble because it's a Disneyland for adults. Zero drugs, zero scams, zero prostitution.
   
   
2. Shinjuku: the most densely-packed sector of Tokyo, home to the notorious Kabukicho neighborhood. Shinjuku station is the largest train station on the planet in terms of daily passengers. There are several districts like 3-chome (known for izakaya) and 2-chome (known for gay nightlife) that have some cool drinking establishments, very much worth hanging out in with friends, but I won't go into them because they're mostly just hangout locations you'll go to after you've made friends. It would also make my writeup twice as long.
   
   We're going to focus on Kabukicho. Kabukicho is likely the largest red-light district in Asia outside of Bangkok and it's a huge cesspool of carnal pleasure. If you want something, it's here. You may be familiar with it because it's the setting of many of the Yakuza/Like a Dragon video games. Women pay fat stacks at the host clubs to talk to cute boys. Men pay to talk to women at the kyabakura. Girls bars, snack bars, kyabakura, strip clubs, cozy dive bars, karaoke bars, people drinking in alleyways, drugs, fetishes, whatever you can imagine. You may notice there are no police officers on the streets. The yakuza have an arrangement where the police don't patrol at night. It is the dark side to the light side of Shibuya's "clean fun".
   
   Infamous in Kabukicho are the African touts who will try to lure you to their bars for "titties" and "all you can drink". Half of them are yakuza pawns; the other half are cartel pawns. Several of these guys are my good friends and I want to dispel the stereotype that they're all scammers. Many of them have legitimate establishments where you can have a good time. But if even 10% of these bars are dangerous, that's reason enough for you to not follow them into bars when solicited, if you're alone. It can be more tempting than you think. If you have friends with you, it's okay to follow the touts, but do the sniff test when you get there and leave if the bar is empty or anything feels too "off". Nobody will ever physically touch you or force you to do anything, but they will use all manner of verbal tricks. Never use your credit card; cash will keep you safe.
   
   It is incredibly easy to get laid in Kabukicho but the girls you find will mostly be bartenders, dancers, prostitutes, DJs, and kyabajo. Aged 20-35. Real nightlife ladies who will reward you with the best nights of your life (like seriously, holy shit), but far from relationship material.
   
   There are also 3 great, "normal" nightclubs in Shinjuku where you'll find "normal" people. Two are in Kabukicho; one is just outside Kabukicho.
   
   I realize I may be spooking you a bit with Kabukicho but I promise it's not dangerous if you act like a sane human being. Nobody here ever gets into trouble unless they dig themselves into that trouble. It's a wonderful part of the city and you'll miss out on great fun if you skip it.
   
   
3. Roppongi: where people go after Shibuya if they still want to party past 4:30 AM. Clubs in Shibuya close at 4:30 AM or 5:00 AM except for Jumanji 33 which closes at 7:00 AM. The veteran partiers will take taxis to Roppongi somewhere in this time range. The nightclubs here close at 10:00 AM on weekends. There is a particular large bar called Blue Bar that is open until 2:00 PM on weekends. If you want to meet washed-up yakuza, depressed expats, and other such people in way over their heads, go to Blue Bar. Roppongi is the "advanced" location, there's no risk in checking it out, but don't get in over your head. I consider Roppongi to be more dangerous than Kabukicho because not only do you find the same kind of scammy establishments, but there's a police enforcement layer on top. I recommend never doing illegal drugs in Roppongi. If you decide to do this, do it in Kabukicho. If you absolutely must find yourself doing it in Roppongi, never leave a club with it on your person. Additionally, all of the P4P in Roppongi is scam or scam-adjacent. Do not go with the massage ladies.
   
   Roppongi is known for wealthy expats and semi-working girls. If you roll into a bar you'll quickly find girls glancing your way and speaking sweet words to you. They aren't prostitutes per se, but they want your wallet. This is another reason I consider Roppongi "advanced".
   
   As a final historical note, ten years ago (before my time), Roppongi used to be Shibuya. If you research old threads on Tokyo nightlife, you'll find a lot of people recommending Roppongi as the hub of partying. Those days are over.
   
   
4. Ikebukuro: I don't know much about it because I've only been here a handful of times but just think of it as a smaller and more dilapidated combo of Shibuya and Kabukicho. Some cool bars and very cheap prostitution. I don't recommend going here at all beyond just checking it out.

Note that everywhere I mention "on weekends", the same thing applies on weekdays, just an hour or two earlier. Tokyo never sleeps.

Wow, I wrote a lot here but if I had to give a general game plan it would be to hang out in Shibuya at first. Make solid friends and go with them to other places like Kabukicho. It won't take long for you to find people, Japanese or foreigners, who know the ins and outs and can introduce you to every aspect of the nightlife.



Not particularly. I didn't come to Japan with any kind of geomaxxing in mind, I just wanted to get good at Japanese. I only visited Taiwan which I wasn't crazy about.

If you do intend to visit multiple locations in Asia, Tokyo is a fine hub from which to do so.



Honestly I fit the Japanese looks standard pretty well. I'd consider myself a 6.5 higher-tier normie in America but I meet all the "Japanese white boy" standards which probably boosts me to an 8 in Japan. The only thing I changed was my fashion. Look around you when you're out and keep a mental note of what the "cool guys" are wearing, then shop around. Go to Shimokitazawa for secondhand clothes.



I had some rough breaks in language school where I skipped for a while, heavily influenced by my nightlife job in Kabukicho. I managed to snap out of that pretty quickly before graduating and I learned to stay straight. The only advice I can give is to always focus on the reason why you came here in the first place. If you are coming to Japan, your goals should be to learn Japanese, network with Japanese people, and carve out a good future for yourself.

I "made it", but many of my peers and friends did not. They started skipping classes (or even work), using drugs regularly, drinking around the clock, blowing their money on prostitutes and bottles.

If you have trouble with this kind of stuff I recommend living a little bit away from Shibuya and Shinjuku. After I lived in Shibuya, I literally lived inside Kabukicho. It did not help.



Thanks, likewise, I'm glad I found other people like yourself who I can have a good conversation with.

holy shit man, incredible info

 

[Rance]

did you try western dating apps there? tinder/bumble

which other countries did you hit, just Japan and Taiwan?

Never tried any of them myself but I heard Bumble is decent. Others including Tinder are wastelands of fake accounts and the occasional prostitute. Keep in mind that on Bumble you will mostly be finding highly-Westernized women with Western girl sensibilities.

any girl that agrees to meet with you, is looking for something more if you play your cards right
a loyal girl with a bf would never do that, she would most likely find same sex ppl to learn the language or would make it very clear they have bf

I sort of agree but I honestly think the woman riding the train to meet you really believes she's not going to do anything. It's not until you meet her that her desire overrides that mental block. If you make the move too early (i.e. over text) she is very likely to never meet you.

You see this with how she reacts to you trying to kiss her for example, "omg, what, are we kissing, haha, this is wrong, oh no, I can't do thiss... wait, why did you stop?" She's not playing or lying; what you're seeing is an inner struggle between loyalty and lust.