Hong Kong versus Tokyo

If you live on the other side of the world, you might consider that Tokyo and Hong Kong are not that far apart (1,796 miles as the crow flies).

Certainly, the time it takes to fly from one to the other (around 5 hours) is not too crazy. Both cities are major business hubs, both have lots of neon, and both have an alphabet you probably won’t understand… But is that where the similarities end?

Let’s dig a bit deeper and compare one city to the other in more detail.

What country are they both in?

We’re not trying to insult your intelligence here: we’re pretty sure that you already know that Tokyo is the capital of Japan, and therefore totally under Japanese rule.

But when it comes to Hong Kong, there’s a slightly more complex scenario. Hong Kong is known as a Special Administrative Region of China (along with Macau).

What this means is that although the city is a part of China, it has a separate political system, operates under a capitalist economy and has its own laws.

In essence, this means that if you were to travel from Hong Kong into China, you would need a visa. However, because Tokyo is in Japan, there’s no need for an additional visa to travel outside of the city.

Can I get by with speaking English, or am I going to need another language?

In Hong Kong, the official languages are Chinese (Cantonese) and English. However, Chinese (Mandarin) is also widely accepted.

All the signs are in English as well as Chinese, and if you live and work in an expat area, then you’re going to be surrounded by people who speak English.

In Tokyo there is only one official language – Japanese. However, within the business world you’ll find that many people do speak English. It’s also taught in schools.

In other scenarios, it’s less likely that you’ll come across people that speak English. But as the world evolves, English is creeping more and more into the psyche of Japan – especially within major cities such as Tokyo.

Of course, in both cities you’ll be far better off by learning a few words of the local language. Not only is it good manners, but it’s also fun to do.

For instance, the website “Meet Up”, offers free Mandarin and Cantonese tutorials once a week in Tsim Sha Tsui.

There’s a similar group going in Tokyo, although it appears that after the first trial lesson there is a small charge.

What about the climate?

The climate in Hong Kong is sub-tropical, meaning that there are four distinct seasons. Winter is dry and a comfortable temperature (16.5 degrees Celsius to 23.2 degrees Celsius).

Spring is warmer (21.4 – 28.4 degrees Celsius) and more humid. Rainfall increases too – and the weather is somewhat unstable.

Summer is a time of very unstable weather, as well as being hot (above 30 degrees Celsius) and very humid. There are also thunderstorms and the possibility of typhoons.

Autumn is still hot (19.8 – 30.1 degrees Celsius) but the humidity and rainfall are less.

Tokyo also has a humid sub-tropical climate. Winters are mild, there is no dry season (it’s constantly moist with year round rainfall) – although January tends to be the driest month.

August is the warmest month, with temperatures averaging around 27.3 degrees Celsius. January is the coldest month, with an average temperature of around 5.1 degrees Celsius.

Is it easy to find employment?

Hong Kong has long been a destination for expats to live and work. Being a business centre for the Asian world you can expect to find employment opportunities in pretty much every sector.

Check out Jobs DB and Monster HK for current vacancies.

In the past, expat employees in Tokyo tended to be hired directly by the companies that needed them.

However, with an increasingly aging population, the Japanese Government has accepted that they need foreign workers to make up the shortfall of suitable nationals to fill positions.

To this end they are actively encouraging highly skilled foreigners and construction workers to its shores (especially in the run up to the Tokyo Olympics in 2020).

There are now two employment centres for foreigners in Tokyo. Employment websites are now beginning to pop up for non-Japanese job hunters, such as GTN Jobs and Gaijin Pot.

What about the cost of living?

 Apart from housing costs, the cost of living in Tokyo is higher than in Hong Kong.

According to crowd sourcing website, Expatistan, Food is 10% higher in Tokyo, the cost of clothing is 18% more, transportation 24% more and entertainment 28% more.

However, housing in Tokyo costs around 23% less in the Japanese capital city.

Ah yes, housing. Is it true that all living space in Hong Kong is cramped?

It’s well known that Hong Kong has one of the densest populations in the world.

That’s one reason there’s so many high-rise buildings. Because of this, living space is naturally at a premium. Apartments and the like tend to be on the small side – especially if you come from a place like the US or Australia where there’s pretty much all the space you could need.

Depending on where you’re able to afford to live, you can find some extremely luxurious accommodation in Hong Kong – such as The Peak or Repulse Bay.

In Tokyo space is not quite so much of an issue – although, once again, the more spacious and luxurious the accommodation, the higher the price.

And last but not least, what about air pollution?

It’s true, there is an issue with pollution in Hong Kong. Not only is the population very high, but toxins tend to drift down from China, causing problems too.

You can check out real time air pollution in the city at aqicn.org. However, the government is undertaking a number of solutions to improve the problem, including a reduction on smoke and exhaust gases, an Air Quality Health Index, and lots of advice about what residents can do to help.

Tokyo too has its own pollution issues. Since 1965 the main problem was smoke from factories, but measures have improved and today the Environmental Quality Standards have almost been met.

Once again, the government is putting measures in place to improve this further. Aqicn.org provides real time air pollutions statistics here as well.