6 differences between Okinawa and Tokyo
After living 5 years in Tokyo, you get used to so many amenities when it comes to Okinawa last summer there were many things that surprised me a lot. Here's a list for those who probably have not been to Tokyo not it at all surprising but many who have gone to Tokyo will surprise you as happened to me:
1 - Banks: In Tokyo had two bank accounts, one with Citibank Japan and the other with Mitsubishi UFJ. Well, these banks are not in Okinawa, neither these nor others in Tokyo and Shinsei, Aozora Sumitomo and many others.
The only options in Okinawa are Mizuho, Yucho Ginko and the other 3 local banks; Ryukyus, Okinawa and Bank of Okinawa Kaiho.
In some places like at the gym I go now would not accept a bank that was not in Okinawa charged the monthly fee directly from your bank account, so I make my third play Yucho Ginko account. I decided on Yucho Ginko for being all over Japan and belonging to the government.
2 - Transportation: In Naha where I live now is the capital city of Okinawa is one of only 12.8km monorail to move around in Naha, a part of this "train" there is no other train on the island so that to go to any other city you have to go by bus or car. In Tokyo, single people usually do not have a car here in Okinawa but you probably have your own car to move.
I have not yet bought any car, just a scooter to get around town, so for now I'm seeing a lot of island, I have to always rely on my friends to go to Okinawan cities.
3 - konbinis: sure you all have heard of 7-Eleven or am / pm. Well, these two strings are not in Okinawa like many other chains conbinis there in Tokyo. In Okinawa there is only Family Mart, Lawson, Coco and some other small local chain.
This is not affecting me a lot and I really do not care to buy at 7-Eleven 7-Eleven in Lawson but was the one who had more agreements with retailers to make payments through them.
4 - Don Quixote: Have you heard of the Don Quijote store before? Now you talk of this store for a long time here . It is the kind of store that has everything and once you use it once does not stop going. Unfortunately, in Okinawa there is no Don Quixote.
5 - Softbank: In Okinawa almost nobody uses Softbank softbank coverage here is really pathetic, you lose your coverage every few minutes while you're on the road in Naha. Other companies like AU or DoCoMo invested more antennas in Okinawa and have a lot better coverage.
6 - Timeliness: During all these years in Tokyo, I had always thought the Japanese were super specific, but now I realize that not all Japanese people come in Okinawa over an hour later without problems.
