Tokyo and Seoul Compared

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Mr. Beat compares and contrasts two MAJOR Asian cities...Seoul and Tokyo. #tokyo #seoul #geography #japan #korea

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Special thanks to the AP Archive for footage for this video. It made a huge difference! AP Archive website

Produced by Matt Beat. All images/video by Matt Beat, found in the public domain, or used under fair use guidelines. Music: "Shibuya" by Bad Snacks.

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Seoul, South Korea and Tokyo, Japan

Not only are they two of the most important cities in Asia, they're two of the most important cities in the world. Both the biggest in their respective countries, and yeah, both dominate politically, economically, and culturally in their respective countries. It's really hard not to be overshadowed by them. About 25% of all Japanese residents live in the Tokyo metropolitan area. Oh yeah, and that metropolitan area is THE LARGEST IN THE WORLD, with 37.8 million people. Sooooo many people.

But Seoul has the fifth largest metropolitan area in the world. Look at all THOSE people. Wow. It has a population of around 25.6 million people. And even though it only makes up about 12% of South Korea’s total area, it’s home to almost HALF of South Korea’s total population. Woahness.

Both are the capitals of their respective countries. Both are filled with magnificent modern buildings that could easily provide a reliable backdrop for any film set in the near-future. Why? Because war devastated both cities during the 20th century.

Even though both are megacities, both are surprisingly clean and sleek.

Both are all about trade, leading the world in both exports and imports. It’s easy to get around in both cities. Both have amazing public transportation, and huge rail networks. Tokyo has the busiest metro system in the world, and Seoul has the third busiest. Tokyo is famous for having so many people packed onto subways during rush hour that they literally have to be pushed onto trains to fit. The city has pushers, or railway station attendants who push people onto trains so they fit. Yes, this is real footage. Public transport is cheaper in Seoul.

Both are two of the most visited cities in the world. (T-8th most, S- 10th most)

Both have a fairly homogeneous ethnic population. Most Seoulites are Korean, and most Edokkos are Yamato Japanese. Now, this is starting to change since the foreign born population in both cities has steadily increased in recent years.