Like pretty much all the other mammals cohabiting planet Earth, the cheapo is hardwired at an animal level to find a mate and get jiggy. In this article, we hope to assist fellow cheapos living in or visiting Tokyo with some tips and pointers for economically achieving success in this arena. Never in the history of humankind has there been such an abundance and density of humans living amongst one another.
While Tokyo is vast and densely populated, the central areas provide the most opportunity and likelihood for meeting future loved ones. Shimbashi, Akasaka and Yurakucho are the haunts of salarymen.
A true cheapo, however, knows far more cost-effective ways of finding a potential mate. Perhaps the best opportunities come in the form of festivals or matsuri , of which there are an abundance in Tokyo, especially in the summer also the season of fireworks. Check out our events pages , or better yet sign up for our cheapo weekend newsletter and get the hottest Tokyo event listings delivered to your inbox each week.
On weekends during hanami season, Yoyogi Park is a veritable zoo resembling some sort of deranged music festival in which all the performers, bands, organizers and security failed to turn up. But most parks and locations of sakura cherry blossom trees are usually teeming with punters and festivity. Need we say more? Last but not least, house parties are always a great and cheap environment for making new friends.
Due to the lack of space and the noise prohibitions, few households throw parties, but there are some exceptions. Tokyo is without doubt one of the safest cities on the planet at least in terms of crime; earthquakes, tsunami and Godzilla notwithstanding. And there are many tales of the police being uncooperative in helping tourists trying to file crime reports, etc. One possible exception is host bars. The intrepid can take advantage of these deals, but a few rules of thumb: 1 Speak some Japanese or take a friend who does to make sure the deal is clear.
