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Home Asia Tokyo Or Seoul? Which Asian Capital Should I Visit?


TOKYO OR SEOUL? WHICH ASIAN CAPITAL SHOULD I VISIT?

By
Joseph
-
April 20, 2022
Photo by Jezael Melgoza/Unsplash
The links on the website are in affiliation with Amazon Associates worldwide and
we earn a small commission for qualifying purchases.

Tokyo or Seoul is a choice between two of the biggest Asian metropolises out
there. On the one hand you have the sprawling capital of Japan, one of the
largest cities on the planet and a place of sizzling udon noodle joints and
twinkling neon lights. Then there’s Seoul, a design-centric modern megalopolis
with K-Pop music and some sobering history up its sleeve.

Deciding between these two destinations isn’t going to be easy. Each has
bucket-list draws and attractions, taste-bud-tingling food, and hotels that
you’ll be writing home about from the moment you check in. But never fear: We’re
here to help…

Yep, this guide to Tokyo and Seoul will peer into the hearts of both capital
cities to help you settle on the top choice for your travels in the coming
season. It deals with seven key aspects of both places, from how easy it is to
get there to the tempting culinary scene to the nightlife offering on the
ground. Let’s begin…

Table of Contents

Toggle
 * Tokyo or Seoul for getting there?
 * Tokyo or Seoul for cost and budget?
 * Tokyo or Seoul for things to do and see?
 * Tokyo or Seoul for nightlife?
 * Tokyo or Seoul for hotels?
 * Tokyo or Seoul for day trips?
 * Tokyo or Seoul for food?
 * Tokyo or Seoul? Our conclusion


TOKYO OR SEOUL FOR GETTING THERE?

Photo by Taiki Ishikawa/Unsplash

Neither of these spots is going to be a chore to reach. They are both considered
hubs of East Asia and are linked to places all around the world.


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Let’s begin with Tokyo. Two massive international airports mean that there’s a
whole sushi platter’s worth of flights heading this way. Most will go to the
colossal Narita Airport, but it’s also possible to get connections (especially
low-cost links from Southeast Asia and China) heading to Haneda Airport. It
would be impossible to list all the arrivals but suffice to say there are daily
trans-Pacific links from the US West Coast, loads of options in from the hubs of
the Middle East, and even direct connections from Europe. Fast trains or
monorails connect the terminals to the city in as little as 15 minutes, too.

Seoul’s answer to Tokyo’s duo of big air hubs is Incheon International Airport
(ICN). It dominates its own island – Yeongjong Island – to the west of the main
center. It takes about an hour to get there on the high-speed AREX trains.
Again, there’s no shortage of flight connections heading to Seoul’s big port. A
mega 71 million passengers pass through the concourses each year, which actually
is still a touch less than Japan’s two see. But all the big names fly in,
including Air France from Paris, Qantas from Sydney, and United Airlines from
San Fran to name just three.

Winner: Draw. Both towns are exceptionally well connected to the rest of the
world by the air.


TOKYO OR SEOUL FOR COST AND BUDGET?

Photo by Mathew Schwartz/Unsplash

Seoul is considered one of the best-bargain capitals in East Asia. It’s WAY
cheaper than its Japanese compadre, with average estimations of outgoings on
cost collators like Budget Your Trip coming in at around the $96 per day mark.
Compare that to the estimated $160 per day that globetrotters would need to fork
out in Tokyo, a city where hotels cost around about $75 a night on average
compared to Seoul’s $49, and where a coffee in an international chain will be
about $2.40 to Seoul’s $1.79.

Of course, it’s important not to get too hooked up on the budget calculations if
you have your heart set on seeing Tokyo. It is possible to do this town on the
cheap, spending less than $90 per day. You can skip the fancy ryokan hotels for
pod hostels, for example, and eat at street-food vendors. That said, going
budget in Seoul means saving even more, bringing the average cost down to the
region of $60 a day.

 Winner: Seoul is the budget traveler’s choice.


TOKYO OR SEOUL FOR THINGS TO DO AND SEE?

Photo by Louie Martinez/Unsplash

Where to start? Tokyo is a town where you’ll be gasping and gawping at every
turn. Mainstay areas include the iconic Shibuya Crossing, where thousands of
people move across the streets below gleaming neon signs every minute, and the
serene Meiji Jingu, which is just about the opposite, what with its calming
Shinto gardens and religious artifacts. The Edo-Tokyo Museum is a must for
anyone interested in the history of the nation. There are cherry blossoms and
walking trails in the Ueno Park. Ginza is a whole district for shoppers and
diners. It really is endless here.

But it’s a similar story in Seoul. Start at the soaring N Seoul Tower for views
of the metropolis. Then, dive into the National Museum of Korea to learn all
about the cultures of the Korean people. A glimpse of the majestic Gyeongbokgung
Palace is a must for a taste of the grand Joseon past of the city. Shopping and
dining in Itaewon are great, too, so is the food-packed Gwangjang Market with
its stinky tofu and stir fries. Nope, there’s no getting bored in this capital
either.

Winner: Probably Tokyo, but only just.


TOKYO OR SEOUL FOR NIGHTLIFE?

Photo by Yoav Aziz/Unsplash

Both of these Asian capitals are known for their heady after-dark scenes. In
Tokyo, things buzz with life in the tight-knit lanes of Kabukicho, the
unofficial red-light district. That’s a land of seedy beer bars and gritty music
dives. Nearby, the so-called Golden Gai of Shinjuku has a whopping 200 venues,
all weird and wonderful, from doctor’s themed drinking holes to places based on
Manga comics. Ginza is the spot to be for chicer nightlife, in the form of noir
cocktail outlets and fine dining, but there’s also Roppongi, a more
business-minded area with pubs and clubs aplenty.

Seoul probably stays up the later of the two. It’s a town that hardly sleeps a
wink on the weekends. There’s karaoke and disco dance bars, big K-Pop halls and
classic pubs alike in these parts. The areas that really stand out are the
student-favorite of Hongdae, where you’ll party until sunup with youngsters
fresh out of the lecture halls, and the more stylo district of Cheongdam-dong.

Winner: We think Seoul wins this one.


TOKYO OR SEOUL FOR HOTELS?

Photo by Nomadic Ambience/Unsplash

Tokyo has some of the crème-de-la-crème of Asian hotels. As a big global city,
it hosts five-star business scrapers and chic brand names alike. But there are
also some more local digs, which come in the form of traditional ryokan
(ancient-style inns that date from the long-forgotten past of Japan) and pod
hostels (strange but cheap digs where guests live in a lockable pod for the
night). Overall, we’d say the best places to look for stays are near Ginza, in
stylish Chiyoda, and lively Shinjuku. Here are some of the best options:

 * Oakwood Premier Tokyo ($$$) – Luxurious serviced apartments that are great
   for business travelers, with sweeping city views and spacious interiors.
 * Ryokan Sansuiso ($-$$) – It’s not in the center but not too far, though this
   old-school ryokan gives a taste of the Tokyo of yesteryear.
 * Turn Table ($) – A clean and well-rated hostel with pod-style curtain beds
   and a lovely café out front.

Seoul doesn’t quite have the same overload of hotels. It can match Tokyo’s 3,100
hotel options with its own 630 or so. But there’s still a good range, especially
on the upscale end of the spectrum. On top of that, you should find that most
hotels in Seoul cluster around the central areas of the city, making it easier
to get back and forth to the main sights, so you don’t have to pay too much
attention to where to stay. Here’s a look at some of the top options in the
Korean capital:

 * Signiel Seoul ($$$) – This sparkling, steel-clad mass of a hotel is a real
   doozy for luxury lovers, offering noir interior design, a pool, and on-site
   boutiques.
 * Four Seasons Hotel Seoul ($$$) – You get five dining options and a fully
   fledged fitness center at this incredible hotel.
 * Myeongdong Rooftop Hostel ($) – The budget option, this hostel has a
   sun-kissed roof terrace that’s great for meeting other travelers.

Winner: Tokyo – there are way more hotels on offer overall.


TOKYO OR SEOUL FOR DAY TRIPS?

Photo by Max Bender/Unsplash

The most popular day trip from Seoul has to be out to the so-called DMZ, the
demilitarized zone that lies between North and South Korea. It’s only 53
kilometers to the north of the capital, so not hard to reach, but you HAVE to
book onto an organized group to get there since solo travelers aren’t allowed
access. Nature lovers have other places. There’s Yeongjong Island, a home of hot
springs and beaches, or the leafy Bukhansan Songchu Valley, where there’s
waterfalls and hiking trails.

Travelers to Tokyo are often drawn by the ever-present outline of a certain
Mount Fuji on the horizon. The best views of that forever-snow-dusted peak are
on offer at nearby Lake Ashinoko in Hakone, which also boasts hot springs and
woodland walks. The selections of Shinto temples at Kamakura also make pretty
fantastic day tripping, but families are sure to prefer the fairy-tale delights
of the Tokyo Disney Resort. Shogun fanatics shouldn’t miss Ashikaga, the home of
arguably the most famous clan of the lot.

Winner: Tokyo. Mount Fuji beats the DMZ for us.


TOKYO OR SEOUL FOR FOOD?

Photo by Marcin Skalij/Unsplash

We simply can’t pick a winner on the food front. Sorry, but this is too much
about personal taste. Yes, Japanese cooking is definitely the more famous, and
you’ll sample more sushi, sashimi, and sake than you can handle on a trip to the
capital. But Korean cooking is a real journey for the senses, offering umami
hits and pungent ammonia scents with fresh herbs and sizzling BBQ on top.

The one thing that you absolutely must sample in Seoul is kimchi. That shouldn’t
be hard since the fermented, spicy cabbage is served as a side with pretty much
everything. Then there’s the intriguing mix of veg and rice and chili sauce that
is the bibimbap bowl, along with spicy red rice cakes that are a sort of Korean
answer to pasta.

In Tokyo, you can look forward to a medley of tempura veg and prawns, dipping
noodles with tangy soy and fish broths, udon in thick chili sauces, the
fish-and-rice combo dishes of fukagawa-meshi, and more sushi than you can
handle. It’s not for nothing that the Japanese capital is considered one of the
culinary centers of the globe, even if having a bit of cash to spend helps with
sampling the cream of the crop!

Winner: Draw. Foodies will be in heaven in both spots!


TOKYO OR SEOUL? OUR CONCLUSION

Tokyo or Seoul? That’s a hard choice. Both towns deserve a place on any city
slicker’s itinerary in the coming years. Seoul for its sizzling BBQ foods, its
raucous nightlife scene, and fascinating DMZ. Tokyo for its sushi and buzzy
districts of Shinto shrines, not to mention adventures to the base of Mount
Fuji. Overall, we’d say that nightlife lovers and budget-conscious travelers
should pick the capital of Korea, but those wanting fancy hotels and
never-forget-me day trips should pick Japan’s biggest city.

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Joseph
Joe has been a freelance travel writer for over nine years. His writing and
roaming have taken him from the colonial towns of Mexico to the chowks of Mumbai
to the Southern Alps of New Zealand. When he's not putting together the next
epic blog on the best Greek islands or ski fields in France, you can usually
find him surfing or hiking – his two top hobbies.




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