# What is the first city that comes to mind when you hear "The greatest city in Asia"? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 25, 2010, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-city-that-comes-to-mind-when-you-hear-the-greatest-city-in-asia/526309 "2010-01-25T02:55:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Trepa\_Mayfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/edb3f5/32.png) [@Trepa\_Mayfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trepa_Mayfield)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2010, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-city-that-comes-to-mind-when-you-hear-the-greatest-city-in-asia/526309/1 "2010-01-25T02:55:25Z")
Well now I’m curious. Inspired by the other city threads. Since there’s already a thread for the Middle East, it doesn’t count for this thread even though it’s technically part of Asia. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2010, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-city-that-comes-to-mind-when-you-hear-the-greatest-city-in-asia/526309/2 "2010-01-25T02:57:42Z")
Tokyo. ---
**Author:** ![Rumor\_Watkins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d9b06d/32.png) [@Rumor\_Watkins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rumor_Watkins)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2010, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-city-that-comes-to-mind-when-you-hear-the-greatest-city-in-asia/526309/3 "2010-01-25T03:03:21Z")
toe-key-yo ---
**Author:** ![Rodgers01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b19c9b/32.png) [@Rodgers01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rodgers01)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2010, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-city-that-comes-to-mind-when-you-hear-the-greatest-city-in-asia/526309/4 "2010-01-25T03:04:34Z")
The _first_ that came to mind was Hong Kong, but when I think for a few seconds more: Tokyo. ---
**Author:** ![Desert\_Nomad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desert_nomad/32/177_2.png) [@Desert\_Nomad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desert_Nomad)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2010, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-city-that-comes-to-mind-when-you-hear-the-greatest-city-in-asia/526309/5 "2010-01-25T03:09:13Z")
Pyongyang… no wait, Hong Kong. ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2010, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-city-that-comes-to-mind-when-you-hear-the-greatest-city-in-asia/526309/6 "2010-01-25T03:19:02Z")
Singapore. ---
**Author:** ![Rumor\_Watkins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d9b06d/32.png) [@Rumor\_Watkins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rumor_Watkins)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2010, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-city-that-comes-to-mind-when-you-hear-the-greatest-city-in-asia/526309/7 "2010-01-25T03:26:16Z")
imo, singapore and HK are city-states with potent economies. there’s nothing that stands out about them, historically, politically, or culturally. ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2010, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-city-that-comes-to-mind-when-you-hear-the-greatest-city-in-asia/526309/8 "2010-01-25T03:35:11Z")
Now I’d say Beijing. 10 years ago I might have said Tokyo. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2010, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-city-that-comes-to-mind-when-you-hear-the-greatest-city-in-asia/526309/9 "2010-01-25T03:39:33Z")
For some reason when I thought Asia the first thing that came to mind was Istanbul, but then most of it’s in Europe. My second thought was Tokyo. ---
**Author:** ![Pray\_for\_peace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Pray\_for\_peace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pray_for_peace)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2010, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-city-that-comes-to-mind-when-you-hear-the-greatest-city-in-asia/526309/10 "2010-01-25T03:42:37Z")
Tokyo ---
**Author:** ![Desert\_Nomad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desert_nomad/32/177_2.png) [@Desert\_Nomad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desert_Nomad)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2010, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-city-that-comes-to-mind-when-you-hear-the-greatest-city-in-asia/526309/11 "2010-01-25T03:47:17Z")
> [@Markxxx](#): > > For some reason when I thought Asia the first thing that came to mind was Istanbul, but then most of it’s in Europe. My second thought was Tokyo. Most of the touristic sites are on the European side, but the city is pretty well 50/50. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2010, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-city-that-comes-to-mind-when-you-hear-the-greatest-city-in-asia/526309/12 "2010-01-25T03:51:46Z")
> [@ShibbOleth](#): > > Now I’d say Beijing. 10 years ago I might have said Tokyo. I’ll argue my choice a little: China maybe the more powerful and important country (though I’d say that’s debatable), but I don’t think China is dominated by Beijing the same way Tokyo dominates Japan, culturally, economically or simply as the proportion of the countries population that lives in it. Depending on how you measue it, Tokyo is the largest city in the world by population (Beijing isn’t even the largest city in China), and Tokyo’s GDP is more then a third of that of the entire country of China, nvm Beijing. Plus, 50 years of Japanese cultural exports have given Tokyo a place in the minds of the rest of the world that Beijing doesn’t have (though Hong Kong does). ---
**Author:** ![CHEN](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3d9bf3/32.png) [@CHEN](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CHEN)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2010, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-city-that-comes-to-mind-when-you-hear-the-greatest-city-in-asia/526309/13 "2010-01-25T03:52:48Z")
I’ve been to Beijing and it’s not as great as you’d think. ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2010, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-city-that-comes-to-mind-when-you-hear-the-greatest-city-in-asia/526309/14 "2010-01-25T04:22:05Z")
> [@CHEN](#): > > I’ve been to Beijing and it’s not as great as you’d think. Agreed. Tokyo followed by Shanghai. The only choices really are Tokyo, Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Singapore. I’d rate Singapore as a distant last. Seoul is not international. Sydney is in the Asia timezone but that’s about it. Taipei, KL, Jakarta just don’t cut it. Anything else is waaaay down the list. ---
**Author:** ![Invisible\_Chimp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f05b48/32.png) [@Invisible\_Chimp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Invisible_Chimp)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2010, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-city-that-comes-to-mind-when-you-hear-the-greatest-city-in-asia/526309/15 "2010-01-25T04:37:47Z")
> [@China\_Guy](#): > > Agreed. > > Tokyo followed by Shanghai. > > The only choices really are Tokyo, Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Singapore. I’d rate Singapore as a distant last. Seoul is not international. Sydney is in the Asia timezone but that’s about it. Taipei, KL, Jakarta just don’t cut it. Anything else is waaaay down the list. My first thought was Tokyo, but I am a little surprised that no cities in India are on your shortlist, or anyone else’s choice. No Mumbai/Bombay? ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2010, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-city-that-comes-to-mind-when-you-hear-the-greatest-city-in-asia/526309/16 "2010-01-25T04:59:49Z")
I guess it all comes down to how you define the term “greatest” ---
**Author:** ![Girl\_From\_Mars](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3da27b/32.png) [@Girl\_From\_Mars](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Girl_From_Mars)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2010, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-city-that-comes-to-mind-when-you-hear-the-greatest-city-in-asia/526309/17 "2010-01-25T05:29:51Z")
Kuala Lumpur. ---
**Author:** ![lemac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f19dbf/32.png) [@lemac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lemac)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2010, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-city-that-comes-to-mind-when-you-hear-the-greatest-city-in-asia/526309/18 "2010-01-25T05:35:43Z")
Samarkand ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2010, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-city-that-comes-to-mind-when-you-hear-the-greatest-city-in-asia/526309/19 "2010-01-25T05:54:02Z")
France? ---
**Author:** ![Desert\_Nomad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desert_nomad/32/177_2.png) [@Desert\_Nomad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desert_Nomad)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2010, 7:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-city-that-comes-to-mind-when-you-hear-the-greatest-city-in-asia/526309/20 "2010-01-25T07:03:57Z")
> [@lemac](#): > > Samarkand Interesting. I’ve been there, but it’s prime has long since gone… the Russians didn’t do anything good there for the time they had it. Better choice than Ashkabad though! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-city-that-comes-to-mind-when-you-hear-the-greatest-city-in-asia/526309.md?page=2)