My current Japanese level is in between JLPT N4 and N3. My main purpose for going is to become fluent in Japanese and then all the other touristy and culture stuff. I'm really into anime and video games, but I also really like clubbing/dancing.

What are the pros and cons of each location? The program I would study at Waseda is most likely the intensive Japanese language program... no point for me to take other courses there my senior year, lol

I go to NYU right now and one of my concerns is that NYU feels very cold; that is, it's not very welcoming in terms of who you meet and the relationships you form. In general, people don't open up easily etc. Neither is Manhattan, really. I hear Tokyo is even worse, and that honestly makes me a bit more apprehensive about going there. Also, the culture thing extends to the universities themselves, if anyone has any info on that.

I am also the type of person that can't live without being able to go to convenience stores at 3am, typically ones located within 2-3 city blocks from me.

Any help is greatly appreciated! Thanks

Tokyo is more like NYC. Plus being able to tell people you went to Waseda (even if study abroad) will turn some heads. So I'd go Waseda over anything.

As to how "cold" it is, Tokyo can be "cold." More rude people and annoying people. Meeting people will come down to you. If you get involved in activities on campus or hit up [non-foreign] bars/clubs for instance, you'll find people to talk to. In Japan, making connections with people will pretty much always fall on you, don't expect people to randomly start conversations with you because it won't happen. Most people will assume you know no Japanese and they will be afraid to try their English on you.

Thanks for that info. I sort of expected as much... But, I might be in a different boat. I was born and raised in New York but I'm Chinese... And everyone (including Japanese and Koreans) thinks I look Japanese or Korean. I don't know how much that would change things but yea..

Everyone that doesn't know you or hasn't been tipped off that you aren't Japanese (ie: Hears your Japanese before speaking to you), will open up on you in Japanese. This still won't really mean that people will randomly chat you up in public, in fact, it probably will make it harder. At least as a white person people will sometimes ask you where you are from or something similar.

My suggestion would be to research the cities and pick the one more interesting. Tokyo is obviously way more international and if you are big on the night life thing, there is a lot in Tokyo. You can check out Iflyer.tv to find info on clubs/halls/bars that are doing event/djs/etc.

Thanks for the tip. I'm also somewhat concerned about smoking (and how to avoid it as much as possible), as well as racism/discrimination, especially because I'll probably be taken as a Chinese national.. Would anyone happen to have any info on this?