Had both but PS2 just gone to new home where maybe it would get used for more than dust gathering...
In truth the bet way to find out which is suitable is ask jimgriff jr what he would prefer, you will probably find that most of his chums will have japanese offering so swapping of games is easier, however the seattle offering offers superior graphics which in my book counts for a lot more but that is personal choice. There are occasions I have wished that some games were available on my console but not often.