If you could spend a year in Japan, where would it be?
 

Hi, this is my first posting on the Asia board.

My daughter has an opportunity to work for the Japanese government for one year teaching English. She will have a choice of areas and I told her I would ask you all for opinions on what cities would be nice to live in for a year and why.

Based on your suggestions, she will research what areas they are in, and this will help her decide what area to request. She thinks she'd prefer a smaller city than Tokyo.

By the way, she is 25 and single but not a big party type. She loves anime, video games, art, making crafts and jewelry and is a writer.

JET program, right? Most of the JETS are young and single so she should have plenty of company. If she wants an urban area, she will need to specify Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya etc. Urban areas have lots of things to do, plenty of international restaurants and lots of other foreigners to hang around with. The trade off is that you spend a lot more money.

Rural areas lack many restaurant choices and international markets etc...and have far fewer foreigners. To me, that's all a plus, but to some, it's a big minus. Depends on the reasons for coming to Japan and what is expected I think.

If I could choose anywhere, I'd choose Hokkaido or Ishikawa...but I've lived in Kanazawa in Ishikawa for 11 years, so I'm clearly biased. Kanazawa is a great small city.

Fukuoka for me. Or Kanazawa, Nagasaki. All are interesting cities and not big ones. Maybe Matsuyama or Hiroshima.

Thanks so much for the replies. I am going to forward all to my daughter. Looks like I might get a trip out of this, too!

I'd vote for Hokkaido too...because up here you do all the big city stuff in Sapporo, and then get out hiking, camping and skiing really easily.
But the downside is that it isn't really Japan...and if you are here for a year to experience JAPAN, I think somewhere on Honshu is a better idea...somewhere in the middle so you can travel to all the must-do JAPAN sights like Kyoto, Nara, Hirshima etc...

amanda

What about weather? Is Hokkaido really cold?

We've know several kids who've worked with the Jet program- a couple in fukuoka, one in Nagano, another outside Sendai.

Most seem to feel that the smaller towns that are within a reasonable distance of a bigger city are the best locations. The smaller the town, the more likely you'll get extra interaction with the locals, including dinner invitations from grandmas and parents.



Hokkaido is very cold in the winter.

Well I think the cold places are definitely out. You don't know how much we appreciate this information! Thanks!

DS spent a year in Saijo.
It's about 1/2 hour north of Hiroshima.

Summer is very hot and humid. Winter some snow, but it doesn't stick (which makes it much warmer than where we live.)

We visited and liked the town very much. I think lcuy is right - a smaller town not too far from a big city.

Getting to the city by train is a snap and housing will be much cheaper in the smaller town.