Job Discussion Forums

[grace]

Hello everyone. I hope that you're all doing fine. I've just accepted a teaching position with Hello School, located in Kochi City. It'll be my first time in Japan. I'm from Canada. I was wondering if anyone has ever heard of this small conversation school and would have any information on it, Kochi City, and the island Shikoku, which is where the city is located. All your input is greatly appreciated. Thanks everyone. Grace

[PAULH]

Grace

I cant tell you anything about the langauge school but my first year in japan I lived in Takamatsu, Kagawa Prefecture which is in the north-eastern part of Shikoku. Kochi is on the southern coast, is a fairly small city that is quite far away from anything. Kochi is quite well known for having great surf and whale watching. A lot of citrus fruit is grown down in that area, and they have a street market for buying cheap fruit and vegetables in front of the castle on weekends. If you like provincial 'country' living in a beautiful but rural part of the country you should enjoy it. Generally Shikoku people are very freindly and hospitable to foreigners as there are not so many living there, but being rural folks they tend to be a bit conservative. Let me know if you have any questions

[David W]

I live in Ehime on Shikoku and have been to both Kochi city and Kochi prefecture a number of times. Kochi city is a nice enough place, I'd say about 300,000 people size so there should be a decent enough group of foreigners there. The Sunday market is a real beaut and reason enough alone to live in Kochi. There is also a nice food court there too.
The prefecture itself is really beautiful, check out the Shimanto River supposedly the last wild river in Japan- it certainly is impressive. The coast line is spectacular as well and Kochi is somehat of a surfing mecca. Sub-tropical climate too but it sure does rain a lot. By Japan standards it is isolated but being from Canada you'll find that that's all relative (I'm Australian so my idea of isolation is being in the middle of the desert with no towns for 500kms in any direction ) and you should be fine.

[grace]

Thanks a million Paul and David. I'm sure that I'll like it, since it seems like a haven for nature lovers like myself. In addition, there's no snow, which is enough to put a big smile on my face!! Grace

[Brooks]

I have visited Tokushima, which is east of Kochi.
I enjoyed the puppet theater and the music.
The Awa Odori is the annual dance every August where people from Tokushima must dance for three days.
And if you are not there in August you can see the dancing, generally every evening at a downtown building to have an idea of what it must be like.
I felt like I found the real Japan.

Since I live near Tokyo, I liked the peace and quiet.

Brooks

[grace]

Thanks Brooks for sharing your experience on Shikoku island. I'll definitely visit Tokushima, since I'm leaving Canada at the end of July.
I know very well what you mean by peace and quiet. That's why I decided to find a teaching post in that region. It seems placid, natural and breathtaking.
I've been doing more research on that area, and it seems to resemble a lot like Canada. Take care. Grace

[Gordon]

Grace,
I am now living in Takamatsu, a few hours from Kochi on Shikoku. I haven`t been to Kochi yet, but I have heard that been to Kochi yet, but I have heard that it is wonderful. You will like it and coming from Canada like myself, you will like the weather. Now it is 25C but it will get pretty muggy in the summer. Many of my uni students are from Kochi and they really like Kochi.

[grace]

Lots of thanks for your feedback Gordon. I actually don't mind sultry weather. I'm sure that I'll appreciate it while my family and friends are shovelling through those infamous Canadian snowstorms. Grace