Job Discussion Forums

Synne · Joined: 06 Apr 2004 Posts: 269 Location: Tohoku

Im headed to Yamagata city fairly soon and Im just curious to know if anyone can comment on any little thing they know about the place seeing as Im stock cold blank on it.

Anything at all, whats the size, style, culture like, population...anything.

Thanks in advance.

Glenski · Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Posts: 12844 Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN

city (1990 pop. 249,487), capital of Yamagata prefecture, N Honshu, Japan. The city produces consumer goods, computer equipment, and cast metal and is the site of Yamagata Univ. Yamagata prefecture (1990 pop. 1,255,556), 3,607 sq mi (9,342 sq km), yields high quality rice. Lumber, fish, electrical machinery, paper, and silk are produced, and deposits of petroleum, zinc, and natural gas are exploited. It contains Bandai-Asahi National Park.

There's always the home page if you can read Japanese.
http://www.city.yamagata.yamagata.jp/

Or for English on the Yamagata Prefecture:
http://www.pref.yamagata.jp/index-e.html

Otherwise, just buy a guide book or do an Internet search.

Synne · Joined: 06 Apr 2004 Posts: 269 Location: Tohoku

thanks Glenski, very helpful, have you ever been?

Any personal experience with the place at all from anyone?

Glenski · Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Posts: 12844 Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN

Nope, never been there.

guest of Japan · Joined: 28 Feb 2003 Posts: 1601 Location: Japan

I have only spent a few hours in Yamagata City, but I've taken several trips to nearby Zao ski resort. Zao has fantastic skiing and truly wornderful onsens.

Yamagata city is quite small and it's really cold in winter. The train station is convenient (it has a shinkansen line). I've always seen a bunch of foreigners at the station.

Yamagata has a few great things going for it. The food is wonderful. It's a nice mix of seafood and beef. Both are high quality. The people are some of the kindest and friendliest in Japan. There's a lot of nature near by. If I had a great job there I would happily live there. However, since it's a small city and it's not really convenient to anywhere, there are not a lot of wonderful work opportunities. The Yamagata dialect is a little difficult to understand as well.

Synne · Joined: 06 Apr 2004 Posts: 269 Location: Tohoku

Thanks Guest, very helpful.

I've also been informed that Yamagata is the Cherri capital for Japan. The good food is mainly what most my Japanese friends here can tell me about it.

guest of Japan · Joined: 28 Feb 2003 Posts: 1601 Location: Japan

Synne, I noticed in one of your earlier post that you have no degree. This of course means that you won't be working for one of the big four.

You haven't by any chance taken a job at a kids school owned by an American and his Japanese wife have you?

Synne · Joined: 06 Apr 2004 Posts: 269 Location: Tohoku

Right you are Guest.

I am actually headed to Yamagata to work for Peppy Kids. I am eager to be able to pursue my enjoyment of teaching children with them.

Anything to watch out for in the lines of "an American and his Japanese wife" schools?

guest of Japan · Joined: 28 Feb 2003 Posts: 1601 Location: Japan

No, I'm not right. The husband wife team I was thinking of only operate one school.