Job Discussion Forums

[Grasshopper]

Hi Folks,

Will be happy to share my experiences if anyone is considering applying.

Feel free to PM me.

G

[Erik Blees]

Thanks for offering advice. I have some questions:

I lived in Sapporo from '99 to'02 and now I'm looking to move back to Japan, but I want to live in Kyushu this time. I traveled through Kyushu and I liked Fukuoka, Nagasaki and Kagoshima, but expert advice would be appreciated.

Is there much of a scene in Kagoshima? Are there many ESL jobs? I've heard it's kind of quiet, what do you think? Is it cool? How're the beaches? Mountain biking? What do you think of Fukuoka? Is it much more bohemian and vibrant? What jobs would you recommend I pursue from the states? OK, that's a lot of questions. Thanks,

Erik



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[Grasshopper]

Sorry I posted twice, and I`m trying to figure out how to delete this one...

[Grasshopper]

HI Erik,

I`m not an expert, but I`ll definitely share my experiences.

Interesting...I also lived in Sapporo. Then when I came back I went to Kagoshima. I LOVED living in Kagoshima. The summers are hot & humid though. I had to change my clothes between 3 and 5 times a day. And that was pretty normal for most people. One of my favorite things about Kagoshima is the great access to the islands below, which are extremely beautiful. The other thing that attracted me to Kagoshima was the historical value. It is an old city, and consequently retains some essence of older Japan. This applies both to the area & the culture.

About the city though, no, there is not much of a scene at all. There is a night life in a place called Tenmonkan, but it`s nothing like what you`d find in Susukino on the average night. Definitely did a lot of beaching & biking. It`s the 2nd or 3rd poorest place in Japan, with Okinawa being the 1st.

Unfortunately, I only got to visit Fukuoka once, and that was on a trip to Costco, so I`m not really able to comment there...but I would have liked to have visited more.

As far as from the States, that`s a good question. One recommendation, I could make to you is to contact one of the Kyushu JALT chapters & ask for their advice, as they may have better leads on jobs than I would.

It`s definitely cool, and the area is great if you like nature, are interested in history...and can stand the summer humidity.

G

[Grasshopper]

One other place I really liked visiting was Chiran. It is near Kagoshima, and there are some old samurai houses there. They were really neat, and the way the gardens are created and maintained are really incredible.