Job Discussion Forums

[maryknight]

what's northern tohoku like? i'm thinking the weather is similar to sappora area. what about jobs?

[kdynamic]

Hokkaido has better heating and insulation and easier to understand Japanese. And tastier food. Tohoku has.... nebuta masturi?

Well I haven't lived in either area so someone else will be able to answer better.

[shuize]

I have some experience in both areas. I second everything kdynamic just posted. Tohoku is freakin' cold. So if you're thinking of going there, get used to the idea of hauling your own kerosene around to try and heat your poorly insulated house in weather that's only slightly warmer than Hokkaido.

Oh, yeah, and the dialect. If you're still thinking of Tohoku, just give up on ever trying to understand anyone over about 50 years old. Of course, there is an accent in Hokkaido, too. But it is much easier to deal with in my opinion.

As you might have guessed, I preferred Hokkaido.

[Mark]

Depending on where you go in Tohoku, I'd give up on understanding anyone who isn't comfortable speaking standard Japanese (which is a lot of people).

I have a friend from Aomori and when she speaks Aomori-ben, even Japanese people in Tokyo can't understand anything she says.

Aomori is kind of special example though, I think, and it has more than one dialect.

Also, I think it depends on whether you're sent to a city or a small town. In a city, you'd probably be ok.

Northern Tohoku is more off the beaten track than Hokkaido, so that's kind of a cool thing about it.

[shuize]

[Synne]

[Glenski]

Don't you also love the way that Tokyoites refer to Sapporo people as "country bumpkins" even though there are almost 2 million of them up here?

Hey, we just got 'lectric'ty and indoor plumbing last year!!! Next, they'll be doing away with thet thar ol' crank telyphone.

[Mark]

I actually menat "off the beaten track" in terms of the fact that not many foreigners travel through there or live there compared to other areas of Japan. Living in Tohoku (especially northern Tohoku or, I assume, anywhere outside of Sendai) is a relatively uncommon experience and therefore a bit off the beaten track.

I think that living in Aomori/Akita/Iwate would be a fantastic experience. I'm sure that living in southern Tohoku would also be cool.

The only thing I'd worry about is migration. I don't know how it is on the ground, but there's a lot of talk about Japan's countryside, smaller cities and more remote regions being drained of young people.

[Synne]

Sapporo has only two million ppl Glenski!?

How do they survive??!?


I mean three million is the bare minimum one needs in order to feel "alive"

You refer to smaller cities as in smaller than Tokyo?

Well it is the largest city in the world by most ratings so Im guessing you're correct.

I understand what you are saying but by no half common sensed standards are the larger cities in Tohoku "small" and "off the beaten track"

Visit Sendai Shi, Yamagata Shi, Akita Shi, Aomori Shi, Morioka Shi, Fukushima Shi and then see if you still share the common Japanese reply to these "country side" cities.

[Mark]

[shuize]

[Synne]

The main reason Japanese ppl leave Tohoku is becuz they are young and naive and want to conform to the Tokyo allure that addicts on the sole basis that more ppl = more fun.

I give you full marks for realizing that the majority of the cities up in Tohoku are not as big as the majority of the cities down south.

Still I find it ridiculous that ppl actually believe that a one million person city doesnt have as much to offer as a two or three million person city.

[Mark]