Job Discussion Forums

jennjenn · Joined: 28 Feb 2005 Posts: 32 Location: San Diego, CA, USA

Hi everyone. I'm applying to JET and the application asks you to list location preferences, and I was hoping you guys could help me out. This is what I'm looking for:

1. Scenery. I enjoy the big city and all (not that they place people in Tokyo anyhow) but for daily living I'd like some place with trees, lakes, parks etc. I don't want to feel smushed and crowded and breathed on. Not that I mind if my apartment is tiny...but I want to know I can walk outside and find some peace.

2. A low cost of living. Other than the occasional book, beer or cup of coffee, I am not a big spender, but I want to save as much as I can on rent and such.

3. Reasonably close to public transportation. I don't intend to drive while I'm there, but I want to see as much of the country as possible. With what I said in #1 in mind, I don't want to be terribly far from a major city because I may want to have some fun on the weekends sometimes.

4. Nice people. I think that pretty much speaks for itself, and I'm sure people in Japan are nice in general, but if there are any places to avoid, I'd appreciate the heads-up. Also, I am Asian-American and don't want to go anyplace where I wouldn't be taken seriously as a teacher, because I'm using JET as a jump-off point for an actual career in TESL.

I've spoken to two international students from Japan and they've suggested Hokkaido (anywhere) and Nagasaki. One said that if I want to use the train so badly, I ought to live in the suburbs of a big city but that may take away from my cultural experience, but if I go to a rural area I will want a car. Any other ideas or thoughts? I'd appreciate it. Oh, and I know that my preferences are not guarantees as to where I'll be placed, should I be accepted. One more thing...I wouldn't mind the snow, so don't let bad weather deter any suggestions. Thank you!

luckyloser700 · Joined: 24 Mar 2006 Posts: 308 Location: Japan

State your preferences loosely, but let them know you'll work anywhere in Japan because you're really, really interested in 1, experience teaching abroad, and 2, Japan. Definitely don't come off as picky. Think about climate, terrain, and areas with lots of culture and history when making your choice; You'll most likely be placed in a rural location with JET anyway. The questions to think about are ones like: Do you want to be in a rural location in East Japan or in West Japan?

Chris21 · Joined: 30 Apr 2006 Posts: 366 Location: Japan

I think it would be best to choose a big city in Kansai, like Osaka. Chances are you won't be placed in Osaka because most JETs are in rural areas, but CLAIR will try to place you as close as possible to your choice. If you chose Osaka, I'd guess they'd put you somewhere in Hyogo, Nara, or Wakayama. All of these places are quiet, clean, and relaxing, yet close enough to the cities that travelling is not a huge deal. If you choose somewhere rural, you might find yourself three or four hours away from even a small-midsize city.

As for which part of Japan, I've only lived in Kansai and Kanto, but I would choose Kansai in a heartbeat.

maya.the.bee · Joined: 23 Sep 2005 Posts: 118 Location: Stgo

with regards to your 4. i would rethink "reasonably close to public transport". it seems just about every town has a trainstation, but traveling on the local train takes forever. i'm 40 mins from hiroshima and 50 min from osaka if i take the shinkansen, but by local train or bus it takes 3-4 hours.

i don't think you'll have trouble finding green spaces though. even osaka has tree lined streets and parks. but i can totally understand. i live right by a huge park and i don't know what i would do w/out it. even if the grass is a bit prickly.

TK4Lakers · Joined: 06 Jan 2006 Posts: 159

This is a really hard question to answer to since there are so many cities in crowded little Japan, but here are my two cents.

I live out in Kamisu-shi, the southern most city in the Ibaraki prefecture. It's right near the ocean, has some greenery, but is quiet and cheap to live in. Also, there is a bus that departs here everyday (8x a day I believe) that goes straight to Tokyo.

Another nice city is Choshi, in northern Chiba prefecture. Again, close to the ocean and has nice greenery, but a bit of a small city feel to it as well.

Narita is another city that comes into mind. It has both of a countryside and city feel to it. May be a bit noisy but it all depends where your apartment is located. Hope this helped.

kdynamic · Joined: 05 Nov 2005 Posts: 562 Location: Japan

jennjenn · Joined: 28 Feb 2005 Posts: 32 Location: San Diego, CA, USA

I appreciate the suggestions everyone. I will keep note of the responses but I think kdynamic is right. Everyone that I've spoken to has given me a different answer, so I'll worry about being accepted first and then I'll go where fate takes me.

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

Everybody and his/her brother requests Tokyo, Kyoto, or Hokkaido, so I wouldn't get my hopes up about Hokkaido unless you were to state quite clearly that you prefer a rural area (ruling out Sapporo, of course). So many JETs want the comforts of a bigger city, that JET has its hands full making decisions about who to send to its majority of rural areas.

Rural areas may not always have the public transportation you seek, though. It only makes sense. Besides, you might have to use a car or bus to travel to a dozen schools. Yes, you don't always get posted to just one school, especially if there are a few in fairly close proximity in the countryside.

Nice people? That will be a luck of the draw wherever you go. The more you show an interest in the culture and a familiarity in the language (or in learning it), the better you will be.

One thing you should really consider is climate. You may like rural areas, but can you really take Hokkaido's winters, 5 months long? And, in the Sapporo area, they get 6 meters of snow per year. Plus, even though Sapporo's temps don't drop below -15 degrees C, other areas may get down to -30C.

Smooth Operator · Joined: 29 Jan 2003 Posts: 140 Location: Japan

Yep, Glenski is right climate should be a big factor. I don't really like the cold so I'm happy I got placed in Kyushu even though I didn't choose it. Choose a medium sized city that isn't so popular and you might just get it. Places I liked in Western Japan are Matsuyama, Kitakyushu, Kumamoto, Kagoshima, Nagasaki, Hiroshima. Except perhaps the last two, you'd have a fair chance of getting placed in these I guess.

seastarr · Joined: 22 Sep 2006 Posts: 76

I lived in Kitakyushu, but I really liked Fukuoka and Shimonoseki. Shimonoseki is a small city along the Shinkansen line and there are ferries to Osaka and Korea that leave daily from around there. I really liked the people there, and there are some neat points of interest around. Kitakyushu is ok, but its not the prettiest city, as far as cities go. The Mistubishi factory there was right behind my house and it looked like some sort of industrial nightmare. Shimonoseki had nicer scenery. Fukuoka is great too, but I think its probably pretty highly requested. Personally, I loved living in Kyushu. The people were really friendly and the cost of living was much more reasonable than the areas around Osaka or Tokyo.[/img]

japan_01 · Joined: 04 Mar 2006 Posts: 89 Location: Gifu Ken

Nagoya! You are really close to the mountains (gifu) and close to a relatively OK sea (Toyohashi)

casual · Joined: 13 Oct 2003 Posts: 105

[quote="japan_01"]Nagoya! You are really close to the mountains (gifu) and close to a relatively OK sea (Toyohashi)[/quote]

I would rather gouge my own eyes out and then urinate in my ocular cavities than live in Nagoya. I have visited a few times and that city has absolutely nothing going for it.

furiousmilksheikali · Posted: Fri Oct 13, 2006 3:37 pm Post subject:

japan_01 · Joined: 04 Mar 2006 Posts: 89 Location: Gifu Ken

I believe that is an exaggeration casual01. Nagoya is not stupidly overpopulated like Tokyo. Nagoya is not ridiculously dirty like Osaka. Nagoya is not temple obsessed like Kyoto. Nagoya has a good night life and ALOT of decent foreigners that aren't 'floating' like the majority in Tokyo (which gives you the opportunity to make and keep friends).

However, I respect your opinion. Just out of curiousity, where are you living in Japan? I must have never visited your part of Japan. Maybe Hokkaido?

I have been/lived/visited/had holidays in Osaka, Kochi, Tokyo, Yokohama, Chiba, Kyoto, Nagano, Hiroshima (LOVE THE OKONOMIYAKI!) and even Gunma prefecture.

kdynamic · Joined: 05 Nov 2005 Posts: 562 Location: Japan

I have been to dozens of prefectures in Japan... and I think Nagoya is nice! It's not overcrowded, but has everything a big city has. Good nightlife, restaurants, shopping, etc. And all kinds of people. And it's located conveniently not too far from Osaka or Tokyo.