Job Discussion Forums

[mia_1]

Hello everybody,
I am very excited, I just found out where I will be living when I arrive in Japan in about 2 weeks - Niigata city. I have done a lot of searching on the internet about the city but it always helps to hear it from someone who actually lives there. Anyone on here live/lived/been to/heard about Niigata? I am very interested to hear about what people think of the place in terms of living there. Any info would be greatly appreciated. thanks! : )

P.S. Before anyone slams me for not using the search function(!), I have, but it mostly relates to skiing/snowboarding etc., which yes, I am interested in, but would like to hear about other aspects of the city and surrounding area as well

P.P.S. Will I miss the cherry blossoms? worried I will be a tad too late... : (

[southofreality]

You'll be coming at what looks to be the peak of cherry blossom season in Niigata, so you're pretty lucky.

Here's a link to the Niigata Prefecture home page in English. It has lots of information about living in Niigata, government services, etc...

http://www.pref.niigata.jp/seisaku/kokusai/english/

Cheers

[jc1977]

Niigata is a pretty cool place to live. It's got a decent amount of people, but it's not overwhelming, and there is a pretty good contingency of foreigners living in and around the city (incl. many Russians since Vladivostok is so close). The weather can be a touch brutal, though. Summer is humid, muggy and very still, though this winter was pretty mild compared to usual standards. One of the nice things here is that it's easy to find your way around the main parts of the city, but a big drawback is that many stores close early, making it a little dead for teachers who finish work at 9 p.m. If you get sick of Niigata, you can take the Shinkansen to Tokyo in about two hours. There are plenty of veteran foreigners here who can/will show you the ropes.


Any other questions, PM me.
Cheers ...

[TK4Lakers]

I've never been to Niigata before, but I've heard plenty of great things. I hear the food is really good there, especially the freshness of the vegetables.

I also hear the people are very, very friendly.
The few scenic spots I've seen of the place on TV look beautiful.

Seems lucky for you, enjoy the city.

[kdynamic]

I hope you like to ski/snowboard. And don't mind cold winters.

[Glenski]

Not to put too much fear in the OP, but does anyone living in/near Niigata know what the state of repairs are after their rather recent and large earthquake?

[Gordon]

[User N. Ame]

I surprised no one has yet mentioned Niigata's claim to fame and biggest export: sake! The best sake in the land comes from Niigata, and no doubt there will be all sorts of opportunities to visit the local sake micro-breweries. Niigata is to Japan what Bordeaux is to France.

Enjoy!

[kdynamic]

It's also famous for good rice. If you think all white rice tastes the same, you're in for a treat in Niigata.

[mia_1]

wow thanks for all the info guys, from what I've heard here and elsewhere it sounds like a pretty cool place to go. I'm from a city of 200,000 people so it sounds like a good size to me - not too overwhelming! anyway thanks again, might see some of you soon : )

[Tiger Beer]

An additional question about Niigata, generally how much would it be to find your own apartment? I mean, a general price range.

It's gotta be a lot less than Tokyo/Osaka, right?

[AndyH]

I never had the opportunity to visit Niigata city, but the rural areas in the prefecture are nice, especially if you like mountains. One of my favorite places in Japan was Echigo-Yazawa.

[jc1977]

Rent is pretty cheap up here. You can get a decent 10-mat place for around 50,000 yen, but of course there are all the extras to pay (deposit, key money, etc.). But inexpensive places are abundant compared to the big cities in Japan.