Job Discussion Forums

[elkarlo]

Hey I just got my placement. I will be going to Futtsu, Chiba. Can anyone give me the lowdown of this place? I went on wki and google maps. Looks like outer-outer suburbs to me. It is also farther than the Gaijinpot Apartment guide goes. So any idea of normal pricing. Also looks like there is a train, so I may be able to get around with out a car. Any help would be great.

http://www.x-shooto.jp/gym/index.html#okayama are any of the shooto schools in Chiba close/with in a reasonable distance to Futtsu?

I and 2 other ALTS are being placed there. Looks like 2 JHS and 1 ELM. Not sure how we will be set up.

[Apsara]

That is a fairly rural area, and because it is a long way down the Boso peninsula is not the handiest place transport-wise.

There seems to be several stations within Futtsu city (city is often a misnomer here, it just means there is a certain population within the area), all on the JR Uchibo line. The nearest of the gyms on your list is in Chiba city, around an hour from Aohori station (one of the 5 or so stations in the city)- not sure whether that is further away than you wanted to be but it is in shooting distance, and on the same train line (Chiba is the terminus of that line). The second nearest gym was in Tsudanuma, about another 15 mins north of Chiba if you want to try that one out.

Geographically that is a nice area- the population is in a fairly thin strip near the coast as the interior of the peninsula is hilly and covered in forest. Near the bottom of the peninsula and on the Pacific side there are some decent beaches. From Hamakanaya, which also seems to be in Futtsu, you can catch a ferry across Tokyo Bay to Kanagawa for more beaches. On the Hamakanaya side is Nokogiriyama, a sacred mountain which has a giant Buddha statue carved into the side of it.

[JL]

Elkarlo,
All things considered, I think you made out OK. A little bit out there in the boonies, but the boonies outside of Tokyo, at least. You can make a run into one of the world's greatest metropolises in about 90 minutes.

First things first, THE STEELERS WON!! (Okay. Sorry. That was just for me. But I'm in my fourth decade of pulling for the Steelers and Pirates --so I couldn't resist!) Alright then. Now for you, the closest Shooto gym is the Chiba branch of Paraestra, in front of Chiba Station. There's another shooto gym in Tsudanuma, just a little further up towards Tokyo. I don't know either of these gyms, but Yuki Nakai's Paraestra was an excellent gym when I lived in Japan (he himself, once fought Rickson Gracie). And he's got a rapidly expanding chain. I'd think his Chiba would be pretty good. Location is great -right in front of the station.
Now for the bad news (sort of): it looks like there's just that one country train line running through Futtsu. I looked at the city's HP, and I guess depending on whether only the milkrun is running or not, it takes between "60 and 90" minutes to get up to Chiba Station. I've got two different suggestions on how to deal with this. 1) After you get settled in to your job and have gotten your bearings after about a month, move out and get your own place a little up the line, towards Chiba Station. An hour commute for people living in Tokyo is quite ordinary. So if you lived half an hour up the line from Futtsu, your work commute wouldn't be bad (depending on how far the school is from the station, of course; you'll have to factor that in, too). And another half hour or so up to the gym wouldn't be so bad.
2) Get some little beater car. Out in the boonies where you'll be, you're probably going to want your own transportation, anyway. Also, you very well might end up wanting to ride a bike, once you're there. Are you licensed for one in the states? If not, it might behoove you to bust your butt before you go and get licensed for a 400cc, in whichever state you're in. Then get an international drivers license, and ride a bike in Japan with that. A 400cc, or even a 250 would be more than enough in Japan. And out there in the boonies, you'll really be able to zip around in no time at all.
If getting licensed to ride a bike isn't an option, at least get the Int'l DL, because you can then drive a car, or, ride a scooter(50cc) with that. I used to drive all over Tokyo and Kanagawa on just a 50cc bike. Sometimes it sucked, sometimes it was a real blast, but it's always was a good option to have.
Also, little difficult to do, but you can have your U.S. license converted to a Japanese license, over there. But for more than one reason which I won't go into here, I actually recommend just getting the int.'l license.

Looks like there's a ferry from Futtsu over to Kawasaki. Could be fun to take on a day off. And I'm sure there's lots to do, recreationally, down there on the Boso Penninsula (the penninsula you'll be on). Have fun!
Myself, I've suffered a major setback in that it looks like I won't be able to make it to Japan by April. It's looking like a three month delay for me now (long story).
But I actually had been thinking about joining Paraestra's main gym, when I do get there. I believe members at one branch, have reciprocal training rights at other branches of Paraestra. If so, we definitely have to hook up when I get there. If we roll though, just take it easy on this old man, okay?

Here's the website for the Chiba gym.
http://www.parachiba.com/

[JL]

Oh, looks like Apsara got her post in ahead of me with some of the same info. about the gyms and the ferry.
Well, at least I have the bit about the Steelers to myself!

[Apsara]

Yep, being from NZ I don't know the Steelers from the Packers (and I've just exhausted my entire knowledge of names of American football teams), so you can have that one!

[elkarlo]

Apsara, and JL, thanks for your replies. I before hand had looked on google maps, and as you said it does look rural. Which I don't fully mind. There is a train line. Which I think living on towards Chiba bit would be best.

I also google mapped the gyms, and it as you said was about 90 minutes away. So living a bit that way would help split the difference I suppose. As I'd really rather not dive. I'm American, and Japanese roads are backwards to me. So it'd make me agood whle to drive and not be confused, not to mention getting lost. So I will try and weasel my way out of having a car =) Hopefully I can get by on a bicycle. I did in Hirakata. My host family's house was 7 miles away, and I made it to school in 15 minutes. So I wonder if I can bike from Chiba J/K

I'm not super interested in the Tokyo area to be honest. I put zero interest down for the Kanto region on my application. I guess they though I really wanted to go there badly, and was trying to be tricky To me Tokyo is a bit too big and intimidating. SO I doubt I will be there all that often. As a young man I can easily, EASILY make myself broke in Tokyo. So I hope my dislike will keep me away, and not poor.

The good news is that I will be close by to see Dream, and Sengoku live.

OH and JL thanks for the heads up on Nakai's gym. That is sweet!!!!
Now I just need to find a regular weight gym and I'm set.

Looking at this I post I know I am an odd duck. As a young single man going to Japan, I haven't mentioned, nor do I super care about picking up girls.

Edit: looks like I can live in a place like thishttp://apartments.gaijinpot.com/index/detail/id/8813

Interac will pay for my transportation. I might as well place myself where I can take advantage of that.

[elkarlo]

[JL]

"I am an odd duck. As a young single man going to Japan, I haven't mentioned, nor do I super care about picking up girls."

Yes, we know. You already told us you want to 'wrassle' with sweaty guys. To each his own, regarding that. BUT... "I don't like American Football for b(e)ans either" ...Now thems fightin' words, there! How can you not like your country's greatest sport?? Just kidding Again, to each his own. But you said it -not me: "I am an odd duck."

[mimimimi]

Futtsu is just past the boonies . . . more like "in the sticks". The average townsfolk is most likely a farmer or a fisher or if they are new to the area, a steel worker. Yes, there is train service on the Uchibo line however it is limited so you just can't show up and expect a train any minute like "in the city". The next city over, Kimitsu, has slightly better train service as most of the "rapid" service to Chiba or Tokyo begins at Kimitsu station, but again, it's limited.

The good point of Futtsu is that it has somehow been selected as a shopping mecca in the southern Boso peninsula. Of course this is all relative. Futtsu actually has a shopping mall in an enclosed space with three whole floors (and a Starbucks!). Right next to the mall is a new Cainz home centre which I highly recommend for your house needs. And there are other discount stores within walking distance. The next closest place with any sizeable shopping options is Soga, about an hour north of Futtsu. Soga also has the closest movie theatre that shows movies in English.

The air in Futtsu is considerably cleaner than the greater Tokyo area and depending on where you are, you can often see an awesome silhouette of Mount Fuji across the bay.

Good luck!

[elkarlo]

[elkarlo]

[Apsara]

[elkarlo]

[Apsara]

Futtsu is against some low hills- I wouldn't call them mountains, and since the peninsula isn't that wide and the winds can come from both directions- no, that area doesn't trap pollution. Kyoto on the other hand does, because of its inland location in a valley with mountains on 3 sides. Tokyo's geography is totally different. That said, in summer it can get a bit smoggy, but nothing like Beijing.

I don't know about things like miles per gallon, but I know that Tokyo is far less polluted now than it was in the 70s and the emissions standards are considered very strict.

It doesn't really go much below zero deg C (32 deg F?) at all in coastal Kanto, but the winds are literally Siberian (that's where they come from) and if they are blowing you won't be wearing your shorts. Remember the heating of residential buildings and from what I hear school buildings is not that good here- no toasty central heating set to a constant temp like they seem to have in the US.

It snowed in Tokyo several times last winter, enough so that we had 10-20 cm or so of snow on the ground for a few days (i.e. not enough for a 5 foot snowman), but this year I've seen just one snowfall which lasted about half an hour and the snow didn't hang around. Coastal areas like Futtsu are even less likely to see snow.

[elkarlo]