Opinions on some cities please

[Archiveit]

I'm planning on moving to Japan for a time in a little over a year and am trying to determine where I want to live. I've been researching various places and have narrowed my decision down to a few places. Though I've read up on these places, I would like to get some opinions here as well. What I am interested in for these places are:

1. Cost - as some places are more expensive to live than others
2. Transportation - I will not have a car (though I plan on getting a bike), so I'd like to know how good the public transportation is
3. Climate - Hot summers, freezing winters, nonstop rain, etc.
4. Westerner friendly - I hear some places are a lot more welcome toward foreigners than others
5. Markets - If there are large open markets with old things (woodblock prints, military items, pre-Meiji era items, etc.) as well as markets with various Japanese foods it would be good
6. Natural scenery - Obviously there is probably not much to be found inside the city (though gardens would be nice), but it would be good to have someplace nearby to visit.
7. Historical Sites - Temples, castles, and other historical sites of interest

If I could get some opinions of these for any or all of the below cities I would greatly appreciate it.


Kyoto
Nagoya
Nara
Sendai
Wakayama
Yamagata
Yamaguchi


Also, if you can recommend any other places that fit well with my 7 criteria I would be interested in looking into them. Thank you.

[Mikawa Ossan]

Kyoto
Nagoya
Nara
Sendai
Wakayama
Yamagata
Yamaguchi

I have been to all of these places except for Sendai and Yamagata. I think that the best balance of your criteria could be found at Nara, although I would definately give Yamaguchi a look.

[epigene]

Just an addendum on Sendai, since Mikawa-san hasn't been there:

It's a great city to live in, I think.
Among the Japanese, it has a strong image of educational and cultural refinement, as well as abundance of greenery.
It is also very friendly to foreigners, with many foreign students at its universities and extensive international exchange programs.
Sendai may be a bit colder than most of the cities you've mentioned, but I'd go for a cooler summer than a colder winter! :cool:

I've never been to Yamagata, so I can't comment on the city. :relief:

[Glenski]

If you're coming here "for a time", can we assume you will be working then? How? Doing what? Just how long are you considering?

1. Cost - as some places are more expensive to live than others
The smaller and more rural the place, the cheaper.

2. Transportation - I will not have a car (though I plan on getting a bike), so I'd like to know how good the public transportation is
Most places in Japan have wonderful public transportation. Is that "bike" you plan a bicycle or a motorbike (scooter vs. motorcycle)? Are you planning on using it for work or recreation? Depending on your job, you may or may not even need your own transportation (most people don't, and it is a hassle with paying for parking and insurance).

3. Climate - Hot summers, freezing winters, nonstop rain, etc.
The further north, the colder and the less you get exposure to the annual typhoons, but there is no place in Japan that has "nonstop rain". Winters in the places you listed are relatively mild, but do an Internet search on each to read on their homepages what the climate is like. Bear in mind, though, that temperatures alone don't reflect how cold a place might be. Japan is not one to insulate homes very well, and central heating is not usually the norm.

4. Westerner friendly - I hear some places are a lot more welcome toward foreigners than others
I wouldn't worry about any of these places.

5. Markets - If there are large open markets with old things (woodblock prints, military items, pre-Meiji era items, etc.) as well as markets with various Japanese foods it would be good
Again, do the search. The info is out there readily available.

6. Natural scenery - Obviously there is probably not much to be found inside the city (though gardens would be nice), but it would be good to have someplace nearby to visit.
The smaller and more rural, the more natural surroundings and access to them.

7. Historical Sites - Temples, castles
Again, do the search. JNTO web page and Lonely Planet's Thorn Tree discussion forum can also give you info.

I think my opening questions are more important than anything else here (except perhaps for climate). You may not have much time off to enjoy your setting, for example. Depends on the job.

[Archiveit]

Thanks for the replies. I am planning on assisting with teaching English through the Jet Programme, which will send me for a year or more, depending on if they renew my contract. I just want a bicycle, which I’ll use for anything it seems useful for. I don’t want any kind of motorized vehicle considering the hassle it would be. Perhaps “nonstop rain” was a poor choice of words. I guess what I mean is the severity of the rainy season. Thanks for the advice about the insulation. I’ll check out the sites you recommended.

[Glenski]

JET programme gives you the chance to request 3 places where you want to live and work, as you may know. That is no guarantee whatsoever that you will be placed there. None.

It's all up to JET. Sometimes people get sent to places they don't want to live. No choice. I recommend you do further research, of course, but that you also figure out very good reasons to go to certain places. It might not help, but it can't hurt.

A year is a long time away. You must know the JET applications are due at the end of the year, and if you are accepted you will come in August next year. I suggest not putting all your eggs in one basket (especially with such a long waiting period for application), and try to apply to other employers, too.

[Archiveit]

I know, and I am trying to keep an eye out for other alternatives as well. I realize there is no gurantee of getting put where I want, but I figure that I should at least put a lot of thought into what three cities I choose in case they decide on one of them, as well as what sort of place I want to look into when considering an alternative job.

Do you have any recommendations for similar programs?

[Glenski]

Not really. There used to be a program like JET put out through Earlham College, but I see that has been discontinued. If ALT is what you want to be, then look into JET, any dispatch agency that hires from abroad (unless you want to come here first to look around, in which case bring US$4000), or perhaps see of any local university in your area has some sort of sponsoring relationship.

[Archiveit]

Thanks, I'll look into it. I have found some good sites with job opening listed that I've been looking at too. Again though, I was curious about the various cities I would have liked to have looked for jobs in. I'm glad to hear good things about Nara and Sendai here because those citiess looked really good to me as well when I was looking into them (as well as Kyoto).