Job offer in Misaki, Okayama?

[the mighty quinn]

Hi, I'm going to Japan in a week to start training as an English teacher with Interac. I've been waiting to be placed, and this morning I got a phone call saying that there's job available in Misaki, a small town (about 20,000 people?) in the Okayama prefecture.

I can't find a whole lot of info about the place on the web, so I was wondering if anyone has been there and has any opinions on what it's like?

I think it's pretty close to Okayama city... so how about connections to Hiroshima / Osaka by train?

Any info on the town or prefecture at all would be helpful!!

Thanks

[Glenski]

Are you going to base your response on the quality of a town?

[the mighty quinn]

To an extent.

I'm probably going to accept it, but I would still like to find out a little about where I'm going to be living over the next year or more!

[undrentide]

I've never been to Okayama prefecture but according to the official website of Misaki, it seems to be a peaceful agricultural town with some historical monuments.
http://www.town.misaki.okayama.jp/manabi/kankou/map.htm

You can take a train from Kame-no-kou Station (JR Tsuyama line) and it takes 60 minutes to Okayama.
From Okayama you can take Shinkansen train, it's another 50 minutes to Shin-Osaka station and 60 minutes to Hiroshima.

Train services on Tsuyama line is not so frequent, though, there's only one train or two every hour.
http://ekikara.jp/newdata/ekijikoku/2701401/down33661011.htm
Train schedule from Kame-no-kou station to Okayama

[Glenski]

With Interac, you're going to be traveling to several schools, no doubt. That means no consistency in lessons, and you have to be mentally prepared for that as well as for working with JTEs, some of whom may not appreciate your presence.

Living in any rural area means being exposed to lots of Japanese language. Good for your immersion and studies, but you have to make it happen. Osmosis doesn't work with languages. If you aren't comfortable with a rural area, rethink your priorities and maybe even ask Interac for a different post, but have a good reason.

You may have to drive here to get to those schools. Think about that, too, especially if you have never driven on the left in a car with the steering wheel on the right side. And, if you happen to stay longer than a year, you won't be able to use the international drivers' permit, but instead have to take the Japanese driving test (written and behind the wheel). NOT always fun.

An hour away from any major city by train is nothing. I hope you don't think that's a major feat. You should explore your neighborhood anyway, get used to real Japanese life, and use the occasional weekend for going out to bigger cities, but not every weekend.

What are your priorities for coming to Japan?

[the mighty quinn]

Undrentide: I discovered the town website before, it's great but it's so frustrating not being able to read the captions to those amazing photos!! Useful to get an idea of the place nonetheless.

Thanks for the train timetable link. I've just thought of quite a big problem I'm going to have when I'm over there... all of the timetables are going to use kanji for place names aren't they?!! I better get learning!!

Is there a group of common kanji used for place names that are worth learning (like for people names)?

[the mighty quinn]

Glenski: Interac did make it clear that due to my lack of experience and ability in Japanese it would be likely that I'd be living in a rural area, so I'm ok with that (and have you SEEN those mountains! :D)

Also, i'm from England where we drive on the left and the steering wheel is on the right, so that fine with me too!! The strange thing is that the Interac representative said that driving wasn't actually required. Very strange seeing as it's quite rural. I'm in two schools so far, one elementary, one junior high.

To be honest, I'd be happy in a big city as well as in a tiny village atop a mountain. I just want to experience the culture and have a bit of an adventure. Not that it's gonna be easy... I also want a challenge!! As long as there's SOMETHING to get out of the place I'll be content.

[undrentide]

The link to the maps of Misaki in my previous post, although no Enlish version is available, somehow has a menu bar in English.
By clicking each of them, you can see a lot of photos of the nature, historical monuments, festivals and local speciality. Even if you cannot understand Japanese, you can see a lot of places of interests. I'm sure it gives you some ideas.

Thanks for the train timetable link. I've just thought of quite a big problem I'm going to have when I'm over there... all of the timetables are going to use kanji for place names aren't they?!! I better get learning!!

Is there a group of common kanji used for place names that are worth learning (like for people names)?

As far as the timetable is concerned, there are only two kanji you need to know:
岡 : taken from 岡山 Okayama - all trains are marked 岡、 which means all the trains are bound to Okayama.
快 :　taken from 快速 kaisoku, which means express train. Trains marked with this kanji are express train, those without is so-called "local train" which stops every station on the line.

As for a group of common kanji, some kanji used commonly at certain places (like 入口 for entrance or 出口 for exit), I don't think there are groups of kanji useful for people's name or name of places to remember - proper nouns tend to have special pronunciation. Better remember the particular kanji for the place you're going to live or people you're meeting everyday.

As far as JR lines are concerned, usually they have signs in English as well as in Japanese (in big cities in Chinese and Korean as well.)

Misaki town seems to be rather a small place, you might have to drive as Glenski mentioned, though it depends on the place you're going to live and how far away from school you're going to teach. I believe you have no problem in driving on the left as you're from UK, but you need to get used to the signs on the road in Japan. (Bycicle is an option but not always convenient, especially in bad weather...)

If you enjoy country life and want immersion in rural Japanese life then Misaki would be interesting. If you want nightlife, then maybe bigger cities would be better for you...

[senseiman]

I used to live in Himeji, which border Okayama prefecture, and I have travelled quite a bit through the Okayama countryside.

I can say that rural OKayama is quite nice. Beautiful mountains, rice fields, quite little towns....its great. Unfortunately I can't comment on Misaki in particular but I'm sure you'll enjoy living there (though I can't comment on the job)!

[the mighty quinn]

Thanks guys!! I've accepted the offer, and from what I've found out about it I'm looking forward to arriving. :D

Undrentide - many thanks for the useful info about the kanji. I've memorized those so hopefully it will make my use of the public transport a little easier.

I can definately see myself jumping over to the north coast for a bit of skiing too when the season is right :D

[Glenski]

Glenski: Interac did make it clear that due to my lack of experience and ability in Japanese it would be likely that I'd be living in a rural area, so I'm ok with that (and have you SEEN those mountains! :D)Been here 10 years. Answer is yes. :wave:

Also, i'm from England where we drive on the left and the steering wheel is on the right, so that fine with me too!! The strange thing is that the Interac representative said that driving wasn't actually required. Very strange seeing as it's quite rural. I'm in two schools so far, one elementary, one junior high.Maybe that area has good public transportation. I guess you'll find out. Find out, too, if you DO need a car whether you have to pay for the mandatory safety inspection. Can be pricey.

I also want a challenge!!
Working in Japan, and especially working for Interac, your wish is automatically granted.

[Charles Barkley]

Note: being from Britain, he will not have to take the in-car test after one year.

He and his ilk are very very lucky (the test is such a pain in the ***).

[Glenski]

Charles,
True that he won't have to take the test, but that assumes he already has a UK driver's license. If not, be prepared to take the test, or to somehow go back home and take it and spend 3 months or more there before coming back to change it over.

Many say what you did about the test. Some of us pass it the first time, though.

[Charles Barkley]

If he doesn't have a license now, he is going to, probably, have to take the course, or at least some private lessons, before taking the test. That would be a big financial hit on top of being, I imagine, just an awful experience.

Anyway, good luck to him.