shirokuma 0 Posted January 13, 2007 Share Posted January 13, 2007 Hi I am thinking of moving to Japan to live and work for a while, so I'm looking for a really funky/art-y/music-y town to live but must be near the mountains. I'm hoping someone can suggest somewhere where you can still find work, but maybe not as enormous as tokyo. Student towns are often the best, as they generally have a lot of art and music going on. Obviously the main thing is to be close enough to a good resort to go every weekend or any days off during the winter etc, and maybe summer biking etc during the summer. I know - I'm asking a lot! Any suggestions welcomed. Cheers, Bruce (Brighton, UK - great city, no mountains) Link to post Share on other sites
BagOfCrisps 24 Posted January 13, 2007 Share Posted January 13, 2007 Is Brighton a "funky/art-y/music-y" town? Link to post Share on other sites
thursday 1 Posted January 13, 2007 Share Posted January 13, 2007 isn'tt great how you can decide you want to live in a country and they just let you in with no questions asked. Yes, go to Japan and spread your art/music/love all around. Link to post Share on other sites
SirJibAlot 0 Posted January 13, 2007 Share Posted January 13, 2007 Tokyo is pretty funky/art-y/music-y - and you can hit the mountains every weekend (I do). Link to post Share on other sites
indosnm 0 Posted January 13, 2007 Share Posted January 13, 2007 Nagoya is Ok too and much cheaper than Tokyo. Link to post Share on other sites
rigor mortis 0 Posted January 13, 2007 Share Posted January 13, 2007 arty funky muziq-y??? probably not the right country. But, I lived in niigata city for about 2 years and loved it. but that was more outdoorzy - snowy - beachy if you catch my drifty. plenty of work around and under an hour to some fields. a couple of nite clubs and jazz bars. 2 universities i think. bombfires and beer in summer, blizzards and boarding in winter. enjoy your stay! Link to post Share on other sites
gerard 6 Posted January 13, 2007 Share Posted January 13, 2007 Sapporo. Some people seem to like Tokyo but it seems like they spend half their lives on crowded subway trains. It's a surreal sea of concrete. Nagoya is like Tokyo if you take away the 'culture'. (sorry to bash your cities, folks) Nagano comes to mind. I was only there once, right after New Years. It sucked, but that's probably because the whole country sucks for four days after New Year if you're not skiing. Sapporo's easily one of the coolest cities in Japan. Link to post Share on other sites
white-void 0 Posted January 13, 2007 Share Posted January 13, 2007 I have not spent a huge amount of time there but from what I see I like Sapporo. It seemed like a fun place and it is of course in a good location. Link to post Share on other sites
SirJibAlot 0 Posted January 13, 2007 Share Posted January 13, 2007 But it can get COOOOOOOOOOLLLLLDD up there. At least in Tokyo, Nagoya, etc - it doesn't get so fridged. I suppose the good thing is, if you cut yourself accidently, you don't bleed - it's too cold, the blood freezes on contact with the air. Link to post Share on other sites
kkk 7 Posted January 13, 2007 Share Posted January 13, 2007 Cold is better than hot I reckon. Tokyo and the like are unbearable in summer if you are not keen on hot and sweaty humid. Sapporo is cooler. Link to post Share on other sites
bushpig 0 Posted January 13, 2007 Share Posted January 13, 2007 Quote: Originally posted by SirJibAlot: But it can get COOOOOOOOOOLLLLLDD up there. At least in Tokyo, Nagoya, etc - it doesn't get so fridged. I suppose the good thing is, if you cut yourself accidently, you don't bleed - it's too cold, the blood freezes on contact with the air. Link to post Share on other sites
gerard 6 Posted January 13, 2007 Share Posted January 13, 2007 Quote: But it can get COOOOOOOOOOLLLLLDD up there. At least in Tokyo, Nagoya, etc - it doesn't get so fridged. I suppose the good thing is, if you cut yourself accidently, you don't bleed - it's too cold, the blood freezes on contact with the air. I had to check where you're from SirJib. I figured you for an Aussie, but I was wrong. --U.S. I'm guessing Florida. I don't mind the cold coz I come from a small Canadian Arctic outpost called Toronto (the name comes from the local Inuit language). Link to post Share on other sites
SirJibAlot 0 Posted January 14, 2007 Share Posted January 14, 2007 AH, I know Toronto - code named 'Ice Station Zebra'! I'm a Californian - LA to be more precise. We are a spoiled lot - on Saturday, we're laying on the beach enjoying the sun - on Sunday, we're in the mountains snowboarding. I hate the cold, but I love snowsports... Link to post Share on other sites
number9 0 Posted January 14, 2007 Share Posted January 14, 2007 Hey, there's actually a lot of good creative music in Japan, especially Tokyo. But like any other country, the charts are filled with fluffy crap. Link to post Share on other sites
thursday 1 Posted January 15, 2007 Share Posted January 15, 2007 Sapporo, capital of the North. Tokyo, capital of all things superficial. Been to Tokyo many time, been to Sapporo many times. Sapporo feels like the smaller version of Tokyo but a lot more intimate in it's superficialness. Don't like Osaka though, a mess of a city. Link to post Share on other sites
Dragon64 0 Posted January 15, 2007 Share Posted January 15, 2007 I find lots of Japanese cities to be a mess. Having said that, towns too! (And villages ) I was in Sapporo in December and really liked it, it seemed like a fun city. I'd like to be there in winter. Link to post Share on other sites
thursday 1 Posted January 15, 2007 Share Posted January 15, 2007 Dragon64, how rude of me. Welcome. Link to post Share on other sites
BagOfCrisps 24 Posted January 15, 2007 Share Posted January 15, 2007 Dragon64! That brings back some memories. It even reminded me of Vic20. My friend had one and I was a Spectrum guy. Link to post Share on other sites
Sappolo 0 Posted January 18, 2007 Share Posted January 18, 2007 Sappolo is a great city I love it here. I don't know it that well yet - only been here since last summer, but it sure beats Tokyo. Link to post Share on other sites
skidaisuki 0 Posted January 18, 2007 Share Posted January 18, 2007 Sapporo is way nicer than Tokyo in terms of climate and mountain access - it even has municipal ski resorts. Unless you are a student or Engrish teacher business-wise there's not much going on there, though. If you want an interesting life, Tokyo or Osaka. Nagoya residents seem to swear by that place too (rather than swear at it). You are from Brighton, so if you want a place that's 'cosmopolitan' then maybe Tokyo's best... Link to post Share on other sites
frannyo 2 Posted January 19, 2007 Share Posted January 19, 2007 Roppongi perhaps? What's Brighton like these days? I went there when I was 16 I think and have memories of sticks of rock, funfairs, arcade machines, fish and chips, kiss me quick tshirts and cheap omiyage. (I thought it was fun!) But I heard it had changed a lot since the late 80's.... Link to post Share on other sites
thursday 1 Posted January 19, 2007 Share Posted January 19, 2007 among other things, Brighton has a thriving gay community who hang at the seafood wine bars along the shore. But then where doesn't? And a hellova lot of students for a seaside town. Link to post Share on other sites
BagOfCrisps 24 Posted January 20, 2007 Share Posted January 20, 2007 Seriously, fun place Brighton. Go there a few times a year good friend lives there. Link to post Share on other sites
joshnii 2 Posted January 20, 2007 Share Posted January 20, 2007 I like Niigata city but it's not that close to places, still need to make a trip. I like Nagano city and it is in a good postion in between Hakuba / Shiga Kogen / Nozawa / Myoko. Link to post Share on other sites
thursday 1 Posted January 21, 2007 Share Posted January 21, 2007 yes. agree about Brighton, used to bunk off lectures and drive there for beers and stay for the parties on Fridays. Link to post Share on other sites
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