badmigraine 0 Posted May 11, 2005 Share Posted May 11, 2005 A work friend is putting heavy pressure on a couple of us to quit our company jobs, move to the island of Tanegashima, and set up an English school or do some other job to create a beautiful natural lifestyle for our young kids and also surf a lot. The shape and location of the island mean it works whichever way the wind is blowing. Anybody been there? What is the lifestyle and feeling there? Apart from working as a rocket scientist at the rocket base, is there any hope of making a living there? Link to post Share on other sites
indosnm 0 Posted May 12, 2005 Share Posted May 12, 2005 Never got that far, but friends have surfed there and scored really good waves. I am not sure about how a business might go there but it's definitely a beautiful place which could be good for kids until they grow up and want some action. Link to post Share on other sites
Ocean11 0 Posted May 12, 2005 Share Posted May 12, 2005 Generalizing a bit here, but people from Kyushu tend to be a bit spunkier than people from other parts of Japan. I know quite a few people here who have lived in different parts of Kyushu and desperately want to get back there. Not specifically Tanegashima though. Link to post Share on other sites
montoya 0 Posted May 12, 2005 Share Posted May 12, 2005 Not a surfer not have I been to that island, but I have a cousin in Miyazaki who mentioned that these days there seems to be a lot more foreigners there (mainly Australians) for the waves, while getting by teaching English, etc. Link to post Share on other sites
Yuki's Passion 1 Posted May 12, 2005 Share Posted May 12, 2005 montoya, I got mates in Miyazaki too. Seems like quite a few Ozzies there teaching/surfing. Miyazaki has some good breaks. I quite like Shikoku (Kochi) too. Link to post Share on other sites
badmigraine 0 Posted May 12, 2005 Author Share Posted May 12, 2005 We spent GW in Shikoku (Nakamura, Kochi) and it was great. Parts of it look like a Miyazaki anime come to life. We drove from my wife's place in Okayama. I thought of you, Ocean, as we crossed over the Seto Ohashi into Shikoku. It really is a beautiful part of Japan. Link to post Share on other sites
Yuki's Passion 1 Posted May 12, 2005 Share Posted May 12, 2005 Bad, did you camp on the penninsula there?? Ummm, whats its name...?? Thats where we usually go too. Link to post Share on other sites
badmigraine 0 Posted May 13, 2005 Author Share Posted May 13, 2005 Yeah, that big parking lot that has cold water showers for 100 yen? There's a smaller area out front which had some serious beach break during our stay, but then a much bigger surfable area immediately to the left, on the other side of the rock, that is better? Link to post Share on other sites
Ocean11 0 Posted May 13, 2005 Share Posted May 13, 2005 Shikoku's good innit? There used to be even more of the Studio Ghibli goodness about Shikoku when I first visited 14 years ago, but there's still plenty of it left. I have sung the praises of Matsuyama elsewhere, and personally, I like living in a rural feeling city of about this size. Anything smaller, especially an island, and everything else would have to be perfect - family, home, work, friends, leisure, neighbours. Otherwise, I think one's world would begin to feel very small. Beautiful natural lifestyles are great, I see the appeal. But some unnatural nightlife from time to time puts it all in an even rosier perspective... Link to post Share on other sites
nzlegend 1 Posted May 13, 2005 Share Posted May 13, 2005 Tanegashima! funnily enough my landlord lives there! she and her husband (who used to live in the apartment that I now rent, moved there). They packed everything up and headed on down. They both love surfing and and surf everyday before work. (she's a web designer and hes an artist). I can find out more info about the surf if you want. Link to post Share on other sites
Ocean11 0 Posted May 13, 2005 Share Posted May 13, 2005 I had a little frolic last Saturday evening on small island near Matsuyama. It was good to watch the sun go down over the Inland Sea. Piss-poor surfing though. Link to post Share on other sites
Yuki's Passion 1 Posted May 13, 2005 Share Posted May 13, 2005 Sounds like the place Badmigs. Except, our shower consisted of us rinsing our faces off at Royal Host. Thanks SG. Thats it. I love it out there but havent been for about 2 years now. Really wanna go back. Matsuyamas quite a nice place. City part kinda suxs but the drive from Kochi over the mtns into Matsuyama is beautiful. Would like to get back over and race you down Ishizuchi san on our boards Link to post Share on other sites
Dims 0 Posted May 13, 2005 Share Posted May 13, 2005 Or you could just move to Western Australia Link to post Share on other sites
Yuki's Passion 1 Posted May 13, 2005 Share Posted May 13, 2005 One of my best mates in Japan is from Perth Dims. Looks like a beautiful area with some great breaks down south... If I remember correctly, youre from Tazmania right? Another of my best mates is from there. Dont have any American friends in Japan Link to post Share on other sites
badmigraine 0 Posted May 14, 2005 Author Share Posted May 14, 2005 Thanks, snowglider, but I have no doubts about the surf conditions! It's the employment and living part I need to look into. Heh! Link to post Share on other sites
woywoy 0 Posted May 14, 2005 Share Posted May 14, 2005 An Aussie friend of mine got paid to live in a hotel and surf out in front at a quality surf spot for a few years. This was 10 years ago but he was paid to surf! They wanted to attract people to the island to surf and I dont know if it worked at all but he learned Japanese and then joined the JPSA circuit, winning it a few times I think. Link to post Share on other sites
indosnm 0 Posted May 15, 2005 Share Posted May 15, 2005 Quote: Originally posted by woywoy: An Aussie friend of mine got paid to live in a hotel and surf out in front at a quality surf spot for a few years. This was 10 years ago but he was paid to surf! They wanted to attract people to the island to surf and I dont know if it worked at all but he learned Japanese and then joined the JPSA circuit, winning it a few times I think. Was that Pittsy or Faunce? Pitts was working at the Miyazaki wave pool till it closed. Link to post Share on other sites
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