Anyways, this "living report" is all about my life here working in small town Japan. I plan to cover topics like the cost of living, mini trip reports to others parts of Japan, the women, the food, the locals, the language, the weather, things to do, etc. I also want readers out there to submit any questions they might have on Japan, and hopefully I can shed some light on what it's really like once you're actually living and working here. It'd be great if other Happier Abroad members who've lived in Japan can chime in from time to time with their input (specifically Yohan and ladislav). I'm gonna foreshadow things to come by saying that so far Japan really isn't my cup of tea, but I'm trying to make the best of my current situation. I'm gonna get this thread started by introducing you to my locale, Kamisu, so let's get the ball rolling, shall we?
Kamisu 神栖
As I said earlier, Kamisu is a pretty small place by Japanese standards, but it's not like I'm living out on a farm somewhere. It's a mostly industrial town, as there are many factories here, some of which are foreign-owned. Surprisingly, there are quite a number of Asian foreigners living in Kamisu, and many of them work at said factories, but they're income levels vary dramatically. It seems like most of these Asians work as factory workers, but some also work on nearby farms, and some are in upper management at these factories and farms. So some of them are relatively poor, whereas others are quite wealthy. Ironically enough, I've met countless Chinese people here who are from Dalian. Why they're seemingly always from Dalian, I don't quite know. On the other hand, seeing obvious Western foreigners in Kamisu is quite rare. In my eight months of living here, I've maybe seen a total of five. That said, it can be quite isolating here.
Square kilometer-wise, Kamisu is actually a decent size (Wikipedia says 147 square kilometers (57 square miles)), but the city proper is concentrated in a very small part of the city. Once you leave the city center, there's pretty much nothing but fields and homes. There's also really not much to see or do in Kamisu. The only thing notable out here is Kashima Shrine, which is one of Japan's oldest and most famous Kanto shrines, but it's located in neighboring Kashima, not Kamisu. Kamisu feels like a young city lacking in culture and history. Apparently the city was established in 2005, so the city is barely over ten years-old. So if it's ancient and rich history you're after, you're not going to find much of that in Kamisu. The city is mostly filled with shops and restaurants that belong to national and international franchises. Small, privately-owned shops and restaurants are not very common.
Other than seeing the shrine in neighboring Kashima, there's really not a lot to do here in Kamisu. I usually just bargain-hunt at some of the second-hand shops, such as Hard-Off and WonderREX, but that's not a very fulfilling pursuit. I occasionally go to some of the locals parks, if the weather permits. There's an observational tower where you can go to the top and get a scenic view of the city, and that's worth doing at least once. There are also a few arcades, karaoke bars, batting cages, and driving ranges around the city. Those can be fun every now and then. And there are countless pachinko parlors/casinos around here, but that's definitely not my thing. And oh yeah, there's also an OK beach here, as Kamisu is located on Japan's far eastern coast. However, the beach is filled with litter, and you can only swim there a few months out of the year. Having a beach around is always nice though.
The population of Kamisu is very out-of-whack. There are very few young people living in the city, and as a result, my social life here is dreadful. Most of the people you see in Kamisu are the elderly, unemployed housewives, and/or families. Seeing people in the 18 to 40 age range who are not married is not common. As a result of this, the city just feels aging and dull. It's pretty much the polar opposite of "cool." The locals also seemingly don't give a flying shit about foreigners either. As a white guy, I feel totally invisible here, which is literally the exact opposite of how I feel when I'm in China, especially small town China. Maybe once a month or so, someone might say a word or two to me, usually a kid, but it's rare. I don't expect special treatment being a foreigner or anything, but it's a nice bonus when the locals in a country want to get to know you and your background because you're different. But that's simply not the case here in Kamisu.
And I think needless to say, English is pretty much non-existent here. Of all the countries I've been to, the English is no doubt the worst here in Japan, and that includes Tokyo. If you plan on coming to non-big city Japan and not learning the language, be prepared to live in complete isolation. Honestly, even if I could speak Japanese well, I think I'd still live in complete isolation here in Kamisu. It seems like the Japanese, or at least the ones here in Ibaraki, don't take anyone serious who can't speak their language at a high conversational level. If I'm gonna put in countless hours to learn a language that can only be spoken with a specific race/ethnicity/nationality of people (basically a language that doesn't cross country borders), the prerequisite is I have to at least feel like the locals respect me as a foreigner. And since I don't feel an ounce of respect here, I'm very unmotivated to learn the language. I was quite interested in learning Japanese prior to my arrival here, but once I actually started living here, that all changed. And before you call me a hypocrite or a "language imperialist" or some other nonsense, bear in mind that I have learned to read, speak, and write Chinese all the way up to a medium-high intermediate level. So it's not that I'm adverse to or too arrogant to learn foreign languages. Take that for what it's worth.
The vibe here in Kamisu and in so many other parts of Japan is one of monotony, depression, sterilization, and petty social rules. As developed and industrialized as Japan is, it's pretty obvious that so many people here hate their lives, at least on a subconscious level. There are just so many robotic and sad-looking people in this country. But it's easy to be fooled into thinking otherwise, as the Japanese are the kings of faking emotions. You go to stores and restaurants, and the people seem so polite and courteous, but it's all just an elaborate act. Looking past the superficialities, so many of the people here seem stand-offish and unfriendly. I hope we can all agree that politeness and friendliness aren't the same thing. Sometimes I wonder if the people here feel genuine emotions, as so many of the people seem like robots faking emotions. But don't twist or mangle my words - I'm not saying every single person in Japan is this way or that all Japanese people are bad, but there are certainly enough people here who are the way I'm describing that it's a noticeable pattern.
So if Kamisu seems this bad, then why am I here? Prior to coming to Japan, I, perhaps incorrectly, assumed Japan would be a great place to live. After all, it's one of the only industrialized nations in all of Asia, and Japan is one of the world's largest exporters of high-quality goods, particularly electronics. Japanese comics, cartoons, and video games are also popular around the world, so it's somewhat easy to mistakenly fantasize Japan as a fun and wacky place to live. But regardless of all this, I knew I wanted to go somewhere complete new for a year or two where I could live in a pleasant and peaceful environment, while at the same time saving up a nest egg. I had just lived in Bangkok for three years, so I was wanting a break from bustling metropolises (i.e. Tokyo). I guess I got what I wished for, as Kamisu is pretty quiet and peaceful, and I do save quite a bit of money here. I guess I just wasn't expecting daily life in small town Japan to be so dull and depressing. I gave the country way more credit than it really deserved. Bear in mind I was born and raised in Arkansas, so it's not like I'm not used to rural environments or something. Nonetheless, the plan is to live here in Japan until January 2017, which is when my work contract expires. I'll have lived in Japan a total of 18 months at that point, which quite frankly is more than enough for me. I'm confident I'll be leaving the country for good once my contract is up. I've got my cross-hairs set to Taiwan or Mexico, but only time will tell.
I'm working here in Kamisu as an English teacher at a local "eikaiwa (英会話)," which is the Japanese word for English conversation school. The work kind of sucks - it's got nothing on my cushy high school English teaching job back in Bangkok. But on the positive side, it pays relatively well. I make 250,000 yen a month (about US$2,200), and I manage to save about a third of my salary each month (more on the cost of living here in Kamisu later). My school provides me with a car, so it's the first time I've ever had a car in Asia, and I've driven the car to every nook and cranny of Ibaraki and Chiba prefectures. The English teaching itself is mostly draining and unrewarding, and I pretty much feel like a fancy babysitter teaching a bunch of ungrateful brats. But I'm willing to put up with the job and the locale for now, as it's all going to lead to a much brighter future (I have big big travel plans for 2017). Living and working here in Japan is also teaching me first hand about the country, and I am learning many valuable lessons, so I don't regret my decision to move here. I can't expect a great experience with every single country I live in after all. I'm trying to travel as much as I can in the country before coming to too many conclusions on the country, but I haven't been too impressed with anything I've seen in this country so far. I'll post some mini-trip reports down the road, including both Tokyo and Kyoto.
Well, that's it for part one of this thread. I'll be writing so much more here in the weeks and months to come, so stay tuned. Ask me any questions you'd like, as I'd be happy to answer them - pretty much anything goes. And like I always say, don't take one person's word on a country - just because I'm not too fond of Japan doesn't mean you won't be either. You might come here and think it's one of the best places you've ever been. Who knows? I've certainly met a number of people who seem to like it here, but unfortunately I'm not one of them so far. Anyways, that's all for now. See you next time.
