My daughter and I are intending to move to Japan with my job in June or July. I’d mainly be working from home but would need to travel to both Tokyo and Osaka once or twice a month, so I’m considering basing us in Nagoya since it’s in between them. We don’t want to live in Tokyo as we prefer smaller cities, and we like the sound of one of the schools in Nagoya better than any in Osaka. Neither of us speak Japanese yet, but we’ll start learning before we go so we’ll know the basics, and we’ll continue learning it once we arrive.
I’ve already researched Nagoya as a place to live, both on this sub and on other expat groups, but there are some things I haven’t been able to find out. Everything I’ve read assumes that people would be living in central Nagoya, when we’d probably try to live close to the school which is right on the outskirts, and most people commenting are uni students or people in their 20s going to Japan with things like the JET programme. I’m hoping to get some responses from people who are in a more similar situation to us, and answers to questions I haven’t been able to get answered so far.
I’m mainly wondering what life would be like for a parent and 16 year old girl living in the northeast outskirts of Nagoya, near to Nagoya International School. Is there much to do around there? Would it be safe/easy for my daughter to do things by herself, and to travel into central Nagoya alone or with friends? What sort of housing is available in that area? Would I need to get a car, or can you get to most places by public transport? I also haven’t seen many comments from parents about this school, so if anyone has anything they want to share about it, that would be really useful. Thank you in advance!
by mariedefrance80
3 comments
This is a copy of your post for archive/search purposes.
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**Life on the outskirts of Nagoya**
My daughter and I are intending to move to Japan with my job in June or July. I’d mainly be working from home but would need to travel to both Tokyo and Osaka once or twice a month, so I’m considering basing us in Nagoya since it’s in between them. We don’t want to live in Tokyo as we prefer smaller cities, and we like the sound of one of the schools in Nagoya better than any in Osaka. Neither of us speak Japanese yet, but we’ll start learning before we go so we’ll know the basics, and we’ll continue learning it once we arrive.
I’ve already researched Nagoya as a place to live, both on this sub and on other expat groups, but there are some things I haven’t been able to find out. Everything I’ve read assumes that people would be living in central Nagoya, when we’d probably try to live close to the school which is right on the outskirts, and most people commenting are uni students or people in their 20s going to Japan with things like the JET programme. I’m hoping to get some responses from people who are in a more similar situation to us, and answers to questions I haven’t been able to get answered so far.
I’m mainly wondering what life would be like for a parent and 16 year old girl living in the northeast outskirts of Nagoya, near to Nagoya International School. Is there much to do around there? Would it be safe/easy for my daughter to do things by herself, and to travel into central Nagoya alone or with friends? What sort of housing is available in that area? Would I need to get a car, or can you get to most places by public transport? I also haven’t seen many comments from parents about this school, so if anyone has anything they want to share about it, that would be really useful. Thank you in advance!
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>Neither of us speak Japanese yet, but we’ll start learning before we go so we’ll know the basics, and we’ll continue learning it once we arrive.
Keep at it. English penetration in Nagoya is probably the lowest of al the major cities, so you will ***need*** Japanese even more so than elsewhere. Doubly so once you get out of the core of the city.
>I’d mainly be working from home but would need to travel to both Tokyo and Osaka once or twice a month
Good news: The JR Chuo line runs through that area, so you’d have a quick, no-transfer route to Nagoya Station.
Bad news: Aside from the Chuo line the only public transport in that part of town are busses. They’re… Ok, I guess. Mostly on time, but not amazingly so.
>I’m mainly wondering what life would be like for a parent and 16 year old girl living in the northeast outskirts of Nagoya
How self-sufficient are you? How self sufficient is your daughter?
It’s not exactly a place overflowing with nightlife and exciting stuff to do. There’s a Costco basically within walking distance, and the area butts up against the Aichi Forest Park, so if you like nature that’s readily available.
Otherwise… Nagoya is kinda notorious for being boring. The suburbs even more so.
My recommendation would be to try and find housing a bit closer to the Chuo line than the school. It’s only about 3km from the school to the nearest station, so we’re not talking a *huge* distance either way. But being able to easily walk/bike to the station would make a huge difference in the enjoyment factor.
>Would it be safe/easy for my daughter to do things by herself
Very safe. Easy? Eh… See above.
>Would I need to get a car
Absolutely yes. Nagoya as a whole is probably the most car-centric of the big cities in Japan. Not nearly as developed train-wise, and the busses are as previously mentioned “Ok I guess”
>or can you get to most places by public transport?
Nagoya’s train/subway system is probably the worst of the major cities. It works, with typical Japanese efficiency, but the *coverage* isn’t great. You can get pretty much anywhere in the city core via subway, and for weekend trips into the city, or trips to Nagoya station to grab trains to Tokyo/Osaka it’s fine. But if you really want to experience the city you need a car.
Nagoya is a very industrial city, a little rough around the edges. But it still is a city about the size of Paris, France, so there is a lot to do, once you learn how to look for it. You have quite some options to eat out and have food from around the world, but it is surely a little more hit-and-miss than in Tokyo or Osaka. With nightclubs and such, I can’t help; I am too old for loud music, haha.
Nagoya is very safe. Your daughter should have no problem going to/from school or into the city. Even more so, if she is already accustomed to observing the usual safety precautions that most non-Japanese are used to.
I don’t think you need a car. At least not in the beginning. It is an easily dispensable luxury. The train and bus network is tight, and if you get yourself a “Manaca-card”, you don’t need to bother with train fares and such, just hop on and off wherever you please. I live at the border between Nagoya and Kiyosu, and there is nothing (except for COSTCO and IKEA) that I cannot easily reach by bicycle and train. The bicycle, though, is a must, IMO.
And welcome to Nagoya!