I’ve seen a few posts recently on remote work and living in various parts of Japan. A few of the popular “resort” areas such as some parts of Okinawa, Karuizawa, Hakone, Izu, etc, seem to come up often on people’s wishlists. For those that live there, is it really as advertised? Or did it not live up to expectations? I’m genuinely curious, especially compared to the major city centres like Tokyo. Thanks!
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I spent 3 months in Hakuba and everyone knew each other’s business. Too weird for me, I couldn’t wait to leave and get back to Tokyo.
If you are living in a resort area, is it still an “escape” from normal life or will you sooner or later feel the inconveniences? I spent some days over the year end in Ishigakijima but a few years? Single maybe but with family? I guess it probably really depends..
Worked in Niseko the winter after covid hit. Place was empty.
Building I lived in was shetty. But dirt cheap rent (1 man). Shared a room with three others.
It was hard to get around without a car. Busses were running only about 6 times per day.
I don’t miss it. Job was ok. Lift attendant > combini reji.
I’ve lived part time in Yugawara since October 2020, one stop up from Atami, at the head of the Izu Peninsula. Pretty awesome: real laid back, nice people, good food, great outdoors activities (surfing, bouldering, rappelling hiking, scuba, etc.), easy access to Tokyo.
If you can do the remote work thing, highly recommended.
I know several cases involving people who lived in these sorts of areas. The schools are generally very well funded, but not necessarily a great place for achieving your academic ambitions. Or non-academic ambitions, for that matter. As one person told me, rice farmers are no doubt excellent people, but their children didn’t seem to have much interest in being friends with her kid.
I have some personal experience with somewhat rural locations and tourist destinations. As far as I can tell, most of the benefits (lower rent, more open space, less stress) show up as soon as you’re an hour away from Osaka by train, and maybe two hours for Tokyo. In my case, at least, there are all sorts of benefits to being able to a take a train in to the big city easily, and very little to gain by being even further out.
For a family serious about the Japanese education system, even the best high school in a remote area likely does not send students regularly to U Tokyo. So maybe you should move to Tokyo for high school? But the best junior high school in the area does not provide suitable preparation for Tokyo high school entrance exams… and the same is true back another step, for Tokyo JHS entrance exams… Final result: move to Tokyo when the kid is starting elementary school.
I spend about half of my time on one of resort islands. I won’t mention the name, because it is small and I do not want anybody from the island to come across this post. Sorry for dropping a spoiler.
Good parts:
1. The weather is lovely. It is much warmer than Tokyo, palm trees and hibiscus flowers around. Blue sea: whales in the winter, colourful fish in summer, sea turtles as many as you want to see.
2. The people are lovely. After the anti-social grind of Tokyo, it feels like a different country. People actually come together in large numbers, talk, drink, eat, talk again, drink, sing, dance. Lora fun.
3. The food is good. Since it is a southern island, all the fish inside the sea gets onto the table. Usually sliced. I am unable to eat sashimi in Tokyo anymore, because it is never as fresh and good. Mangoes, pineapples, papaya, guava, potatoes… The island has it all. The cuisine on the island is not the same as on the mainland, it has more of a Polynesian touch to it.
Bad parts:
1. The weather can be terrible. When a typhoon comes it feels like sitting inside a washing machine and I am not exaggerating. After a typhoon cleaning up the mess can be disheartening.
2. The people can be annoying. There is a local hierarchy of who is “cool” and who is “less cool” and everybody seems to care about it. Locals are obsessed about becoming “cool” and will go over the heads. It is very, very annoying. Also, since it is an island, you keep running into the same people and there is no escape from that. Just ghosting someone you dislike, like one would do in Tokyo, does not work.
3. I am not Japanese and I cannot survive on Japanese food only, even though I love local island specialties. Bread? Forget about it, supermarket shokupan only, imported form the mainland. Good wine? Forget about it. Cheese? The shredded supermarket variety only x2 price because of shipping. I can keep on ranting.
Oh, wait, it is a resort island.
In the summer lots of tourists, some are stupid and grumpy, throw their rubbish around in the forests, but some are lovely and friendly. One never knows. I get bipolar there: switching between euphoric love and flaming fury thrice a day. Also, some tourist facilities are way too expensive for the locals, but locals know the local places and they are not worse. The important part is that it is inaka, no matter how well-groomed, with all things inaka comes with. I am mainly concerned about the unsophisitcated locals sometimes and the fact that without a car it is impossible to live there.
Would I want to live there? No. You get used to any beauty, and there is much more than that behind.
Currently living in Gero Onsen with my wife and three kids, we moved here a year ago after spending the last decade living beachside in an Australian tourist town.
Not sure what your expectations are, rural towns are pretty quiet places, great for raising families but not the kid of place I’d want to live if I was looking for nightlife.
I lived in Ishigaki for a year and it was awesome. Beautiful, easy to get around, good restaurants…I lived in bali too and it was totally crap in comparison. The only negative in Ishigaki is that you can really go shopping, but that may be a good thing too.