Hey everyone! I am currently living in Mie but there might be a job opportunity for me in Fukushima. I have checked some videos and travel recommendations but I would really like to hear from people actually living there or who have been there what their experiences have been. I do currently enjoy living in Mie but the job opportunity is quite interesting which makes me curious about Fukushima. Would love to hear your thoughts and experiences. Thanks!
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People and families are moving back there currently I’ve heard.
Fukushima is a large prefecture with everything from medium-sized cities to deep, deep rural areas. Where in Fukushima would the job be?
Fukushima is pretty large, probably the 4th or 5th largest prefecture in terms of area.
Fukushima city is probably as densely populated as Yokkaichi but overall Fukushima is still mostly a rural prefecture. It is close to ski resorts and Lake Inawashiro is also very interesting. It snows pretty heavily in that area, especially closer to the mountainside.
You will probably need a car to live comfortably in that area. Unfortunately the express Shinkansen doesn’t stop in Fukushima and if you want to go to Tokyo, you will need to ride the slower Yamabiko trains which could take as long as 2 hours.
It’s one of the more depressing prefectures in Japan. Kind of cold in the winter but not “winter wonderland”. Koriyama and Fukushima city are to be avoided. Mie is much nicer.
You’ve gotta love country bumpkins and traditional family roles.
They are planning to release the radioactive water into the ocean this year….I’d avoid the local sushi.
Fukushima where? There is a serious range, from medium-ish city to deeeeep mountains.
Hey I’m in Mie too the Western part of the prefecture so my post probably won’t be as relevant as others but I’ve been spending some time around Miyagi, Yamagata and Fukushima this winter so here’s a few thoughts
+++ If you enjoy mountains and snow. Clearly one step above Gifu, Fukui etc. Also you can expect warm welcome even in touristy resorts like Zao, people are generally very nice. Also the local gastronomy I would say looks more interesting than Mie. I can’t speak much for Fukushima but sendai city has this cool tohoku vibe and it’s not huge maybe comparable to Fukuoka so very human livable size. Generally speaking outdoorsy region I really want to go again explore during summer.
— If cold weather is not your thing it was definitely more chilly. Also a friend who moved in Sendai recently is having a lot of problems with her new job and coworkers so a work mentally shift is probable if you work there. Cost of life but more expensive I guess? You will feel quickly limited without a car there even if you live in a city center. Closest huge city btw is Tokyo and it is quite far. And obviously, the earthquakes.
Finally tohoku is probably more fun in the long run, more activities etc. Mie is kind the same thing all over and again again…
That’s it for me good luck!
Unless you absolutely love nature, I’m going to suggest you steer clear of anything from northern Kanto and up. Even the biggest cities in those prefectures just don’t have much to indicate this is modern Japan. And it’s not as convenient to get around as you’re thinking, because the bullet train is run by a different operator than the Sanyo Honsen connecting east and west Japan. You’ll be really far from anything fun.
As someone who’s living in Sendai, I don’t advise you to move to Tohoku. If you have a family and children, then it’s not a problem. But if you’re single, please don’t. It’s not fun. The Japanese people here are 1000 times more Japanese than the average Japanese you encounter. Tohoku people are cold af, and you will have a hard time making friends and connections. Mie is such a nice place. You have Osaka to the West and Nagoya to the East. Tohoku is okay for tourism, but not for living, specially for a gaijin. Even Kansai people have hard time adjusting here, now imagine the struggles of a gaijin living here. I will also be moving to Osaka soon, I just love the Kansai vibes!
It’s surprising that no foreigner mentions the accident at the nuclear power plant. Not all areas in the prefecture are considered polluted, but I would avoid anywhere near the restricted area.
I’ve visited the exact area you’re talking about. It’s very remote, there is… not much to do other than outdoorsy things. I love outdoorsy things but I also like other activities too.
I know for a fact that people who work at BH get buses into town/try to go out on the weekends and a lot struggle with the isolation there. Owning a car would help a lot, but again it’s pretty limited what you can do…
There’s a YouTube channel of some people who live near there called GlobalFukushima.
Idk if they are still doing it but you will receive 5k yen every year for living near the nuclear plant. lol
I went to Fukushima for like 2 days. Mountains.
It’s nice but I would never live there. At least not as a single person.
But I’m a city person. Maybe you’re different but it seems boring as balls tbh. Especially if you’re like 1 hour away from a city.
This seems to be a contrarian opinion based on other responses, but I actually love Fukushima. I lived in Akita for a few years and would drive through/stop there on my way to visit my SO in Kanto. Is it a bustling hub of entertainment? lol not exactly. But it’s really gorgeous. Plenty of parks to see and cool things to experience. If you like nature and don’t mind being a bit isolated/far from a big city, then I’d say you’d be fine.
As someone who currently lives in Chiba and misses the quiet countryside, I’d would move back to Tohoku in a heartbeat! lol