I’m going through a difficult time and I want to get busy. I want to join some social hobby groups, activities, schools, anything really that can help me build this routine of being busy. I have work on weekdays, but finish quite early, at 16:15, so there’s still a lot of time to kill. Weekends are the worst. So far, I’ve been going to a lot of meetups and while they’re good distractions, it’s kind of tiring to introduce myself and answer the same questions to new people all the time. I need something consistent with same group of people to build meaningful relationships.
Any ideas other than joining a Japanese language evening school? I’m in Osaka btw.
5 comments
Read through the city newspaper then check out the schedules at your local kominkan and taikukan. There are probably some cheap yoga classes and shamisen circles. You can make lots of Ba-chan-tomos.
I miss going to Jiu Jitsu. It was a great group of guys. Some of them went from 7 until 10 every evening.
Perhaps take up a [martial art](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_martial_arts)?
[Aikido](https://www.google.com/search?q=aikido+osaka), [judo](https://www.google.com/search?q=judo+osaka), [Jujutsu](https://www.google.com/search?q=Jujutsu+osaka), [karate](https://www.google.com/search?q=karate+osaka), just to name a few. Most dojos will allow you to observe a class or two to see if it is something that you might be interested in following up.
There are also martial arts that require some “equipment” like [kendo](https://www.google.com/search?q=kendo+osaka), [iaido](https://www.google.com/search?q=iaido+osaka), [kyudo](https://www.google.com/search?q=kyudo+osaka), and so on, which can be a bit more expensive to get started with: but some dojos may have some equipment you can borrow and try, before you decide to commit.
I have a friend who joined a local climbing gym and did that multiple days a week. Because it was local the same people would join and they were able to make friends.
For me I play sports at the same local clubs every week. The same people come but it’s mostly older people. Good fun though.
Find what you’re interested in first, google some places or classes IN JAPANESE, then go out there and try it!
Join sports circles as much as you can, will help your japanese miles better than a japanese language school. スポーツやろうよ is a good place to start – with a bit of google translate-fu if you’re challenged in japanese
Rajio Taiso with the other old ladies and men in the park? Seems like a good start to your morning and you’ll also make friends with them and when old people like you, they feed you.