I find the Japanese in this smaller city (compared to Tokyo!) to be very wary and scared of me as a foreigner. I feel that most of the people here are a little close-minded, because I’m probably the only American who lives here! I miss having lots of snow during the winter months, because this region only gets freezing breezes and winds during winter. The summers here are horrible because the humidity is up around one billion percent everyday. Lol. I miss being able to order pizza that isn’t overpriced.

I just found your blog and it’s so interesting! I hope that you and Shumpei are enjoying being back in the same country.

I first went to Japan when I was 17 years old, with only high school Japanese to rely on. I had been selected as a representative of my NZ high school and there was one other student from another high school who was to travel with me, who I didn’t meet until I arrived at Nairta airport! It was so scary for me – I hadn’t ever travelled alone before – so I was really overwhelmed by everything. After the 12 hour flight, we then had to jump into a van and travel up to Gunma-ken which took 4 hours (we had a few detours to make) so all I remember is that I was tired, carsick and hatting the freezing cold December evening. Later when I went back for my 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th visits, my fear had gone and it was a bit like returning to my 2nd home. I haven’t been back for about 2 years now but I’m hoping to go there as part of my honeymoon. (I’m getting married in Febuary so I’m also interested in reading about your wedding preparations!)

Five years later, I moved to Tokyo for a job (and for other reasons) and I have now been here five years. Though I have my days when the crowds and shoving get to me, making a few adjustments (avoiding the really crowded areas at really crowded times, giving myself plenty of time to get somewhere so I don’t have to rush through crowds, etc.) it has become very livable. Tokyo has really grown on me and I now truly love it. I love discovering tiny, out-of-the-way shops on side streets and wondering how they ever get any customers. I marvel at how the trains move so many people during rush hour without the whole city melting down (for the most part). And those small moments that make the city seem so much more human (like when a woman stopped me on the street to tell me the tag on my shirt was sticking out) have gone a long way to make me like Tokyo even more.

Tokyo will unfortunately never have the hospitality and friendly people I always experience when I visit Osaka and Kyoto, and sometimes I wonder if anyone would help each other if something happened. But I try to have faith in my fellow Tokyoites.

I’ve been in Japan a year now, with 2 more to go, and I’m already in a panic about not having enough time to see and do everything on my ever growing list!

Love your blog, I’ve been lurking for a long time!

I actually am not a big fan of downtown Tokyo at all. Too many people, too crowded, dirty… but I loved the suburb town of Machida where my school was located.

Part of me wishes I was back in the Kanto area because now I “know” so many cool people there. But I guess thats nice because now I always have people to see when I visit. I’m not sure where I will end up in this island country, but Tokyo will always have a special place in my heart as where I spent my first year and really learned the language.