General Questions about Tochigi-ken (and more specifically ashikaga) (long-term stay)

how's Ashikaga-shi,Tochigi pref.?
I notice it's really small, "about 160,000 people". Would I be the only foriegner there? While I don't wanna be a gaijin-only-snob I think it would be nice to have some other foriegners nearby for an occasional good round of emotinal support and/or jap-bashing. What's it like to live there (if any of you out there have lived there)?

Second largest city in Tochigi? What's largest? Anything interesting to see there?
Hows transportation to get around the prefecture?
how about to get OUT of the prefecture? Am I gonna be dying to get out of the prefecture???
how's the local dialect?
Hows the living expenses?
basically if anybody's lived there or someplace just like it, what should I know before-hand??

My language ability is something like, I'm able to have conversations pretty well but sounds unnatural and I'm lacking alot of vocab..

I'm looking at college there, so I'm thinking more long term rather than toursity things. most likely 1-year there and then moving to Tokyo.

Thanks for the help,
Stets

roma-ji de kaite imasu.

konnichi wa. anata wa sitte iru kamo siremasenga,asikaga-si no koto wo syoukai siteiru [site] desu.

Ashikaga International Association
http://www.city.ashikaga.tochigi.jp/english/aia/index.html

Ashikaga City Official HP
http://www.city.ashikaga.tochigi.jp/english/index.html

"I think it would be nice to have some other foriegners nearby for an occasional good round of emotinal support and/or ___-bashing."
please, PLEASE, don't go

stay here with the rest of them

If you don't mind a died-in-the-wool *****...I live in the next city over.

Ashikaga is alright. I don't get over there very much myself, other than to drive through it every now and then. With the JET program and the presence of eikaiwa mills, you needn't worry about being the only foreigner there.

Having my aunt & uncle living in Ashikaga, I vistited there frequently growing up.

Ashikaga is a nice little city, quiet and laid back, not much going on, like a clean small town.
There is a slight accent in people's speech which I would not consider as a strong dialect.
I have seen some English speaking foreigners at a restaurant once and am sure there are more.
"Ashikaga-gakkou", Japan's oldest school, is in the middle of the city, that has a statue of 'Kou-shi(Confucius)', is a great place to visit.
Living cost is not as expensive as big cities, but expect the rooms to be small.

Enjoy your stay!

You have to really be out there in the middle of nowhere to be the only foreigner....