Ideal small town central Japan

debel · 21 Feb 2006

In our visits to Japan, we've tended to stay in the larger cities. Now we want to spend a few months in a town probably in central Japan. Our activities are online so work in Japan is not necessary. We can get by in the language.

We're looking for a pleasant town, a sort of cross-section. Apart from that, anything goes.

We would appreciate having suggestions and, perhaps, why you like the town.

Thanks

Debel

mr.sumo.snr · 21 Feb 2006

Speaking on behalf of all small-town gaijin residents here in central Japan I must say that your post has me thinking more about the "activities online" that you refer to, rather than enticing me into offering any definite first-hand advice.

So are we just talking about a simple vacation or do you also plan to blow up any government buildings during your three-month stay?
--

yidaki · 21 Feb 2006

Do they have governmental buildings on the countryside?

ArmandV · 21 Feb 2006

"Online activities" could also mean something porno.

nice gaijin · 21 Feb 2006

something smells.

mr.sumo.snr · 21 Feb 2006

yidaki said:
Do they have governmental buildings on the countryside?

Well, they have to spend my city and prefectural taxes on something.

Being February of course that means it's time to repair the roads. Everywhere.

More road building/repairing projects start during January/February than at any other time of the year.

Does anyone want to hazard a guess why?
--

Sukotto · 21 Feb 2006

To have them finished in time for Golden Week?

mr.sumo.snr · 21 Feb 2006

Sukotto said:
To have them finished in time for Golden Week?

Ahh...if only Japanese urban planning took into account such matters as 'convenience to the road user or pedestrian'.

It's perfectly simple, and probably NOT peculiar to Japan. Budgets for fiscal 2006/2007 are decided at this time of the year. If a particular city or prefectural department has not spent its full budget allocation then it is a commonly held notion that the budget for the following year will be reduced accordingly. Hence we get a sudden ejaculation of road construction and repair at this time of year.

Yes, in a modern industrialized nation it's a bureaucratic anomaly. Yes, everyone knows it is so. And yes, little if any attempt will ever be made to correct the problem. And a final NO! My students, and from next year my son, still cannot walk to kindergarten or school by means of a sidewalk or pavement. They must walk the entire journey along roads - right up to the school gates!

--

Mars Man · 21 Feb 2006

Hello there again my prefectural friend !! I just had to get into this down-to-earth-hometown thread. Wow....

Governmental buildings: Well, mr.sumo.snr. put it well. And for my two yen's worth, my village put up a very nice, long and mostly two story office just two or three years before our village merged into Matsumoto. (Of course, we are the furusato (countryside where born and raised) of the Yorugatake fast-food/drinking places--Shinshu Golden Castle--and that guy covers some 60% of total tax income before merger.) Now, there's room to spare there, since many workers were moved to the main city office in Matsumoto proper.

On-line activities: Armand V and nice gaijin san tachi...you guys are right on track. . . this has got to be talking about all the great lakes and mountain streams here in Nagano to go fishing at ! (hee,hee.....)

I'd like to hear more from the original poster before I start talking about the movie 'White Out'--if any of you guys saw that Japanese movie about a place here in Nagano.

misa.j · 21 Feb 2006

Mars Man said:
I'd like to hear more from the original poster before I start talking about the movie 'White Out'--if any of you guys saw that Japanese movie about a place here in Nagano.

I would like to see the movie if I can find it here in the US, Nagano, and area by Lake Suwa, used to be my favorite place to go on vacation when I was a child.

There was a long tunnel which I can't remember the name of, when we drove from Gunma. I wonder if it's still there.

Mars Man · 23 Feb 2006

Hey Misa J san !! A favorite name of mine !! (as you know)

That must be the 'Misato'--well Misa...窶ｰﾂｽ窶堙??堋ｩ ...I always get the name a little mixed up, but from the Gunma area, going into Matsumoto, and then on to Shiojiri, then over the kougen to Okaya, and then around the lake into Suwa, that would be the one.

Otherwise, I can't think of a long tunnel from that area into the Suwa area. You'd have to go up to the Venus Skyline, Utsukushigahara area, and then down. That tunnel is still here, and rather often closes one lane or both, for repairs--and it's a toll tunnel.

That movie is nice. I hope you can find it !!

misa.j · 23 Feb 2006

That sounds familiar Mars Man, especially "a toll tunnel" part. I remember taking pictures right after we'd gone through it.
There are so many tunnels in Japan, though.

Mars Man · 23 Feb 2006

That might very well be it then, Misa J. san. Oh don't you know it, sooooo many tunnels. And when my village (Shigamura) merged with Matsumoto, part of the deal was to dig a nice big tunnel between them so that it would take those on my side to get to Matsumoto ekimae area within some 15 min. rather than the 35 or so that it now takes.

Of course, people in Matsumoto proper, don't have much reason to come over this way, so now they are largely against the plan. Some petitions are going around in both locales now. Wow........

debel · 24 Feb 2006

Serious

mr.sumo.snr said:
Speaking on behalf of all small-town gaijin residents here in central Japan I must say that your post has me thinking more about the "activities online" that you refer to, rather than enticing me into offering any definite first-hand advice.
So are we just talking about a simple vacation or do you also plan to blow up any government buildings during your three-month stay?
--

Fact is last summer I discovered quite by accident the most incredible on-line working opportunity that I can do from anywhere in the world as long as there's a HS broadband connection and a suitable computer. You'll well imagine that this dream-come-true means the ability to live anywhere, no longer depending on the shackles that bedevil our lives. So, I thought of all the places I'd been and would like to spend some more time, even years, and Japan has always represented fond memories. Previously one had to be near clients in the big cities but no more.

So back to the original question. In the case of the UK and parts of Europe, I could list the best towns to live and those one should avoid. But Japan is another story.

Are you in your smaller town by preference?

jonerik · 24 Feb 2006

My girlfriend lives in Nagahama. It's on the east coast of Lake Biwa. I've visited there a couple of times and like it quite a bit. It isn't an eentsy town (a bit over 90,000 residents now since it swallowed up a couple of neighboring towns earlier this month), but it has a pretty decent "small town feel" to it. Most of the Japanese people I've talked to who live here in the U.S. have never even heard of it.

Mamoru-kun · 24 Feb 2006

My suggestion would be Ootsuki, a couple of hours east of Tokyo.A flat city within the montains (I've already spoke about it in another thread if I well remember, but can't remember which, sorry :frown

cyberryo · 26 Feb 2006

I would personally opt for Suwa in Nagano-ken. Judging from the posts in this thread, you have Sumo and MarsMan also in the neighbourhood.
Nagano-ken was the location for the winter olympics some years ago, and there are many hot springs or onsens too as well as mountains to hike. Quite a few golf courses too. It is also about 2.5 hours from Tokyo if you need to get away from the countryside.

Mars Man · 27 Feb 2006

That's right on the money there cyberryo san !! Nice job in getting your information lined up !!

cyberryo · 28 Feb 2006

Marsman-san,
Yup! Nagano-ken and especially the cities round lake Suwa is a great place to be. Envy you guys staying there and having a great time. I only get to visit when urgent business matters arise so that`s not too good. I love starting the morning and ending the day by soaking into the wonderful hotel onsen and look over the lake and at the distant mountain range. The air is so fresh unlike Tokyo. Bet you can live to a hundred there.
Ken

Davey · 28 Feb 2006

I forgot the name of the city, but a couple of hours drive above Himeji is a great city. in wintertime it is used for skiing, and in summertime for Paragliding, they have some a great matsuri, with some fantastic fireworks... can you believe that "FIREWORK IN THE MOUNTAINS"...

Mars Man · 28 Feb 2006

Thanks for the follow up cyberryo san. Next time you got plans to come up this way, give me a PM and I'll try to get around to meeting you for dinner around the Suwa area.

100? Hmmm...maybe, but probably not me. I do like all the very fresh vegetables you can get here too--and the soba is maybe the best !!

I'll try to see if I can get what that town's name is, Dutch Baka san !!

ArmandV · 1 Mar 2006

The Lake Kawaguchi area was very nice. We went there two years a go for a fireworks show.

cyberryo · 1 Mar 2006

MarsMan-san,
Roger that! Dinner round the lake would be great!!
Ken

Mars Man · 1 Mar 2006

Good cyberryo san !! Dutch Baka san, I just found a lot of possibilities, so it would be really hard to the one you had had in mind. Anyway....

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