18 days to go...
https://buttondown-attachments.s3.amazonaws.com/images/828b56d6-67a7-49cc-a64d-f6bf9fdfbe21.jpg
Hi Everyone,
Happy Friday!
A few cool things to share with you as I get closer to my trip.
I know where I’ll be living!
I’m assigned to the Board of Education in Anjo, Aichi Prefecture. I’m excited because Anjo is a proper city as opposed to a rural town, and it’s located close to the main Shinkansen line(Bullet Train) that runs from Tokyo to Osaka. As much as being up in a mountain town somewhere would have its appeal, Anjo is going to have plenty of public transportation and shops to make life more convenient.
This week I picked up my Instructor Visa at the Consulate General of Japan in Downtown LA. It feels good to have that last piece of paperwork checked off the todo list.
On the road
I’m also assigned to a driving position, meaning I’ll lease a car from the company and have to learn to drive on the opposite side of the road. I’ve never driven abroad, so there’ll definitely be a learning curve. I’m really looking forward to this because I’ll be able to drive out to trailheads to go hiking, move any furniture I buy for the apartment, or take day trips around the prefecture to areas without train lines. From what I’ve heard, I’ll probably be driving this compact Nissan.
Tokyo plans
I can't wait to spend a few days exploring Tokyo before riding the Shinkansen to Nagoya for training. One of my favorite things to do is explore a new place slowly on foot. I’m planning to focus my time on the Asakusa, Shinjuku, Shibuya and Mitaka areas in Tokyo, as well as a popular spot for temples an hour away called Kamakura. It’s been surprisingly easy to prepay for certain activities online like the Ghibli Museum and Tokyo Skytree. I was also able to get a preloaded subway card mailed to me in San Diego for a small fee so I can head straight to the hostel after customs.
Back to you
Anything you’re curious to learn about Japan?
Have you lived abroad before? Where?
Let me know.
Until next time, またね! (ma-ta-ne) "see you later",
Tobin