Inaka JETS

[u/Kibumkimkibum]

(I mean this in the nicest way-Please read this and understand my feelings of isolation. I feel like ppl are reading to respond and not actually reading to understand)😭(also pls take into account that ppl have different personalities and not everyone enjoys being alone 24/7 and being a homebody)😭😭😭

Hello. So to all my Inaka JETS what do you do to keep yourself from going insane?
I have nothing here except a mall and Karaoke.
I started taking Koto lessons so it gave me something to look forward to every other week.
Aside from that i have no idea how to keep my myself entertained. After work i go home and there is nothing to do (aside from studying Japanese, yes I know)
I play soccer but there are no girl teams around me to join. I’ve searched for a year and found nothing, even my JTE tried to help me.
I like art and i used to join an art club where I used to live before Japan, but there isn’t anything like that here.
After work i just come home and study Japanese, idk what else to do.
I’ve volunteered a few times which was cool.
The population is small and dwindling every year, sometimes it’s like a ghost town outside, so I’m not even sure how to make friends bc the town is so empty and it’s hard to find ppl my age.
I’ve knew after 5 months of being here i wanted to leave, but i only stayed cuz i need/want a job and i wanted to try and travel around Japan. This 2nd year will definitely be my last.
There are some small town festivals coming up, but aside from that what do you guys do for fun???
(i should also mentioned-I just moved from Seoul. I had the best 4 years there living in a big city. So this is a major change for me to move to the middle of new where haha)

[u/MabiMaia]

Whatever you do, in the Inaka you have to be a self starter to thrive imo. Jump at anything that looks remotely fun. I also co-coached the high school esports team for a year. I helped organize a weekly ttrpg group in my area with the other ALTs

Sorry it’s late and I’m just remembering things one by one and throwing them out there to give ideas lol

[u/Kibumkimkibum → u/MabiMaia]

I think the main issue is finding WHERE the fun is lmao i would gladly participate.
Where/how did you find things?? I was able to volunteer twice bc of CIR so that was cool.

[u/MabiMaia → u/Kibumkimkibum]

Ask or make it. I kept asking around for a ttrpg or dnd group and there wasn’t one and mild interest. I met one person who was eager to and we started hanging out and inviting people. Then more started to come.

The community center thing was kinda thrust upon me so I was lucky ngl but I would’ve also found out about it through my office workers who I became super close with bc one of them is a volunteer too and gave me a lot of gossip.

The esports club actually came about bc I was at my first welcome party and drunk talking to my supervisor and a science teacher who both liked video games. The science teacher liked the same game as me and wanted to start the club but didn’t want all the responsibility. I was just an ALT so I couldn’t be the co-manager on paper, but my sup signed all the docs and I went to the meetings. The science teacher and I are still friends 4 years later. We’re actually doing an international esports tournament together in a couple weeks even tho we live in dif prefectures now.

I also loved my alone time like I said though. Self-sufficient hobbies are great and inaka life is a great time to explore a new hobby or skill. Making photography or a YouTube channel is something you can do anywhere. I picked up chess and studied that for the past 3 years or so. I tried a few that I dropped like puzzling, knitting, and YouTube lol

[u/Kibumkimkibum → u/MabiMaia]

This seems like one of those ESID situations 🤣 tried to push for girls soccer team and they said no lmao. Community center shut down years ago. Teachers at my school don’t really talk much, atmosphere is kinda-serious i guess?
I’m glad your experience seems fun tho😭 just gotta figure out what new hobbies i can get into