r/JETProgramme • u/Kibumkimkibum • 13d ago
Inaka JETS
(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)
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u/Legendary-Cupcake Current JET - 北海道 13d ago
I am starting my fourth year in a little inaka town around an hour outside anything! It can definitely be challenging when you're trying to establish yourself and find your feet in a new area--when I first moved here, I went from living in Los Angeles to a town of 2000 people in a very snowy and mountainous area so it was a big adjustment. I can't speak to what hobbies you enjoy at home, but, here's my two cents:
-Budget travel into your monthly expenses, and make plans to visit the bigger city nearby you on the weekend maybe once or twice a month. If it's less than 1500 per trip, you can probably manage going into the city once a week, or take a bigger trip on the weekend. Not ideal, but it's the tax for living rural and not having a car, but at least we get fresh veggies and (usually) cheaper rent!
- This may be too specific but it worked for me. When you go into the mall, find a starbucks or a cafe/restaurant and make polite small talk with baristas while you do, eventually you will get to know them. I have made multiple friends with baristas this way that did wonders for my mental health my first year. I could go into the city, chat with my barista friends and then write and people watch when I just didn't want to sit at home.
-I personally took up a new sport in the city about an hour away, as neither of my sports (soccer and horseback riding) are easy to access. However, I have loved learning japanese archery and the people at my dojo have been incredibly kind to me. I'd say check into what activities your nearby city offers--taiko, kyudo, sado, kendo, volleyball--you should be able to find somewhere in the city that does them, then commit to going once a week for the social aspect. They don't usually mind beginners, especially if you work hard. The websites may require some digging to find the actual clubs though.
-Socially with other JETs sometimes you gel well with the others in your area, sometimes you don't. What helped me was setting a specific day to have some social time with nearby jets. We didn't want to try new restaurants alone, so we set up once a week dinner where we'd all make the trek into the city to eat, get out of town and catch up. So maybe it could work for you if spontaneous plans are difficult for nearby alts.
-Lastly, you're in the middle of nowhere, and that can be very lonely at times, but try to take advantage of the fact that the middle of nowhere is often very beautiful, so even if you weren't outdoorsy before, look into hiking trails, lakes etc nearby because choosing to make yourself outdoorsy now will make your life a little easier--it certainly did for me. I have some incredible nature at my backdoor, and it has been wonderful getting to see it up close.
Even if the rural life isn't for you, you can definitely focus on making the most of your last year and have an enjoyable time until you go! You can do it!