There’s More to Japan than Tokyo

I spent half of Global English Camp working in Tokyo, a bustling metropolis; the other half was spent in Tochigi, a quiet, rural prefecture. This is a comparison of those two experiences.

The day I received my acceptance to work as an intern for Global English Camp was very exciting. I had put a lot of time and effort into perfecting my application so I was pretty attached to the idea of working in Japan for the summer. I eagerly accepted the position and excitedly told my friends and family that I would be spending my summer in Asia. “Awesome! Where in Japan will you be staying?” they asked me, to which I responded with a shrug and, “Not sure yet, but hopefully in Tokyo.” (We did not receive our weekly placements for the camp until much later.)

Hopefully in Tokyo, she said.

Tokyo was really the only Japanese city I knew of at that point in time. I had heard of Osaka in passing (i.e., I watched the Street Food: Osaka episode on Netflix), but that was about it. From the pictures I had seen and what I had heard, Tokyo was the place to be. It has bright lights, 10-story malls on every corner, all the izakayas and Gong Cha’s you could ever dream of—I wanted to explore every corner of it.

Thus, I was delighted when I found out that I would be spending half of Global English Camp in Shinjuku, right at the heart of all the action. I was less delighted when I learned that I would be traveling to Tochigi for Week 4.

Tochigi?

I had never heard of such a place in my life. I asked my students in Shinjuku what they knew about it, but most of them had either never been to Tochigi or knew little about it. Even when my three fellow interns and I Google searched it, nothing much came up besides Tochigi’s signature gyoza (more on this later); we worried if we would enjoy our time there or quickly fall into boredom with nothing to do after classes.

One year later, I regret ever having those worries. Believe it or not, you do not need to be in a huge, flashy city in order to have fun and create lasting memories. The week I spent in Tochigi was filled with tons of laughter, fun, exploration, and even tears; some of my fondest memories from Global English Camp come from the time I spent there. 

I would not say, however, that I preferred one setting—rural Tochigi vs. urban Tokyo—over the other. My experiences in one of the busiest cities in the world were very different from my experiences in quiet, humble Tochigi, but I enjoyed working in both locations. The experiences were unique to the location; they were different, not bad.

Upon further reflection, I recognize that the major differences between working in urban Japan vs. rural Japan can be sorted into two major categories. I hope to use my experiences to help those considering working in or visiting Japan in the future:

1. Work

Tokyo: We have all seen the pictures of the crammed Japanese train cars—I experienced that firsthand while I was working in Tokyo. Mornings were always super busy, and our commute to work was long. In the classroom, every mentor usually had 5-6 students. Multiply that by a dozen or so mentors and what do you get? A lot of students! The Tokyo venue for Global English Camp, however, was big enough so that everyone could fit comfortably.

Because the Tokyo camp had so many mentors and students, it was hard to get to know everyone. I became familiar with the mentors as time went on, but I never really got to know the other students. 

Tochigi: Four mentors, fifteen students. As you might imagine, we all became very close. In Tokyo, I could look across the classroom and recognize only a handful of other students. In Tochigi, I had the opportunity to talk to everyone at least once. At the end of the week, I even received gifts from other mentors’ students!

The other interns and I formed close bonds with the staff as well. One of my favorite memories from working in Tochigi was getting dinner with the Toshin staff. We bonded over ramen and Tochigi’s famous gyoza, sharing stories from our lives in America and Canada and listening to their experiences living in Japan.

Working in such a small venue also forced us four mentors to assume bigger leadership roles. Not only that, but we had to practically double our energy and enthusiasm for the students since there were no other leaders to share that responsibility with us. It was difficult at first, but, with appropriate preparation [and sleep] beforehand, we were able to successfully, enthusiastically guide our students through reading and writing activities, group projects, and individual presentations.

2. Social life

Tokyo: It is hard to be bored in Tokyo because there is so much to see and do. You do not have to look far before you come across a new animal cafe, arcade, or museum you have not visited yet. My friends and I made a point to visit different parts of Tokyo every day after classes and on the weekends. Because of this, every day was filled with new experiences; we went home after hours of exploring exhausted but fulfilled.

Tochigi: You have to be a little more creative with your time in rural settings. Unlike Tokyo and other major cities, smaller Japanese prefectures do not have nearly as many cafes, restaurants, or other popular tourist attractions. I remember looking for places to eat with my fellow interns every night and sometimes having to walk several blocks before finding any new restaurants.

To be honest, this did not bother me, the lack of commotion and high energy. If anything, I found solace in the slower pace of life and did my best to make the most out of the small things. Whether that meant checking out an eerily quiet mall in the middle of nowhere and making a mad dash for the last bus home; going to every Lawson, 7/11, and Family Mart in the immediate vicinity until we found our favorite ice cream; or walking way too far to find the nearest shrine; I savored living in the moment and making the most of my time with genuine and kind people I now call my friends. 

3. Conclusion: Visit both!

I hope this article has given you some insight into what it is like working in different settings in Japan. Don’t get me wrong—I love Tokyo and will visit again when it is safe to do so! I thoroughly enjoyed my time there, but ended up having an equally enjoyable time in Tochigi.

If you ever have the opportunity to go to Japan, I encourage you to travel to some of the smaller cities and explore. There really is more to Japan than Tokyo; don’t miss out on what the Japanese countryside has to offer.

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Written by Larissa Nam, 2019 Global English Camp Intern / 2020 COOJ Marketing Intern