Looks like I will be in: 長野県 Nagano-ken (prefecture) 飯山市 Iiyama-shi (city)
Wikipedia (not the most reliable, but its probably close) says the city has a population of about 24,000, which I think will be a good mix of city and not city. I *should* have access to a post office, a bank, and the ever-necessary コンビニ (konbini-convenience store), but I will still get to experience Japan without it being completely Westernized. Apparently, to get to Iiyama from Tokyo takes 2.5-4 hours: take the train to Nagano-shi, then a bus or train to Iiyama (thanks for the info, Nic!)
If you want to check it out:
http://www.iiyama-ouendan.net/english/index.html (the city's tourism website)
http://tamagazou.machinami.net/iiyamashigaichi.htm (just pictures, and all the links are in Japanese so if you want to navigate to a different page, hold your mouse over a link and BEFORE you click, look in the bottom left corner of your browser. Usually you will see a copy of the web address which should be in a language you recognize. You will have to sort of decipher what is there, but you might know some names)
http://myoko-nojiri.com/madarao/ One more that is more tourist-oriented.
:-D
Congrats! I'm going to Gifu, just found out yesterday. I think you're close!?? I don't know my geography yet.
ReplyDeleteHi Elissa,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the link to my site. Iiyama is a good posting, especially if you like nature and skiing.
Just to clarify - the bullet train takes about 1.5-2.5 hours from Tokyo to Nagano. From Nagano to Iiyama you can catch either a bus or train. It's a reasonable distance so you are probably looking, by the time you include changeovers, anywhere between 2.5-4 hours to Tokyo.
Ganbatte ne!
Nic - Webmaster (Explore the Heart of Japan)