Advantages & Disadvantages to Living in the Inaka

Inaka is the Japanese word for countryside.  My first two years in Japan I lived in a tiny village in Gunma.  It was so mountainous and rural that I had to take a two-hour bus ride to get to the closest small city and train station.  From there, it was a two-hour train ride to Tokyo.  While traveling outside of the village was inconvenient, there were many advantages. 

1.  You spend less.  There are no stores to waste money on. The cost of living is cheaper.  My monthly rent was less than $100 USD, in contrast, an apartment a quarter of the size of mine goes for $900+ USD in Tokyo and other large cities. Great for paying off debt or saving.

2.  You have more time to develop hobbies, take online courses, etc.

3.  People in rural areas are less likely to Speak English, which means that you get lots of opportunity to learn and practice the language.

4.  Country people are universally friendlier than city people.

5.  You feel like part of the community.

6.  Free produce:  the countryside is full of generous farmers.  I constantly got free fruits and vegetables from my neighbors, co-workers and other villagers.

7.  Country schools have smaller classes, and country children are universally better behaved.

8.  There are lovely views of the mountains, especially in spring and autumn. The night sky is gorgeous.  It’s peaceful.

The disadvantages to living in the Inaka:

1.  People are always in your business because that’s how small villages work. Gossipers are on overdrive. 

2.  If you’re different. You will stick out.  There is no blending in.  You will be noticed everywhere.

3.  It can be isolating.  My first year, I went four months without seeing any other foreigners.  During winter break I attended a Kwanzaa celebration in Yokohama and wanted to run up and hug everybody there. 

4.  You will run into very traditional, provincial thinking.  For example, it’s not unusual for people to get married young, like in their late teens or early 20s.  Another example is blatant sexism or rigid sexual roles. A co-worker once whispered to me that one of our administrators took the trash and recycling out.  When I failed to see a problem with that, he explained that that was his wife’s duty. Yeah, juicy gossip.

5.  Specific to where I lived: winters were bitter cold.  This was made worse by the fact that most houses and apartments in Japan don’t have central heating.  

2019