Which city in Japan is most like Berkeley, California and would be a good place to go to high school?
My daughter is interested in going to high school in Japan (either a boarding school or homestay). She'd like to find a town like Berkeley, California - somewhere with an interesting cultural life, maybe a diverse international population, good bookstores, good food, nature not far away. Preferably not a huge city, but near a city at least. Thanks!
Japan - 3 Answers
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1 :
Ive been studying in japan for 2 years, & currently live in japan & came when I was very young (at age 17)so I have many experience. sorry japan is not internationally diverse in its people.everybody is japanese. Most likely the only american she will ever know is herself wherever she go`s. She may not know whats ahead of her, especially if she is a highschool student there may not be any other americans near her age, or people from english speaking countries around her age etc as most people come to japan by teaching english as an english teacher & have already graduated from college.To study abroad in japan, it takes alot of patience & mental strength. Unless she is an up-beat type of person with a positive heart who can handle such extreme differences in culture ,she may gradually start to feel lonely. It is very tough & not everybody can do it. Also if she does study abroad I suggest you give her enough money so she doesnt have the stress of managing her own money in worry on what to eat & buy, & play with. 1000$ a month should do well. normally homestay can be from 400$ a month (including utility fees etc) & also many times for transportation by train is needed with an additional 50-100$ a month for the train ticket. at least 500$ extra for food & and play spending should be good. If you want her to come back home with suvineers from japan giver her an extra 700$ for the spending instead. Also, the best citys I can suggest would be Kobe, Osaka, or Tokyo . Personally I would suggest Kobe, Although most of japan is Like one whole big metropolis because space is scarce, Kobe has a somewhat nice population,is easier to get around than the other bigger cities( not as confusing) Has beautiful Mountains behind the city, & many interesting sights to see. ALSO BE SURE TO GIVE YOUR DAUGHTER A CAMERA. You dont wanna miss this opportunity to study abroad & not take pictures!!!
2 :
You don't mention if your daughter speaks Japanese fluently or not so I will assume she doesn't. It is a requisite that she speak Japanese (at the level of other Japanese students) for admission to school in Japan. Instead of looking for a city she would like I would recommend that you both search for international schools (where the curriculum is taught in English) that look appealing and then research those particular neighborhoods. Of course, most international schools will naturally be located in areas that would be attractive to foreigners. Keep in mind though that although she will probably need to study at an international school she should do her best to make plenty of Japanese friends. Her Japanese friends will teach her the intricacies of the special language and culture of Japan.
3 :
I agree totally with all the points made by both contributors above. When I think of Berkeley, I think of a town with a high social consciousness, many hippies/vegetarians/alternative lifestyle type of people, great and cheap food, many people from different ethnicities. There is absolutely no way you will find that in Japan. It is about 1 percent foreigner but most of these are Chinese and Korean. Many have lived in Japan a long time, speak Japanese, and may not even speak the language of the country of their ethnic origin. The places with the highest amount of foreigners (Oizumi, Roppongi (Tokyo)) are NOT places you want your 16 year old daughter living. (Oizumi is quite isolated and Roppongi is seedy). There are many people interested in macrobiotic cooking, healthy living, and the beach lifestyle in my area (Shonan), but all the schools are conducted in the Japanese language. Have you considered an intensive summer program such as this one? http://www.highschoolprogramsabroad.com/listingsp3.cfm/listing/48285 She could experience life in Japan and take day trips out of Tokyo to see different natural areas. International schools can be very good quality, but also very expensive. Also I don´t know about any schools that will let the child enroll without the parent there to sign papers, visit with the teachers, and so forth. Good luck!
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