whats the truth about hokkaido

[silverx7]

is it really this blizzardy hell hole that I have heard about

secondly, are jets placed there?
in my tiny amt of research I did not find much

[Ini]

same as the rest of Japan, except with more snow
Jets are there
if you dont like snow dont go there

[silverx7]

how different climate wise is it compared to japan on the whole

basically if in central japan snowish weather lasts X months hokkaido would be X+ what?

[Felixcat]

Silverx7 - There are at this time 208 Jets in Hokkaido. If you go to the jet site and look under The JET Programme--Official Homepage of The Japan Exchange and Teaching Programme you can find sime more information about where people are actually placed. At the bottom of the positions statistics page you can have the statistics broken down even further and this is where I managed to find out where jets are placed. http://www.jetprogramme.org/document...nated_city.pdf I hope that this helps. Even though I have never been to Hokkaido, I imagine it is not a hell hole. But then again life is what you make it.

[Djordje]

It actually doesn't exist. Godzilla destroyed the inhabitants in 1854 and North Korea sank the island during the Revolution of the Automogasboat

[silverx7]

Silverx7 - There are at this time 208 Jets in Hokkaido. If you go to the jet site and look under The JET Programme--Official Homepage of The Japan Exchange and Teaching Programme you can find sime more information about where people are actually placed. At the bottom of the positions statistics page you can have the statistics broken down even further and this is where I managed to find out where jets are placed. http://www.jetprogramme.org/document...nated_city.pdf I hope that this helps. Even though I have never been to Hokkaido, I imagine it is not a hell hole. But then again life is what you make it.

thanks, you have been most helpful

-chaseincats

[Pyrography]

It's worth noting that Hokkaido is enormous compared to the rest of Japan, which means there's a potential for more isolated placements there. On the other three main islands, even the most secluded rural hellhole can't be THAT far away from a major urban area, simply because there isn't the space. On Hokkaido, you could theoretically get posted up in the mountains and truly be hours away from anywhere.

Personally, I requested Hokkaido because I like the snow, but I'm hoping for something an hour or two away from Sapporo.

[FamilyMart]

i hear it's cold

[jandek]

I live there. It snows a lot (it snowed yesterday), and even in the coldest places in late January, it rarely gets below -20 C. Average January to February temperatures: -15 C low -5 C high, and the snow falls every day (unless you live on the eastern side of the Daisetsuzan Mountain Range, where it is significantly drier) and covers your house like a blanket. The winter takes a long time to break - from November to April everything is covered, but it doesnt really disrupt life, you just drive on top of ice. And get a car, because it is like living in Montana. And although a lot of the locals ride horses to the next village, you can't ride a horse until March, as everyone here well knows.

The snow is nice, and the people are even nicer. Also, from what i have seen and heard from others, it seems way easier to be a foreigner and be accepted as a real part of the community fabric here in hokkaido than it seems to be in other parts of Japan more steeped in history.

I mean, as long as you're not Ainu.

[tenderRondo]

The winter takes a long time to break - from November to April everything is covered, but it doesnt really disrupt life.

I dont see how having everything blanketed in snow can not disrupt your life. You have to get up earlier every day to shovel snow, driving on the ice sucks, and outside of snowboarding and skiing you cant do much outdoor exercise. So if you live in a town with no gym it can really suck.

[Ini]

rubbish, I've seen rocky 4 and it didnt stop him. Try running up a mountain or lifting up a cart full of people

[tenderRondo]

everytime my hearts on fire the snow puts it out. ill never be heavy weight champion of the world.

[jandek]

meh, it takes about 25 minutes to shovel my driveway, but it doesnt usually snow so much that i cant just shovel when i get home from work. the snow was always there, waiting for me when i got back. kind of like a puppy, but a puppy that doesn't move and never barks and is all white all the time. PROTIP - shoveling snow is how i became friends with my neighbors.

snow tires make ice driving a dream. when you slip, it is like you are playing mario kart only it is real life and the fire hydrants next to the road are the red turtle shells.

i do live 5 minutes from a great ski resort and there's a nice gym in town too, so if you were in a one-konbini isolated hamlet, i could see how that would suck, but i would have to say that Hokkaido does not stop for winter.

[Ini]

you've never been to crane mura....

[ohheythere]

the snow and cold isn't the problem here on the Sea of Japan coast, it's the WIND. Constant, constant 50km + winds, and factor that in with -5 - -10 average highs in the middle of January, and it gets damn bad.

[jandek]

you've never been to crane mura....

is it like shimukappu but with birds instead of deer?

[Bingo]

Yes it gets blazing ass cold here in the winter (averages -10 everyday for about 2+ months but it's cold from November through March). Yes there is a shit ton of snow (averages a good foot of fresh snow everyday for about 2+ months where I live). It starts snowing in my area in November and the snow is still on the ground - it probably will be through the middle of May in town and in the mountains through July. Winter does seem to last forever, but it is part of the biz here. Snow removal and keeping people warm here is big business, so you shouldn't have any problem keeping warm. I hate the cold with a passion, but I do just fine keeping warm and I generally enjoy living here. The winter certainly does not create a hell hole where I live, but I am only about 2 hours away from Sapporo

The short summer is A LOT milder than the other islands and people only sweat their balls off here for about two months (July to Aug) compared to many many months farther south. If you like outdoor activities, this is THE place to be. If you are a city kid and require the conveniences of restaurants and shopping at arms length, then Hokkaido may not be the place for you. On the other hand, without restaurants you are forced to cook - which saves money and impresses the ladies, and without shopping in your backyard you are likely forced to save a bit of money.

And I won't even start on discussing how excellent it feels to be in an outdoor onsen during a blizzard... Some of my fondest memories of being here.

I suppose if you are stuck 12 hours away from Sapporo it could get a bit hellish, but there would likely be other benefits to that placement. You might just have to search them out.

[ohheythere]

It's all what you make of it. Best memory so far here was finding subtitles for 'A Christmas Story', and inviting some of my friends in town over to my appartment to get hammered and watch it in English/Japanese while a motherfucking blizzard was raging outside.

The people in Hokkaido, in general, tend to be really nice too. Like the Midwest of Japan.

[silverx7]

interesting sounds really nice place/environment minus the cold lol

I mean I have lived in LA all my life and seen snow literally twice when i went to the mountains

I'd probably get rocked if I was placed in Hokkaido

[I Am Quailman]

I thought Hokkaido was divided after the long-lasting war between the Russians and the Ainu. And then a princess named Mononoke saved the world.

And that it's pretty cold.