Welcome to Aisho

So I'm here. In Japan. I have in fact been in Japan for almost 3 weeks now and living in this here fine apartment for 2 weeks. The thrill of today that led me to start a blog was the introduction of an internet connection into my apartment. HOORAY! Here you see my living room on the left, with really nothing interesting to speak of except a TV with 6 channels in Japanese and a VCR that doesn't work. Then my bedroom. Note the twin size bed - so much for being done with that after college. Below you have my lovely kitchen. It came complete with 100% white walls, cupboards, counter and beige floors. So classy. Or something. Luckily I inherited a coffee pot, the only appliance worth listing here, from the previous JET. Improvements are currently being made to the completely neutral and fairly empty abode. Updates later.

While inside may be drab beauty abounds outside. All around my apartment building are amazing bright green fields of rice. It turns out there is some benefit to living, quite literally, in the middle of nowhere. The entire area, really almost my whole prefecture, lies in the mountain valley, so silhouettes of mountains surround my town. I am situated about halfway between the two towns that recently merged to form Aisho, my town. This means i am also pretty much equally far away from civilization in both directions, including grocery stores, conbenis (the japanese word for convenience stores), post offices and banks. If my bike ever stops getting flat tires i can make an easy 15ish minute bike ride to the store. The longer 30-40 minute walk is less enticing. Here is about the best thing in the area, the Heiwado Mall where i can find groceries, shoes & clothes (okay, where Japanese people can find shoes and clothes), McDonalds, other fast food and the best thing ever - the 100 Yen Store. Let me tell you, you're missing out. My apartmen is bound to be furnished with goods from the 100 Yen Store, and I'm already on my way.