Nagoya :)

So we've had our first week in Nagoya. We've spent most hours of most days wandering the city, picking up things to make our apartment a home and eating lots of Japanese food.

Nagoya is the fourth largest city in Japan. As the largest city, Tokyo had been massive, sprawling out in all directions. We walked miles everyday we studied in Tokyo and still never saw every section of the city. So when we learned we were going to be in Nagoya (which we had never heard of until our interview day) we assumed it was a small-ish, nondescript city. Many blogs I read about the place had little to say about it, aside from the food being delicious. We were excited to live a place we'd never been before in Japan, but a little disappointed, expecting the city to lack the draw places like Osaka or Kyoto or Tokyo had.

We were wrong. Turns out the only thing Nagoya had going against it was that it isn't a big tourist city. As we aren't tourists, this works for us. :) Nagoya is huge. Like in other Japanese cities, every major subway station is like a mini-downtown, chock full of boutiques, ramen shops, restaurants, coffee houses, arcades, and malls.

our apartment building

We live in Naka-ku, the center ward of the city, in a neighborhood called Chiyoda. It's full of windy streets we've already spent plenty of time wandering around lost and confused in.

There are many spots to eat around, and an unreasonable number of Dry Cleaners and Coffee Shops. As you can see, right under our apartment we have a cleaners, bar, and teppanyaki restaurant. Yum.

 Just a short walk from our apartment is one of the main downtowns, Sakae. (We'll have some better night shots soon.)

A ferris wheel pinned to the side of a mall? Why not?

Department stores, Internet cafes, 10 story tall Karaoke bars, food, and bars.

More to come! :)