I am a second year college student in Ireland about to apply for a (mandatory) year abroad in Japan as part of my course. My options are Tokyo (Tokyo University of Foreign Studies) or Kanazawa (Kanazawa University) as these are the only two partner universities that can accomodate my planned time (2 semesters) and my subjects. I'm really stuck between which to apply for. The way the application process works is by preference, so even if I put them in order I'm not guaranteed to get my first option, but even so I haven't a clue what to pick.
I'm mostly introverted (although college has definitely pushed me out of my shell a bit), and have never lived in a big city; I'm from the countryside and the college I go to is in a city of about 225k people. So I am really not used to big cities like Tokyo. That being said, I'm up for the adventure! I understand studying abroad is about growing as a person and experiencing new things.
In terms of benefits, both really suit me. For Kanazawa, I like the look of the city, the historical culture and history, and the aspect of it being a quiet(er) city appeals to me. Plus it's close to the coast.
For Tokyo though, I really feel like studying in Tokyo is a once-in-a-lifetime oppurtunity. The nightlife appeals to me (like I said, I'm Irish and am used to going out and drinking a lot). Plus, I'm really interested in things like Japanese fashion (Harajuku), music (visual kei) and anime, and I feel like I could get a lot out of Tokyo in regards to these. However, part of me feels that if I were to return to Japan for work in the future, I would likely end up in Tokyo, so maybe I should take the chance to live in Kanazawa now?
I'm really torn between the two. Ultimately, I can't guarantee where I end up going, but even so I need to make a preference for my application. I just feel like Tokyo would be easier as a foreigner, and possibly more "exciting", while Kanazawa might not. If anyone who has studied in either cities has any input it would be greatly appreciated. Really I'm just looking for pros/cons from people who have lived in either city and knows exactly what it's like to do so.
by Embarrassed-Koala496