Hi guys! I'll be moving to Japan for two years within the next year for language school, and am looking for a good neighborhood to live during that time. The language school I'll be attending is close to Shibuya station, so I've been looking for places within a 30-or-so minute train ride away.
I'm decently familiar with the layout of the 23 wards and the city itself (I love exploring the world on Google Street View, lmao), and have been looking at a few different areas, along the Yamanote or Chuo-Sobu lines. I have a couple preferences that I was wondering if anyone had recommendations on.
1, I'm looking for a neighborhood with a fair number of Japanese chain restaurants- (I have a peanut allergy, so being able to check allergens on their websites is extremely helpful)- so having places like Yayoiken/Ootoya, Matsuya, Ramen Hidakaya, Torikizoku etc. These places are easy, safe options for me without chancing it at izakayas and such.
2, a decent supermarket- pretty self-explanatory, but having something with a bit more variety than a MyBasket would be ideal, if possible
3, Not overrun with foreigners- I know this must sound kinda backwards, but since I'm going to be trying to improve my Japanese as much as possible in language school, immersion is important to me. It's not that I care about foreigners or not, but more from a language perspective, I feel like neighborhoods that also cater to non-Japanese speakers might be counterproductive.
- I'd prefer it to be a decent area, or rather, one you'd find families in as opposed to people on the street trying to lure you into a bar.
I've been looking at some stations on the Chuo-Sobu in places like Nishi-ogikubo, Ogikubo, and Asagaya, then on the Yamanote line at Otsuka (Minamiotsuka side) and Komagome (Bunkyo side), but I'm not sure what kind of place Otsuka actually is and Komagome seems a little quiet and inconvenient when it comes to grocery stores and restaurants. I like the look and feel of the area with the hills and the big gardens right there, though.
by Easy-Bed-1471