20M — Just moved to Niigata, can talk in Japanese but can’t read for sh*t… how do I make friends before I turn into a lonely ramen ghost?

Hey folks,

So, I’m a 20-year-old guy who just moved to Japan and somehow ended up in Niigata City. I can speak Japanese okay, but reading it? Yeah, no. I can confidently say that I’d starve if menus didn’t have pictures.

I’ve never dated anyone, never kissed anyone (and yep, still a proud member of the Virgin Guild™). Not exactly a social butterfly either — more like a socially confused moth hovering around the idea of friendship.

But I’d really like to change that! I want to make some friends, maybe even figure out how to talk to people without sounding like I’m being held hostage by my own awkwardness.

So… any advice for meeting people in Niigata? Language exchanges, bars, apps, friendship summoning rituals — I’ll take whatever works.

Thanks in advance, and may my social life rest in something other than eternal solitude 🍜