So I'm currently looking into doing a study abroad next spring, and at my school there's two main programs to look at: one in Kyoto and one in Tokyo. Aside from the obvious issue of the relative benefits of the programs themselves, I was wondering what some of you guys thought of the advantages of living in each of these cities for a few months. The way it seems to me is that Tokyo is the standard super city with an overwhelming amount of things to do, whereas Kyoto is more historical and preserved. The one thing I was worried about though is do you think Kyoto would be boring to live in for an extended period of time? I'm sure it's beatiful and all, I'm just concerned there wouldn't be that much to do there.

And of course the relative merits of their go scenes

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"There are no limits. There are plateaus, but you must not stay there, you must go beyond them. If it kills you, it kills you. A man must constantly exceed his level." -- Bruce Lee

I think that you would find Tokyo less boring.

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The Adkins Principle:
At some point, doesn't thinking have to go on?
— Winona Adkins

Visualize whirled peas.

Everything with love. Stay safe.

Personally, I do not think that you will find either place boring. Either place that you choose will probably be a lot of fun.

While Tokyo is certainly very big, I think there are advantages to being in a smaller town, as well. I studied abroad in Sendai, which is a less popular destination for tourists, and I think that it was actually better in some ways.

Staying in Sendai for a year made it feel like home. I could get to see the unique characteristics of the town.

I did visit Tokyo a couple of times, and didn't really find anything about Tokyo that I liked better than Sendai. The main difference that I saw was that there were more tourists in Tokyo, which I found to be a negative thing. I preferred Sendai where there were fewer tourists, and it seemed more like "natural Japanese life". Added to that, Sendai was big enough (and Kyoto will be too) that there is not much in Tokyo that you can't find in Sendai. OK, so there may be some famous areas, for example, but there are famous areas in all of the major Japanese cities.

So I would disagree that you would find it boring in Kyoto. I might even suggest visiting a smaller city that has less tourists.

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be immersed

I was thinking about this a little bit more, and I have another tip for you: If it's possible, do not bring a computer with you.

If you are from a Western country, there are a lot of interesting things to see, and fun people to meet.

Some people that studied abroad at the same time that I did were very interested in Japanese video games, and just bought games, went back to their rooms, and played them. This is fine, I guess, but it's not much different than living in the West and just buying Japanese games.

I think you'll have a much better time if you do not spend time inside, and just go out and explore new things, meet new people, and try to learn the language better.

It's a lot more fun this way, and I don't think you'll regret it. You can wait until you get home to stay locked up in your room playing video games...

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be immersed

There's enough to do in either city to last you a lifetime. I'd make the decision solely on which study program is better, after all, that's why you're going right?

Well, I think a study abroad program typically aims at giving you experience in a foreign culture, which may be valued for many different reasons.

I have a friend who went to Kyoto for a year and loved it. He is quite anti-Tokyo. But this will depend on your attitude. Think about cities you have a better feel for. I'm of the school that is eternally grateful to people who live in New York or LA. By living in a place where people shouldn't live, they create a wonderful place for the rest of us to visit.

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Occupy Babel!

Both are great opportunities. Of course, being a gamer geek, I'd have to at least visit Tokyo. Hard to pass up the Akihabara. That said, I'm not sure I could pass up the chance to see Kyoto either. The list of temples and some of the pictures are just too beautiful: http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&rls= ... =&gs_rfai=

I suppose as I grow older, my leanings are skewing more towards the historical, and I'd likely pick Kyoto for that aspect. If nothing else, there would be ample places to meditate and simply enjoy the beauty of Japanese architecture.

You would have a great time in either city. The trick to studying abroad (or teaching abroad) is to get out and meet people from Japan and other countries. If you spend all your time with Americans--or as Kirby noted, playing video games--you will have a good time, but you will later view your experience with a twinge of regret. Ideally you will have people to visit the next time you travel to Japan (or Korea, or Germany...). In both cities, Go will be a great way to meet people.

As an aside, I highly recommend bringing a football and teaching a bunch of people how to play touch football. I had a blast doing this in China.

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I am Tartuffe from GoDiscussions.com

I must say, I am somewhat worried that all the go players will be old men (is this impression wrong?) ... Also since I'll only have had like 2 and a half years of college Japanese by the time I go I'm not sure how able I will be to meet people.

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"There are no limits. There are plateaus, but you must not stay there, you must go beyond them. If it kills you, it kills you. A man must constantly exceed his level." -- Bruce Lee

I for one can say that the clientèle at the Nihon Kiin is almost exclusively old men ... but games with them are quite fun.

On my trip to Tokyo I played old men at the Nihon Kiin (and one younger 3p who gave a simul), but I did not have much time for Go. In China I played mostly with students and teachers. They all spoke some English. I also met Go players on the bus by conspicuously reading Go books, and I tracked down a 5d who taught a class for children, which I attended. Through that guy I met other strong players, including a 5p. The Chinese Go Terms page from Sensei's Library was a HUGE help for me. I would study and print out the Japanese equivalent.

Your Japanese studies will be a good background for you (I had only 1.5 years of formal study when I went to teach English in China), even though it seems inadequate now. You will meet many Japanese people who speak some English and want to learn more, so the opportunity will be there, regardless of your Japanese level. I just know so many people who spent their whole time abroad hanging out with their college friends and watching pirated DVDs of American movies.

One of my brothers was very good about meeting international students in college and staying in contact with them, and he has since visited their homes in Singapore, etc. A move clever enough for...

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I am Tartuffe from GoDiscussions.com

The first step is to try. As a side note, having confidence is good for learning a foreign language.

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be immersed

There are many young people in Japan who play go. They still have regional and national championships for grade school, high school and college players. Look around for neighborhood or ward tournaments, too. You could try writing to the Overseas Department of the Nihon Ki-in asking where you could find players around your age and strength.

After 1.5 years of study you probably know greetings and how to ask and give directions. Try this out. You'll be surprised by how many people are "impressed" by your Japanese. Possibly people will speak too fast for you to follow. That will be an opportunity to practice listening for key words as they go by in the flow. Gradually you will get better at speaking and hearing. You can always ask a person to repeat something or ask a question to clarify something you didn't understand. Everyone in Japan studies English in school through middle school. Usually they feel inept at speaking English but mostly they can read and write it fairly well. Carry a notepad so you can write things. You'll be amazed at how much and how fast you can learn.