Life in Takasaki: Apartment, School, and Hobbies

My school is one of the biggest in the city. The photo on the red and while building is the junior high school I will be working at. I will be working with 13 English classes and 3 other JTEs (Japanese English Teachers)...

My apartment is in Takasaki...in the suburbs where it is quiet and there is a lot of greenery.

Luckily, I have two really big grocery stores nearby, a yummy Italian restaurant, curry, sushi, and even a KFC (whoopie!) Even though I would never be caught dead in a KFC, it is comforting to know that there are many food options for me here in Takasaki. Every morning, I ride my bike to work (the school is about 15 min each way by bike) and this is really fun and pleasant. The only downside is the insane amount of heat and humidity that Japan gets in the summer...I am really looking forward to Autumn!

I am pleasantly surprised by how modern my apartment is, clean, and conveniently located. My apartment is a 60 sec walk to the bus stop that takes me into town (bus ticket cost = 2.80 yen which is about $3.00) Not bad, eh?

The apartment is small, but almost fully furnished with a washing machine and other great amenities. I have posted some pics of my apartment for your viewing pleasure!

I'm also starting a Japanese class in 2 weeks and koto lessons. The koto is a beautiful instrument with 13 strings and my goal is to master reading the music, learning simple pieces, and of course, having fun! :) I posted a picture of the koto in case you haven't seen one before.