From Kansai to Hokkaido

If you’ve been following My TEFL Journey from the start, you might remember that I moved from Kyoto to the adjacent prefecture, Shiga. Having spent the best part of two years there, it felt like the right time for a change. When I was offered a job in Hokkaido (Japan’s northernmost major island) I accepted it as I would a date with Keira Knightley.

Working in Hokkaido is going to present some new challenges, especially as my work will take a new direction from now on (more on that later). First of all, there is the cold to contend with. Hokkaido is more than 10 degrees cooler than Shiga today, and it feels even colder. On top of that, I will be getting used to a new city and new people. I will also have the challenge of learning a new style of Japanese – the language of Hokkaido is quite different to that of the Kansai region. But then I am moving to Hokkai-do, not Hokkai-don’t (sorry – even I’m ashamed of that pun).

A new style of teaching

So far, most of my teaching experience has been from one-to-one classes, business classes and adult conversation classes. My work in Hokkaido, however, will be school-based. I’ve been doing quite a lot of research and reading in preparation for this, but it’s going to be a whole new experience. Expect lots of anecdotes of failure (and hopefully some success) on My TEFL Journey from now on.

For now, I am pretty excited about the whole move, despite the paperwork and practicalities of moving across the country. And there’s a lot to enjoy here. Hokkaido is famous for its fresh seafood, cool summers and kawaii ladies. People, I may have found paradise.