Some Australian students are finishing University and finding themselves saddled with thousands of dollars in student debt. With the high cost of housing and the depressed economy a lot of young people are finding it difficult to cover their bills when they are first starting out. Some of these students are traveling to Hokkaido, Japan to teach English. There are great perks offered by these companies like paying for your flights there and home, a free place to live on top of your salary, sometimes a free car is offered as well.
Inexpensive Storage Options:
With inexpensive secure storage companies offering big enough units to store things like cars, boats, appliances and furniture this is making this even easier for the students to leave Australia. Fort Knox is one of these companies. They offer great rates, an alarmed storage facility, and their website also offers great tips on packing for moves.
Ease in Getting There:
Hokkaido is the smallest and most northern island in Japan. It has the smallest population in all of Japan and has many things to offer to people traveling here. Sapporo is the capital city of Hokkaido and it has the fourth largest population of the cities in Japan. It has an international airport that is right in the city so it is easy to enter with few connecting flights.
So Many Things to See and Do!
- Sapporo Brewing Company: daily tours are offered and there are free samples available at the end of the tour.
- Odori Park: it stretches through the centre of the town and it hosts many festivals throughout the year. The Yosakoi is a dance festival that hosts hundreds of teams of this traditional Japanese dance. There is a beer garden that takes up the whole city park in July and August and lasts one whole month. The Winter Festival offers many different things including snowball competitions and ice sculptures. These are just a few of the many festivals available.
- Natural Attractions: The Beaches are fantastic and some of them have black volcanic sand! The ski hills are great and attract skiers and snowboarders from all over the world. The Onsens (hot springs) are amazing. There are many mountains to climb!
It’s Easy to Drive In:
To drive from Sapporo to Abashiri on the opposite side of the island takes about six hours by car. Even if you can’t read the signs you can buy maps in English. There is also a fantastic train system that will get you to many of the small cities if you don’t have a car.
The Weather:
Hokkaido has four distinct seasons. Winter can get pretty cold and has a lot of snow fall which is great if you are a fan of winter. Summer temperatures peak at about 30 degrees and it is not muggy like the rest of Japan. Spring and Fall both offer moderate temperatures.
