Hi! I'm Sara, and I'm from Minnesota in the US. I'm in Tokyo for the semester as a study abroad student, and was wondering how many other foreigners are out there? My Japanese isn't so great, but I try! はじめまして!どうぞよろしくおねがいします!
----------
Working Title: Untitled
Stress Level: 10% (Why did I think this was going to be so hard?)




47,035 / 50,000
Oct 1, 2009 - 22 40
And I'm glad I'm a native english speaker who knows how to use apostrophes, obviously. Sorry everyone!!!
----------Working Title: Untitled
Stress Level: 10% (Why did I think this was going to be so hard?)
52,002 / 50,000
Oct 2, 2009 - 05 19
Hello! I'm a foreigner studying in Tokyo too. よろしく おねがいします!
----------"Give a man fire, you keep him warm for a day. Set a man on fire, and you keep him warm for the rest of his life." --Terry Pratchett.
11,768 / 50,000
Oct 2, 2009 - 06 54
Howdy and welcome to Tokyo. Hope you are having a fine semester! Writing here in Japan will be a great way to remember your time here when your semester ends.
----------Yes, mastery of language is truly the greatest weapon!
0 / 50,000
Oct 2, 2009 - 07 01
Hello!
I just moved to Japan from the U.S. a couple of months ago. I live on a tiny little island in Hiroshima Prefecture so it's quite a bit different from the bright lights of Tokyo (seriously - we don't even have stoplights out here!) I hope you're enjoying your study abroad (I did a semester abroad in England and loved it!)
Good luck on your novels!
----------50,000 words in a month...I must be absolutely and completely out of my mind...
31,799 / 50,000
Oct 2, 2009 - 13 54
I'm a foreigner who has Japan set as one of their regions! XD I'd love to move to Japan someday, but I'm stuck in Ohio, USA for the moment.
----------0 / 50,000
Oct 2, 2009 - 16 18
I'm from the UK and I've been living in Shizuoka-ken for six years :) I teach English at a junior high school.
----------ヨロシクね!
君の「頑張り」誰かが見てる、知ってる、わかってる。
50,088 / 50,000
Oct 2, 2009 - 17 04
I'm Nancy. Checking in from Nagoya--another teacher.
We seem to be pretty spread out, here. I guess I'll see you guys at the virtual meet-ups!
----------2003: Lonely Planets (SF)
2004: Uncertainty Principles (space opera)
2005: Gwendolyn's Ghost (post-apoc)
2006: Night Transit (urban fantasy)
2007: Mahavidya. the Great Wisdoms (spec-fic)
2008: Chimera's Twelve (space opera)
2009: Inari Overdrive (SF
37,662 / 50,000
Oct 3, 2009 - 03 47
I'm from Singapore but have been living in Tokyo for over three years. Sadly, I'm leaving in December...
45,029 / 50,000
Oct 3, 2009 - 18 16
My name's Sara too, and I live in Ibaraki-ken, about a 40-minute train ride out from Tokyo. I've been here a year and successfully completed Nano last year, so I'm looking forward to another productive November in Japan!
18,243 / 50,000
Oct 4, 2009 - 10 18
Not me. I just have this on my region list.
Why? That's a good question.....um, better cultural understanding? I'd like to visit someday even though I know no Japanese whatsoever. I've always been interested in Japan.....it has such a different history than our country.
Anyone here willing to teach me basic words?
----------It eats bugs. I just *had* to have it.

17,535 / 50,000
Oct 5, 2009 - 04 18
Hi, I'm Jen, and I'm from Washington state in the US. I've been living in Tokyo for seven months working for [insert big name eikaiwa here] and love love love it in Japan. I'd always wanted to visit, but never had the opportunity, and when I wanted a new job, I decided to take a chance and apply for one here. Best decision ever; Japan has been amazing to me!
This will be my 8th NaNo (and, fingers crossed, 8th win). Looking forward to writing in a new place!
----------This is how you do it: you sit down at the keyboard and you put one word after another until it's done. It's that easy, and that hard. - Neil Gaiman
43,260 / 50,000
Oct 6, 2009 - 04 51
I'm from the UK originally, but I'm studying as an exchange student until next summer in Ibaraki-ken. I'm majoring in Japanese language, although my conversation skills still have a long way to go.
5,200 / 50,000
Oct 9, 2009 - 05 12
Hey there!
----------I'm a Dutch Uni student on exchange in Matsumoto, Nagano-ken. Will be here till August of next year to improve my Japanese.
This is my second Nanowrimo, and I won last year, so I'm hoping to pull it off again - in spite of busy class schedules and such.
よろしく!
zo niet, dan toch.
38,935 / 50,000
Oct 10, 2009 - 19 39
There are SO MANY foreigners in Japan, especially in the big cities like Tokyo - I think you'll be pleasantly surprised. I'm American and I've lived here my whole life, and gaijin-spotting's become sort of a hobby (in the least creepy-sounding way possible).
I'd say I hope you enjoy Japan, but I'm already sure that you will ;)
----------"Coleridge was a drug addict. Poe was an alcoholic. Marlowe was killed by a man whom he was treacherously trying to stab. Chatterton killed himself. Byron was accused of incest. Do you still want to a writer -- and if so, why?"
10,246 / 50,000
Oct 11, 2009 - 20 35
My nationality is Singaporean but since I've been living in Japan my entire life (17 years), my heart is 100% Japanese. I've moved around, first started in Sapporo, then Sendai, then down to Kashiwa (in Chiba), then Higashi Urawa (in Saitama), and currently my house is in Tokorozawa (still Saitama).
Unfortunately, due to Singapore law, I have to serve in the army for 2 years and thus I am currently back in Singapore for the next 3 years. It makes me weep to think I won't be living in the country I love for the next few years. Despite all this, my heart will always be in Japan.
----------jusco
63,085 / 50,000
Oct 12, 2009 - 05 00
Yup! New exchange student for Meiji Gakuin here. Tokyo's great so far, and I'll be here until next summer.
Should be interesting doing NaNo over here, so I can't wait.
Yoroshiku, minna!
----------*~*NaNo2008*~* - 100,956words
*~*NaNo2009*~* - good luck!
40,062 / 50,000
Oct 14, 2009 - 00 25
Yes! Originally from California, USA but recently followed my military husband to Okinawa.
20,256 / 50,000
Oct 16, 2009 - 06 07
Ello there, fellow gaijin!
Since my father is in the Navy, I was obligated to follow him from Florida alllll the way to the other side of the world three years ago, and will be here for three more. :)
----------Counterbalance this commotion
We're not droplets in the oooocean!
(OHHHHHOHOHOHOHCEAAAAAAAN!)
46,190 / 50,000
Oct 17, 2009 - 21 26
Clocking in 15 years this past summer. First time at NaNoWriMo.
Speaker, translator, writer.
38,365 / 50,000
Oct 18, 2009 - 08 56
I've got Japan on my region list since I used to live in the cities of Itami and Amagasaki (both between Osaka and Kobe). That was back in the early '90s when I was a bartender and English conversation teacher. I still visit every year or two since I married a Japanese girl from Itami and have two kids who like to spend their summers with their grandparents there. Until we win the lottery and move back to Japan we're stuck in Kentucky.
I've got four NaNos behind me but only two wins under my belt. I'll try to make that three this year.
----------Reality is a crutch for those who are unable to handle fantasy...
2,101 / 50,000
Oct 18, 2009 - 16 54
Just moved to Tokyo from USA. I'm now a first year student at Waseda dai, and a first time wrimo.
よろしくね
42,516 / 50,000
Oct 19, 2009 - 03 37
Hello!
Like a few others, I don't actually live in Japan, but I learn the language and I'm planning to study there when I finish high school. I'll probably hang around here to improve my language skills and chat. I'm also sort of looking for a Japanese penfriend, but that's not my main motivation for joining here. Feel free to ignore that bit, I just thought I'd mention it.
はじめまして!
----------21,020 / 50,000
Oct 19, 2009 - 17 31
Hi everyone!
I'm also one of those people who lived in Japan (Kobe) but now not there any more. I just want to wish you all good luck to NaNo as well as to the JLPT if anyone is taking it this year. I know there were quite a few doing it last year. I myself will be trying for the JLPT 1.
Cheers!
----------Current Novel: Chimera
Genre: Sci-Fi
36,717 / 50,000
Oct 19, 2009 - 20 25
Hi
I am John from South Africa. My wife and I are doing Nanowrimo and a bunch of other JETS up here in Sapporo where the cold is. Cannot wait for coffee and hours of buttonbashing near a heater somewhere.
Also those truffles you can get at Costcos will keep you in a trance for as long asyou need.
HA HA HA...this is madness.
----------J.C. Hutton, Esq.
2009: Where the Shadows Run.
32,403 / 50,000
Oct 20, 2009 - 20 57
American living in Shizuoka as an ALT for high school, first time NaNo-ing... woohoo. No idea what to say XD.
----------“Mr. McCarthy, how good to see you resembling a chicken.” - Something Amusing, NaNo 2009
0 / 50,000
Oct 21, 2009 - 21 39
Norwegian exchange student at Akita International University (Kokusai Kyouyou Daigaku) here! ^________^ this is my fourth year, and last year was my first loss (really bad case of food poisoning in week 2, then my grandpa died in week 3. it was a bad month), so I totally have to prove that I've still got it in me!
Nice to meet y'all!
...I'm hoping I can spread the word on campus (it's literally in the middle of nowhere, and I KNOW people are going batshit with nothing to do but schoolwork), so I won't be the only one participating.
Well, that's all from me. Good luck, everybody!
----------2006: Heal Me Gently - Win!
2007: Braiding Shadows - last-minute win.
2008: Maladroit Emotions - terrible and utter loss
2009: Title Undecided -
-----
"And on the subject of colours, he was feeling kinda green as well."
38,935 / 50,000
Oct 21, 2009 - 22 37
Little more than a week left, people! You guys ready?
----------"Coleridge was a drug addict. Poe was an alcoholic. Marlowe was killed by a man whom he was treacherously trying to stab. Chatterton killed himself. Byron was accused of incest. Do you still want to a writer -- and if so, why?"
15,994 / 50,000
Oct 22, 2009 - 02 57
Hi! I'm Ana, I'm From Tomar , Portugal ( even though I'm studying Coimbra)... and Until March 2010 I'm studying in an exchange program In Japan. By the way I'm In the University of Tenri, Nara (Even though I whish it was In KYOTO, my beloved Kyoto).
12,412 / 50,000
Oct 22, 2009 - 16 13
I'm 23 and am originally from Boston, MA, US.
I moved to Kamisu, Ibaraki-ken last March to be an Elementary School ALT. Enjoying it so far even though there is zero pubic transport in Kamisu. The bus ride to Tokyo is only an hour or so.
Happy there's a NaNoWriMo community here. Good luck to everyone!
40,149 / 50,000
Oct 23, 2009 - 00 59
I'm from London but am now in Kobe till next summer on an exchange. I've managed a nano every year of this degree so far, so I'm hoping not to be defeated now!
Good luck over in Tokyo!