[jasonbvr]

Alright, that helps quite a bit. Well, if you are not fond of the cold and snow, Akita prefecture should not be on your list. In fact, anything north of Ibaraki, Tochigi and Gunma probably shouldn't be on there as well. As far as the west coast of Japan goes, in the winter time this is where all our cold air and blessed snow comes from. Chiba and Ibaraki would be good prefectures for you along with southeastern Gunma and Tochigi. Warning though, Gunma has strong, cold winds blasting across it during the winter because the southeastern portion is basically a big plain.

I honestly think that Ashikaga, Tochigi-ken or the region I live in Ota, Gunma-ken may be ideal. Also Saitama can be fairly rural in it's northwestern half.

Here's a fun little fact to keep in mind, most Japanese houses and apartments are not insulated. But hey, you can buy more blankets and coats!