[Tsuwabuki]

Still thinking. You and Nyororin hit most of what I would have said.

I really do feel that if you're serious about learning the language, rural Japan is a better choice. Having spent extended time in cities, I have been lead to a belief that in general two things happen:

1) people try to speak English to you more often/all the time
2) more stuff is in English

I love rural Japan. Most of the people in Fukuchiyama can perhaps count to twenty in English, say please, thank you, and hello... and that's it. I really had no choice to learn Japanese. I think that living in Tokyo or Osaka would have let me be lazy, and I wouldn't have learned as much.

But... still thinking. Maybe the above only applies to me?