Tsukuba is a town (or call it a small city, if you like) some 60 kilometres north-east of Tokyo, with a population of about 200,000, if we believe the
Wikipedia article under the same title. It is a pretty quiet and cosy place (if you don't count the roar of patrol helicopters up in the sky), a very green and clean too.
When I made the decision to come here, I naturally surfed the Web in search for at least some information about the place, as I had not heard anything about it before. From what I read then I perceived Tsukuba to be a really small place, a little larger than a big village. However, I found it a lot bigger than I first thought. A big chunk of the city is occupied by
Tsukuba University, of which I am a graduate student at the moment and which boasts one of the biggest campuses in the country. The campus is really big indeed, and without a bike - which is by the way the most popular means of transportation in the city - it takes helluva lot of time to get from one end to the other. The shopping points - for example, the Dayz Town, where I buy grocery usually - are also quite a long distance from where I live, so if you are planning to come to Tsukuba, make your arrangements for a bike.
In general, the place is great to live and study. Those who look for entertainment and fun might find it a little bit sleepy here (and I felt a little sleepy, comparing Tsukuba nightlife to that in Manchester, UK, where I had spent a year as a student). However, for those who look really well, there is some fun tobe surely found. There are numerous karaokes and a bowling in Tsukuba, although I am not sure about night clubs and pubs where one could socialise with others over a pint or two. Nonetheless, this doesn't make Tsukuba a dull place. I like it here.
