Tokyo, Nagaoka or Hakodate: confused!

Hi!

I am currently unemployed but I have had a couple of interviews that I think went really well. I am expecting/hoping to get full-time offers by the end of the week or maybe Monday. I may be wrong, but for the sake of the argument, let's assume I will get those offers.

I am French and have been teaching French and English for 7 years in 5 countries. I am currently living with my Japanese girlfriend in tiny studio in Meguro, Tokyo. Here are the "offers":

1. French teacher in a French school in Ebisu, Tokyo. Teach adults, Tuesday to Saturday 6pm-10pm. 200,000 yens/months the 1st month then 250,000 until the 6th month, 300,000 afterwards. Starts Monday

2. pre-K English teacher with a new school in Nagaoka city, Niigata ken. 10am-7pm for 7 days straight then 4 days off. 280,000 yen. Starts in early february.

3. an offer I really want: English/ French teacher to kids and adults in small school in Hakodate, Hokkaido.
10-6 tuesday-saturday. 250,000 yens. Starts in April.

I have been teaching English to children for 18 months and would really like a change. Which is why 1 is my favorite work description.

I want to be in a place near ocean and mountain, with moderate summers: 2-3 fit the bill.

Here are the problems that I have (or imagine having):
1. great work, small hours and good money. But I do not want to stay anywhere near Tokyo.

2. Great location, good money and interesting schedule. But I do not want to teach children and English only.

3.The best overall since it offers a good variety, a great location (I went to Hakodate and fell in love with it). But the interview process seems real slow (I applied in December, kept exchanging emails with the school manager and will finally get an interview tomorrow morning).

I am not looking for advice concerning the jobs themselves but more about the locations. The French job in Tokyo is the greatest but and makes sense for me to accept but I can't help but feeling bitter about staying in Tokyo. I love the ocean, the cold, quietness and nature...

Here are my questions/requests for advice:
1. what is your take on the general situation?
2. please make me want to live in Tokyo?
3. assuming money is not going to be too much of an issue (planning 150,000 yen for housing), what parts of Tokyo are nice to live in?
4. How to nicely pressure the Hakodate school to make me an offer soon? (like before Saturday!!!!)

I know I should be happy to have potential jobs, but feel scared of hating either the job or the location...

Thank you so much!

Option 1 - Looks good. Not bad hours, the pay is somewhat OK. You could work part time somwhere else during the day a couple of times per week too. You can always rent 15-20 minutes out of Tokyo for a larger and cheaper place.

I think the schedule is pretty ridiculous for Option 2 so I personally wouldn't take it.

Option 3 - Looks good. Hakodate is a lovely place and I think it would be nice to live there. Obviously it is much smaller than Tokyo, so you have to think about whether you would be happy in a smaller place with less (shops, nightlife, etc.). Seems like a pretty standard job regarding hours and pay.

You can talk to the employer in Hakodate and let him/her know you have several offers and would like to start sooner. If you show genuine interest in the job, you might be able to work something out. Or you could just work where you are now until April.

Whichever you decide, you just gotta stick with it and forget the other offers even existed. You don't want to be thinking "maybe I should have taken the other job...".

I think you could make either Option 1 or 2 work for you. Have a look around at different neighbourhoods, not only in Tokyo, but Kanagawa and Saitama. You can still live close to the city but in quiet areas close to nature.

Good luck with whichever you decide.

Thanks for the advice. I think my biggest problem is the ''what if'' of the situation.
I really liked hakodate, and it looks like a great place to settle down.
My girlfriend and I are not big on night life, but we both love the ocean and snowboarding!
Any tips on how to negotiate? Should I mention that the other jobs are offering more?

There have been a couple of decisions that I have made in my life when I had a few options. I realized that I whichever I chose, I would have to fully concentrate on that once decided and not think about the "what if" side of things.
You just have to weigh up the pros and cons of each job. If you decide on Hakodate, for example, you will have to think about how to move up there, if you girlfriend would be happy up there, if she can get a job there, and would you both be OK moving to an unfamiliar place.
Staying in Tokyo would mean you are in a familiar area and don't have to start completely over. The hours seem OK too.
A decision you should probably make together.

As for negotiating, I would try to be honest at the interview and mention you have several interviews, but not give too much away. Kind of a hard question when it's not me in the situation.

There should be a few other people here who could give you advice and have been through similar experiences.

Hakodate sounds like it best fits you! You can go snowboarding all the time and the summer is very pleasent! Hokaido is a great place for quality of life!