Finally - info from Takyama!

I received a letter from the Takayama Board of Education today! It includes information about my placement, my housing, and my contract. I've selected a few blurbs out of it to share:

Your Placement

You have been placed in Gifu Prefecture, and will be based in the community of Takayama, which has a population of about 95,000. Takayama lies in the center of Japan, in the Northern Japanese Alps, about 560 meters (1850 ft) above sea level. It is approximately 130 kilometers (80 miles) from the prefectural capital of Gifu City, and another 30 kilometers from Nagoya City, one of Japan's largest metropolises. Takayama is famous as a destination for Japanese and foreign tourists, because of its beautiful natural surroudings, traditional architecture, rural atmosphere, as well as the famous Takayama Festival held twice a year.

You will be arriving in the summer. Takayama is warm in the summer, and like the rest of Japan usually quite humid, though not to the degree of lower-lying areas. Winters in the region are severe, although Takayama's basin surroundings shield it from the massive snow buildups of some of the nearby smaller villages. At any rate, please keep in mind the varying climate when packing.

Your Workplace

You will be working at one of 12 junior high schools in Takayama, with weekly trips to elementary schools, though your Contracting Organization is the Takayama City Board of Education (BOE). One ALT at the BOE, a fourth year American, will be staying and will be a recourse for the next year. She will contact you when you come to Japan.

Your Accomodation

You will be living in an apartment. Rent is covered by the BOE, though you will be responsible for utilities, costing around 10,000 yen per month depending on usage and seasons. Your first payday is on August 21st, so please bring enough money to tide you over until then. The necesssary items for living have been provided for you, including bedding, washing machine, television, fridge, heater, gas stove, table, chairs, lighting, dishes. Your departing predecessor (and previous tennant of the flat) will contact you about any other details.

So how awesome is that? Rent's covered, furnished apartment, weekley elementary school visits? And only one junior high. Hopefully the apartment isn't a dump, but I'll have to wait until I am contacted by my predecessor to find that out. But now I can actually fill out the visa application! More paperwork! ha ha ha ha ha