Ibaraki - Shimodate

[costanza]

I don't really know if this thread is appropiate for this area, but I am sure someone will move it if necessary.
Anyway, I was just wondering if anybody else lived in or around Shimodate? I just moved here from thailand and I am gonna be here for a year teaching english so, if anyone has some advice or knows of good places to go to meet people, please let me know, I am all ears. I have a car but I also live right next to the train station, I have been to Nikko already. My Japanese is zilch, but I am practicing and it will get better hopefully. Aight, thanks.
Chris