Be prepared for the later. Generally clothes are more expensive here, although there are some discount shops with some things that are very inexpensive. Some foreigners do sometimes have problems finding clothing to fit their body size or shape. There are many video stores in English with Japanese subtitles. Kitami's downtown area is close to the school and the apartment, so it s easy to walk to most places.
People use bikes a lot, especially in the summer.
Bus service is available. To get to scenic areas, you need to have a car. Sometimes students offer to take you to nearby places. There are no E nglish book store s in Kitami. You may borrow some English books from the local library but the selection is very small.