At any given time there are approx. In a population of 100,000 westerners are truly a minority and are often treated as a novelty. Some do, some don't. 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.