I lived in country Mie-ken (west of Nagoya, near Suzuka Circuit ) in a town called Iga-Ueno for a year contract job teaching kids English back in '00/'01 and for my first job in Japan... it was good. It was REALLY boring during the week/weeknights, and on the weekend I'd go back to Osaka to meet friends... well practically every weekend. But on the bright side I could save about $11,000 that year (the exchange rate was fookin good back then!) and I got over my phobia of speaking Japanese out loud.
I was the only gaijin in that town for about 6 months, and was told by one of the obasans (old ladies) that I was somewhat of a celebrity, I was often brought up in conversation??? Wierd, but it really hardened me to the reality that Japanese STARE at you again and again, it's in their genes.