Hey ya, a question for any foreigners living in Japan

How did you find your kendo dojo?

I'm a 21 year old university student from New Zealand, and I just moved in with my girlfriend for the next 6 months in Nodashi, Chiba.

A few problems: I'm not very good at kendo, having practised for only about a year in Waikato, New Zealand (but with very good teachers, so the knowledge is there, it's just practice I need to catch up on), my Japanese language ability is virtually non existent (but I'm learning fast), and I'm very, very tall.

Now, I know that most Japanese people are very kind, and would not see these so much as problems but as obstacles that can be overcome. But I worry.

Anyway, how should I go about contacting a dojo (or even finding it first) and introducing myself?

My girlfriend is doing her best to contact dojos in our area, but they seem to be very sparse.

I would greatly appreciate any suggestions anyone has, and contacts even more so (English or Japanese).

Thanks

Benjamin