Am I able to choose the area that I will be working in?

Dear Lindsey,
Although there is no guarantee as to where you will be placed. You can always suggest a location and state your reasons. Interac will try to accommodate your request depending on availability of positions and current local BOE requests. However, please note that most big/famous cities tend to be requested by many teachers, so securing the position isn't always easy.
I hope this helps.
Thank you for your inquiry.

On the Interac application, the surest way to get your application passed over is to start making requests or demands in any way, shape, or form, so to get hired it's best to say yes to everything. Once you're hired and they call you to offer a specific location in Japan, you have the option to turn that one down if it really sounds rough, but then you MUST accept the next position/placement they offer you or you will not be hired. Almost anywhere is OK in Japan and if you really are not happy in your position after the first contract, you can absolutely request a transfer. I did two years in a countryside area (I found a 3 hour highway bus to Osaka so I could have a GREAT weekend every 3-4 weeks) and then requested and obtained a transfer to a big city an hour south of Tokyo.