Hello,
I'm a newcomer here, so I hope I don't sound completely ignorant. I've looked around the forum, and have been looking into this outside of the forum for quite some time now.
I'm really hoping to get a variety of insight into life in Japan, and more importantly for me, working in Japan—something I am struggling to approach.
First, I hear plenty about the negative points of living in Japan. Human nature, or conditioning, almost dictates that we are more defined and even focused on the negative experiences in life. I'm curious to learn more about the positives, so I'll ask some specific questions. Please give as much detail as you can (these questions are aimed at people who live in Japan, or have stayed there for at least three months). Also, it would help if you start by writing a bit about yourself and background, i.e. whether you are native to Japan, or what country you originate from; how long you have been there for; and what you hoped to do there, with what you achieved.
Note, not all the answers need be positive, perhaps the impressions of them won't be black and white, either.
What was the most impacting impression you first had in and of Japan?
Did that impression turn out to be an accurate expression of Japanese culture? Why/how?
Tell me an experience you had in Japan that changed the way you thought about the people, in a positive way.
Tell me the three biggest pros you found of living in Japan.
If you could change one specific thing about Japanese culture, what would it be, and why?
What's the biggest contrast for you, from your original culture into Japanese culture?
I'm simply curious about the above impressions, I would really love to hear more from people who have experienced Japanese culture.
The next thing, which I am tackling with, is sustaining myself there. I've looked into the working situation for gaijins in Japan, I've looked at the means of starting a business, English teaching, etc. and encountered a roadblock upon realising that I wouldn't be able to sustain myself there on the 21 hour a week (part time) limit that a "working-holiday visa" allows me. I don't have a degree, so I can't be employed full time as far as I'm aware (if there are any grey areas or alternatives here, please let me know).
Currently I'm looking into internships for non-students. The context of a lot of these internships appear quite blurry, and normally only last for two months. If you have any suggestions for good internships I could take (as a non-student without a specific specialisation) please let me know!
Now, I'm not really sure where to go from here. I just want to explore my options. If you have ANY suggestions, or any experiences that you think could give me some inspiration or information into how to get my ass sustainably living in Japan—PLEASE put them forward.
I really appreciate your time in reading this post and answering any of the questions/points within it. Don't answer more than you want to, or can give. I'm sure anything you can offer will be helpful to me
Thank you,
Kway