I live in Japan!

[Nyororin]

Originally Posted by NekoNekoChan

Do you even need to go to school for teaching to be an english teacher? Or, can you go to art school, yet still be an english teacher in japan? Just wondering.

Any degree will work, it seems. For university positions, you`d be a *real* teacher, so most of the time they require you to have a degree related to what you`d be teaching...

But for run-of-the-mill English teachers... You could have a degree in just about anything under the sun (as long as it`s from an accredited university) and there would be no problem.

[Nyororin]

Originally Posted by SilverRowan

Hajimemashite. Is that right?? I'm learning Japanese, so I'm sorry if I did it wrong. What was it like in the beginning? How did you manage it? Many questions, sigh.

You did just fine.

In the beginning, everything was just flying over my head. My friend`s mother spent an hour talking to me while she was cooking dinner, and I swear I must have only understood maybe a minute of it.
I really dislike not knowing what is going on, so it took a bit of courage to go out and about. But that dislike also pushed me to figure out things more quickly.

As to how I managed it... I think that I`ve answered most of that somewhere in this thread.

[Nyororin]

Originally Posted by kariudo69

wow im in awe of you and your courage, you really made it all by yourself! i wish i could do that! may i ask then how much does it cost now a days to fly to japan for about a month? do you know because my parents want to take me but were not sure if we can afford it >.< and how did you learn japanese fluent? im self teaching myself but it's not the same because im really not sure where i should be starting >.<

For cheap plane tickets, I recommend IACE. They usually have some really amazing deals. As prices vary largely based on where you`d be flying out of, you should check the prices for yourself.

As for learning Japanese - I came to Japan. That`s it.

[annelie82]

Nyororin, I have spent the last hour reading through your many replies to the seemingly infinite number of questions that people keep sending your way. I'm just amazed at your generosity in taking the time to share your experiences and advice with those of us who have yet to experience life in Japan for ourselves. Your time and effort is very much appreciated!

Right now I'm having second thoughts about going to Japan any time soon. The picture you've presented us with through your experiences and anecdotes is very down-to-earth and does not quite tally with my own admittedly naive and rosy image of what life in Japan is like. I still want to live and work there at some point, but I've realised that the preparations for such a big step will obviously include more than saving up for a plane ticket and finding a job prior to arrival.

Thanks for a great thread, keep up the good work!

~annelie

[doyleman]

Nyororin: to be quite honest, I can relate to your family issues about 90%.

When I was 5 through 9, I had to literally be the parent of the house because both my mom and dad were alcoholics, going somewhere to get drunk. I have 5 siblings (meaning I can now baby sit very good </joke>....

when I turned 10, I was finally moved into a foster home, but lived with my mom again a year later.

However, I only ended up skipping perhaps 2-3 days of school (a year) to take care of my siblings, the rest of the days, we had an actual baby sitter.

Even after all that happening, though, I still love and respect my mom. Why? cuz she's now been in AA for 10 years, she doesn't gamble anymore, and yeah, she realised she wanted to change after that Foster care experience, and it made her better.

Thank you, though, for sharing your story

[dragonviper94]

Thats fasanating I would to move there so much some day. You are one lucky person haha

[Nyororin]

Originally Posted by doyleman

Nyororin: to be quite honest, I can relate to your family issues about 90%.

When I was 5 through 9, I had to literally be the parent of the house because both my mom and dad were alcoholics, going somewhere to get drunk. I have 5 siblings (meaning I can now baby sit very good </joke>....

when I turned 10, I was finally moved into a foster home, but lived with my mom again a year later.

However, I only ended up skipping perhaps 2-3 days of school (a year) to take care of my siblings, the rest of the days, we had an actual baby sitter.

Even after all that happening, though, I still love and respect my mom. Why? cuz she's now been in AA for 10 years, she doesn't gamble anymore, and yeah, she realised she wanted to change after that Foster care experience, and it made her better.

Thank you, though, for sharing your story

If only my mother were that way. She lost custody of my brother, and other than being embarrassed about it for a few weeks, she didn`t really care. It gave her more time to do her own thing, apparently.

There is very little she could do now that would make me respect her.

[doyleman]

eh, I'll admit my family still isn't peaches and creme. I'd rather not talk about what happened to one of my brothers, but what he did was kinda his fault. I felt my mom did all she could to stop him on his road, but whatever.

Sorry to hear that it isn't 'cool' between you and your mom. I will say that I think I've benifited from your story.

I admire you on how you can tell your story, though. I dont think I could muster the will to say it. I'm grateful, however, that you did

To be honest, I have no dreams of running off in japan, (however, I do want to live there, but not right now; perhaps in a decade or so...).

So, to ask questions:

1) Why is it so hard to become a citizen in japan?

2) why will one end up going back to their native country, eventually?

3) Is it even possible (or likely) that a person in NA could become, over time, a citizen of japan (nationalist or something...?)

4) I don't have the luxury of spending money to go to japan yet, whats the 2nd best thing to learn japanese; or rather, do you have any other suggestions OTHER than living there?

5) If I get a visa in Work, does that mean I also cant be a student? Is it possible to have 'dual' visas?

6) How lenient are they on foreigners making mistakes to their custom?
I know that if I go there, I will probably end up being 'rude' on several occaisions (not intentionally, though).

sorry for the bombardment, but one more question:

isn't there a system where you can go to japan, and they'll hook you up with a 'psuedo' family to help you get started living a life there? (it sounds weird, I think, but I think I heard of something like this...)

Thanks in advance.

[Nyororin]

Originally Posted by doyleman

Sorry to hear that it isn't 'cool' between you and your mom. I will say that I think I've benifited from your story.

I admire you on how you can tell your story, though. I dont think I could muster the will to say it. I'm grateful, however, that you did

Actually, as it doesn`t directly effect me anymore, I don`t mind talking about it at all. My mother`s personality and actions really has very little to do with me now.

1) Why is it so hard to become a citizen in japan?

Japan doesn`t have a lot of immigration going on. It is also a small country. The requirements for citizenship don`t seem to be all that harsh to me - but they require documentation of things that need to be documented in Japan... But not in most other countries. ie. Proof of birth order, proof of marital status, etc. It`s easy to prove you have an older sibling, but not so hard to prove you`re the oldest. It`s easy to prove you are married, but how do you prove you`re not?
Japan also does not allow dual citizenship. So you would have to give up your original citizenship.

2) why will one end up going back to their native country, eventually?

Visa expiration? I wouldn`t really know as I have no plans to go back to my native country.

3) Is it even possible (or likely) that a person in NA could become, over time, a citizen of japan (nationalist or something...?)

Being as I`m currently in the process of obtaining Japanese citizenship, yes.

4) I don't have the luxury of spending money to go to japan yet, whats the 2nd best thing to learn japanese; or rather, do you have any other suggestions OTHER than living there?

I would say the second best would probably be an intensive immersion course.

5) If I get a visa in Work, does that mean I also cant be a student? Is it possible to have 'dual' visas?

Visas only limit the level of activity you can take part in. Schooling is not something that is limited. You can technically go to school on a tourist visa - however, you would only be able to stay in Japan for 3 months. A student visa just extends the amount of time you can stay, allows you to join the healthcare system, and allows limited work. A working visa allows full time employment, and anything below that (tourism, schooling, etc.)

6) How lenient are they on foreigners making mistakes to their custom?
I know that if I go there, I will probably end up being 'rude' on several occaisions (not intentionally, though).

In general, quite lenient, I would say. Until you are good enough at Japanese that everyone can tell that you should know what you`re doing.

isn't there a system where you can go to japan, and they'll hook you up with a 'psuedo' family to help you get started living a life there? (it sounds weird, I think, but I think I heard of something like this...)

Perhaps you mean a homestay? Where you live with a Japanese family as a member of the family?

[cutelilicat]

Hi, I'm new here and I'm a native Japanese who is learning English.

I happened to read this thread and found it very interesting because I myself wanted to move to the US when I was young.(I'm of your mother's age, I guess.) So, I really feel sympathy for you guys and want to help you with some information.
Hiragana Times
However it doesn't contain info on free Japanese classes, you can find the practical information on Japan at this site.

Sakura House
One of the most popular house agents for foreign people in Japan.
I hope they will be of some help.

Nyororin, I really felt for you reading your hard times with your mother. I'm happy to hear you are happy now. As for your terrible experience through the trip with those English teachers, I think their rude attitudes must have come from the minority's 'ressentiment' in a foreign country. The same was
true in the Japanese tourists' case I met in Hawaii. Everybody seemed to love the island, climate, food and people, but when it came to the conversation, I couldn't help thinking that they were TRYING to complain. That's the reason why I quit joining group tours.