Moving to Japan Soon...
 

More of an introduction thread really, although I could use any and all advice tossed at me.

I'm a TESL instructor in Korea right now, have experience, BA in English, blah blah. Already doing interviews and such, probably will be in Japan no later than June 10th.

I'm mostly concerned with what to expect in regard to visa process. It took about a month and a half to get my Korean visa, I hear the process can take about two months for Japan. Also, I've been asked by possible employers if I can come in on a tourist visa, and I can get set up once I'm in Japan, and go back to Korea to pick up my Japanese visa. I'm a-okay with doing this, but I want to make sure immigration (Korean or Japanese) won't have an issue with this. I'm an American, so WHV is out of the question (well, I have Irish dual citizenship, but I've never claimed my passport, and I'm sure it would take just as long or longer to get that from the Irish consulate so...).

I might have a room lined up in Urawa. I have a phone interview on Tuesday.

Actually, a trip on the ferry over to Korea to change visas is (or at least was, in my day) a fairly common way of doing things for private English school teachers.