huh.

I of course don't know for 100%. But if I decide to live there, it can't just be temporary.

....ok whour 13...and you want to get away from your parents and your house...
and move to japan when your about 15 or 16...?
im not sure how this works...but i want to get to japan as soon as possible...

away from here!!!!!!!!!!!!

Best hold off on that thought. I don't know how many times I've said this in various threads, but you can't just decide to go over there and live there, especially if you're trying to get away from something you dont like in your home country. First and foremost you need to finish high school in the US, then you need to go to a university. You CANNOT move there until you're into your 20s. The only other way to stay there at a younger age is if you're doing an exchange there, which is very expensive, and you need to be a top notch student with good grades and a willingness to learn Japanese.

And once again... VISIT BEFORE MOVING THERE! I can't stress this enough. Let me tell you that at your young age, Japan is a lot different than you probably expect it to be.

I request a sticky or FAQ for this reason. Moving to and Living in a foreign country is a big decision. It usually cannot be done on a whim.

As much as it frustrates me to have to say this.... Especially as most of the things people on here are trying to get away from are incredibly shallow and childish (A reoccurring theme of; Parents who interfere in your life - Who care enough to give you limits that you don`t like? Or the all encompassing "I wish my life were like an anime!")

Yes, you can. I didn`t do an exchange, nor had I graduated from university. Multiple things fell into place in very lucky ways, and I ended up living here from 17 with some hopping due to visa issues in the beginning. To say that it isn`t possible would sort of be negating my own life experience.

But that doesn`t mean I support idiocy - which a *13* year old deciding their life sucks and wanting to make the leap to Japan is. Unless your parents are selling you on the street to buy drugs, your life is NOT that bad. I`m going to guess that they were even nice enough buy you a computer.

Lack of rules, limits, and freedom is NOT as good as it sounds. Trust me. It may sound cool to "do whatever you want" without parental interference... It isn`t. It means that your parents don`t care at all what happens to you.

I do know that it is certainly POSSIBLE to do so, and I did read your story in the stickied thread you have, and there's a reason why I tell people like the OP that they can't go to Japan.

I, just like you, don't think its a good idea to encourage people to just run off to Japan, which is why I usually tell people that they can't live in Japan unless they follow the proper steps (education, japanese language proficiency, getting a real job, etc). It's not worth setting people up for a huge disappointment, or even worse, something stupid like overstaying their visa and getting booted out of the country.

A lot of my posts on this forum are in regards to people trying to live in Japan. My goal is to show people the steps they need to take to truly LIVE in Japan, and not just run off there because they want to.

I wish to move to Japan later on in life, but I do not want to go to a college for 4 years, I do not plan on going to college. But I Do plan on learning japanese. So I do not know how I will be able to get over there without going to a college for 4 years...

After being here for a while, and reading tons and tons of these threads... All by the same sort of people... I have come a conclusion.

99% of them could not and will not make it to Japan, regardless of how much they may post that they`re going to. Some things are feasible, and some things just aren`t. I highly doubt most posters have the actual planning skills or money to pull it off. (Or even the skills needed to gather that money.)

Cruel as it may be - if they are stupid enough to overstay their visa, oh well, it`s their own fault. If they do make it to Japan and think it`s horrible, they should have given things more thought. Sometimes I think it`s better to let people find their own limitations rather than tossing reality in their face... Because I`m almost 100% certain that they`ll just keep thinking there is a way around things, that they can do it somehow, etc.

I didn`t mean to criticize your post, and jumping in to say that it is technically possible made me cringe... But if you give someone the tools and knowledge to pull something off and they are incapable of doing so, they can only blame them self. Tell someone it isn`t possible, and in the rare rare case that they DO manage it, well, you lose all credibility.

To put this in perspective, I am taking a job in Japan. I have experience in my field. I have a four year degree from a respected American university. And yet, I am still bringing about $3000 with me to Japan, because otherwise, I'd never survive until my first paycheck between the travel arrangements, the fees, the apartment costs (key money MUST DIE), food costs, etc. Even someone with enough tenacity to try still has to make sure they have a safety net. I'm not that tenacious, so my safety net has to be pretty large.

Just wanted to add my two cents here if yall don't mind. There are other ways to get into Japan without having a 4 degree. You can study in Japan on a student visa, receive a culture visa by studying a form of Japanese culture in Japan.(for example learning how to create bonsai, studying martial arts, etc...) You can qualify for a skilled labor visa by having 10 or more years experience in a certain field. (This is how I am going to Japan). But in the end no matter what way you choose to come to Japan, it's going to take work. But if you really want to visit/live in Japan, it's worth it.

If you are young, take advantage of opportunities that your school may offer, such as exchange programs. And cherish the time you have with your families. I know things may seem bad now but like Nyororin said, if your parents care about you and they're taking care of you, you're one of the lucky kids. There are ALOT of children who wish they were in your position. Plus when you get older, and start to spend less time with your family, you will start to miss them. PLEASE take advantage of the free time that you have and study Japanese. If you have a good grasp of the language it will increase your chances of making to Japan 10 fold. If you are older, like Miyavifan, definitely take a look into the skilled labor visa to see if you qualify.

I'm saying all of this because no one told me about these options and I had to find out on my own, and I REALLY wish someone had told me. Would've made life a lot easier.