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Living in Japan is not easy
Just a little intro about myself. I am from Australia and have been living here in Japan for 4.5 years now. I have worked in a japanese office of an international company for 3.5 years and decided to quit the job and learn japanese fulltime.
I just happened to find this forum and realized that there are many people out there like me who want to come to japan or will actually come here in the short future. This has just reminded me how difficult it was to settle in and adapt to japanese cultures and their way of doing things when I first arrived. Luckily, I have my husband to help me a bit (he is japanese) but I can really imagine for those who are coming here on your own with no friends/family, it can be hectic. So, for those of you who want to have some advice, please feel free to post a reply to this. I will help as much as I can. :) |
Hey. A question here.
Are the Japanese a rather rude group of people to foreigners? and do they often stare or gaze at non Japanese? LOL thanks |
i don't think they are rude. it's just they are very curious, i would put it. they sometimes look at foreigners and find us interesting becoz of how we act.
Don't forget that asians who live in western countries always think that the foreigners are rude too. it's just the same thing. |
ok awesome. Also for an anime fan who, if he goes to japan and expects to spend hundreds at akihabra.... How much to you recccomend I bring for about 2 weeks worth.
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well, that really depends on whether you want to buy new anime or old ones. there is a 6F second hand bookshop called Bookoff that sells video games, anime and stuff. some of the older ones, you can get for 100 yen each (US1).
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Most of the hot buys are published in the native tounge (Japanese) so if you don't nihongo then you aint going to spend much money. |
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I have now chosen Japan as my place to live and could not care less about the obstacles. Without a challenge there is no reason to live. To master a challenge makes ones life a richer place and lets face it, life can be hard anywhere on this planet but at least in Japan the effort pays off good if you succeed. |
I'm a Martial Artist and I'd like to go to Japan to Study and Teach Martial Arts. My ultimate goal is to open my own Dojo (yes in Japan).
I'd like to know about buissness sense you might have to have. How buissness is conducted between the Japanese and Forigners wanting to start Buissnesses in Japan. Especially working with Japanese youth and children. Sorry if the question seems compicated but it's one that has been eating at me for awile. |
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There are a few factors you need to think about: 1. Visa Unless you have Japanese parents or grandparents, you can never become Japanese citizen. THe most you can be is Permanent Resident status. But before you get PR status, you need some kind of valid visa first - mainly issued visas are student, working, or spouse. In anyway, try to get one of them. Visa status can be changed after you come to Japan. Visit here for more details 2. Language Skills Do you speak Japanese? If you don't now. I suggest that you start working on your Japanese skills. THis is not only useful for your business but for sure you need to be able to speak some in your normal day to day life. People here really do not speak English and I mean, not even simple words. 3. Opening your dojo I just had a quick look on the internet for you. Basically there are some dojos available but they seem to be full all the time. For example, the 東京武道館 (tokyo dojo)http://www.tef.or.jp/tb/index.php has several dojos available for public rental but you have to go through a lucky draw process. That means, you can't have scheduled regular lessons. Your best bet will be to make your own dojo but that would be quite expensive not to mention that many shop owners do not rent to foreigners. My suggestion is to go into some kind of martial art association and see if there is anyone who would share the facilities with you. 4. Needs of a dojo You should also think about who your target customers will be. There are many many dojos in Japan and you should define how you can get your customers. Personally, I think you can use your English skills to attract customers such as "Learn English while learning Karate (for example) as your business model. There is a huge market here in Japan for teaching English. Many japanese parents are willing to pay loads to put their kids into English schools etc. So, I think you have a good advantage as compared to other dojos. However, having said this, i know that there are some dojos that are using this business model already but not too many of them yet. I hope this helps. Let me know if you have more questions. :vsign: |
just a basic answer here about coming to Japan to teach Martial arts. I would say it is like going to France to teach french cuisine or to Italy to teach pasta making.
Unless you are already well know in your field of expertise it would be a super hard task to set yourself. Now if you had won a few world titles and already run a dojo where you are, then you have a really good chance of making it over here. |
Hi,
I am currently working on the seminary work, a study about discrimination of foreigners in Japan, so I would like to ask you, if you have ever felt discriminated because of your origin or if you have ever noticed such kind of discrimination in your surroundings. Thank you very much |
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Actually, maybe, you can then teach me how to get the citizenship. I mean, I went to Shinagawa Immigration and asked 2 times and they said to me the same thing. I also have other family members who are foreigners and want to get citizenship but unfortunately couldn't get through. Maybe Nyororin-san can tell me what to do when you actually get your citizenship. but, until then, I can see only 1 fact, that Tsuwabuki-san, Nyororin-san, and myself are still not yet citizen (i assume).
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How about Martti Turunen? He's from Finland and is now not only a Japanese citizen but is also a highly respected member of the Japanese Diet. Bobby Ologon! He's a comedian from Nigeria, now a citizen of Japan. He's a pic of Bobby. |
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There is a freaking ton of paperwork, some of which I need to still go to the US to get official copies of things for (such as proof of which number child I am). As I really really do not want to do that, for various reasons, I`m taking the long route that lets me do without them. You can get citizenship, and I know of several people who have. It takes time. If you just recently moved to Japan and went and asked, then no, you can`t. You have to have been in Japan for a certain number of years, but yes it is indeed completely possible. Your family members likely cannot receive citizenship, unless they too have married a Japanese citizen, lived in Japan for so many years, etc. You can`t just go any apply anytime you feel like it. There are requirements and things which can rule you out. Ask about 帰化 - all the offices around me have been more than helpful to help me, but it will still take a year or two to process. |
What Might rule you out? Other than Number of years lived in Japan? Or the obvious stuff like felony crimes, tax evasion, and other criminal offenses.
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I want to go to Japan on a year long working holiday visa but I DON'T want to teach English if I can help it. Preferably I want a job that doesn't place a lot of responsibility on me and the only thing that is expected of me is to not mess up. Working in a pub for example would be sweet. Of course I will take a lot of money with me there so that I can travel during time off... I will just need a job to make ends meet.
I am studying at Japanese at uni and am able to hold down a basic conversation. I would consider my ability at an intermediate level... or at least that's the goal. By the end of the year I'll be expected to gain a lvl 3 when I sit the JPLT (Japanese Language Proficiency Test). Is this realistic? Any suggestions? |
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it's kinda difficult to define discrimination. for example, there are always much more steps to perform when it comes to 区役所 matters. but, i'm not so sure whether you can classify that as discrimination.... as to day to day life, i don't really feel that. but that maybe becoz i am a less sensitive person??? i don't know... |
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One year will be great to explore Japan, I think. About money, yeah, take loads but if you are coming to japan for sure, you should start exchanging some Japanese yen since NZD is quite strong recently..... I actually took 3-4 months to go on a great trip in Europe and South America... it was excellent. good to hear someone who loves travelling too!!! |
Konnichiwa!
I'm going to Japan this summer. I really love Japan, and it has been my dream to go there since a was a little kid. Now I've saved enough money to travel to Asia on my own. Besides that I'm really excited about my trip in July, I'm also quite nervous, because it is my first time that I'm traveling alone by plane. I have been planning my trip since January, and I also into learning the Japanese language and knowing more about it's culture. I think understanding the Japanese culture and be capable of speak the Japanese language a bit, is a very important step, but even with a real good planning things can still turn out differently, neeh?! I will be staying in a hotel in the Iidabashi area, and i really want to invesigate Tokyo on my own. So, I really want to know if that is a difficult thing to do.:) I have bought a map to guide me trough, but is it still hard to orientate in Tokyo, or do you could get lost easily? Also, I really want to take the train, or metro to Akihabara [Akiba]. Akihabara itself would be my main target to visit, and I was wondering if it's difficult [as a tourist] to buy a train/metro ticket, get on board and move yourself around. Another question I'd really want to ask is if I can bring along a lot of cash money, instead of travel cheques. I read that, because Japan is a really safe country you can easily take 100.000 Yen with you without having to be on guard all the time. I rather prefer to take cash with me. If you have travel chques with you, you need to find a bank first to change it into paper money and coins. I hope you can answer this questions for me.^^ Thank you very much, arigato gozaimass! Matane! |
I have just started my work, so I don't know that much yet. But I've heard, for example,that "japanese only" pubs and restaurants are not uncommon, or you can often get in trouble hiring apartment, because you are a 外人. Don't you have trouble in job, or just that other people don't take you as a regular member of the society?
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I´ll probably also keep my english blog up-to-date Work and Travel Japan Firebird |
Ho there hoping you can answer this really weird qustion..
My mom told me that some of our friends from mallorca have this neighbor and their son has moved to japan and lived there for four yrs ot something like that. the only reason he stays there are because of his work. he says that the people in japan are really weird and their daily life isn't any better if you know what i mean ?? (I got pretty mad hearing it) |
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As for their daily life being no better, I'd say that's true. They tend to work very long hours and are often under a lot of stress. Their standard of living (in terms of "how much stuff do they have" tends to be no better than the US average, I'd say... worse in some areas (like hot running water on all faucets and clothes dryers and central heating/AC and insulation being relatively rare) and better in others (lots of cell phones, nice TVs, newer cars with lots of gadgets in them, etc). |
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There is sometimes difficulty in renting an apartment because 1) you don't speak Japanese and 2) the culture of apartment renting isa little unique (key money). |
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Taking the train to Akihabara is very easy (just don't look for "Akiba" on the train map). Cash is king in Japan, and I wouldn't worry about carrying that much cash. How old are you, by the way? |
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I would say that Japan is just like most anywhere else in the world.
Life is what you make of it - it isn`t magically better just because you`ve changed surroundings. It`s no different than moving to another city in your own country in that sense. If you do pretty much the same things, your life isn`t necessarily going to improve. As for weirdness, that really is subjective. After 10 years of living in Japan, I find the US weird when I read the news or visit. |
MMM: Yh it is.. I know that my mom said that beatrice said that her neighbor said that he couldn't wait to come home.. they were really rude to him and so on.. i don't know what its all about but now my mom has "forbidden" me to go to japan, :S (but i'm going some day) I just know that he didn't say any nice things about the japanese people, culture or the country....... Z:
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Thank you very much for pointing that out On a different social network some guy said "Japan is the most racist country in the world" and 1 of his reasons was because of the "Japanese only places". |
I dunno I guess the big push is just getting there in the first place.
I have absolutely no problem teaching english. In fact I wanted to do that before I ever considered going to Japan. I have another question, is it good to start young? I'm 17 and I want to teach and work in Japan. But I feel like maby I'm rushing things, that I don't need to plan so far ahead. But I'm super afraid of....y'know, not making it. Becouse I come from a really low income family. I can't just pay my way there, I feel like I have to be better than the next guy to go. I know that was a real trip away from my original question but it feels nice to have that off my chest. |
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I'd say go to university, get your degree, maybe hang out with Japanese exchange students in the US and teach them about your area while they teach you about Japan, Japanese language, culture, etc. You have plenty of time, I didn't go till I was 24 (nearly 25). |
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If the amount of "No Foriegners" signs is all it takes to decide if a country is racist or not, considering I may have seen 2 during the three years I lived there, and both were at whore houses, should be a good sign for Japan. |
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I was 22 when I went on JET, and even now that feels a little too young to me. I wasn't very responsible with money, and didn't save nearly as much as I should have (but came home with some great toys and some interesting stories). |
Cool, Sorry I didn't know what I was freaking out about. It was just me being paranoid...:o
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Thank you very much for replying on my post.^^ I really like the answers you wrote down here, so I think I'm much more certain then I was before, arigato gozaimasu! O! My age is currently 22.:) Matane! |
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