Musician moving to Japan
 

1) My roommate is Japanese and her student visa expires in September. I have decided to move back with her and was wondering if anyone here knows how easy it is for gaijin to get jobs either as a musician (I play guitar/keyboards semi-professionally in the US) or as a bartender (I bartend to supplement my income as a musician).. Is there much of a music scene (for gaijin, or otherwise) in Tokyo? Nagoya? Osaka? Fukuoka? How about for touring musicians? Could I get a work visa for that kind of work?

Sorry, I don't have a college degree.

2) I was also wondering about my music studio. I've got some expensive mixers, synthesizers, guitars, amplifiers, etc. etc. I'd really like to bring things with me (certainly some, if not all), but I'm not sure if shipping things would be worth it or if I would be better off selling everything and literally starting over from scratch?

3) Any other recommended resources for expats regarding the logistics of making a (semi) permanent move overseas? Specifically I need to investigate things like dealing with current debt before/after I move, what to bring and what to sell (especially concerning electronics, like synthesizers and guitar amplifiers), finding jobs, etc. etc.

Opinions from expats with experience would be very much appreciated.. As for actually living in Japan, I've been there a number of times and will be moving there with my current roommate... so I'll have a little helper once I get there.. I just need to figure out the logistics from my end... that is, taking my current life and moving it across the Pacific.

Without a degree, you may need to marry your roommate to live and work there...

My roommate and several of her college friends seem to think it's pretty easy for gaijin to find jobs once they're in the country... regardless of visa. Is this not at all the case?

Doesn't seem like it. Seems that it's a general requirement to get some type of a Visa to remain in the country, unless you luck out and end up with a company to sponsor you, which is probably difficult for a "gaijin" to obtain.

Not many reputable places will want to break the law if they don't have to, and trying to get a real job while on a tourist Visa is against the law. If your employer decides to not pay you, or you get hurt on the job, etc, you'll be out of luck because you can't very well go to the police to complain about the job you were working illegally...

All I can say is that so many people have tried what you are planning on doing and failed.

Just check out this guy on youtube.

He goes by the handle name of sexymdlman and he has some videos about his attempt to get a modeling career in Japan.

Only problem is that he went there with a tourist visa and although he had many offers, at the end he got nothing.

Sponsoring a visa is not free and it comes with lots of responsibilities and sometimes liabilities for companies so unless you are skilled labor in high need field such as engineering, you are out of luck.

You can still visit Japan and stay there for 90 days.

Here is the link to sexymdlman: YouTube - sexymdlman's Channel

You can find jobs...I worked as a bartender for a couple years while I was JET, but I had a real job and real sponsor for day work.

As was stated, your tourist visa will expire in 90 days. If you overstay it, you become an illegal alien. If you ever want to go back to Portland, it will be your last trip from Japan.

I was able to play music and bartend in Japan only because I had a work visa through the JET Program. The bar I worked at didn't care about my visa status, but also paid me in cash every month. My name was nowhere, and if someone asked, I didn't work there.

Dunno who peed in his cheerios this morning but yeah onto the topic... Japan doesn't like foreigners working jobs that Japanese can do, especially anyone with out a degree or a steady source of income because they don't want to have to support them. My gaijin friend is a fairly successful DJ here but he has a valid work visa just like MMM did and a sponsor. On another note Japan isn't as forgiving about overstaying your visa as some countries, they tend to detain you a long time then letting you go with an official don't come back for 5+ years going away present, they also like to make sure you have money to spend in Japan before you come here so you don't wind up homeless and stuck in Japan thus becoming their problem. If you have been to Japan a number of times you should have picked up on this little thing, if you have no Job, no degree and not a lot of money to spend and then go home there there not interested. Sorry to be so negative >.<

Don't know where this came from because there are tons of "live houses" in Japan. I went to dozens of clubs and concert halls in Osaka and the surrounding area, and there are many in Tokyo, too.

In terms of employment, it's a sketchy line of business no matter where you are.

Yea, I must agree.

There are tons of places all over Tokyo, Osaka, and in its surrounding cities.

I mean both Tokyo and Osaka are big cities and spread out obviously so if you stick around in one area, you may not see them but I go to live houses all the time when I'm there.

nope, not the case at all... without a visa, you are pretty much screwed (unless you are a beautiful woman and want to be a hostess)

5 years? overstaying/breaking a visa will be a lifetime ban

Thanks for the link, I was about to ask if anyone had a link to a Japanese equivalent of Craigslist...this looks like it might be the ticket.. I've tried mixi but that didn't really work. :\

Thanks, tommasi, for the link to the youtube guy's site, looks like he's got a lot of videos up there so I'll check those out today.

Can anyone with experience moving to Japan comment on the pragmatics of moving my music studio over there? Better to sell here and buy new there, or ship? Keeping in mind the resale value of music gear here is chit... I don't know the market for music gear in Japan.

Looking over this thread it looks like the responses have all been pretty much negative... Did anyone on this site move to Japan and not do it by the book? Surely you can't ~all~ be TOEFL teachers and salarymen??

What about going to school in Japan? It's been a longtime goal of mine to get a degree in Japanese.. I would love to pursue a degree there.

Basically, I'm sick of the US and I'm moving to Japan in September regardless. If I've got to marry my roommate to do it, she's already agreed to do so, but I'd rather not go there if I don't have to, so I'm poking around and weighing options. I appreciate everyone's input, even if it's not what I'm wanting to hear. lol ^__^

I'd say at least 95% of the foreigners who have worked in Japan have been English teachers, and many of the rest got a job as a salaryman, so yeah... You can get a student visa, but you'll need to be accepted and enrolled in a school, which will probably mean attending classes in Japanese, and doing assignments in Japanese. And I'm not sure if you are allowed to work on a student visa, or if you are, how much you can work or how easy it is to find a job. It may be that only part-time work is allowed? I'm not sure. All the foreign students I knew in Japan devoted their time to school, none of them had jobs, but that doesn't necessarily mean they couldn't.

I can't recommend bringing a music studio with you unless you know your living situation and that you will have space for it. Space is at a premium and Japan, and most of the musicians I knew used rental studios and equipment as they had no place to keep all that stuff.

The Japanese school year is April to March, so you'd need to start applying now for school in April 2009. That's not going to help you in September, though, so marrying your roommate is your best bet. Make sure she really is up to it and that her parents are agreeable to it. Family trees are official government documents, so a marriage will become part of her family's permanent record, so it's a big deal.

If you are marrying your roommate, you need to look into actual procedures.

It doesn't happen over night and it may take longer than you are expecting to receive a spouse visa.

And I'm assuming that your roommate is a student right now?

Someone without a job or work experience marrying a foreigner may alert the government so it could slow the process down.

Anyways, the best way for your music career is to look for someone who works in Japan as a musician coming from overseas.

They might be able to hook you up.

Final note, I don't know which city you are heading to, but some people do end up appreciating what America offers.

My roommate lived in Niigata for 6 months and although his very limited view on Japan irritates me time to time, he came back sick and he says now he appreciates America more.

So just like others say, go light gear for the first time and if you really like it, go back with your other belongings.

They are not negative, you wanted an answer and we gave it to you...

I could lie to you and say it will be easy no problem Japan has lots of Jobs for gaijin they love it when they come in under a different visa and work I mean thats showing initiative right? Besides who needs a college degree anyhow I gots plenty of edumication in high school!

Just because the answer isn't what you were looking for doesn't mean were trying to be negative, we just want you to understand the fact of the matter, and yes I put 5+ year ban to be conservative because its all due to circumstances but if you work illegally knowing that I gar it won't be 5 years and when your being deported they have a tendency to kick you out with out letting you pack your bags its more of a don't let the door hit you on the way out thing.