I want to Live in Japan
 

How hard is citizenship for 2 americans to get it would be me and my fiance we will both have at least 2 year degree's before going over there, and both speak English only. What is the easiest way or best way to get Japanese citizenship or dual American and Japanese citizenship with out getting married to some won Japanese. As we would go back at least once every 2 years to the states (most likely) depending on finance's.

Ps: I have researched Japan alot and I am willing to take classes in or out of Japan either way whichever makes it easier to get a decent paying job and my Fiance is willing to put the same effort in.

also how hard is it to get a house w/a yard in Japan

Please fell free to comment however the Clearer and More realistic the better I knoe this is not going to be easy and may take several years I just want a picture of exactly what i'm in for.]

Also we will most likely have a 4-8 year degree before applying for permanent residency/citizenship

Come over and try working for a while to see if you like it.

Visiting is fun but living here is another game all together.

This is not advice - It takes about three years at least to even apply for residency then longer than that to apply for citizenship. And that is if you are married to a Japanese.

You need to talk to an embassy etc.

The criteria for naturalization are provided in Article 5 of the Nationality Act:

1. Continuous residence in Japan for five years or more
2. At least 20 years old and otherwise legally competent
3. History of good behavior generally, and no past history of seditious behavior
4. Sufficient capital or skills, either personally or within family, to support oneself
5. Stateless or willing to renounce foreign citizenship

Source: Japanese nationality law - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I think you mean you want permanent residency, not citizenship.

To start you are going to need work or student visas to be able to live more than 3 months. That means you need to find jobs, which are going to be difficult without 4-year degrees.

Adding on, I don't think Japan does the dual citizenship thing.

Not to burst your bubble, but as others have mentioned...this will be extremely hard. And I'm pretty positive you will have to renounce your American citizenship to become Japanese.

1) Getting a Job will be extremely hard on a 2 year degree
2) Work in Japan isn't exactly a cake walk
3) You need to find a job which will have VISA support as well for a working visa
4) Like others have said, you need to be in Japan for 5 or so years first...so good luck with that
5) You're not married to a Japanese so it's even harder....


The quicker route would be to finish up your degree and hopefully find something in your field which can do visa sponsorship or look into the JET program/something similar. Hopefully then, you can figure out a way to stay in Japan and get a good job so you can start the process of becoming a citizen. But yeah, look into becoming a resident first...

yeah
 

I want to live in Japan too. I think it RULES!!!!!!!! ^_^_^

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I'll be getting my bachelors (4year) and possibly a 8 year degree in the Us before I move , but i do plan on staying after my 2 year for awhile and my fiance will prob get a 8 year at least 4 like me b4 moving to anywhere unless its English speaking, so we can learn in our native languages.

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Yeah i knoe its gonna be the biggest firkin head ache of my life. Yes it will be very hard since i'm marrying American and we plan on living there together, as a American cupple LoL hardest thing ever i knoe

Don`t even consider citizenship yet.
You aren`t even in Japan as a tourist, let alone in the position to say you want citizenship.

Take a look at some of the other threads. It isn`t as simple as just moving. You will need to have income, which means you`ll need a job - to get a job you`ll need a visa - to get a visa you`ll need a guarantee from a company. To get that guarantee, you`ll have to have a 4 year degree.

You only have a 2. You may say you`ll have a 4 before applying for residency - but in the end, for anything more than 3 months of tourism you will need that degree to be in Japan.

As for a house with a yard - where in Japan? If you mean in Tokyo, forget it and keep on dreaming. How big of a yard? Little gardens aren`t scarce, but big chunks of land are. What is your budget? etc...

good luck :ywave:

It was previously mentioned the permanent residency can be obtained in 5 years, but that is often not the case. The 5 year clock applies to your visa type. If you have a student visa for 2 years, and a then change to a work visa, the 5 years starts again with the new visa. There are people who have lived in Japan for 10 years or more who have not been able to get permanent residency.

Technically, you have to give up your previous nationality when you become a permanent resident, but that rule is one of those many laws which Japan seems to turn a blind eye to.

You can get a home with a yard in Japan if you are willing to live some distance from the metro areas. The average price of an older 3 room home with a small yard where I live (1 hour from Tokyo) is about $90,000. Not very expensive, and easy enough to afford if you don't mind commuting an hour each way to the city every day, or can find work in your own community.

To finance a house, you'll need to have permanent residency, banks will not give loans to foreigners living in Japan on a visa.

As you are probably aware, the easiest job for foreigners to get in Japan is teaching English. There are many jobs available, and the pay is not bad. But judging by your post, your English needs quite a bit of improvement. Almost all schools will look at your application/cover letter/resume carefully, and evaluate it for spelling and grammar mistakes. Some schools will require you write an essay, such as "Why I want to live in Japan".

Ganbatte

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To everywon I plan on living in a Suburb, cities suck in so many words. And for my English i have a mild dyslexia.



Iv'e read 73 pages of threads lol, yes i know i should not consider citizenship but it seems like it takes forever and is better to know what i may be facing. Most likely i will stay in the states, but Japan is a really close possibility and I have to be overly prepared for every thing. So if I do want to live there I want to 100% know what im in for or at minimum have a idea. Also I just want a small yard like 1 acre. Or have a farm type place really far from city and lots of land.But idk w/e There will always be good and bad. I plan on around 100,000$ usd - 500,000$ usd ( 10,902,141.79 yen-54,490,142.28 yen)

Umm...

I think you need to familiarize yourself with Japan a bit more.

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LoL yeah school keeps me busy atm tho

1 acre yard?

I don't even know if there is verb for "mowing the lawn" in Japanese because I have never seen a house with a "yard" big enough to merit a lawn-mower. What is the word for "lawn mower" in Japanese?

I know that in city areas, like Tokyo and such wouldn't have lawns, and shouldn't be expected, but what about country, rural type areas with houses? I always figured that places like those would have "lawns" since there'd probably be some actual room for them.

What would a monolingual American couple do for a living or how would they just survive for that matter if they lived so far away from a city so that they can have a lawn? I'm sure they'd go crazy in a few months.

芝刈り機
We have a yard. We mow it. :mtongue: It`s nowhere near an acre though.

To return to the original poster -
Let me get this straight... You want to live in an American countryside that just happens to be in Japan? You have made it pretty clear that you know virtually nothing about life in Japan, and absolutely no Japanese.

What is the appeal? The "coolness" factor of being able to say "I live in Japan"? You`re not making all that much sense, to be quite honest. It sounds like you`d be better off buying a house in the country in the US, and decorating it in Japanese style.

To give perspective, it`s sort of along the same lines as someone saying "Hey, I need to figure out the floor plan for my new private clinic that I`m going to build with all that money I made from being a top surgeon.".... When you haven`t even entered med school. You`re leaping so very far ahead of yourself that it just sounds silly.

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I don't want to live in Japan to say I live in Japan woot I live in America same "coolness factor" to all the people who come here, and most of them don't say "I Live in America" to be cool, but when they tell people where they live they kind of have to say "America". I have looked at many houses and some have a "country feel" in japan by that I mean your not in a crammed packed city and have some room to run around or ride a bike without being surrounded by cars. LoL i'm trying to get a idea of what i may be in for
, I honestly want to know what is wrong with trying to get a Idea? Everywon seems to be bashing my thread when all I want is a idea of what i may be in for. Is that Wrong, I posted this thread because I was reading through your "I live in Japan thread" and didn't get all my answers there plus atm I do not have time to read 65 pages in a day. I thought this may be more practical but apparently I have no right to ask what I may be in for. Plus I currently model and will be entering game design school not med school. Atm i'm focused on my computer science degree . I plan on getting a game design job or computer technician. I can already get a internship at a small place but I turned it down to continue my job and school. Considering I work like 40 hours a month as opposed to 80 it works alot better for school.

I did not think people would be so rude when I posted this as I have said a million times "I just want a idea of what I may be in for" and all of you act like it is a sin. I thought people would be helpful but I guess since i'm American you all decide to tell me that you wont even help a lil. I;m not asking for room and board I'm asking how hard will it be, I know it is possible, I have the money and am getting the degree. That "I need" even though a 17 year old w/no degree can live there and has been there for 9 years. I wanted a realistic perspective told from people who have done it, as opposed to looking up things and getting that "every thing is awesome and manga like" Which is what so many people decide to say either that or it's not possible. Or they say that its hard, okay I understand hard, I understand it may be the biggest head ache of paperwork ever. But not 1 person has actually posted or said requirements. Beside Marry Japanese, well I have said alot i'm engaged, we both refuse to leave each other to move to another country. So w/e people will be people, say what you want but it would be nice for some won to actually try to help give me a idea, rather then saying the same shit people always say. The "Don't think about it" "No chance" "Marry Over there" you know but anyways I'll just ask a Japanese person who came over here, Instead of thinking people on a forum might be helpful.

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Ty your the 1 helpful person in this thread, you did not judge you actually gave a general idea, which is all I really want Ty Very Much

Pray, Sangetsu is not the only person that tries to help you. Please don't act like you were ambushed. I think you got some valuable information, but there is not a lot of hand-holding that goes on here.

I was not trying to be rude, nor did I say it was impossible. I said that you are jumping way too far ahead of yourself.

You`re looking for a magical paperwork path that doesn`t exist. It`s not a matter of things being hard, you`re searching for a path that simply is not there. You HAVE TO fulfill certain requirements, many of which are not at all impossible. You just haven`t fulfilled them yet, and it will take a while to do so. You can pull it off with a 4 year degree. But you don`t have one at this point - so instead of focusing on how you`re going to live in Japan you should be focusing on the steps you can take at this point. When you`ve nearly finished with one step, THEN put detailed thought into the next. Instead of spending time thinking about 3 or 4 steps down the road, look at the ones right in front of you.

Sure, I may have come to Japan at 17 without a degree. But I married a Japanese man, and DID get my degree afterward. I think the circumstances are quite different. Had I not gotten married or gotten my degree, I could not have stayed. End of story. I hopped in and out of the country until I married and had that visa in hand. There is no secret path around it.

Oh, and it`s 10 years now. :mtongue:

You say that you accept it`s going to be hard, but don`t really want to hear about how hard and realistic advice. And you still haven`t clarified why exactly you want to live permanently in a country that a) You`ve never been to, b) You know little about the life in, and c) Do not speak the language of. If there is any rudeness in my replies, it`s because of that... And the fact that you sound just like any of the other 800 kids on here who decide they`re going to go live in Japan on a whim.

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I know but they are the only person who actually gave a good idea and did not judge, as much at least.

I think if you read Nyororin's posts again, you will see she is giving you the hard facts. Maybe you don't like her tone, but she is trying to give you a wake-up call for your sake. She is one of the most helpful people here, and does so completly out of charity. You have a LOT of things you and your fiance need to do before you can even consider living in Japan. That is the reality.

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I understand where you are coming from but Considering every country has paperwork and requirements for citizenship, I thought Japan would be similar. I do want to hear the truth but actually about what I asked not me "getting ahead of myself" I'm actually planning not saying I'm gonna go to Japan be happy and nothing goes wrong like "the 800 kids". I was trying to get a idea of how hard it will be if I want citizenship/a home. If your going to live somewhere logically you should get a home or apartment. Citizenship is nice to have if you live somewhere. So I thought it would be nice to have a idea, but it seems like the only way is "Marriage" from what all of you say. But housing is affordable. So that is a plus well cya if your not going to actually talk about citizenship or housing I'd prefer you do not post.

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Yes i know but is it wrong to get a idea anyways ?

No, of course not. You are not the first, and not the last with this idea. Please take the advice of those that have experience seriously and without offense.

Nyororin's point is, there is not point in even thinking about citizenship until you have been empoyed for at least five years. There is no point in even thinking about employment until you have a 4-year-degree. So Japan will be nothing but a dream until you at least get that first step done.

My opinion
 

In my opinion, no one has the right to mess with anyone's dream.

I can say that living in Japan is one of my dreams. but it would be onlçy for life experience, and maybe to get some professional contact there.

No one is messing with any one's dreams...

LoL
 

If she said that directly ok w/e. But although she has been very helpful to some , i fell that she is only trying to discourage me from ever thinking about Japan, because she hasn't stated anything helpful. (i guess you could consider her saying i need a degree, but um i know that and made it obvious before she posted) Also it would be nice is some won actually stated the steps, all not just get a degree and job, LoL same shit as every won has said yet all have failed to actually say requirements, hmm.. I guess no won knows on this forum

lol
 

I fell that she is only trying to discourage me from ever thinking about Japan, and technically that is messing with my dreams when you think about it considering the only nice thing she has to say is things defending herself but w/e.

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Ty for understanding how I fell since the majority of people here only have the negative to say, rather then positive or at least a combination.

Steps of what? To become a citizen? Contact a Japanese consulate or a branch of Japanese immigration? No one on this website is a bureaucrat in the Japanese immigration system. People have been nice to give you some advice, but if it's not good enough for you, go to the source.

Maybe Japan doesn't want an uneducated foreigner with a poor attitude.

LofL
 

I know I am not the 1st, and i will take advice when some won gives it, Nyororin was far from helpfull she just said, "your getting ahead of yourself" which yes can be advice in a way, but considering i'm just trying to get a idea that no won seems to know how to give, although my ?'s are "not the first of their kind" I was being honest, I guess if i lied you people would actually answer my ?'s and not just criticize me.

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Ty, and it not that is not good enough it's that they insult my dreams and try to discourage me, have you read the post? apparently not because the majority of replies have been purely people insulting me and my dreams. But then again every won hates America so I should have expected this when I made the post. Btw I have a good education for my age I am about 1 1/2 ahead of where I should be and by the time I would move there I would have that 4 year degree, But you did not read the post and all the replies so I understand you not knowing

Not everyone hates America. It's a love/hate relationship.

Yeah, things can get rough on this forum, but maybe you should consider why they may be so negative abpout your dream. Ask yourself, honostly if it's a reasonably attainable one. Maybe they are telling you it's almost impossible to do the way you invision it. Maybe you'll have to go about it in a roundabout way. Nyororin and MMM are usualy pretty solid in thier assessments (except about Obama) and Sangetsu usually doesn't post unless he seems like he knows what he's talking about. He's one of the most intelligent posters here. Reread thier posts and see if you can get anything out of them. Maybe you are being overly sensative selfconsous.

It's not realistic to say you want to be a citizen or livwe forever in a place you know nothing about. Books on Japan are full of garbage and you haven't lived there yet. I think people are telling you to slow-down and check things out before making huge decisions that effect you, your family, people in Japan and your entire future based on a lack of experience regarding Japan.