It's an arranged marriage, although it's a lot less formal these days. In the past, such as in the case of my older relatives in Japan, they had little choice but to marry the person their respective families chose for them.

Although they have many omiyai services in Japan which dig deep into your past (and wallet) to get the entire scoop on you, my omiyai's have been limited to the girls introduced to me by my parents, relatives, their coworkers, etc.

I could go on about my interesting experiences but I don't want to hijack this thread anymore than I have to. ;)

I'm glad about all the opinions I have gotten from everyone. I've been in Japan long enough to know how much education can get you by. I guess I just think this as an obstacle I want to achieve. Nothing like those others who want so much more who want to go to Japan. I just want a low quality of life kind of living. I know enough Japanese to be able to converse a little. My original home stay family suggested something like this before if I really considered it, which I do.

I like that Working Holiday Visa you suggested Firebird. I'll look into that one. You can say my case is somewhat weird, since you'd probably won't run into many people like me who wouldn't really care of how rough/hard life will be in Japan with such a case like mine.

When I was in Japan I just got that sense of thinking it as my home. It's a very fast passed way to live. Always have to overcome obstacles to just keep on going. Please don't think of me as some crazy Japanophile. It's just the way I want things. Here in Canada I just feel obscure with the way I live.

Thanks for all your opinions.

Your signature makes that difficult ;)

Nevertheless, good luck on your adventure.

Add me too to the list of those who just don`t get it.

Why would someone give up an education and all the future opportunities it would bring... to slave away in a minimum wage job in Japan?
That just makes no sense to me. Especially as you could live a much much better life in Japan by actually waiting a bit and getting that education.

Japan isn`t going anywhere.

You can have a low quality of life in Canada too, yanno.

Im not sure if this might fit into Banzai´s ideas, but have any of you ever backpacked?
There are more than 10000 Germans a year who go to Australia on a Working Holiday Visa. Usually this people are between College and University. They come to Australia without alot of money and some not prepared at all. They work in shitty Jobs, save some money and than travel the country.
We call this a gap year and most people have alot of fun during this time. I did the year in Australia, but i have to admit that my situation was a bit different. After that i decided to do the year in Japan as well. I took a good amount of money and i worked in a shitty Job for around 5 month in Japan.

This Visa is for people aged 18 to 30 and its called Working Holiday Visa for a reason. You can get the visa, take some money and fly there. Live there legally for a year and do some work to support yourself. Rest of the time you spend travelling. Dont tell me this isnt great opportunity to experience another country and to become more mature. You will live in a shity small room, you will work hard,.... but you will meet many people, you will see alot, you will grow and learn alot about yourself,...... and after a year you come back home as a different person who has learned alot and start your studying with new energy.
So, whats wrong with that?

I think its great for everybody who wants to get out for a while. And its only a year! If you still love the country after a year than you can really fight to get there. After a 3 weeks holiday you´ve seen nothing. And dont tell me about wasting to much time. I see alot of people who will see that whole thing different when they get older. "If i had that chance,.... Shouldve done that,...."


But i have to say Japan was alot harder than Australia because Jobs pay less and it is not a backpackers country. Prices are high and facilities sometimes hard to find (like hostels or stuff). I also know that this kind of lifestyle is not made for everybody and i have heard many people who dont see any sence in it. Thats ok with me, but im happy some people are different. And if everything fails you can still fly back. Youre not commited to a years contract, you havent moved all yout stuff there, etc.

I had a great time in Japan and i would say i have seen more places than any of you guys and that with around 1millionen yen i saved and the money i earned working in Japan (this is for 1 year with all expences). Oh and end off the year i still had money for my first month in Korea.


Sorry, i didnt want to sound so agressive...., peace guys! :D

Yeah, that's entirely true. I think the OP just wants that chance of encountering borderline racism from day to day to add some spice to his or her mundane, dead-end lifestyle.

Thanks Firebird. You made things sound more significant to my situation.

Sorry about that. -___- It's been 3 months since I last logged on. I didn't really have time to change it yet.

I'm not really sure of a right definition for borderline racism but a lot of people I met treated me like a normal person. I'm not white and I have more of an Asian appearance. I do understand this can be looked at differently in the job working situation though.

If you're insistent on living a low quality of life while facing obstacles, here's my suggestion. Spend the next 3 years in a crowded student dorm buried in text books while living off of Kraft Dinner.

Here's the simple fact - You can't live in Japan without a visa and a visa requires a degree or xx years of relevant experience. (And no, they don't issue visas for janitors, dish washers, garbage collectors, etc.)

Sure, you can stay in Japan for a year with the working holiday visa but like Firebird said, it's simply a holiday for you to experience the country. It's not meant to be a stepping stone to get into Japan and it certainly won't lead to permanent residency.

Nonetheless, it be a nice experience in my opinion.