- 7 Jun 2008
- 1,024
- 113
- 73
My wife and I are both in our early sixties. I'm retired, and she's about to retire from her job. Sometimes we talk about going back to Japan to live for a year or two; I'd like to learn the language better, and she wants to study cultural arts like calligraphy and tea ceremony . We do have retirement income, and our house is paid for, but part-time jobs would make our stay more enjoyable (more travel, better standard of living), as well as help keep us occupied.
My wife graduated from high school in Japan and has a year of business college and a two-year associate's degree from an American university. She worked for about twenty years as an interpreter/translator for the Japanese consulate here in Anchorage, until she was laid off when the independent consular office here closed, leaving a token presence as a branch of the Seattle consulate. For the last dozen years, she's been a child activity therapist for a non-profit corporation, working with abused and neglected children. She loves kids and is very good with them.
I have a bachelor's degree and law degree, and practiced civil litigation and trial work for 34 years. I'm also a published author of fiction and non-fiction. Forty years ago I lived and taught English in Japan, so I'm under no illusions about what teaching English entails.
I know age discrimination is a factor in Japan, as it is in the US, but do we have any chance of finding part-time work there? If so, what kind? I'm not sure I'd want to redo the typical eikawa experience, even if they'd have me, but teaching professionals would be something I could do. I should mention we'd prefer to be either in the Kansai region, where my wife's family lives, or maybe Hokkaido , where the climate would be more to our liking.
My wife graduated from high school in Japan and has a year of business college and a two-year associate's degree from an American university. She worked for about twenty years as an interpreter/translator for the Japanese consulate here in Anchorage, until she was laid off when the independent consular office here closed, leaving a token presence as a branch of the Seattle consulate. For the last dozen years, she's been a child activity therapist for a non-profit corporation, working with abused and neglected children. She loves kids and is very good with them.
I have a bachelor's degree and law degree, and practiced civil litigation and trial work for 34 years. I'm also a published author of fiction and non-fiction. Forty years ago I lived and taught English in Japan, so I'm under no illusions about what teaching English entails.
I know age discrimination is a factor in Japan, as it is in the US, but do we have any chance of finding part-time work there? If so, what kind? I'm not sure I'd want to redo the typical eikawa experience, even if they'd have me, but teaching professionals would be something I could do. I should mention we'd prefer to be either in the Kansai region, where my wife's family lives, or maybe Hokkaido , where the climate would be more to our liking.