I am back (and I want to update Jref on my experiences)

[Haruto Uzumaki]

Long time no see, Jref family I'm finally back after a long break from Jref (which isn't the fault of you guys). I guess it's been about 6 months, possibly even more, and I'd like to formally return and catch up with everybody in this new thread here! I also want to share my experiences for the past 0.5+ year and also explain why I disappeared, even though I didn't want to.

So far, I think I am now just about capable of passing an N5 JLPT exam. I probably will just barely pass though I've been working extremely hard the past few months especially to expand my vocabulary, kanji recognition and understanding of grammar, which is mainly the reason why I ended up basically disappearing. Basically, before I took a break, I was on here trying to do what 文太郎さん called "dictation practice". It was an awesome method at first, but I felt that I should be doing something different after a certain point. My intuition basically told me it's time to use other methods to progress my learning, but I didn't want to reject the learning methods that I was taught here, so I basically just decided to study on my own. Before, I could barely even visualize hiragana and could barely read them, let alone write them. Well, I still am not that good at writing, cause my new methods of study don't focus on that, but when it's time for me to write I don't feel I will have any trouble. My goals shifted a bit as well which is why writing is definitely the least of my priorities right now. I personally feel I have almost mastered the art of reading hiragana, which is a small feat at first glance, but I find it to be an amazing accomplishment considering all the stuff that makes learning hard for me. I can pretty much read them instantly without thinking about it now; it's second nature which is really good for me (at least for short words, although long strings of hiragana cause my brain to switch to a different processing mode which reads each character separartely, so it takes longer). I also recently learned katakana about a few months ago, and with the help of the Tofugu kana quiz, I was able to learn it in less than 3 days. I haven't mastered it yet cause I still make some mistakes occasionally, but even katakana has become second nature and funnily enough, I sometimes even think in katakana and english loanwords. The good thing about individual character syllables is that you can just drill them day and night into your head, and you can make insane progress that way. I found that out through my own discoveries with learning. I got much better at finding the best learning styles for me. I still have a long way to go overall, but I think I'm making huge progress and I've come a long way. I want to thank you guys for being helpful and encouraging me!

I'm now currently drilling kanji (words, words that use a kanji in it, and sometimes have kana attached to them), which works a bit different because there are meanings attached to the kanji, usually many, but I've found that drilling works best for words that relate to me in some way. Words that I see a lot, words that I like, such as 説明, 新しい, etc. Just unique looking kanji that look cool to me stick out, as well as those I use frequently or see frequently.
I also find that writing songs in Japanese helps a lot, as I'm probably about 10x more likely to remember the words that I used for the song. I already finished my first song (although I have to admit, I used translation software a lot), and after some revision from Japanese natives to make it perfectly natural as possible, I have something I can always go back to for memorizing words: a 2 minute song with over 100 words that could be useable in everyday context! And since I made the song myself, I know the lyrics by heart, and by nature, the meanings it's an awesome feeling, and I plan to make many more songs to form a whole album soon. It's a great way personally to supercharge my learning. I don't know if other people will experience a similar thing, but I feel like using creativity leads to the most unique and helpful approaches to learning, which work well for the individual, rather than a general population. Next I want to focus on mastering grammar, but I need to find a good way to master it quickly if there is another way than just practicing talking to people. I'd like to drill creating grammatically correct sentences, and advanced concepts and complex semantic sentences with multiple particles, etc.

I also participate in lots of "deep submersion" to force myself to learn. Before I go to sleep, I always try to turn a podcast on in Japanese (not those "learn japanese in your sleep" videos) and keep it on throughout my entire sleep cycle. I know some people will say it doesn't help but I find a lot of benefits that make it worth the simple action to turn one on before going to sleep: You will be awake for a certain period of time before going to sleep, so you can take that time when you're not doing anything, to just listen to it until you fall asleep. It's a good way to go to sleep easier too. It sets your mind to focus on words you may or may not know, and when you wake up, the podcast (hopefully still playing) will provide even more benefit as the first thing you hear when awake, and as long as you stay in your bed, you will get to absorb potentially even more Japanese. As for the benefits during sleep, people tend to say it has absolutely no effect but that's usually incorrect, I'd say for most people. Personally the sounds that happen near me in real life have a large influence on my dreams or if I even have dreams at all, which explains why I've been having dreams much more often now. When I dream now, often it's entirely in Japanese. Even if I don't have a clue what's being said consciously, I think it's really good because it shows my brain is processing the audio from the real world even as I dream, which means there is an effect, which I find to be beneficial. I've found it also helps to consolidate spoken words I've already learned before. If it weren't for listening to these podcasts during my sleep, I wouldn't have nearly as much of the "automatic" processes that I have. I believe it contributes to much of that. I wouldn't have expected to have any level of unconscious thinking by now for Japanese, but it's already starting. Of course it'll take a lot longer to have nearly everything be automatic, but I like the speed it's coming along now. I do wish I could make more progress faster of course, but I guess I'll have to accept that I'm going pretty much as fast as I can until I discover another lucrative method that works for me. I'm sure after a certain point, the learning rate will exponentially increase!

I still unfortunately have little to no conversation skills, but hopefully being able to use Japanese through text more will give me better conversation skills, and a good sense of grammar and how to respond to what people say to me.

As for the final thing everyone's probably wondering about (I say everyone as if anyone even cares about what I'm writing at this point ), I still plan to move to Japan permanently. There's been some difficulties planning it out, mainly because I don't have some small thing for each possible way I could path to stay in Japan permanently, but I'm working on seeing if I can get into a language school now. It's not the one I wanted to go to (ARC Academy Shinjuku) but I'll take anything if it means I get the chance to make my dreams come true. I've already aggressively saved $12,000 from pure hard work at my job for over a year, which caused a lot of physical damage to my body (and overall damage to my life), but I've got nearly enough money to last a good while in Japan, granted I live frugally (and before anyone says "it's not cheap to live in ____", I live in the city with the most expensive housing costs in America... Even in the heart of Tokyo an average apartment would only match the cost of an average apartment here (although it would be much smaller I guess) so it won't bother me a bit, in fact I will challenge myself to find even cheaper apartments than ones I could find here).
That about sums everything up at the moment, and though I'd love to discuss more potential ways that I can permanently get into Japan, I first want to catch up with everyone, so how's everyone doing? Anything new in happened that you'd like to tell me about? I want to hear about it! I also want to know how the opening of the border is going to affect your life it personally has no effect for me, since I would only be able to stay for a maximum of three months anyway.
Waiting to hear everyone's response!
(P.S. 1: Sorry for writing a whole essay, it's been a long while )
(P.S. 2: I'll be posting some creative work somewhere around here in the forum soon! Stay tuned!)

 

[thomas]

Hi, and welcome back to JREF!

It seems you were pretty busy those last six months; it's good to see that you are getting closer to fulfilling your dream. The "opening of Japan" hasn't changed much for us residents. I haven't been to Tokyo for a while, but it appears the tourist hordes and Super Mario go-carts haven't taken over the city yet.

 

[IronDove]

your dedication to the grind is something else. props for sweating it out at work and not losing focus.
for conversation skills, i just punch in random kanji etc into YT and find videos of people talking to each other. I don't understand *most*? of what they're saying but I learn interesting things.
welcome back <3

 

[Buntaro]

渦巻さん、

Welcome back!

Be advised that when you go to Japan, you can legally only take 10,000 dollars with you.

Let me know when you are ready for my final exam for writing hiragana and katakana.

 

[Haruto Uzumaki]

Hi, and welcome back to JREF!

It seems you were pretty busy those last six months; it's good to see that you are getting closer to fulfilling your dream. The "opening of Japan" hasn't changed much for us residents. I haven't been to Tokyo for a while, but it appears the tourist hordes and Super Mario go-carts haven't taken over the city yet.

Thanks for the warm welcome
Absolutely, I've been super busy and I still am, mainly due to work so I don't get free time too often, but when I do, I try my best to make or learn something that will make people in Japan proud or astonished one day. I plan to quit in two months since I'm going on a family vacation anyway, so I'll have more time soon.
It's so interesting how different tourist act depending on the country/area they tour I live in Florida which is a high tourism state, but here they pretty much act like everyone else except they just might not know certain things that natives would know about here, such as they might drive a lot differently (which contributes to the bad driving here) and they might speed in areas where is Floridians know to never speed but I don't think I've ever seen tourists with Mario go karts before, that'll be interesting to see! Here the most we see is women in bikinis and shirtless guys getting ready to go to the beach

 

[Haruto Uzumaki]

your dedication to the grind is something else. props for sweating it out at work and not losing focus.
for conversation skills, i just punch in random kanji etc into YT and find videos of people talking to each other. I don't understand *most*? of what they're saying but I learn interesting things.
welcome back <3

Thanks, I really appreciate it not even the grind that I'm dedicated to, but I'm so dedicated to achieving my goal in Japan that I'll do anything, so I can make what seems impossible, possible again!
That technique for learning sounds interesting, I'll definitely try it so I can learn about how certain words might be used! Thanks for the warm welcome

 

[Haruto Uzumaki]

渦巻さん、

Welcome back!

Be advised that when you go to Japan, you can legally only take 10,000 dollars with you.

Let me know when you are ready for my final exam for writing hiragana and katakana.

文太郎さん、
Thank you for the warm welcome
Surprisingly, it's the first time I've heard of this limit, but I wouldn't doubt it at all. However, I assume this means physical cash, correct? My money is in my bank account, and I plan to leave it there and transfer when necessary. I might move it all to cash app since it has no foreign currency fees with the cash card (I know the ATM will still have a fee for withdrawing cash though)! Or maybe I'd just transfer everything to a Japanese bank but to be safe I'd probably do that closer to the 5 year mark of living in Japan, since I don't know quite everything about all the different Japanese banks yet, and from what I've heard, it might be better to leave my money in USD until the moment I need some (cause yen value )
Edit: I'll be ready for the written test eventually! I just really need to focus on learning Japanese itself, and then I will gladly focus on the written aspect. For now I find using a keyboard gets me through a lot of the way, so writing is a lesser worry currently

 

[日本語 Class]

and funnily enough, I sometimes even think in katakana and english loanwords.

Same, welcome to the club


Really glad you're back

 

[mdchachi]

Glad to see you back. I've left jref for years at a time. Six months is just a blip.

Surprisingly, it's the first time I've heard of this limit, but I wouldn't doubt it at all. However, I assume this means physical cash, correct? My money is in my bank account, and I plan to leave it there and transfer when necessary. I might move it all to cash app since it has no foreign currency fees with the cash card (I know the ATM will still have a fee for withdrawing cash though)! Or maybe I'd just transfer everything to a Japanese bank but to be safe I'd probably do that closer to the 5 year mark of living in Japan, since I don't know quite everything about all the different Japanese banks yet, and from what I've heard, it might be better to leave my money in USD until the moment I need some (cause yen value )

Yes you don't need to worry about it if you just leave your money in the bank and pull it out as needed via ATM.

As for learning techniques, your song approach sounds like a winner. For kanji, I think wanikani has a good system.
For grammar many find the CureDolly videos useful if they can get past the annoying voice. Also check out Lily's videos.
If your goal is to live in Japan, I definitely recommend to try to get more exposure to conversational Japanese. Not just listening/podcasts but actual interaction.
If you can't find people locally there are places on social media to practice conversation. Discord channels for example.

Yes, even Tokyo living is not as expensive as the media makes it sound. It tops the lists from an expat cost perspective but expats try to maintain their home standards of living. If you live like an underemployed フリーター you can get by cheaply. And unlike in the U.S. you can live like that safely. In the U.S. if you try to reduce your living costs to the bare minimum you probably have to live in higher crime unsafe places. It blew my mind as an American but there really are no unsafe places in Japan. At least not from an American perspective where your life is literally in danger if you are in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Also unlike in the U.S. you don't have to resort to fast food unhealthy $1 menus to eat cheaply. For example this jumbo sandwich shop in downtown Tokyo makes their jumbo sandwiches from scratch and sells each for less than $3 each.

 

[Haruto Uzumaki]

Same, welcome to the club


Really glad you're back

Good to see you too!

 

[Haruto Uzumaki]

Glad to see you back. I've left jref for years at a time. Six months is just a blip.

Hehe, good to see you too! I probably haven't lived long enough to leave for that long, so to me it would feel like forever

Yes you don't need to worry about it if you just leave your money in the bank and pull it out as needed via ATM.

Phew

As for learning techniques, your song approach sounds like a winner. For kanji, I think wanikani has a good system.

Thanks, I really feel like it caters to me perfectly. As a musical person I can also have pitch accent pointed out to me in an easy way to remember, through the melodies I make. For the song I'll soon be releasing, the first line has a pitch accent "trick" that was originally a mistake, but once pointed out to me, I decided to keep as a poetic "double meaning" that ended up fitting perfectly for the song! Because of that, I'll always remember the two meanings and the way the pitch accent determines which is which.
I'll be trying wanikani right now! It looks interesting, and the way they portray the initial page makes it seem as if it's a paid option or some kind of subscription you'll have to buy to get access, but after signing up it seems like I was let in I'll see how far I can go before some paywall appears, cause I'm skeptical that it could be completely free

For grammar many find the CureDolly videos useful if they can get past the annoying voice. Also check out Lily's videos.

I will check them out, and I definitely remember JapaneseLily's videos being helpful for me! I'll make sure to watch some grammar videos from her too!

If your goal is to live in Japan, I definitely recommend to try to get more exposure to conversational Japanese. Not just listening/podcasts but actual interaction.
If you can't find people locally there are places on social media to practice conversation. Discord channels for example.

I see... My goal is to live in Japan, but the problem is not only locally, but even online, it's somewhat difficult to get practice with someone that can actually help me... It's hard to explain, but I'm in a lot of Japanese servers already on my music account in Discord. I like to hop in VC with them a lot, and listen to what they say, but since it's not one on one, it's kinda difficult to nearly impossible to step into the conversation since
1: my 日本語 isn't even 上手 yet
2: Most Japanese don't speak english or only a little bit, so if I need help, they probably won't be able to help or won't know how, which means they would probably avoid the situation in the first place (a good example being english banned in most real japanese servers)
3: interrupting them from their conversation is probably a bad idea especially as a learner, when they're doing something serious which isn't teaching learners, which brings me to
4: When have you seen an actual Japanese person or Japanese server reaching out to help english speakers learn japanese in VC? It feels so uncommon and rare for them to do that; I only find servers geared towards helping other people speak japanese when the people running it are mainly non-native or half (but not from Japan). I don't think it's in their mindset to help cause once again, most of them don't want to get into the complexities of helping someone learn japanese and want to avoid those kinds of situations. I felt it the most when people initially wanted to help me with my song, but most of them basically started distancing themselves because they either didn't know how to help or found it to be more work than initially thought to help, so they pretty much vanished, causing me to need help from about 5 people over the course of a few weeks to perfect the song. The last person did help the most though, but even then, once the song was finished, you can tell he doesn't want to extend new conversations any longer than needed. Whenever applicable, the Japanese will end a conversation by "reacting" with "", which basically tells me "alright, that's enough for now!" and that also pretty much explains
5: even when I manage to find someone that can help me one on one, the amount of help they will give is very limited compared to the amount of learning I want to achieve. And I still have yet to find a Japanese person that speaks english that I can actually talk to one on one in a VC...

Yes, even Tokyo living is not as expensive as the media makes it sound. It tops the lists from an expat cost perspective but expats try to maintain their home standards of living. If you live like an underemployed フリーター you can get by cheaply. And unlike in the U.S. you can live like that safely. In the U.S. if you try to reduce your living costs to the bare minimum you probably have to live in higher crime unsafe places. It blew my mind as an American but there really are no unsafe places in Japan. At least not from an American perspective where your life is literally in danger if you are in the wrong place at the wrong time.

I guess I'm already a フリーター I live exactly as the definition describes it, that's how I was able to save so much money with a low pay (and living with my parents (which I don't want to do)). I would have no problem being next to homeless either in Japan, if that's how I had to live to stay there long enough and become a citizen.

Also unlike in the U.S. you don't have to resort to fast food unhealthy $1 menus to eat cheaply. For example this jumbo sandwich shop in downtown Tokyo makes their jumbo sandwiches from scratch and sells each for less than $3 each.

Felt deeply! When I buy my own food, I just buy a $6 pizza from Little Caesar's to keep me full for the day, usually I eat it the day before work, then when I work even for 12 hours I can just manage to resist buying anything from their greedy vending machines. It's awesome to know that I would be able to choose better food for even cheaper in Japan, and so conveniently as well, since I don't have a car or anything. I have a bike but that's about it, and I'll probably waste energy trying to get food with it. Cheap food that tastes decent is definitely not walking distance here, but in Japan, I bet every two family marts right next to each other would have at least one delectable item available for a small fee

 

[Lothor]

渦巻さん、

Welcome back!

Be advised that when you go to Japan, you can legally only take 10,000 dollars with you.

Let me know when you are ready for my final exam for writing hiragana and katakana.

Actually, it's less than that.
I noticed when I returned to Japan this summer that if you bring more than 1 million yen in, you have to declare it. That certainly used to be about 10,000 dollars, but there days it's under 7000 dollars.

Welcome back, Haruto.

 

[Haruto Uzumaki]

Actually, it's less than that.
I noticed when I returned to Japan this summer that if you bring more than 1 million yen in, you have to declare it. That certainly used to be about 10,000 dollars, but there days it's under 7000 dollars.

Welcome back, Haruto.

Thanks!

 

[mdchachi]

Yes wanikani is not free after the third level. You might want to check out the forums which are full of people trying to learn the language. Those are free.

It sounds like you already have more experience than me in finding people online so I can't really give advice there. At your level you don't really need native speakers. But the trick is finding somebody who will engage with you at the level you need.

Yes, for sure, you'll love the food options available at Family Mart etc.

 

[Haruto Uzumaki]

Yes wanikani is not free after the third level. You might want to check out the forums which are full of people trying to learn the language. Those are free.

I knew there had to be some catch! It's okay though, I'm not into the mnemonic methods anyway, it disturbs the way I currently store vocabulary in my mind (I think of the most common word/sentence that uses the kanji/word)
When I think of weird stuff that has little to no relation to the actual word, it kinda confuses my brain in a strange way, it's hard to explain but I don't like it I barely even like to see pictures with my vocabulary but I'll deal with that at least. I'll keep listening to my ポッドキャスト every day and I'll be watching lots of videos and trying out many apps to find the best ones for me!

It sounds like you already have more experience than me in finding people online so I can't really give advice there. At your level you don't really need native speakers. But the trick is finding somebody wh

Hm, I guess so, if I can find someone just a bit above my level to help bring me up it would be perfect, and someone to correct my grammar (since the Japanese usually don't bother )

Yes, for sure, you'll love the food options available at Family Mart etc.

(⁠≧⁠▽⁠≦⁠)

 

[mdchachi]

I knew there had to be some catch! It's okay though, I'm not into the mnemonic methods anyway, it disturbs the way I currently store vocabulary in my mind (I think of the most common word/sentence that uses the kanji/word)
When I think of weird stuff that has little to no relation to the actual word, it kinda confuses my brain in a strange way, it's hard to explain but I don't like it I barely even like to see pictures with my vocabulary but I'll deal with that at least. I'll keep listening to my ポッドキャスト every day and I'll be watching lots of videos and trying out many apps to find the best ones for me!

Many people use Wanikani without using the mnemonics but I guess if just the SRS repetition is all you need then using quiz decks in Anki might be a good way for you. I think Anki is free but I'm not sure. I've never used it.

if I can find someone just a bit above my level to help bring me up it would be perfect, and someone to correct my grammar (since the Japanese usually don't bother )

My American Japanese-language college instructor was much better for me than the Japanese instructor. I think he understood better what we were going through.,

 

[Haruto Uzumaki]

Many people use Wanikani without using the mnemonics but I guess if just the SRS repetition is all you need then using quiz decks in Anki might be a good way for you. I think Anki is free but I'm not sure. I've never used it.

Oh, I'll try again then, it just felt like it was forcing me to take a path that included mnemonics flashcards/vocabulary in general I use a very good app called "kanji tree" which I feel is better than anki because I don't have to do anything but go through the entire predetermined set of each level (N5-N1) and answer them, and whichever I get wrong will appear back again more frequently till I never get them wrong again I couldn't figure out how to use anki and it seemed like it would be more setup to do just to learn some vocabulary but many other apps make it pretty easy! I still have anki on my computer and phone though just in case it becomes more useful one day to me!

My American Japanese-language college instructor was much better for me than the Japanese instructor. I think he understood better what we were going through.,

Yeah exactly, I think someone that has either gone through the process of learning the language can help better than someone who's just learned it against their will since birth and it's easier to get their help too cause socially It just works a lot better with the cues of how much you can borrow their knowledge before they get tired of helping (and teachers get paid so automatically they have to keep helping anyway )

 

[mdchachi]

Did you find any good language schools? I just ran into this one that reminded me of you. Japanese Language Institute MANABI Official Website
Seems like they help you find part-time job that you can do while studying. So that would help with your ongoing living expenses.

 

[Haruto Uzumaki]

Did you find any good language schools? I just ran into this one that reminded me of you. Japanese Language Institute MANABI Official Website
Seems like they help you find part-time job that you can do while studying. So that would help with your ongoing living expenses.

Thanks for thinking of me
I found a couple already that would do this and I found one of the cheapest ones that offered a discount for the first year, meaning I'd only have to pay about $8,000 for two full years (plus fees) compared to the usual $10,000+.
They were also very lenient about my application since I don't have the required proof of ¥3,000,000 savings just yet (I would by December) and they said it would be okay to apply now as long as I make up the money by the time the application for my visa is sent in December.
However, I was missing quite a few bits of required documents such as an N5 certificate, a passport, and a few others. Basically, I have no way to get the N5 certificate before December as you probably know. So I guess it's a crushed dream for now I could pass an N5 quiz by now with at least a D or C assuming it's pretty much the same stuff as on the practice JLPT quizzes on their website but they only hold the exam at certain times and certain locations, both of which are inconvenient for me because the test is not held anywhere near me and it'll be months before the next test is held :/
I'm getting my passport in November because my parents chose to wait to get the passports for the whole family (I would've gotten mine on my own but I thought they would do it in a timely manner and cause me to waste my time) so I won't have that anytime soon before any school's application window.

For nearly the past year, I had been working day and night to make money, and figure out a viable way for me to be able to live in Japan permanently without going back (at least for too long), trying to manifest for my dream to come true, all to the point my eyebrows literally started to fall out from stress (at least after searching why my eyebrows would fall out, that was the conclusion I came to) and I had half eyebrows that are just now starting to recover.
I tried to ask reddit for some help before this as well (big mistake) and offered some money if they could help me through a pathway that would work for me, but they all basically told me it's not possible, in a way that made me feel quite stupid for even thinking I could do it made me delete the post and everything, and now I have negative karma just from asking a stupid question oh well I guess...
I still try to look into anything I might've missed, but it seems all hope is lost and I don't know if anyone can help, but I'll recap the situation in case there might be a sliver of hope you guys can bring back to me (kinda long, skip if necessary):

I am currently 19 years old, and want to live in Japan permanently, setting my life up there instead of here in the US. So far I have about $12,000 USD savings and by the time I quit my job in December I will have hopefully between $16,000-$18,000 USD. I have no degree and it won't be easy for me to get one; I barely even made it through high school and it would take more torture than I can bear to get a degree, especially if it takes longer than 6 months. I would do it if it was 6 months or less but I can't find any degree that can be acquired that quickly, and I fear asking reddit if they know of one will send my karma into a void of negative points
I would be open to anything that involves living in Japan long enough to be eligible for citizenship (I'd even go to a technical school or university there if that's what it would take). I don't meet the requirements for almost any language school, and I don't think an affordable university in English exists in Japan either. I definitely don't qualify for a work visa, and even though I've heard of rare cases where people have gotten one (and renewed them) without a degree, it seems luck wouldn't be in my favor there. I am a music producer of nearly 6 years, and I produce anime/j-pop styled music. That's pretty much the only "specified" skill I have and even that doesn't count for anything. Working holiday visa also doesn't exist for the US and it wouldn't be easy to switch over to a work visa after the year is up anyway (although I'd take that over my current situation). Funnily enough, the company I work for actually does exist in Japan and has a strong presence there, but just as reddit told me, it would basically be limited to managerial positions, office work, and other higher level positions. I work as a lower level worker in a hospital, and also my job doesn't even exist in Japan anyway. In Japan they only do food service (it's Compass Group if you must know). Unfortunately for me there's no position I could switch to and even if I could, it seems the intra-company transfer visa is even worse than other visas because it's strictly temporary. Back to square one. My original plan and thought was that I could somehow go to a language school or anything that gave me a visa and permission to work, and attempt to get a work visa near expiration, funding the visa with online income and part time jobs. Unfortunately the hole in this plan is that I have difficulty meeting the requirements of any school application. So that's about it for what I've already attempted (there's probably more but I just am not thinking of it at the moment)

And a (slightly) short[er] recap of my dream: to prove myself worthy to Japan through music and to benefit the country as much as I can with my music. To work with talented musicians in the country that just don't exist here (think people like Ichika Nito, Jin, SEGA Sound Team, especially SEGA Sound Team [H.], etc., you get it). To enjoy the place I live instead of just being alive in a place I'd rather not be. To breathe the fresh air and experience the beautiful island's climate. To practice ninjutsu (and to create my own art style) and other traditional cultures for fun and out of respect for the history. To become a master of Japanese one day. To enjoy the snacks and delicious food they make there. To be honest the only thing I don't want from Japan is a waifu otherwise my problem would've been solved easily.

These are my wishes, hopes and dreams for my future.

Welp, I've probably said too much

 

[mdchachi]

I know it might not feel this way but keep in mind you are still young and have your whole life ahead of you. If it takes a few more months or even a year to meet the requirements, so what? It's nothing in the long run. I think the language school route is your best bet. What is the main requirement besides the obvious (money, passport)? Achieving N5? If so that's an easily met goal and you can meet it in 2023. Why do you plan to quit your job in December?

 

[Haruto Uzumaki]

I know it might not feel this way but keep in mind you are still young and have your whole life ahead of you.

I agree, but still, that's all the more reason I feel this way... I have my whole life ahead of me and I want to prepare for it. I don't want to be stuck in a loop where I can't do what I wanted to do in life, cause if you're only just surviving, that's not living anymore, and it's not worth it :/ I have a pressing feeling that I will be stuck here soon enough if I don't get out of here.

It's nothing in the long run.

That's exactly my point too, cause a year will pass by like nothing (it did when I first started trying to learn Japanese and finding my love for the country), and before I know it, 10 years will pass, then 20, then 30, then I'll look back and realize I didn't actually achieve anything that I said I would've... That's what I want to avoid, I can't let the time just pass me like that and feel okay about it

I think the language school route is your best bet. What is the main requirement besides the obvious (money, passport)? Achieving N5? If so that's an easily met goal and you can meet it in 2023.

I agree too. Application Requirements
She sent me this in the mail and before I thought I'd be able to meet it but there's a few things that'll take me a few years to meet, such as the tax returns as well if that's really required. My main problem is that I will soon end up having to spend my money to live for myself. Soon I will have to pay $1000 a month for a cheap 1 bedroom apartment and pay hundreds for food, bills, other necessities, etc. If I end up reaching that point in my life, I have a hard time seeing how I could possibly get out of it on my own.
Let's create a hypothetical situation to help explain what I mean. Feel free to skip this part cause it's long, but my main point is I need to get as much of a headstart as possible.

Say I'm 20 years old. Quit my job because of physical bodily deterioration. Making $20/week on Fiverr best case scenario, $5/week worst case scenario. Parents tell me it's time to pay some bills and if I want to stay and eat my own food from now on. Of course I'll have to live by their rules and standards too, so let's take that into account because it often inconveniences me and prevents me from making my own decisions, often to my detriment. Now I'm looking hard for a job just as hard as I was when I was 14, 15, 16, 17, 19 (skipped 18 because my mom got me the job and they always need people badly cause people quit every 3 weeks so I didn't have to work hard to get it). I have the same amount of success as I did those other times, because let's face it, what could've changed? I still suck at life just like before (生命上手じゃないです) and I still have trouble getting jobs. I continue doing my best to make online income but it comes at a price. Parents are telling me I can't just make music all day, etc, etc. Finally I just decide if I wanna be able to do anything without being controlled I should just get my own place so I can do things in ways that work better for me. Looking online to find the cheapest apartments available, I find a rare $950/month apartment but there's of course a deposit and the bank will not be lending any money to me either because I am creditless (not that I want to borrow money anyway though) so I have to pay the deposit and the first month. By then my $18,000 would be already $16,000 just from getting my own place so I can do things my way and try to live in a way that works for me

[side note (honestly you guys might not understand this part but I just don't work the same as regular humans, so for example, I want to be able to ride my bike to far places if need be, I'm okay with staying at/around work past my shift and not going home till after the next one, etc. But my parents want me to live the way they want me to live, so I would be pretty much forced to take an uber for example, or get taken home by one of their friends, if my parents can't pick me up from work, rather than letting me stay so I can save the money and time. They don't like when I ride my bike far and want to restrict me from going places because they don't even think I can handle that. Well, I can't explain this enough, but I digress). I don't have a license even which is fine by me but because they don't want to pay insurance (understandable) they pretty much won't let me get it and just say I'm not ready till I go on the highway and things like that, but they won't take me to go on the highway... And if I were to tell them I have use for a driver's license without having to drive a car they would just think I'm crazier than they already believe me to be. I just do things in an unorthodox way and they want me to be normal when I'm not.]

So of course I get my own place and let's say best case scenario I finally do get a decent job. I ride my bike to and from there every day I work and let's say I make even $17/hr doing some much easier job that isn't gonna put me in the hospital I work for (yes that's happened before, twice) and that equates to $3,000/month minus some taxes and all. Then we subtract the basically $1000 from it for rent so we're at ~$2K now. Then food every month, if I live at the bare minimum of expenses, maybe $100/month. Electric bill, water bill, etc, let's just hope it all doesn't surpass $300 total (from what I've seen I think it does, but benefit of the doubt) so I'm just about making what I make now, about $1.6K~1.8K a month. Not too bad, if that's the amount I have to save for japan. Best case scenario though, so if I were to factor in any of the variables of life, these things will probably take a wild turn. I guess if I keep it at the best case scenario, things will be looking not too bad, but it's not likely that it will go this way. I honestly estimate that even if I do get a job, I can't imagine finding one that would pay more than I make now if I want to suffer less physically, and that rent is sounding really almost too good to be true, even for a one bedroom here. Maybe I could move to some other state where it's inexpensive to live, but who knows if I'll ever be able to move again, if I'll ever be able to make enough money at a fast enough rate to build up savings? I didn't even account for life overall where things could happen like me getting injured and requiring another $10,0000 surgery which would put me back to square one again, or my bike breaking and being unable to travel to work or anywhere else, and so much more that isn't accounted for but could easily happen. Not that it's any less prone to happen than getting a good job and actually having a successful life, but if we're being real, I'd be pretty lucky to have that and I don't consider myself to be a lucky guy in terms of "success". I just hope you can see why I think there's a good chance I won't be able to do this in the future, because then I'll actually have a life that I actually have to pay for and take care of, and if I fail to do that for a moment, I can say goodbye to my plans. Right now I'd only have to worry about leaving and traveling by myself once then adapting, cause my life is ahead of me, not right on me. It's a crucial time for me to get up before I can't get up anymore.

Why do you plan to quit your job in December?

If I don't quit soon, my body will probably be destroyed before I can even live my life. It's a job that's very physically taxing and we're not treated well either. Our own people treat us great usually, but the hospital we work for, mainly the nurses, treat us horribly. I've put up with it for a year, but my orthopedic doctor recognized it as the hardest job in the hospital, because of the amount of work that has to be done, and the pay compared to the work is disheartening. I had knee surgery and it's not getting any better anymore cause of my occupation and the amount of walking and straining that has to be done. It's the only job I could get though, so I don't know what I'll do other than Fiverr to make more money, guess I'll just do my best to save what I've got... I also have a family vacation I have to attend and my job doesn't give me enough vacation hours to go with them; they expire every 3 months

Sorry for writing so much in the second section, I just don't know how to explain it so you can see it how I see it right now...

 

[mdchachi]

Quit my job because of physical bodily deterioration. Making $20/week on Fiverr best case scenario, $5/week worst case scenario. Parents tell me it's time to pay some bills and if I want to stay and eat my own food from now on. Of course I'll have to live by their rules and standards too, so let's take that into account because it often inconveniences me and prevents me from making my own decisions, often to my detriment. Now I'm looking hard for a job just as hard as I was when I was 14, 15, 16, 17, 19 (skipped 18 because my mom got me the job and they always need people badly cause people quit every 3 weeks so I didn't have to work hard to get it). I have the same amount of success as I did those other times, because let's face it, what could've changed? I still suck at life just like before (生命上手じゃないです) and I still have trouble getting jobs.

There's something seriously wrong if you can't get a job in today's economy. You should have your pick of entry-level jobs because the demand is so high. Maybe try to figure that out and see what you can do to rectify this? It sounds like a basic issue that moving to Japan won't resolve.

Can you pretend to be "normal" and act more in line with your parents expectations in order to further your goal? If you can work a normal job as they expect, maybe they would not force you to move out or pay rent which would allow you to save more.

 

[Haruto Uzumaki]

There's something seriously wrong if you can't get a job in today's economy. You should have your pick of entry-level jobs because the demand is so high. Maybe try to figure that out and see what you can do to rectify this?

Yeah, I don't really have the best life skills and also a lot of the jobs available now prefer people with experience, so even if I manage to apply, there's probably already a hundred other people with much more experience than me that have applied to that job, and I don't expect them to pick someone who has almost no experience with anything. Maybe I could get a 10-12 dollar an hour job, but I'm not sure if it would be worth the amount of time I'd have to spend working to make the same amount of money necessary...

It sounds like a basic issue that moving to Japan won't resolve.

I agree, but moving to Japan isn't a means to fixing this issue at all. It's more of a "it doesn't matter" because I'll be in a place I want to be, and potentially, I could at the very least make my music and network there (even if I couldn't, I would still be completely satisfied knowing I'll be spending the rest of my life there). Of course, this issue still does matter since the way it works for the first 5 years is I can't be in Japan "just because", so yes it still probably does have to be resolved, but I'd prefer to resolve it over there and not here. Plus I know America has a completely different way of employment compared to in Japan, and I'd rather learn the way to get hired in Japan than in America. I'm really good at 土下座 you know

Can you pretend to be "normal" and act more in line with your parents expectations in order to further your goal? If you can work a normal job as they expect, maybe they would not force you to move out or pay rent which would allow you to save more.

I do and I have a normal job now but that's the thing, because I have a job and I'm 19 now they want me to start halfway doing stuff myself while still being able to "control it" or oversee it if you know what I mean. They want me to start being an adult (which I would never be opposed to) but to their own confinement and boundaries, so I can't live in a way they don't approve of basically. If I quit my job they will want me to get another one which I'm not opposed to either, but probably can't do it on my own. I'll have to try again after my vacation now that I've written a new resume though, maybe I can get a music related job (if I can find one) Also, I actually work at the same place that my mom does and she doesn't even want me to get a job that's in a different place if you know what I mean.

 

[mdchachi]

Now that you have your foot in the door at the place where you're working, can't you move out of the entry-level job into something a little better? Or is it really that competitive? If you can stay on your parents' insurance, you should be able to take a job that don't have all the benefits. Such jobs are less appealing to people who need insurance or have a family to support. My son got his first job last year at age 15 and he made $16.50 an hour! It was just a seasonal job screen printing t-shirts and packing boxes but I was quite surprised at that wage. And now, this year, he's busier at school and doesn't feel like working even though the same place is needing help again.

Regarding the drivers license, I could be wrong but since you're an adult now, you getting a license shouldn't affect their insurance as long as you're not an assigned driver to their cars. I recommend getting your license because it could also help you in Japan. (After you convert to a Japanese license, you can legally drive 50cc mopeds which are very cheap and make it much easier to get around.)
You don't need your parents permission at this point though if you need to borrow their car I guess you would need their cooperation. There's nothing crazy about wanting a drivers license even if you aren't driving regularly or have your own car. Maybe you could get friend to loan you their car to get your highway practice done and take the test.

 

[Haruto Uzumaki]

Now that you have your foot in the door at the place where you're working, can't you move out of the entry-level job into something a little better? Or is it really that competitive?

It's not that it's necessarily competitive, in fact they really need people extremely bad in almost every higher position than mine (I'm at the lowest position). The problem is almost every other job requires a college degree in that field (nursing, medical doctor, etc) and not only would I horribly fail those if I tried to take the courses, I would also be spending a tremendous amount of money, time, and, once again, I would end up tied to this country for years to come (because then I would have to give up more such as a good paying job to come to Japan). I believe my job and being a "janitor/housekeeping" (it is a whole department known as "EVS, or environmental services, which cleans various things) are the only positions which don't require a degree. Even EVS gets paid more than us (we just recently started getting $15/hr for night shift, $14/hr normally, they get $17 and are about to get $18 base pay)

If you can stay on your parents' insurance, you should be able to take a job that don't have all the benefits. Such jobs are less appealing to people who need insurance or have a family to support. My son got his first job last year at age 15 and he made $16.50 an hour! It was just a seasonal job screen printing t-shirts and packing boxes but I was quite surprised at that wage.

I am not worried about benefits anyway, I won't be needing them (if you mentioned it because of car insurance, my job doesn't even come with that anyway and my parents aren't gonna pay for that). The only benefits I have a use for is health insurance and I won't be using it anymore. The next stories are anecdotes which don't relate to the original conversation and don't need to be read.
Both times I went to the emergency room, (especially the second time) I was quite disappointed. The first time, I had COVID-19 and didn't know. I basically nearly passed out and they asked to take me to the ER (which I work at) and I reluctantly agreed. Nothing really special happened from there that I couldn't have just done by going home except that they gave me a COVID test and a chest x-ray. Luckily I had insurance from my job so I only paid $150 or something instead of over $7,000. But I don't even feel like it was worth even $150 because I essentially just overpaid for a COVID test. The second time, I went to another branch of the same hospital because I felt very strange heart issues occuring. It was a bad decision and I would've been better off staying home, because I ended up spending nearly 7 hours in the waiting room, after having been awake for over 30 hours, not having eaten anything but a handful of gummies in my pocket. They gave me a blood test and an x-ray in the meanwhile. When I finally got into the emergency room, the doctor came in a couple hours later and basically told me he thinks it's not the heart but a musculoskeletal issue (which it most definitely is not) and promptly discharged me and referred me to a cardiologist. Of course since this was at about 5:30 I had to wait outside (in the freezing cold) an hour or so for my mom to come from the other hospital to pick me up. Once again, I have to pay $150 for a couple tests to be told I'll probably be fine.

Regarding the drivers license, I could be wrong but since you're an adult now, you getting a license shouldn't affect their insurance as long as you're not an assigned driver to their cars.

My dad actually works as a car insurance customer service representative, and basically, I think he said that I have to be registered as a driver if I use their car, which is insured by their insurance. The insurance company won't want someone with my demographics driving their car which is insured at a better rate, so of course, they will jack the rate because someone under 21 is driving as well. The rate could increase by as much as +$400/month. I'm pretty sure it's also illegal to drive a car that you aren't registered to drive, if you know what I mean.

Maybe you could get friend to loan you their car to get your highway practice done and take the test.

Not only the illegal possibility, but also, I literally don't have friends in real life I have producer friends that live in different countries and states, but I don't have a single real life "friend" unless I could call some people I work with friends, but I think they're in a different category, something like "work friends". I also find it hard to believe anyone would trust me with their car if they didn't know my driving skill and exactly how I drive. I wouldn't lend my car to anyone without compensation if I had one honestly, and even if I knew their driving patterns, I'd still be skeptical.