I want to move to Japan....

[MisterE]

well, i've wanted to live in japan for some time now. i was planning on moving when i got older. however, i wouldn't know the first place to start in order to learn what i needed to know to have a healthy experience.

lately, i've been researching online about how to speak japanese and things like that. learning the sentence structure is very difficult for me...

overall, i'm confused. it feels like there are so many things i would have to consider. i don't know where to begin.

 

[Mike Cash]

Begin with researching visa eligibility. If you are not qualified: get qualified. If you can not get qualified, better to know that as early as possible.

 

[JRockAddict]

I agree with Mike Cash. Research Visa first. I've got a few sites if you need them, just PM me and I can give you the registration form and other things. I'm also moving to Japan in 2 years, so it really helps ahead of time, since it can take months to get a visa I heard. So, if you need me to give you the sites, then I can. It'll be no problem.

 

[Hopeanuoli]

You wanna move to Japan? Well it is best to know a few basic and everyday phrases first and you probably have to learn to write Japanese characters. Personally, I think, I'm pretty bad at these kind of things but I agree with the two people above.

Well, best of luck!

 

[Mike Cash]

The OP hasn't been back to check with us for 3 weeks and didn't bother to follow up on his thread the last time he was here. I think we can safely save our figurative breath on him.

 

[MisterE]

i'm sorry i haven't been on in a while. i do care about what you guys have to say to me about this. i really have been reading all of your replies and i do appreciate them. i'll start responding more. thank you.

 

[uchimizu]

Well, before moving to Japan, the first thing is visa eligibility.

Then, unless you plan to live on your savings, you will have to find a job there. It is quite easy to find part-time or basic jobs, but far harder to find a position where you can make enough money to support a family in a pleasant environment. If this is your objective, you will have to plan your move carefully. You may want to look at a story in my blog (link below) about lodging in Japan. That will give you an idea of rent prices.

I also want to highlight that the level of Japanese needed to work is quite high (if you are in a japanese company). Even if you speak perfect japanese, you may find some hurdles and difficulties to integrate.

 

[Goldiegirl]

Before moving to any country, I would think you would want to take an extended stay to see if you will even like the country. A lot of times we have an idyllic view of what we imagine our new life will be like in a different country, sometimes it's better and sometimes it's worse and sometimes it's just not what we imagined. I wouldn't move to any country without first visiting, and remember visiting is not the same as living there....

 

[nice gaijin]

The OP has a rare ocular disease that prevents him from looking at computer screens for more than 30 minutes a month. This will make life in Japan very difficult, as there are TVs and computers everywhere, not to mention the 10-hour flight with TV screens on the back of every seat.

Going abroad to live in a foreign country requires you to actually follow through with what you say. If you can't even be trusted to check your own thread, how are we supposed to take you seriously? Just go be a tourist and have fun.

 

[yumeitsumo]

If you feel that passionately about Japan It should be easy for you to decide. I love Japan. I'd want to move there. You can always hire a teacher too. ^^

 

[Goldiegirl]

Have you BEEN to Japan? How can you love it and want to live there without actual experience?

nice gaijin is right, go and have fun as a tourist....

 

[yumeitsumo]

Have you BEEN to Japan? How can you love it and want to live there without actual experience?

nice gaijin is right, go and have fun as a tourist....

It's hard to explain why I love Japan so much. It's a mystery to me even. But I love it more than anything. It's my dream and passion!

 

[SushiShin]

I respect you Yumeitsumo and i can understand what you mean, but in the realistic world you have to open your both eyes and you have to explore before saying words and before taking action. Maybe once you are in japan, you will hate it and you wanna go back home. You never know how the future responds. Enjoy your life first, you are young 16, sprite up yourself and explore!

Greetz,

シン

 

[Goldiegirl]

Of course you can be crazy in love with something when you don't really know it. I understand that completely. It's great to have dreams. Sometimes we need to start on a smaller scale, we must walk before we can run.......

 

[Nisei88]

MisterE & Yumeitsumo hope you guys do it.

Thanks to the web you have access to people who have done what you want to do. Reach out to them and ask them questions. Dream big but think realistically.

 

[Mike Cash]

It is hilarious watching people giving sincere and heartfelt advice to someone who lacks the dedication to even check in on his own inquiry.

It reminds me of the thing I always hated most about teaching English conversation. So many students expect the teacher to put more effort into it than they do themselves. My attitude was always, "Why should I care more about your progress than you do?"

I'll never understand why people go on and on giving advice to people like that.

 

[Goldiegirl]

Perhaps the advice wasn't meant for the op, and someone else? Did you ever think of that?

 

[uchimizu]

Hi,

I believe everyone with some experience will tell you that moving to Japan is not easy. The first thing you have to do if you really want to move is learn japanese, and in my case it was, and still is a very slow process (although Japanese is not my first foreign language). You should also take a look at the country, as it is very different from the States. As an example, if you need a big house to be happy, you will have a hard time in Japan.

Now, of course, you can have dreams. I have dreams I could be a great politician, or the editor at a famous news magazine, but this is just a dream for me, and I am not doing anything about implementing it (like taking courses in politics, becoming a member of a political party). But I am honest with myself, and know this is just a dream, and will probably never come true

If you feel that passionately about Japan It should be easy for you to decide. I love Japan. I'd want to move there. You can always hire a teacher too. ^^

 

[Glenski]

Hi,
I believe everyone with some experience will tell you that moving to Japan is not easy. The first thing you have to do if you really want to move is learn japanese,

One does not have to be fluent to move here. Most English teaching jobs don't require Japanese language ability (and using Japanese in the classroom is usually prohibited). Knowing enough to get around in daily life is wise, but not even necessary in some of the larger cities.

 

[uchimizu]

Hi,

actually, you are right, it is not necessary to speak Japanese to get a job at an English conversation school. I suppose it is also OK for a few jobs in the expat community. There is also the famous Investment Banking and Stockmarker Trader niche, which is English only. You can also do Research and Development in English in Japan.

But I believe this is almost all you can expect if you know only English.

 

[Mike Cash]

Perhaps the advice wasn't meant for the op, and someone else? Did you ever think of that?

Yes, I did.

Perhaps the advice was meant for the OP, and not for someone else. Did you ever think of that?

 

[Elizabeth]

One does not have to be fluent to move here. Most English teaching jobs don't require Japanese language ability (and using Japanese in the classroom is usually prohibited). Knowing enough to get around in daily life is wise, but not even necessary in some of the larger cities.

Anyone living there should speak it not out of necessity but from a fundamental
respect for the culture. IMHO. But it obviously isn't necessary judging from the number of long-term residents that are happy to have so many rudimentary English speakers in the larger cities to do the hard work of learning for them.

 

[Glenski]

Well, I think this thread is becoming moot. The OP hasn't come back in over 2 weeks to add any comments or questions. Lock?

 

[yumeitsumo]

I respect you Yumeitsumo and i can understand what you mean, but in the realistic world you have to open your both eyes and you have to explore before saying words and before taking action. Maybe once you are in japan, you will hate it and you wanna go back home. You never know how the future responds. Enjoy your life first, you are young 16, sprite up yourself and explore!
Greetz,
ﾆ歎ﾆ停?彈/QUOTE]
I could never hate it. I just know it. I am stubborn. I won't change my mind. The only thing I want to explore is Japan. I am also into astronomy. Japan just fills the void in my life. I know I am young. But Japan has changed my life. And I owe Japan everything!

 

[MisterE]

It is hilarious watching people giving sincere and heartfelt advice to someone who lacks the dedication to even check in on his own inquiry.

It reminds me of the thing I always hated most about teaching English conversation. So many students expect the teacher to put more effort into it than they do themselves. My attitude was always, "Why should I care more about your progress than you do?"

I'll never understand why people go on and on giving advice to people like that.

As for those of you who are saying that i am not even checking this thread, you're wrong. I manage my account through my email. If i get a message that says that somebody has posted, i will check it. if the thread remains stagnant, i won't. i don't mean to be rude, but this is the truth.