Advice for a prospective visitor...

Hi there, I'm completely new to this forum, so I'm not sure if I'm posting this in the right place. Oh well, here goes nothing....

I'm a university student in the UK, with a year left of my maths with physics BSc, and a plan to visit Japan after I leave. A friend of mine is planning the same, and after finding the Nova teaching programme, we'll probably working for them. (I've read some of the horror stories etc, still I think I'll make do for a year or so. After that, who knows? ) What I wanted to ask was:

1) What advice would you give someone setting out to Japan for the first time? Things like "don't work for Nova" or "don't go" aren't really that helpful, in case anyone's thinking it I was looking more for things you wish you'd known/been told before you set off, or things you discovered shortly after arriving.

2) What kind of differences should I be prepared to expect? I have some knowledge of generic Asian cultural differences (I'm half Hokkien, I have relatives in Malaysia, after visiting them every few years since I was young, squat toilets are second nature to me ), but things a holidaymaker wouldn't notice, or things specific to Japan, would be useful to know.

3) After reading various bits and bobs online, I learned something I hadn't realised about Japan until today: anti-gaijin sentiment seems to be slightly stronger than I'd anticipated. Will it be noticeable, and how much so?

Hopefully somebody or somebodies here can enlighten me.

Dozo yoroshiku!

Woolfben

you won't encounter really strong anti-gaijin vibes, especially if you don't act like the stereotype. Be soft-spoken and polite, bow and use polite words and you'll be fine. Have you studied the language at all? I don't see it mentioned whether you have.

There are a lot of things you will find out and learn during an extended stay. I actually plan on making a pamphlet for foreign visitors with stuff I wish I knew before I visited. I also plan on having an extended stay in Japan, and went for a 5-week holiday earlier this summer.

If I had to give you one piece of advice, it's to read up on Japanese manners. Being polite goes a long way, and there are some things in Japanese etiquette that aren't entirely intuitive to the western mind. If you are staying with a Japanese family at all, be very polite and thank them for everything. My biggest piece of advice about staying with a Japanese family is to be a little afraid, all the time; it keeps you on your toes.

Sorry I wish I could be more help. I did keep a journal while I was there, I can send it or post it if you'd like, but it's pretty long (about 35 pages worth). Once the pamphlet is completed I want to post that for criticism anyways. When are you planning your visit?

Soft-spoken and polite, you say? I shall bear that in mind. <bows> Domo arigato gozaimazu.

I've spent about a year studying Japanese, in a rather relaxed setting - evening classes etc. In other words, yes I've studied, but at this point not very far (not even stuied kanji formally yet).I intend to continue studying up until I go to Japan (I've even taken a module in it as part of my degree, to further encourage me to work hard), which is probably going to be in about a year and a half's time.

As for Japanese manners that aren't intuitive to the Western mind, I guess this is more what I was asking - I know some of the Japanese culture from reading up, and a little more of generic Asian culture from comparison with Malaysia etc, but things that I may have missed, that aren't necessarily well-documented, or that you *absolutely* should know, so as to avoid causing offense in case I've missed anything.

I won't be staying with a Japanese family, most probably instead I'll be renting a Nova apartment with my friend and possibly another teacher (who I'll assume is also gaijin and therefore less likely to be offended by random slips of etiquette ). Still, it's good to know, in case I end up staying on wth a Japanese family the next year.

The journal I'll manage without, though thank you for the offer - the pamphlet I'd certainly be interested in reading when it's ready. You've got yourself a guinea pig! Thanks for the advice, I'll remember it - any further comments? Anyone?

I would strongly echo the sentiments of being soft-spoken and very polite. When you are there, observe how others act and the words and mannerisms they use (at least, the people that appear to be polite!). Then, start to mimic them and that will help you a lot.

I think it's very helpful that you've traveled internationally before and stayed in foreign countries (Malaysia). While it is true that Japan is an Asian country and Malaysia is an Asian country I think that's where the similarities end. They are two completely different societies. Do as much studying about Japanese culture and history as you can possibly do. That will demystify some things and give you a sense about how to act and proceed.

If there is at all a chance that you could stay with a Japanese family while you are there I would highly encourage that. You will learn more things quicker and you will have a much better experience. Perhaps you could do a brief homestay in Japan before you graduate? Does your University have any sort of exchange program in Japan? Maybe try doing a semester there. You could continue work on your degree and get a first hand look at Japan before committing for a year.

On that note too, I know you're looking at Nova to teach English, but I would probably try to see if you can find an English teaching program that's done through a University. I tend to hear of better experiences through those, and sometimes the pay is much better too. Another thing you may want to look at is the JET program. Have you heard of that?

Colin said:

I would strongly echo the sentiments of being soft-spoken and very polite. When you are there, observe how others act and the words and mannerisms they use (at least, the people that appear to be polite!). Then, start to mimic them and that will help you a lot.

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When in Rome......

Colin said:

I think it's very helpful that you've traveled internationally before and stayed in foreign countries (Malaysia). While it is true that Japan is an Asian country and Malaysia is an Asian country I think that's where the similarities end. They are two completely different societies. Do as much studying about Japanese culture and history as you can possibly do. That will demystify some things and give you a sense about how to act and proceed.

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OK, I may be misinterpreting this, but allow me to clarify what I meant when I mentioned Malaysia. I've been there, and I understand the culture there better than your average holidaymaker/foreigner who has never been there. I also realise that Asian culture has some things in common (although squat toilets is the only thing that springs to mind at the moment ). I didn't mean to imply that Japan and Malaysia are alike, or even similar - merely that some things about Japan that a Westerner would find odd, a Malaysian would find prefectly normal. That's what I was trying to put across - what I'm after isn't the global differences from West->East, as I understand a good bit about that already. What I'm after is advice on living in Japan specifically, emphasis on both "living" and "Japan", as those are the things I have yet to experience (longest stay in Malaysia was 2 months, admittedly mostly spent living at my aunt's house, but still not the real experience of living in another country). I do intend to continue my study of both Japanese language and culture, but pointers are always helpful

If I misunderstood you, or made you misunderstand me, I apologise.

Colin said:

If there is at all a chance that you could stay with a Japanese family while you are there I would highly encourage that. You will learn more things quicker and you will have a much better experience. Perhaps you could do a brief homestay in Japan before you graduate? Does your University have any sort of exchange program in Japan? Maybe try doing a semester there. You could continue work on your degree and get a first hand look at Japan before committing for a year.

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As I mentioned briefly in my first post, I'm travelling with a friend, and as such staying with a Japanese family is probably impractical. Also likely to be difficult, as I'll need to arrange accomodation before I go there, or face living on the street for a month as I try to find something. Unfortunately my university doesn't appear to have an exchange program with Japan, and in any case I suspect as I'm in my final year already, I'd have missed the deadline. I'll keep looking, but I suspect that it's probably impractical again. If only I'd found this forum a year ago.....

Colin said:

On that note too, I know you're looking at Nova to teach English, but I would probably try to see if you can find an English teaching program that's done through a University. I tend to hear of better experiences through those, and sometimes the pay is much better too. Another thing you may want to look at is the JET program. Have you heard of that?

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As above, travelling with a friend. JET makes allowances for married couples, but not for friends travelling together (and no, I have no intention of marrying just to travel together, for one, we're both straight guys, for two gay marriage is illegal in the UK, and for three, I just don't see him that way ) Whilst the pay is much better in the JET programme, and I'm not convinced I like Nova's teaching methods, the JET programme is likely to be harder to get into, and make it harder (if not impossible) for friends to travel and work together. I will, however, be looking into other schools (AEON, GEOS, etc) to see if they are better than Nova, so any comments (with justifications) there would be welcome!

Thanks for the replies, keep them coming!