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General advice re: moving to Japan

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Foreign Companies

One good strategy that I didn't see mentioned here was to look for work at a foreign company that uses English (or whatever your native language is) at their workplace.

There are even recruiting firms in Japan that specialize in placing native English-speakers with foreign companies doing business in Japan.

Of course, in order for this to work you need to have marketable skills and experience. But in fields like finance, software and IT, engineering, logistics and law, there are plenty of good opportunities. This is true mainly in the Kanto region, but there are also postings in other metro areas of Japan.
 
One thing I do have to say that I haven't seen mentioned above.
Visit Japan at least once before you do decide to work over there, there's nothing wrong with not visiting, but alot of anime and manga fans I've talked to who want to move to japan assume it's exactly how they portray it in anime and manga when it's not (i'm not assuming that everyone is an anime and manga fan and want to move to japan for that reason, but it was an example of how people think japan is like). Another reason to visit japan before is to see if it's a country you wouldn't mind working in. It'll give you an idea of everyday life over there.

You hit the nail on the head with this! most people think Japan has green haired women with unreal "features" running around... wrong answer! I wish more people would realize that Anime and Manga are .... wait for it .... fantasy! :?
Just a funny thing I saw last time at Narita airport. I was getting my luggage at the carosel when I noticed a girl I had seen on the plane only she had ducked into a bathroom after customs and had changed into an anime outfit ...... :D
Whats worse is she picked up a US military duffel bag from the carrosel ☝

Boy is she in for a surprise.
 
Hello,

Hi i'm new on the forum. I must say its ferry interesting and I am enjoying myself.
My partner and I or considering moving to Japan.
Where planning to go on several factions to see if we really want to move. Just to get some real live experience.
For now where just focusing on preparing or self. I'm taking classing in Japanese language and we try to learn it. Where also trying to understand the culture more and such. Where also saving cash. *in any case will need most this when where going as tourist anyway.

There is something I have been wondering about. There seems to be a lot of info about how to get a work visa, but is there any info on citizenship?

*for know I'm going to check out the topic if your going on faction in Japan where would you go?
 
Excellent advice. However I want to state that knowledge has never been more important. Even many English language schools now ask that native English teachers have at least conversational Japanese abilities. For most jobs knowledge is a given, and thost without it will be at a great disadvantage.

---------- Post added at 01:43 ---------- Previous post was at 01:39 ----------

Hello,

Hi i'm new on the forum. I must say its ferry interesting and I am enjoying myself.
My partner and I or considering moving to Japan.
Where planning to go on several factions to see if we really want to move. Just to get some real live experience.
For now where just focusing on preparing or self. I'm taking classing in Japanese language and we try to learn it. Where also trying to understand the culture more and such. Where also saving cash. *in any case will need most this when where going as tourist anyway.

There is something I have been wondering about. There seems to be a lot of info about how to get a work visa, but is there any info on citizenship?

*for know I'm going to check out the topic if your going on faction in Japan where would you go?

There are tons of information on citizenship. In fact, the Japanese government has made it even easier to obtain Japanese nationality. Here are a couple of sites that I hope with help.

In English
Becoming legally Japanese: Copyrights

In Japanese
窶愿コ窶怒ツ坂?伉静税ステヲ窶慊セ 窶ケA窶ーツサツ申ツ青ソ Japanese citizenship Japanese nationality

I hope this helps.
 
I would like to live in Japan one day (have to finish school). I want an opinion on some great places to live/work besides Tokyo. I will be a translator Japanese to and from English and Japanese to and from Russian, if that helps any. Thanks for your help. :)
 
Not much call for Russian except in the far north of Hokkaido, NW and SE.
 
If you have Russian-Japanese translation skills, you do have some job ooportunities in Japan. They are mostly for Japanese companies dealing with the companies in Russian speaking countries, and surely the number is much smaller compared with other languages. That means you need to be really, really good with Japanese language, and having knowledge other than the languages would be an advantage.
I'm sure the competition is really severe both in English-Japanese field (because there are too many people who are fluent in both languages) and Russian-Japanese field (with far less job opportunities).
Compared with translation, demands for interpretors should be very much limited, I guess.

As for places besides Tokyo, it really depends what kind of place is 'good' for you - in terms of job opportunities in general, bigger cities are better (like Osaka), but when it comes to other aspects, it really depends on your preference. :)
 
Thank you Glenski! I will do my research on Hokkaido, and of course more in-depth research as time gets closer. :)
 
Thank you undrentide! If anything else, I'm sure there are government positions or something like that. I have more knowledge about Russia at the present moment, because of the classes I took. I will be learning more about Japan in school, but I'm also learning more about it now, thanks to this site. I'll also study abroad in both countries to really get involved and understand them better. I'll do my research on Osaka, and go more in-depth with everything as time gets closer. :)
 
What kind of job do you have in your mind for "government positions"?
To become a local/national government employee, you need to be a Japanese national.

I have a friend from the US who is working for a Japanese manufacturer, his job is to translate manuals in Japanese into English ones, he also proofreads English manuals translated from Japanese by others. He's extremely fluent, is able to point out mistakes in the Japanese original texts written by Japanese engineers.

Unless your Russian is native level, you may not find translation job for Russian-Japanese because there are many native Russian speakers speaking Japanese that you'll have to compete against. Not that I meant to discourage you, just wanted to give you some idea and reality.

Coming to Japan and experiencing the culture is a good idea. If you wish to live and work in Japan, you should learn about the Japanese working culture and environment first. Many people like staying in Japan and enjoy Japanese things, but at the same time most people do not like working in Japan, it could be very different from their home country and often very frustrating.
 
I don't know. I was just throwing out an idea. Throw it out first then think about how I'm going to do it lol
 
I've been googling for ages and loosing my patience, as I can't find accurate answer to my problem. Therefore, forgive me, fellow JREF-members, if I'm asking the obvious, if this is in the wrong place, or if there was a reply to this somewhere else. My tired eyes just can't find it. What I'm trying to find out is:

Should I go to the local ward office to register my address on my renewed residence card as well?
The thing is, I changed my visa status last autumn (now on a spouse status), received my new residence card in the end of October, but had to go to my home country for a few months from November. I came back to Japan in April, and totally forgot this whole address issue. Just recently realized I don't have the address written on the back of my new card, and no stamp either.
I have registered this same address where I'm living now, already in last August, so there's no change in that one.

All the info I find about address registration is about situations where you just move in to the country, or CHANGE your address. My case is neither.
 
Drop by there the next time you're near or call and ask.
 
Drop by there the next time you're near or call and ask.

Well yes, obviously, but it's not on my daily route and I don't have a phone atm.
Thought it might be quicker and easier and more beneficial to others too, if I find an answer online.
 
Well yes, obviously, but it's not on my daily route and I don't have a phone atm.
Thought it might be quicker and easier and more beneficial to others too, if I find an answer online.

I really don't understand your situation.

You changed your visa status, but your address is the same. You have a new card which shows your new visa status but doesn't have your address on the back. Do I understand that correctly?

Is your current address not on the front of your card? I can't imagine they issued a card without some address on the front.

If your current address is on neither the front nor the back, then you definitely need to go in and take care of it.

(They're getting rare, but Japan still has public telephones).
 
I really don't understand your situation.

You changed your visa status, but your address is the same. You have a new card which shows your new visa status but doesn't have your address on the back. Do I understand that correctly?

Is your current address not on the front of your card? I can't imagine they issued a card without some address on the front.

If your current address is on neither the front nor the back, then you definitely need to go in and take care of it.

(They're getting rare, but Japan still has public telephones).

Yes, you understood correctly. My current address is on the front, but not at the back. My previous one had it at the back, with a small red stamp on it. I was wondering if it needs to be on the back as well, with the stamp.

But sorry Mike, but nasty remarks like "Japan still has public telephones" etc, are the reason why I don't really post on this forum that much anymore. I've seen many people getting replies like "check wikipedia", "google it", "this question was already asked 5 years ago why do you ask it again??!!" etc, which really don't encourage (positive) communication, what I believe, this forum is/was meant to do, as well as providing INFORMATION on various Japanese topics. Why there's also the need to underestimate people? Of course people google, check wikipedia, read newspapers etc, but might want to get other insights/opinions from other people.
As for my case, i did google, check my paperwork/brochures I've got etc. What's wrong in asking the question on a forum dedicated for Japanese issues, titled, ahem, "Japan PRACTICAL"?
 
Calm down, I'm trying to help you. I noticed you had already googled it. Quite frankly, though, we get all sorts of questions regarding official matters (visa, registration, etc) that can easily be answered by just contacting the relevant agency and usually at some point in the process the agency will have to be contacted anyway.

If your current address is on the front of your card, you're good. The back is for temporarily recording changes to information on the front of the card until such time as a new card is issued.
 
Should I go to the local ward office to register my address on my renewed residence card as well? The thing is, I changed my visa status last autumn (now on a spouse status), received my new residence card in the end of October, but had to go to my home country for a few months from November. I came back to Japan in April, and totally forgot this whole address issue. Just recently realized I don't have the address written on the back of my new card, and no stamp either. I have registered this same address where I'm living now, already in last August, so there's no change in that one.

[MENTION=919]Chipi[/MENTION], you've answered your own question.

Your current address, the one you are registered under, should already be on the front of your alien registration card. You would only be required to update it on the reverse in case you change your domicile.

Oh, just realized that's what Mike has already stated in the previous post... ;-)
 
For the record, if he were unable to find the information online, couldn't speak Japanese well enough to call the ward office (or have a friend or family member who does), I would happily make the phone call for him and report back the answer. It wouldn't be the first time I've phoned on behalf of others on a forum and probably wouldn't be the last either.

And while some may find it short and unfriendly to point it out when a problem can be solved quite simply by either making a phone call himself or having his wife do it, it is nothing of the sort. In any case dealing with official matters (visa, registration, etc) it is always preferable to get authoritative information from those who are qualified to provide it and who will have to be dealt with anyway rather than risk getting some well-intentioned but potentially mistaken advice from strangers on the internet....who are sometimes rather clueless themselves but eager to make themselves feel good by jumping in to "help".

It would be nice if gaijins could quit acting like all knowledge and information in Japan is mysterious and unobtainable and just do what any adult would do in their home country with any question regarding a matter under the purview of City Hall....pick up the phone and call City Hall. Why is that so difficult to figure out? If I were Japanese I would find this particular gaijin quirk more than just a little insulting, right behind acting like they think they've pulled off some major accomplishment if they happen to stay more than a couple of years.

You all do realize that gaijins managed to love here before there was any such thing as the internet, don't you?
 
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First of all, thank you Mike and Thomas, issue sorted.

And while some may find it short and unfriendly to point it out when a problem can be solved quite simply by either making a phone call himself or having his wife do it, it is nothing of the sort. In any case dealing with official matters (visa, registration, etc) it is always preferable to get authoritative information from those who are qualified to provide it and who will have to be dealt with anyway rather than risk getting some well-intentioned but potentially mistaken advice from strangers on the internet....who are sometimes rather clueless themselves but eager to make themselves feel good by jumping in to "help".

It would be nice if gaijins could quit acting like all knowledge and information in Japan is mysterious and unobtainable and just do what any adult would do in their home country with any question regarding a matter under the purview of City Hall....pick up the phone and call City Hall. Why is that so difficult to figure out? If I were Japanese I would find this particular gaijin quirk more than just a little insulting, right behind acting like they think they've pulled off some major accomplishment if they happen to stay more than a couple of years.

It's nice if you do help, Mike. Very generous if you make phone calls on behalf of others. What I just wanted to point out, is the nasty tone of some comments on this forum - there are many ways things can be communicated. I also don't like when people are treated as dumb-asses - I'd like to assume people do try to find out things themselves, make phone calls, etc, but like to additionally also ask things on this forum, or ask before they can confirm the information officially. I also hope people have some sense of source criticism, and don't blindly trust everything said on these forums. It's quite common that people post similar questions related to their home countries as well, say, about taxation issues or different permits and such. Posting and asking doesn't mean the information is regarded as 'mysterious and unobtainable'. Communicating about these things on online forums is just perhaps a less hassle-free way of finding out information, before getting to the core of actually doing the things, checking other people's experiences, preparing one-self etc. Maybe you feel it's un-necessary or annoying, but I think it's only positive people try to find out information, in any way they can. It's then everyone's own responsibility to find out if what they read is accurate.

Now this simple question turned out to be bit more of a debate as I intended, but just to clarify (I don't like you're labeling me as one of those gaijins with a 'quirk'..):
- I didn't call, as like I mentioned,I don't have a phone right now.
- I asked the forum, as it might give me a quick solution to my problem, which I couldn't find by digging hours in the internet - (ward office web sites, immigration web sites, embassy websites, blogs, forums.. etc.)
- Asking from the forum might be a lot quicker than me quitting everything else I'm doing and taking a stroll few blocks to the nearest public phone to call. Also my Japanese isn't that fluent, so I might struggle on the phone.
- Emailing my embassy for example would be another option, but their response might yet again take a few days.
- Sure, I could ask my husband to call on my behalf, but he is working until midnight and don't want to bother him with this kind of stuff while he's busy at work.
- And yes, of course, if I didn't get an answer through this route, I would wait for the opportunity when I could visit the ward office in person to sort it out. This time, this was quicker, and as it turned out, I don't need to visit the ward office at all. Just as I thought it would be. Money and time saved.

One thing I really like about the Japanese is that they do try to help and be friendly,pretty much in any case, anywhere, even if they are not sure of the answer or do not know for certain. They also deliver negative messages with apologies and a smile. A trait I wish all of us gaijin would also adopt.

Peace. ;)
 
I didn't call you or anyone else a "dumba**" so let's avoid giving the impression that I did, please.

I still can't understand how you could invest "hours" digging through the internet in search of the information but balked at spending ten yen and two minutes on a telephone call and get insulted when it is suggested.

Out of curiosity, does the reason you didn't ask your husband to take care of it for you have anything to do with pride? The stereotypical Western foreign husband of a Japanese spouse in Japan is content to leave all such matters in the hands of his wife and contentedly wallows in the low expectations placed upon him....poor language skills, complete or near complete illiteracy, inability to go anywhere or do anything that most competent adult males would do other than find their way to work and home again without a wife or child along to translate for them. That's an overly broad stereotype, of course. But what are the expectations like for foreign wives of Japanese men? I'd be very interested to hear about it if you would care to share with us. Perhaps in a new thread would be best.
 
I didn't call you or anyone else a "dumba**" so let's avoid giving the impression that I did, please.

I still can't understand how you could invest "hours" digging through the internet in search of the information but balked at spending ten yen and two minutes on a telephone call and get insulted when it is suggested.

Out of curiosity, does the reason you didn't ask your husband to take care of it for you have anything to do with pride? The stereotypical Western foreign husband of a Japanese spouse in Japan is content to leave all such matters in the hands of his wife and contentedly wallows in the low expectations placed upon him....poor language skills, complete or near complete illiteracy, inability to go anywhere or do anything that most competent adult males would do other than find their way to work and home again without a wife or child along to translate for them. That's an overly broad stereotype, of course. But what are the expectations like for foreign wives of Japanese men? I'd be very interested to hear about it if you would care to share with us. Perhaps in a new thread would be best.

As by searching online I can do plenty of other things at the same time. Working on other stuff online as well, washing clothes, waiting for food to be cooked, etc. If I did decide to go to that public phone, I'd need to change clothes, tidy myself up, leave the washing, leave the cooking, leave the writing... But this is getting silly. Enough of this.

And no, not pride. Just independence and trying not to cause trouble - I know they are particularly busy at work during this time. I do bother him with a lot of other stuff though, so don't worry ;)
I'd like to avoid grouping people just as 'foreign husbands' or 'foreign wifes' though. One of my characteristics probably stems from my Finnish background though, as I'm used to equality. That means there are no male or female tasks, or things women or men "can't" do.
 
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