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Question How to get an opportunity to produce (mainly anime) music in Japan?

I think he can find a Japanese language school (i.e. a school that will teach him Japanese language) that will sponsor a visa.
So learning the language while trying to build up some connections here is not a bad idea. Coming here on a student visa and trying to find work is a bit problematic because student visas normally don't allow you to work. Or, you can work but only for very limited hours, and only with the permission of your school. So the student visa really is intended to limit people to studying. Japan doesn't want the student visa to become a stealth way of working and living in Japan permanently.
But getting here and learning the language and exploring the country is a worthwhile experience. However, it is super important that you understand that even in Japan there is a chance of

"end up stuck there paying bills, trying to get a job, being stuck to the job, not actually making a surplus of money, just living maybe a bit above paycheck to paycheck."

Japan's economy is not looking very healthy, and the demographic picture is also not healthy. The yen is getting very weak, and many people in Japan struggle to get ahead financially. It is no different than in the States. However, in the States you have a network of family and friends, and you speak the language and understand the tax system and social security system, etc., while in Japan you have none of that. Your chances of economic success are far greater in America than they are in Japan.
But that doesn't mean you should give up your dream. It just means to be realistic about it. There is nothing magical about Japan that will let you be successful just because you are a foreigner. Maybe a few decades ago it was possible to get some doors opened due to the scarcity of foreigners in Japan, but lately there are so many foreigners trying to make a buck in Japan it is very, very competitive. And besides that, the number of young Japanese people who speak excellent English is ever increasing, so there is no reason for companies in Japan to hire foreigners with an imperfect understanding of Japanese.
Come here to learn the language, and then go from there. And yes, the more Japanese language you know, the farther you will go. So start studying.
Yes, I've found a school that will sponsor me, and the visa allows for 28 hours a week of working. I really hope that Japan will consider my stay though because I want to do everything I can to prove I can benefit the country in some way and show my loyalty and love to it. I had a feeling they wouldn't want people to get in so easy, hence all the work it took to even find this way, but at the same time, if they truly wanted to keep people out, they could change more rules to make it so pretty much only citizens are citizens and nobody else can stay. However, I feel like this isn't exactly what they have in mind... Something tells me they just don't want leeches and I will do everything in my power to not be a leech to Japan :)
as for what I said before,

"end up stuck there paying bills, trying to get a job, being stuck to the job, not actually making a surplus of money, just living maybe a bit above paycheck to paycheck."
It got slightly taken out of context because when I said that I was talking about being stuck in America. I'd much rather live like this in Japan than America, since that's where I want to be forever and if I stay here in the US too long I'll get stuck here doing those things instead and end up building my life here instead of over there. That's what I meant. I know to be realistic and I definitely think about all the risks and all the difficulties there will be but for me and in my opinion, it'll be all worth it. Either way I'm not staying connected to my family either and I barely have any friends, except for producers who are the majority of people I talk to. I'm pretty much a clean slate here looking to start fresh in Japan, I've got nothing to lose and everything to gain, and everything to give to Japan in return for letting me stay there. This is my wish 🙏🏾
Also as a producer I already have to suffer a highly competitive market anyway because of how many of us there are, the market is saturated to the point where artists can ask for (I've seen this) 15 exclusive beats, for $10 (meaning you'd give away 15 of your masterpieces to one person for just $10 which is absolutely insane but people actually accepted his offer... Normal prices are around $100-$700 per exclusive beat so you can see how bad it gets... But yeah, I know it's gonna be difficult to get on top, I gotta try though, and I'd rather take away nothing than go back to America in defeat

Lastly yes I will be studying and have been studying japanese and all the music I listen to is pretty much all Japanese lyrics, I listen to Japanese conversations and they seem to really help cause words I've heard are starting to stick even if I haven't seen them, I think that helps with my recognition of speech so I can understand people talking to me in Japanese easily :) thanks for the reply by the way both of you guys
 
I haven't really seen that as a requirement

That's good to hear. Can you give us more details and examples of these jobs? What kind of visa is required, to work these jobs?


I'm pretty good at reading hiragana though I'm slow at it,

In my opinion, writing hiragana is a lot more difficult than reading it, and there is only one way to get good at writing hiragana, which is doing what I call 'dictation practice.' Here is what I recommend you do.

Record your voice. Use your iPhone, laptop, or whatever. All such devices have the ability to record sound. If you need help learning how to record sound on your device, please do not hesitate to ask.

First, record yourself speaking single hiragana. First record them in order, then record them in a random order. Next, play back the file and write down what you hear.

Once you have mastered writing individual hiragana, starting recording and then listening-and-writing groups of hiragana, in short words. As time goes by, you will be able to write more and more hiragana at a single listening, until you can write full sentences just by listening to them once. (This is going to take a lot of work and practice on your part. Get started now.)

Below is a partial list of single kana and short words that I have put together. Start recording these, then continue to record some more.

Your goal is to hear hiragana in words, phrases, and sentences, and write them at a speed of one hiragana every three seconds. (This is going to be a lot harder than you think.)

And when you finish with hiragana, you have to start doing this all over again with katakana. Start doing this TODAY.

You also mentioned studying the Genki textbooks. You need to study them cover to cover. (I believe they are a series of textbooks rather a single textbook.) Just get through them. If you have any questions as you go through the Genki textbooks, you can ask them here. But work on hiragana first.

~~~

Hiragana for 'dictation practice'

a あ single character. Pronounced like a in Toyota and Yokohama

i い single character. Pronounced like i in Suzuki and Kawasaki


ii いい good
ai あい love (n.)

u う single character. Pronounced like u in Suzuki, sushi, sakura, and Subaru

u う cormorant (type of bird)
au あう meet (v.) (plain form)
iu いう (pronounced like the English word 'you') say (v.) (plain form)

e え single character. Pronounced like e in zen (Buddhism) and sake (The e in the word 'sake' is pronounced with the え sound not the い sound.)

e え painting (n.)
iie いいえ no
ueうえ up; upwards

o お single character. Pronounced like o in Tokyo and Toyota

o お tail (on an animal)
ou おう king; ruler
ooi おおい many; much
aoi あおい blue
aiueo あいうえお (the first five Hiragana) (It is going to take you a LOT of practice before you can write these five hiragana in 15 seconds.)

ka か single character

ka か mosquito
kai かい shellfish
kau かう buy (plain form)
kao かお face (n.)

ki き single character

ki き tree
kiki きき Kiki (name in an anime movie)
aki あき autumn
eki えき (train) station
kaki かき oyster
oki おき (first part of the name Okinawa)
ookii おおきい large
kikai きかい chance; opportunity

ku く single character

ku く nine
iku いく go (v.) (plain form)
kaku かく write (v.) (plain form)
oku おく put (v.) (plain form)

ke け single character

ke け hair
ike いけ pond

ko こ single character

ko こ child
koi こい another word for love (n.)
koku こく country
Eikoku えいこく England
koe こえ voice
go いく go (v.) (plain form)
Ikou. いこう。 Let's go. (plain form)
koko ここ here; this place
koukou こうこう high school
kako かこ past (tense)
kakokei かこけい past tense
Koike こいけ (family name)
Keiko けいこ (girl's name)
Koike Keiko こいけ けいこ (full name)
ka, ki, ku, ke, ko かきくけこ
 
Well from other sources I haven't really seen that as a requirement but more of an extra help, like it is here in the US, people get jobs all the time without a degree, maybe not as good or high paying, but still a job nonetheless 😅 I have one now without a degree

And as for hiragana and katakana I'm pretty good at reading hiragana though I'm slow at it, I can read almost all the characters (I know all of them but sometimes I confuse a handful of them so I won't count those till I've fully mastered) and I haven't gotten much katakana down yet, just a few characters but definitely gonna be working on both of these soon. I can't write them either yet because it feels like drawing and when I try to draw things in my head the memory falls apart and then it looks nothing like what was in my head 💀 so I'll definitely have to work on that too but I do have the genki books so I'll be using those to help
Keep in mind that the job requirements are not the same as the government immigration department requirements. The key thing you need is the visa to get into the country to work. That's where the education is needed even though the actual position may not require it. Do you have stories of recent experiences of people being able to get work visas without education?

Note, even if you get into the country on a study visa and are able to work part-time, you will still likely need the educational credentials when it comes time to convert to a "real" work visa.
 
You can get a degree in Japan taught in English BTW. You can also get a degree online (make sure it is an accredited school!) these days so you can do it on your schedule and at the pace you can handle. It does not need to be a highly technical degree either.
 
Keep in mind that the job requirements are not the same as the government immigration department requirements. The key thing you need is the visa to get into the country to work. That's where the education is needed even though the actual position may not require it. Do you have stories of recent experiences of people being able to get work visas without education?

Note, even if you get into the country on a study visa and are able to work part-time, you will still likely need the educational credentials when it comes time to convert to a "real" work visa.
Yeah, I figured out that I had it confused with other visas, thinking they were a subcategory of a work visa, but they're really completely separate visas. This is unfortunate, I really feel like my head might melt with any more schooling for useless purposes, unless it's something like learning a language, or something hands on, I'm gonna get a real headache 😫
 
You can get a degree in Japan taught in English BTW. You can also get a degree online (make sure it is an accredited school!) these days so you can do it on your schedule and at the pace you can handle. It does not need to be a highly technical degree either.
Yeah, I've been aware of that... I could've gotten a degree here too during high school if I took AP classes but I'm so done with that type of schooling... It's so upsetting that I need a random degree that has nothing to do with my job to work... At this point it seems it's unlikely I'll be able to avoid this requirement, so I guess I'll start searching for easy simple degrees that don't take long, but anything that brings back middle school or high school vibes is going to be highly upsetting to me :/ if you guys have suggestions for any degrees that are easy to get and don't require too much book work and all that, feel free to add them here and I'll research them for sure. Anything involving math is a no no.
 
Yeah, I've been aware of that... I could've gotten a degree here too during high school if I took AP classes but I'm so done with that type of schooling... It's so upsetting that I need a random degree that has nothing to do with my job to work... At this point it seems it's unlikely I'll be able to avoid this requirement, so I guess I'll start searching for easy simple degrees that don't take long, but anything that brings back middle school or high school vibes is going to be highly upsetting to me :/ if you guys have suggestions for any degrees that are easy to get and don't require too much book work and all that, feel free to add them here and I'll research them for sure. Anything involving math is a no no.
Also the cost is a big factor too, cause I don't know how much money I'll be able to make with whatever job I might get, working 28 hours a week. If the minimum wage could be anywhere from ¥700 to ¥900 depending on where I live, I don't know if I'd be able to afford a degree
 
Here's an article that might help. You may qualify for financial aid as well.
I've seen sites like these before with the same college degree picker and all that, and used the picker to pick a school but none of the degrees are nearly as fast as I'm hoping for... Quickest I've seen is 18 months and if I get a degree I'd like to get it in at most 2 months or less... They call it competency based or accelerated but it's more like "speed walked" 😮‍💨
 
18 months is great!

In my day I actually had to go in person for 4 years to get my 4 year degree ;) There was no online school. I also got a technical degree but for basic visa requirements we used to joke you could get a degree in underwater basket weaving (meaning any old nonsense). Still might not hurt to get a degree that may give you useful skills for your music or something you might do in the future. The any old nonsense degree will suffice for many work visas and allow you to do things which can almost certainly allow you to stay in the country like english conversation schools (eikaiwa) while you network to do what you really want to do.

Language is a good idea. Imagine if someone wanted to appeal to you and try to sell themselves and get a job but they only spoke Romanian while you did not? While not a requirement you will have a higher chance if you can. Also imagine renting an apartment, opening a bank account etc. Not everyone speaks English though some do.
 
18 months is great!

In my day I actually had to go in person for 4 years to get my 4 year degree ;) There was no online school. I also got a technical degree but for basic visa requirements we used to joke you could get a degree in underwater basket weaving (meaning any old nonsense). Still might not hurt to get a degree that may give you useful skills for your music or something you might do in the future. The any old nonsense degree will suffice for many work visas and allow you to do things which can almost certainly allow you to stay in the country like english conversation schools (eikaiwa) while you network to do what you really want to do.

Language is a good idea. Imagine if someone wanted to appeal to you and try to sell themselves and get a job but they only spoke Romanian while you did not? While not a requirement you will have a higher chance if you can. Also imagine renting an apartment, opening a bank account etc. Not everyone speaks English though some do.
I know it's nothing compared to four years, but like... Ya know... It's too much 😫 school was the only thing that made my life unbearable for over 10 years and now that I'm finally done I really don't wanna be back in for a couple more 🥹 I remembered an alternate method I'm going to try though, although I'll be looking into if I can accelerate a Photography associate's degree, since they already only take a year to a year and a half normally. I already learned the basics of photography in my TV production class, and I already have a keen eye for taking pictures and a proper understanding of lighting, angles, and more, but I guess it wouldn't hurt to relearn as long as I'm not struggling in the class. My alternative to the degree however, would be self sponsoring after having multiple part time jobs, a solid online income, to present proof I will make over ¥3,000,000 every year which might allow me to bypass the degree requirement. I'll keep trying till I get it if I need to. I know it's not guaranteed but I have to try it. Also I am learning Japanese right now and will be learning in Japan too for 2 years. So no need to worry about the opportunities I'd miss without it 😅
Also, enjoy a couple pictures I took in Florida as proof of my photography (and filtering/editing) skills :)
20220427_202443.jpg
VideoCapture_20220427-210708.jpg
VideoCapture_20220427-210721.jpg

I'll show you guys my music later 😁
 
I hope it's not bad to ask here or if I should've just created a new thread (I don't understand the problem with "necroposts" as I don't have much forum experience) but I just had a simple question I wanted to ask:
Will a certification in some program do anything at all for the application of a work visa? is there any way at all to make it seen more as a degree? I have multiple certifications, Adobe Premiere Pro Certification; Adobe Photoshop Certification, Microsoft Office Certification (I think, it's been a while so I actually forgot whether I actually got it or not, but I definitely passed the class, "business and technology"... twice because i ended up getting the same teacher from middle school, in high school 😆)
If there's any value in these certifications that you guys can think of, let me know 🙏🏾I'm exploring extra options when I intend to apply for my work visa.
 
Hey guys, ハルト (Haruto) here. I couldn't find anything anywhere online about my question, probably because it's so specific.
So I came here to ask: In Japan, what would it take to become an anime (j-pop) music producer (provided I've already acquired the necessary skills for j-pop production)? It seems like it's gonna take a lot of connections but I need to know how to get such connections, cause right now I'm lost and I know this is what I need to do with my life, nothing else will do. I must become a producer for Japanese singers.
But can someone guide me step by step on how one would become that, preferably without school involved (as I already have been producing for 4+ years)? And also, any producers in Japan or working with Japanese people, whether you make j-pop or something else in Japan, I'd like your input and your story as well. Beyond actually being able to make this type of music, I want everything there is to know about producing music in Japan.
Thanks in advance 🙏🏾
Hi I am available to help?
 
HI nano_man ! Not sure if he will reply , He hasn't logged in for about a month. I think he will get an E-Mail saying you replied , so he might get back to you.
 
HI nano_man ! Not sure if he will reply , He hasn't logged in for about a month. I think he will get an E-Mail saying you replied , so he might get back to you.
Yeah, sorry about that, I've been busy 😅 I think about jref very often though! Lately, I've been up to trying to immerse myself in more Japanese content, and especially watching anime and some j-dramas has really helped me start to get a better grasp on the language. I'm excited to see how far my progress continues to accelerate! A special thanks to the J-Ref family for helping me with everything!!
 
You can start building up a music portfolio/followers, polishing your JPOP skills etc from overseas I think.
Put up a few songs on YouTube, then find people to collaborate on lyrics/vocals. (You could even use chat gpt for lyrics and Vocaloid for vocals in a pinch).
There's a discord called Songsters International that has a pretty good community for finding ppl to work with. It is mostly Japanese but some ppl speak English as well.

I'm definitely no professional but I've made a few songs here and then for very (very) minor Jpop artists
 
Thanks for the valid info!

You can start building up a music portfolio/followers, polishing your JPOP skills etc from overseas I think.
I've been doing that for the past couple years, but it's still quite difficult to truly be in the music scene while overseas 😕
Put up a few songs on YouTube, then find people to collaborate on lyrics/vocals. (You could even use chat gpt for lyrics and Vocaloid for vocals in a pinch).
Also have done this as well, and made my own song (with the help of a couple Japanese natives to help fix up my bad translations) using VOCALOID which you can check in the j-pop music thread 😄 planning to make many more songs, but it's also hard to capture the right vibe for the song although that's on me, I just need to do better (skill issue)
There's a discord called Songsters International that has a pretty good community for finding ppl to work with. It is mostly Japanese but some ppl speak English as well.
I'm in it already 😄 it's a very nice server with decent opportunities, I've even done a mix and master for someone's song cover in there and they were really impressed 😁 I have also joined many other servers based in Japan and I interact with them on nearly a daily basis. I've made some friends, but still, when it comes to getting into the industry, a way in still hasn't opened for me. I've met some other ボカロP though, so I'm hoping one day I can collaborate with some of them somehow! I'm able to get by in most cases with deepL by the way (and I'm in between N4-N3 level now so I can assist myself a little bit too)
I'm definitely no professional but I've made a few songs here and then for very (very) minor Jpop artists
That's pretty cool still! I'd be interested in hearing them if you don't mind 😅
Also, what's your username on discord? You don't have to send the discriminator, just the username or part of it is fine, so nobody else adds you without permission. I'll find you in the songsters international server and let you know it's me! I'd be interested in working with you if you have certain skills to complete some of my unfinished/broken tracks!
 
Heh sorry you were way ahead of me!
Awesome stuff, sounds like you're doing great!
As I say I'm in no way a pro or expert but I think if you keep doing what you're doing and build up a few songs you're confident in in the style you want to work in you can start approaching agencies that handle anime music producers, sending them your tracks.

Also, what's your username on discord?

My name is JJ on discord!
I think there may be one or two songs I've done around somewhere but tbh most are so minor they're not even released, just used for live shows, directly selling CD's to fans etc.
 
Heh sorry you were way ahead of me!
That's alright, I appreciate your help anyway!
My name is JJ on discord!
I'll look for you and send you a DM 😄
I think there may be one or two songs I've done around somewhere but tbh most are so minor they're not even released, just used for live shows, directly selling CD's to fans etc.
Hmm, well if you have any tips on making it more likely to be used for stuff like that, let me know! I've been interested in letting crowds hear my music, but so far, most of my listeners have been manually promoted to by me. I also try to get them to share the music if they like it, but even though many people like the music, it seems most people don't share enough to start a chain reaction or anything 😮‍💨 and I've definitely never had my music played live to people before
 
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