Jumping on a plane and "coming back"? Complicated.

[TakuyaMuramoto]

Hi all,

I guess I'll cut straight to the chase, but it's confusing. I'm 100% Japanese, but I am Canadian by citizenship and birth. However, I'm in the U.S. for study right now and to make things more complicated, I've met a wonderful ethnic Chinese girl (from Malaysia) whom I want to marry. However, there's one problem. She's not interested in living in the U.S., and frankly after dealing with my student visa, I'm not either. Neither of us are citizens, so it's going to make things hard.

Obviously I could go to Malaysia (I don't speak Chinese or Malay), she could go to Alberta with me, but something that we both considered now is going to Japan together. Granted, I've never been a Japanese citizen (although I lived in Osaka as a teenager), but being "pure" Japanese and given that I can read and speak fluently (writing is a little rusty), then it just might be a possibility, especially if she and I decide to continue our education abroad.

You might ask why we're thinking about Japan as a serious alternative, and quite frankly, it's because both of us feel out of place in the Americas. Yes, my girlfriend and I both speak English, but general culture, customs, language, people, everything just seemed to not really "suit" us I guess you could say. I know the Americas are a melting pot of cultures, but honestly, it's not the same as being in Asia as an Asian blooded person (especially one raised as a Nihonjin). I even felt more at home when I visited Southeast Asia than I ever did in Alberta. Probably hard to understand for those gaijins around.

Either or, I am assuming not a whole lot of people are in my shoes, but seriously just to ask those opinions...would you start looking at Japan as a serious alternative to live in, AS A CANADIAN CITIZEN. I can't imagine paperwork is going to be quick or easy, but after 20 years in North America, I'm ready for a change and willing to commit, just as long as it wont be an absolute nightmare to try and get together with my girlfriend on the "other side"

Sorry for the long first post, 窶堋ｱ窶堙ｪ窶堋ｩ窶堙ｧ窶堙ｦ窶堙ｫ窶堋ｵ窶堋ｭ窶堋ｨﾅ?ﾃｨ窶堋｢窶堋ｵ窶堙懌?堋ｷﾂ。

窶伉ｺ窶怒窶佚ｱ窶禿ｧ (Takuya Muramoto)

 

[Mike Cash]

I wish I could help you, but I'm just a gaijin.

 

[TakuyaMuramoto]

^^That's okay

Sorry if it's too much of a rant as well. I've been a little stressed with the whole ordeal and having to think about so many factors in the not so far future. Been a bit "homesick" for Japan as well for the last few years, so that's hasn't really helped in trying to make a rational life changing decision.

 

[Mike Cash]

It has impaired your ability to spot sarcasm as well.

 

[TakuyaMuramoto]

^^Not really, I was never good at it in the first place.

 

[Mike Cash]

^^Not really, I was never good at it in the first place.

You do realize why I gave in to the temptation to make the remark, though, don't you?

Even the "pure" Japanese who were born here and have never set foot out of the country seldom do a better job of being patronizing and condescending to us.

Some of the gaijins you have such low expectations of have been here probably since before you were born and would have just as much discomfort if suddenly dropped in North America as you....if not more. They also have the background, experience, and perspective to try to be helpful with problems you and your lady friend might encounter.

We're all surrounded by well over a hundred million "pure" nihonjin and aren't likely to be all that impressed by the sudden appearance of one more, so do us all a favor and tone down the race-tinged ethnic pride thing a notch or two; it rankles. (Some of us are even parents to "non-pure" nihonjin).

 

[TakuyaMuramoto]

^^Sorry if that's the way it came across, honestly. I didn't intend it that way at all and didn't even notice it could be taken that way until I reread the original post. Sorry if I sounded supremacist, and the only reason I kept stating that I was 100% Japanese or "pure" (just meaning completely, not "the best race") was because I've heard of "Japanese" people being able to return to Japan easier than if they were not of Japanese ancestry, or even those that were half Japanese. No idea if that's true, but I figured to provide as much info as relevant, and I thought being "Japanese" was one of them. If anyone was of Japanese ancestry that had gotten back to Japan from another country and had input, maybe they could help.

I also completely miss points too, so if something is typed in a sarcastic tone, I miss it usually. I took your original post as "Sorry, I'm not ethnic Japanese, so I am not in your shoes and am not sure how to help.", literally that's how I read it.

Either or, again sorry if I came across as condescending, I am "gaijin" after all, more so than Japanese

Okay, wrong foot first post, apologies.

 

[Mike Cash]

No apology necessary; recognition of the point is ample.

This came up as recently as yesterday. If you are second or third generation you can apply for a 定住者 visa with a validity of one to three years. Of course, that is renewable and you can later convert to permanent residency or seek citizenship should you so desire. There is a link in the thread about working in a suit/tux shop, leading to a page which will show the documents you need to gather.

By the way, I'm lily white and there is very little I find more disconcerting than being around a bunch of my fellow foreigners. What you're used to has more to do with comfort than everybody else's ethnicity.

 

[TakuyaMuramoto]

No apology necessary; recognition of the point is ample.

This came up as recently as yesterday. If you are second or third generation you can apply for a 定住者 visa with a validity of one to three years. Of course, that is renewable and you can later convert to permanent residency or seek citizenship should you so desire. There is a link in the thread about working in a suit/tux shop, leading to a page which will show the documents you need to gather.

By the way, I'm lily white and there is very little I find more disconcerting than being around a bunch of my fellow foreigners. What you're used to has more to do with comfort than everybody else's ethnicity.

Thank you for the information, and I'm heading to read the thread you mentioned too.

I think you're right with just being comfortable vs. ethnicity. Both parents being Japanese, I find I am more used to Japanese culture than anything else. Better way to look at things, thanks.