Living in Japan?

[BobCat]

So, are there any pre-requisites to living in Japan? Like, you have to be a doctor or teacher. How long till one can obtain citizenship? Are houses expensive in Japan? Is the cost of living high? Is it easy for an English person with limited japanese knowledge to live in Japan?

How do Japanese people treat 'gaikokujin'? I know in england there is much underlying tension surrounding 'whites' and muslims, are there such problems in Japan? Is the crime rate high?

Wow... lots of questions hope someone can answer me

Thanks

 

[Buntaro]

"are there any pre-requisites to living in Japan?"

--> You only need a visa. If you are American, you need to get a job before getting a visa. If you are British or Australian, you can get a visa without a sponsor. (Getting a visa before getting a job makes things a lot easier.)

"you have to be a doctor or teacher."

--> The only real job you will get is as a English teacher.

"How long till one can obtain citizenship?"

--> Never.

"Are houses expensive in Japan?"

--> Very expensive.

"Is the cost of living high?"

--> Very. But you should make it OK an an English teacher's salary.

"Is it easy for an English person with limited japanese knowledge to live in Japan?"

--> Yes. At times it will be a challenge, but you will love it.

"How do Japanese people treat 'gaikokujin'?"

--> Very well.

I know in england there is much underlying tension surrounding 'whites' and muslims, are there such problems in Japan?"

--> Just the opposite. Japanese people are happy to spend time with British people. But it matters if you are white or not....

"Is the crime rate high?"

--> No. Quite low.

 

[MeAndroo]

Becoming a naturalized citizen requires you to give up citizenship/passport of your home country and adopt a Japanese surname...or at least a Japanese pronounced surname, not unlike debito arudou.

 

[WHEATTHlNS]

The only real job you will get is as a English teacher.

There are plenty of foreigners running "operations" in Japan. Not many, but to suggest a "teacher" is the only viable job -

Certainly the easiest route, but not the only one possible.

 

[BobCat]

Ah, well I suppose I could be a teacher. Are the japanese strict with who they give jobs too? I'm pretty good at english since I initially planned on becoming a journalist after I go to university (though it's not set in stone yet), but I have no teaching experiance at all... only good grades in english and some for computer studies :S

 

[pipokun]

adopt a Japanese surname...or at least a Japanese pronounced surname, not unlike debito arudou.

After read some artcle in his site, he seems to have his Japanese surname maybe from his wife. I guess arudou is a kind of his pen name.

When you don't find it cool to apply kanji for your name, just use katakana after the naturalization. My mother has her first name in katakana. She said katakana names were cool, at least, in her hometown then.

 

[Buntaro]

BobCat,
You said,
" ... I have no teaching experiance at all...."
--> Most places will train you.
"Are the japanese strict with who they give jobs too?"
Not really. However, the good jobs are difficult to get.
Some schools are always hiring. You might want to check out the 5 biggest "Eikaiwa schools" in Japan: NOVA, GEOS, AEON, Berlitz and ECC. They are not great places to work, but it is a job....

 

[BobCat]

"They are not great places to work"

as in, crap pay, long hours and bad conditions? or just ... bleh?

 

[Buntaro]

Bob-san!

I am a former Nova teacher. It was a mill; run as many students through, as fast as possible. I had several pedagogical issues with the curriculum -- and I lost every argument with the supervisors. There definitely was no striving for excellence at Nova. They were also very strict with the teachers. So, it was just a matter of put in your hours, get your paycheck -- and run! Anybody here with experience at the other schools?

 

[J44xm]

This is what I've heard about NOVA too. It's disheartening. But I hear that it's better part-time, which I might be doing if and when I move to Japan in April.

 

[J C]

JET Programme

JET is an option (JETプログラム - no knowledge of Japanese required. You apply in your home country, must have a university degree, write an essay and pass the interview. How hard it is depends on how many people are applying - the popularity of the programme seems to wax and wane. They do the visas, etc for you and usually find you accomodation and look after you really well. You can only stay 3 years on the programme, but if you want to stay longer you can maybe do some private tutoring or move to one of the big English-language schools as mentioned by Buntaro below.

There are possibilities for other types of work, but all the gaikokujin I met in Japan who weren't teachers (excluding the US military) were transferred over there via work from their home country. If you take a long-term approach, it might pay to work for a company in your home country that can transfer you to Japan later on.

 

[Shigehisa]

I wonder ... how much are houses and apartments in places like Tokyo and Osaka ? Ermm US$150,000 for a nice apartment ?