Moving to Japan after high school

[Kamil Borowski]

Hello. I just finished high school in scotland in 5th year (at 17 years old). I haven't earned any specific qualifications as i never knew what i wanted to do in life, thing is it wasnt that i didint know what i want to do, its where i want to do it. So it is my dream/life goal to start a new life in japan. Problem is i dont know where to start, theres so much to think of and organise. And is it even doable? I dont have any higher qualifications that would get me straight into a job so id probably want to continue my education, wherever that may be. I would appreciate any help that can get me going on this journey

 

[Shibui]

Gosh I would love to be 17 again!
The advice you will most probably get would be to get a bachelors degree and if you want to work in Japan then this is the easiest way. If you do a simple arts degree part time in a field you are interested in then you can work while you do it, visit Japan as a tourist when funds permit and you then have a qualification for the future. Once you have the degree you can become an assistant language teacher in Japan which is a start.

Good luck.

 

[Mike Cash]

Look through some job recruiting sites for Japan. See what jobs other than English teacher are listed. Make a memo of any of the job fields which you may have an interest in. Make a memo of any degrees and/or certifications employers want people to have to fill those positions. Then find out what you have to do to get the education, certifications, and experience that will put you in a position to seek such jobs in the future.

Check to make sure there is a demand for those skills in your home country or in other countries as well. You have no way of knowing if you will ever come to Japan or not, or if you will like it and stay here even if you do come.

Don't get just whatever bare minimum degree you have to have in order to come here and "teach English". Bring marketable skills in another field. People who arrive here prepared to do nothing but English teaching are setting themselves up for a short stay or a miserable long stay.

Don't be in a rush to get here. Japan isn't going anywhere. The more time you put into researching things and preparing yourself through education, the better your odds of successfully having a long and happy stay.

Learn Japanese. Learn to read Japanese. Language ability and literacy make a difference in the kind of stay you will have here. The more you get done before you get here, the broader your opportunities and the more fulfilling your time here will be.

 

[Glenski]

it is my dream/life goal to start a new life in japan.

Kamil, you've already gotten a couple of responses. I would rather hold back on giving you any advice until I learn more about how you came to this large decision. What has led you to this, as compared to staying in Scotland, or venturing to any other country than Japan? Fill us in, please.

 

[Kamil Borowski]

Kamil, you've already gotten a couple of responses. I would rather hold back on giving you any advice until I learn more about how you came to this large decision. What has led you to this, as compared to staying in Scotland, or venturing to any other country than Japan? Fill us in, please.

Well, moving to scotland (im polish) was never my choice, my parents moved here for work. And i could never fit in, to put it simply i dont fit in with these ********. I am at a point where i despise being here and i want to move away, by my own choice this time. And like i said, i could never really figure things out for myself here so i didint know where to go with my education. And why japan? Well i could have picked any country but i find japanese culture quite interesting, not to mention its kinda know for how polite and respectful people are there, which i find quite appealing. And before you say, i am well aware that japan has its problems/dark side. And referring to other comments, i should have said i want to make the move as soon as possible, probably after i finish my 1 year engineering course.

 

[Mike Cash]

And referring to other comments, i should have said i want to make the move as soon as possible, probably after i finish my 1 year engineering course.

For legal (visa) reasons, that's not going to happen. While many countries in Europe enjoy relatively free movement from country to country, entry into Japan for the purpose of living/working here is nothing like that; Japan is famously very restrictive. You can't move here with the plan you have in mind.

Unless you intend to come to Japan as a student and maybe attend/graduate university here, you're not going to be eligible to live in Japan any time soon. You're going to have to complete university first. It will be several years before you can possibly move here. And if/when you do move here, you can't just move here because you want to live here. You will need a job offer from an employer in Japan who will sponsor you for a visa and you will need to be approved by the government.

Now, go back and re-read what I wrote before with that in mind.

Have you started learning Japanese yet?

 

[Kamil Borowski]

For legal (visa) reasons, that's not going to happen. While many countries in Europe enjoy relatively free movement from country to country, entry into Japan for the purpose of living/working here is nothing like that; Japan is famously very restrictive. You can't move here with the plan you have in mind.

Unless you intend to come to Japan as a student and maybe attend/graduate university here, you're not going to be eligible to live in Japan any time soon. You're going to have to complete university first. It will be several years before you can possibly move here. And if/when you do move here, you can't just move here because you want to live here. You will need a job offer from an employer in Japan who will sponsor you for a visa and you will need to be approved by the government.

Now, go back and re-read what I wrote before with that in mind.

Have you started learning Japanese yet?

To be fair, im not saying i want to finish my education now and go to japan and start work, id be more than happy to attend college/university there. And yes i have, although i am just starting and i could really use a tutor although its pretty much impossible to find one where i live.

 

[Mike Cash]

To be fair, im not saying i want to finish my education now and go to japan and start work, id be more than happy to attend college/university there.

I understand that. It is important for you to understand that the one year engineering course will not make you eligible to move to Japan, even after you have completed it. It will not satisfy Immigration requirements.

If university in Japan is a possibility for you, then definitely start looking into that. There are various things to consider, such as the language of instruction, your school performance so far, finances, etc.

 

[Glenski]

And why japan? Well i could have picked any country but i find japanese culture quite interesting, not to mention its kinda know for how polite and respectful people are there, which i find quite appealing.

It sounds like your only exposure to Japan has been things you read or maybe saw on a video. Generally speaking, those things you wrote are correct, but there is far more to it than that.

Come visit first. Make your vacation as long as possible, and interact as much as possible. Even so, you won't get the experience of work, but it's more to base your dream on.