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My resident card allows me to stay in Japan, but

musicisgood

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Got a question. My life in September will be me on my own. I'll be starting all over with basically nothing but a small pension. I need some advice on what I should do. I want to move to Miyazaki, Kyushu.

I like to apply for govt housing and get a part time job, but I'll need an address. I know no one in the area.


Thanks
 
Thanks so much Mike

I really hopes this all works out well for me. I think I still have a few more good years and would rather stay in Japan.
You can message me if we have messaging here, I'd really like as much info as I can get at this point.
My Japanese language skills are really next to none.
 
We have private messaging here but I very seldom use it and prefer not to use it in most cases that don't involve exchange of private/confidential information.

I take it you have Permanent Resident status. Is that correct?

If your Japanese skills are next to none, then you are really going to have to rely very heavily on the kindness of associations such as the one I linked, especially if you will be living all on your own. Have you just come to Japan recently?
 
Yes, I have permanent resident. I been in Japan for many years but didn't learn the language. (now hitting the books)
I guess I should write to them about housing and possible work. Are you familiar with the area at all. I'm currently in Yamaguchi-ken
 
Never too late to get started. Check with your local city hall and you may be able to find some free classes in your area.

I live in Gunma and am completely unfamiliar with that end of Japan.
 
OK, thanks.
I don't want to stay in this area, that is why I chose Miyazaki.
 
What kind of work have you been doing, and what do you want to do now?
 
Glenski said:
What kind of work have you been doing, and what do you want to do now?
Click to expand...

I've been teaching English conversation for over 20 years here. I don't mind teaching it again. But I wouldn't mind working on a farm for a small salary and room and board.

Let me know if you have some ideas on this. Thanks.
 
Forgive my rudeness in asking, but for the last 20+ years who has been taking care of all the aspects of daily life for which facility in the local language is essential? Employer? Former spouse? If you're going to find yourself truly on your own here with no such person to handle your affairs and you are essentially deaf-mute and illiterate....are you sure remaining here into retirement is the best idea?
 
Not being rude, Mike. The lady I've been with for over 40 years took care of all my daily needs, everything actually. I tried to learn some Japanese over the years, but she wouldn't really put any effort into helping me. She found it easier just to do everything for me.
I'm not sure to as what I should do. I can return to the States, but I will have no place to go once I get there. No family, so I'm really on my own no matter what action I take.
 
May as well give it a go here first, since you're already here.

I hope you can find some incredibly nice person or group to help you through all the paperwork and stuff you're going to encounter. Your wife certainly didn't do you any favors by doing everything for you all these years.

Please note that we have a Learning Japanese section on the forum as well if we can be of any help to you with language study questions.
 

Have you considered moving to Okinawa? The percentage of the population speaking English there is much higher, since there are many Americans because of US bases. You can get away without really speaking Japanese quite easily there. There are quite a few single retired men as well. I didn't count them, but encountered quite a few at the local bars.
 


Thanks Mike
I'll a bit more active on the forum now also.
 


You know I was stationed at Kadena years ago, recently I went online and checked out the rentals, they seem pretty high, perhaps you know a website that has low priced rentals there. I do like Okinawa and the weather is great, plus it probably is a lot more modern then it was back during the Vietnam war days.
 
Check the rentals away from the bases. Also, ask a Japanese speaking friend to check. The housing allowance really messes with the prices of just about anything marketed towards English speakers.

Also, see about finding English teachers there, they will probably know where to find less expensive housing.
 

What kind of budget and what kind/size of abode would you be interested in? I just did a simple search on rental apartments and houses in all of Okinawa under 40k per month and found 372 properties.

沖縄県の賃貸 物件検索結果【アットホーム】｜賃貸情報[賃貸マンション、賃貸アパート、貸家]や部屋探し
 


Thanks, I'll check with someone that may know someone who works for Nova.
 
musicisgood said:
Wow! Thanks, I would only need something very small and a bit over 20000 yen per month. Nothing fancy at all.
Click to expand...

Here's a simple room that will run you about 23k. Looks like it includes use of the roof if you want to burn a steak and have a brew under the stars.

寿ビル４０１ 401 ワンルーム[6959555990]沖縄市の賃貸アパート【アットホーム】｜賃貸情報[賃貸マンション、賃貸アパート、貸家]や部屋探し

This place runs about 26k and looks somewhat nicer to me.

玉山アパート 101 ２Ｋ[6958194374]沖縄市の賃貸アパート【アットホーム】｜賃貸情報[賃貸マンション、賃貸アパート、貸家]や部屋探し
 


Thanks Mike

I'm trying to get a hold of someone I know on skype to follow up on these leads.
 
Have you considered Vietnam?
VietNam
Interesting enough that I might give it a try sometime.

From what I read, you can get an apt there for $2-300/month and getting work is easy--common advice is that it's better to show up and look around. Pension would go a lot further than in Miyazaki. You can retain PR here, I think for up to a year (?), longer if you file paperwork saying you're going to be gone longer.

I've been to Oki several times. Low salaries, lots of competition (tho I never found it expensive). I guess your phone and health card would still work as expected, too.

(Whether you're aware, tho there is the US-Japan pension agreement, in the fine print it says that that does not qualify you for Medicare--ouch!)
 
I just recently got back from doing some volunteer work in Vietnam. It's a gorgeous country, though I'm not positive I'd want to run into serious medical problems there. My purpose for being there was to teach doctors and other medical professionals and I learned that doctors educated in Vietnam have about half of the schooling that doctors educated in the US have. Probably something to consider at retirement age. Don't get me wrong; they're smart, capable people doing amazing things with what they have to work with, but under certain educational and financial limitations.

I could definitely see being able to get an apartment for a few hundred dollars per month in Danang where I spent most of my time, though I didn't look. Seems an entirely reasonable proposition considering hotel costs are about 10 - 15 USD per night for a reasonable place. A Vietnamese friend I met there just built a very nice two story house in town for about 35K US. It's quite an inexpensive place to live. One might not find as much of the refined feel of Japan, but the people are friendly and the food is good.

One of the few places I've been where I thought I'd be just as happy in as Japan, though for entirely different reasons.
 

I assume the ones you found are especially catering to American families? I heard from a marine back in '08 that military personnel above a certain pay grade is allowed to live off-base, and receive a generous allowance to rent something. This has caused landlords of apartments near bases to ask a high price. Don't know if this is true, but sounds plausible.
My Japanese is not good enough to search in Japanese for suitable apartments, but I do know Suumo.

【SUUMO】那覇市、宜野湾市、浦添市、名護市、糸満市、沖縄市、豊見城市、うるま市、南城市、島尻郡の賃貸(賃貸マンション・アパート)住宅のお部屋探し物件情報

I prepared it for you(Rental --> Okinawa --> every location --> cheapest first), but that's as far as I can help you. Maybe someone else here can help you select the appropriate filters that target what you're looking for.

Another option is to permanently live in a cheap guesthouse. I've seen some older Japanese guys do that. My sleeping neighbour at Kerama guesthouse was a permanent resident so to speak. I think he paid around 30.000 per month, but you won't have much privacy. It might be a nice temporary solution though.
 
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