Want to move to Okinawa Japan.

[bommy28]

I am an Indian. I want to move to Okinawa because I want to learn martial arts as there are no good schools in India and I came to know from my research on the internet that most of the best martial arts schools are in Japan. I know martial arts take a long to get in blood so that is why I am thinking of staying there for a long time.

I would like to know the cost of living in Okinawa. Also if I can get any job there. I know I cannot work as an English Teacher as I am not a Native English speaker (also I know I can speak in English but a Teacher should know a lot more). I just need something in which I can earn enough to eat and pay fees for the martial arts school and to pay rent. Just FYI, I have B.Com (P) degree with some Computer diplomas and I am working as an engineer in VoIP domain in India.

Also I would like to know that as I am a pure vegetarian so is it easy (if hard then how hard) to get pure vegetarian food there and are the Japanese people friendly with Indians?

Referred below link for schools:
What martial art should i do? - Yahoo! Answers India

Any suggestion/advice is appreciated!

Thank you

 

[Risa RisaRisa]

Job Wise
The only Job I can think of would be to tutor in whatever your native language is, but I doubt there would be enough demand for that to do anything other than private tutoring, and until your Japanese is strong enough you would not be able to make the contacts to do this.
Also to work in I.T in Japan I would think you need either good Japanese, good English or both.

Vegetarian
If you are strict vegetarian unless you cook everything from scratch and can read all the Kanji for ingredients you will probably struggle, it would probably be best to find an Indian community with the same diet requirements to help you.
Many Japanese people do not eat red meat, but fish is in all the stock, and I am not sure how prolific the idea of vegetable oil instead of animal fats for cooking in is.

As for the last question, it is a bit too vague ..
Japanese people are known for being a little xenophobic, but as it is a very homogeneous society it is more that they are not used to people of other races so may hold some common misconceptions, just as you may think all Japanese people eat nothing but sushi or similar(!)
There is a vlogger on youtube called ozzy78 who talks all about his experiences in Japan which you may find interesting
窶堙坂?堋｢ﾂ、ﾆ脱ﾆ停?愴恥ﾆ停?ｹﾆ停?愴恥窶堙??堋ｷﾂ。 - YouTube

 

[nahadef]

I lived in Okinawa for some time.

Japan is not a great place for vegetarians. It can be done, but I've known two vegetarians who found it frustrating. If you can find some restaurants, you'll be fine.

Rent in Okinawa is fairly cheap, especially outside the cities. But public transportation is almost the worst in Japan, so you might need a car.

If you have proper computer certification, you might want to apply with IBM. They have a large branch in Okinawa, and that branch commonly had business connections with IBM branches in India. I can't say what the chances would be, or even if they have any need for any foreign staff. I moved a few years back, so that may have changed, but that was a clear connection between Okinawa and India. You could also see about employment on a U.S. military base there, if you're a skilled worker with English proficiency.

As for Japanese attitude toward Indians, there are a number of Indian and Nepalese here, usually working in restaurants (Naha has two Indian restaurants on the main street, staffed by Indians). Japanese like foreign people in general, though sometimes as a curiosity more than as a person. But if you're nice, friendly and polite, you can get along here.

Okinawa gets a lot of international tourists there because of the karate scene. The people are used to it.

Good luck!

 

[epigene]

I don't know what the situation is in Okinawa, but there are quite a number of Indians in my neighborhood in Tokyo. There is a Microsoft office nearby and dormitory for foreign engineers, who are mostly Indian. I have also met quite a few Indians sightseeing in Tokyo. I've had the chance to talk to them, and they said they were employed by foreign corporations such as IBM and Citibank and working in computer engineering in their Japan offices.

Regarding vegetarian diet, you'll need to prepare your own meals and pack your own lunch. Still, I suggest you go searching on the Web for Indians working in Japan to get tips on how to find work and to deal with vegetarian diet.

Good luck from me, too!

 

[Glenski]

If you have some experience studying martial arts already, you could consider applying for a cultural activities visa instead of a work visa.

 

[bommy28]

Thank you all for your helpful comments.

I just want to ask something more:

I am not sure if I would be able to compete with the skills Japanese already have or other people already working in IT industry as I don't know what there requirements are to hire a new guy. I can speak fine English although, but requirements may include a lot.

So I just want to consider another option if I don't get a job there in case then from my savings how long would I be able to survive there.

As everyone here has a lot of experience so if I may ask about the fees a good martial arts school (many schools mentioned on the link of my first post) may ask for + an average spend for a month which includes every other thing (like staying, eating, transportation)? I can stay at the school as well if they would allow me to.

Also I don't have any experience in martial arts or any other sports activity. So can I also apply for the Student Visa as my primary interest is just to learn the Martial Arts?

 

[bommy28]

May somebody answer the above please? :?

 

[Glenski]

Well, for starters, we can't say how long you will last financially since we don't know how much money you have saved.

Second, it is well known that many Indians here are working in the IT industry. The more Japanese language skills you have, the better. Expect to be paid unfairly low wages. How much work experience do you have? A lot also depends on whether that is in an area that the Japanese needs, otherwise they'll just hire a local who can speak the language and get along with the work culture.

I don't think martial arts schools are eligible to provide sponsorship for student visas.

Monthly expenditures will vary, but on average think of this:
rent 50,000-80,000 yen
utilities 10,000-15,000
food 40,000-60,000
phone/internet 10,000 installation for cell phone, then 3500-8000 per month
insurance 2,500 the first year then tenfold higher after that

Transportation is often/usually paid by the employer, but find out in advance. Otherwise, expect roughly 25,000 yen.

 

[Mike Cash]

If you've never studied martial arts before, how do you know which one you want to do and are you sure you'll find it in Okinawa? Are you sure it is something you will like and continue? Do you really have to come all the way to Japan to learn it? Martial arts are taught all over the world. Why not try for a whole at home first?