Quote:
Originally Posted by RickOShay
Ok, well you said you are a junior in high school right? So you are looking at 5-6 years before you will be able to make a move here. So it is hard to project exactly what your cost of living etc will be, but generally it depends upon where you end up. You will most certainly find it is easier to save money working in smaller cities. If you were to apply for the JET program, you will most likely be placed in a smaller city, and you may get the added benefit of subsidized house/dirt cheap rent. I have been working here for 5 years and my saving account has increased A LOT. So while you will hear that Japan is expensive etc, it is possible to live here and save a ton of money, but this of course will take discipline on your part. If you let it, Japan can and will vacuum your money away real quick.
So in short, at this time, under a typical English teacher's salary you should be able to pay the bills, and save a little extra, how much you save depends on you and where you end up living mostly.
I currently work at an education center, my job is basically to help train Japanese teachers of English at middle schools and high schools, and more recently to help elementary school teacher who now have to teach foreign language activities which they were not previously trained to do. I also do visits to elementary schools, and translate various documents. I got this job basically through the JET program.
For me, it was not that much of a transition since I had lived in Japan before on scholarship as an exchange student for one year. When I came as a student. .well, I did not formally prepare myself, but I had lots of Japanese friends back home that I had been learning about Japan from, and I had been studying Japanese as an elective course at my uni.
Umm I did not have too many bumps at first because I had a "tutor" to help me out getting my life started here as a student, I also lived in a dormitory with many other international students who had been there for a while who also helped me out. So other than the natural learning curve (for the language, customs, lifestyle and culture) there where not too many "bumps" that stick out in my mind.
If you get yourself a job first (and not including a plane ticket if you have to buy one) I would say you should set aside at least $3000-5000 USD to potentially cover costs for getting yourself into an apartment and getting set up. I doubt you will be using all of it, but that is how much I would prepare, just to be completely safe.
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Thank you so, so much.
I really can't tell you how much you're post helps.