Living in Japan is not easy

[Ronin4hire]

Originally Posted by eruchan

Personally, I think that your plan is quite realistic. Actually, i have met people doing it like that. In Roppongi or Azabu area or areas around that end of town (i assume you are coming to tokyo), there are some bars, restaurants or pubs that employ foreigners. Sounds like you are heading for a great trip!!
One year will be great to explore Japan, I think. About money, yeah, take loads but if you are coming to japan for sure, you should start exchanging some Japanese yen since NZD is quite strong recently.....

I actually took 3-4 months to go on a great trip in Europe and South America... it was excellent. good to hear someone who loves travelling too!!!

Thanks for the advice!

[Housetek]

i agree that alot of people have no idea wat they are gettin into when working and living in japan.

many on the forum plan on visiting just for a bit for anime or what ever reason. which is fine.

but working is another story!


soo hard to get a Visa =P

i went back to america for more schooling for international business so i have a better chance at a sponsorship in japan.

after a year there i doubt i can afford it working at bars and modeling =P

but very useful info and welcome to the forums

[MMM]

Originally Posted by SakeSan

Thank you very much for replying on my post.^^
I really like the answers you wrote down here, so I think I'm much more certain then I was before, arigato gozaimasu!

O! My age is currently 22.

Matane!

I worried you were like 16...I have no doubt you'll have an awesome trip.

[eruchan]

Originally Posted by SakeSan

Konnichiwa!

I'm going to Japan this summer. I really love Japan, and it has been my dream to go there since a was a little kid. Now I've saved enough money to travel to Asia on my own.
Besides that I'm really excited about my trip in July, I'm also quite nervous, because it is my first time that I'm traveling alone by plane.

I have been planning my trip since January, and I also into learning the Japanese language and knowing more about it's culture.
I think understanding the Japanese culture and be capable of speak the Japanese language a bit, is a very important step, but even with a real good planning things can still turn out differently, neeh?!

I will be staying in a hotel in the Iidabashi area, and i really want to invesigate Tokyo on my own.
So, I really want to know if that is a difficult thing to do.
I have bought a map to guide me trough, but is it still hard to orientate in Tokyo, or do you could get lost easily?

Also, I really want to take the train, or metro to Akihabara [Akiba].
Akihabara itself would be my main target to visit, and I was wondering if it's difficult [as a tourist] to buy a train/metro ticket, get on board and move yourself around.

Another question I'd really want to ask is if I can bring along a lot of cash money, instead of travel cheques. I read that, because Japan is a really safe country you can easily take 100.000 Yen with you without having to be on guard all the time.
I rather prefer to take cash with me. If you have travel chques with you, you need to find a bank first to change it into paper money and coins.

I hope you can answer this questions for me.^^
Thank you very much, arigato gozaimass!

Matane!

Sakesan,

Since this is the first time you come to Japan, the transportation system can be quite complicated. But, Tokyo's train system is really good, meaning you can basically go everywhere with the train or shinkansen. But, it is quite complicated, so, make sure you get a train map as soon as you come to tokyo. they are available in any stations.

Also, one thing you may think about getting is the Japan train pass where you can use specific shinkansen to go to places further out. The pass is much cheaper than if you buy the tickets separately. However, this pass must be purchased outside japan.

Learning some Japanese is a very good idea becoz generally people don't speak any here and street signs and shop signs are mostly in japanese.

Yeah, cash is fine. But, it's better if you bring a credit card with you since many places accept credit cards (just in case).

Hope you have a great time!

[eruchan]

Originally Posted by Doutas

I have just started my work, so I don't know that much yet. But I've heard, for example,that "japanese only" pubs and restaurants are not uncommon, or you can often get in trouble hiring apartment, because you are a 外人. Don't you have trouble in job, or just that other people don't take you as a regular member of the society?

I personally haven't been to any "japanese only" pubs and restaurants but i know that there are some "japanese only" ryokans.

as to apartments, I know that many foreigners have trouble getting an apartment and they need japanese guarantors etc. I personally haven't experienced that though.

As to getting a job, I didn't have major trouble getting a job. it just took my longer than japanese people.

[SakeSan]

Originally Posted by eruchan

Sakesan,

Since this is the first time you come to Japan, the transportation system can be quite complicated. But, Tokyo's train system is really good, meaning you can basically go everywhere with the train or shinkansen. But, it is quite complicated, so, make sure you get a train map as soon as you come to tokyo. they are available in any stations.

Also, one thing you may think about getting is the Japan train pass where you can use specific shinkansen to go to places further out. The pass is much cheaper than if you buy the tickets separately. However, this pass must be purchased outside japan.

Learning some Japanese is a very good idea becoz generally people don't speak any here and street signs and shop signs are mostly in japanese.

Yeah, cash is fine. But, it's better if you bring a credit card with you since many places accept credit cards (just in case).

Hope you have a great time!

Thank you very much for your reply!^^
I will keep it all in mind, especially when I want to take the train.
It's probably a bit complicated, but yes I should buy a train map
to make it more easy to travel around.

Yes, I too figured that it's a good thing to learn the Japanese language.
Most people don't speak English in Japan, accept for airports and hotels, neeh?! I read that they can speak English in the hotel where I'm staying, so that's really nice.^^

Thank you for your reply again.
This information is very usefull to me.^^

Matane!

[tommasi]

I just realized, people are so curious what's inside those Japanese only places...

The fact is, those places are some bars for old people and regular customers and there is absolutely no fun for young people what so ever.

As for Massage Parlors, I don't know what to say.

I think words are spread that foreigners bring in STDs.

[Hatredcopter]

Originally Posted by semprini

I've been here 3 1/2 years and after a 1-2 year "Honeymoon period" (when I was walking around with rose tinted specs on, blindly ignoring all the bad things going on), I've now completely switched and have become quite incredibly bitter about Japan. Not surprisingly I've looked for and now found a job outside Japan (18 days and counting before I leave ... ), but I wrote a short web page recounting some of my worse experiences - click on the link below if interested ...

My advice is stay away from Tokyo, and especially the gaijin hellhole that is Roppongi. I've heard from a decent number of foreigners like yourself who have become bitter about living Japan for whatever reason - one thing in common is that they're always from Tokyo. I haven't spent much time in Tokyo, but after spending over a year in Nagoya I've never even seen or experienced any form of discrimination.

[Nagoyankee]

True, Hatredcopter. But semprini seems to have no ears. I'm disgusted by his highly biased website, too.

[Nyororin]

Originally Posted by semprini

I've been here 3 1/2 years and after a 1-2 year "Honeymoon period" (when I was walking around with rose tinted specs on, blindly ignoring all the bad things going on), I've now completely switched and have become quite incredibly bitter about Japan. Not surprisingly I've looked for and now found a job outside Japan (18 days and counting before I leave ... ), but I wrote a short web page recounting some of my worse experiences - click on the link below if interested ...

This seems to happen to a lot of people.
I say it comes from skewed expectations in the beginning. You see what you want to see at first - which is no realistic... So when you do see reality it seems to be incredibly horrible.

I haven`t seen anything like that happen to anyone who had realistic ideas about Japan.