Considering Going to College in Japan

[Crea]

Originally Posted by Payne222

I was originally considering Germany over Japan at first because my German
is better, but my teachers (both German and Japanese) said that Japan would be the better route.

And sorry to go so off topic and make this a Tokyo or not subject but...about the OP, Payne222, are you still thinking about Germany vs. Japan issue?

I don't really know much about European schools but as MMM said, you could also do study abroad, and I know German universities also offer exchange programs with Japanese ones like Waseda University. So maybe you can even do that, study in Germany and get to experience Japan for a year as well? Then if you liked it you could then finish your degree and move to Japan to teach. Depending on what you're looking for, I feel like you might have a higher standard of living in Germany, like bigger housing, more laidback, fresher air? Well depending on where in Germany I suppose? Again, I don't know much about European schooling, so someone correct me if I'm wrong, but that's somehow the image I have compared to Japan. And yeah traveling within Europe would be cheap and convenient as well. Just in this last point, I feel like you'd be able to experience a lot more by going to Europe.

That, or as Nyororin suggested on the first page, take a gap-year with a Japanese language prep-course, see if you like the country, and then enroll into a Japanese university if you do. It does add one year of school fees, but it could be worth it in the long run...If you're sure you want to teach in Japan or just live there in the future, going to school in Japan would definitely help you build up language skills, you could have a broader range of career choices, and you would have even less chance of being sucked into that "expat stuff" that I rambled on above..

Out of curiosity, why did your professors say Japan was the better route?

[Nyororin]

Thank you Crea - that is pretty much exactly what I meant. Not that Tokyo itself is a bad place to live (It`s not to my taste, but that`s beside the point), not that it`s an awful city, etc... But rather that it`s not a place I could comfortably advise a Japanese learner live. Not because the *city* is a problem, but rather the foreign community there. It`s big, everywhere, unbelievably negative, racist, and more than happy to try to recruit you into it`s ranks. If you`re in Tokyo for more than a few months, you will inevitably encounter it regularly.

Obviously, that`s not really the best environment for learning a language or culture. If you want to live in Tokyo, live in Tokyo. But if you want to live in a big city in Japan, there are other options which everyone seems to forget about.

As for the actual livability of Tokyo - it`s more expensive and more crowded than anywhere else in the country. You can live an absolutely wonderful life there, I`m sure, but expect to pay out the nose for it. You can also expect to have more competition for any jobs you can get, as there is a high foreigner saturation and countless others outside Japan who want to live in Tokyo no matter what (often because that is the only Japanese city they know about).

Which brings me back to my original point - if you want to live in Tokyo then that may be perfectly acceptable... But if your desire is to simply live in a big Japanese city there are others to consider that are cheaper, somewhat less crowded, and with far more employment openings because non-Japanese just aren`t familiar with the city name.

I feel like you might have a higher standard of living in Germany, like bigger housing, more laidback, fresher air? Well depending on where in Germany I suppose? Again, I don't know much about European schooling, so someone correct me if I'm wrong, but that's somehow the image I have compared to Japan.

Although I am not all that familiar with Germany and can`t comment as I have never been there - I have to say your image of Japan is probably that way because you spent your time in Tokyo. Leave the city (Tokyo in particular) and it`s quite a different world, with expanses of countryside, huge sprawling country houses, beautiful forests and mountains, etc.

[biohazardchick]

I am entering my junior year (of hs) and I am also looking into studying abroad in college (in Japan). Japan is very expensive so I suggest saving up or learning enough Japanese to get a job. I heard English- tutors there get paid nicely, so maybe you could use that as a source to your income. But the bottom line is that if you want to go to Japan, don't let little problems get in your way. Go do it anyways because it's what you want to do.
I would recommend taking a lot of Japanese courses in the summer, online, after school, or just getting a tutor.
Good luck.

[Crea]

Originally Posted by Nyororin

Although I am not all that familiar with Germany and can`t comment as I have never been there - I have to say your image of Japan is probably that way because you spent your time in Tokyo. Leave the city (Tokyo in particular) and it`s quite a different world, with expanses of countryside, huge sprawling country houses, beautiful forests and mountains, etc.

Haha good point Nyororin...The farthest I've been out of Tokyo is only Shizuoka, and you're right, its beautiful outside of the city. But I guess I was focusing on in student life within the city, since Payne222 said he or she would prefer to stay in one...

Having grown up in four major Asian cities, just comparing city-wise, I feel European cities are less cramped, and naturally have bigger lodging, fresher air, less traffic etc, which is why I ventured a guess of higher quality living in Germany. I've only been a tourist in European cities, and living may be completely different, but that's just the overall impression I've had when visiting.

And then again, as you said, the only major Japanese city I've visited is Tokyo.
I applied to school in Tokyo not because it's the capital or anything, but because some of my closest friends from high school/university are from there. Even though I've only been there for a few months, and can possibility end up hating it in the near future, I still stand by my wonderful experience I've had thus far. But thank you for sharing your thoughts Nyororin. I'll definitely keep what you've said in mind when I'm there and try to avoid getting whirled into the foreign community! I plan to travel a lot in my upcoming year, and am really looking forward to experiencing non-Tokyo Japan soon.