Looking for advice about living in Japan from experience people

[ACN]

Hello JF.com

Im new to this forum, and have been reading some threads that I find really interesting.
I guess like other people I want to try live or study in Japan some time in my life.
Im from Norway and will soon move to England to get my batchlor in Game Design, and might take a Master degree.

I guess you know Game's are BIG in Japan, and I love the Japan types of games better then western, and it would be dream to live in Japan and make Games or study for my master degree and learn the language.
At this point my Japanese is bad, the best I can do is to watch a RAW anime episode and understand most of it. But I can not talk japanese.

I have read some articles about western people move to japan and get Game Design jobs.
But it is very very hard. And important to know the language.
And about some differents from western Game Design and Japanese.

So I would like to ask, is it hard to find a job outside Game design while learning the language and culture?
How is it the dailylife in japan, interacting with people and how will I be viewed?

I guess you guys might do not know, but I will ask, is there a place in Japan there it is possible to get my master degree in Game Design, with a English speaking teacher? I know there is schools like this in china, so why not japan?

Is it really expensive to live in Japan? I have heard that everyday life items are alittle cheaper then in Norway.

If you want to ask me some other question just ask please
And I might add some more questions later..

And a fast question about tattoo, they can easy see that Im not japanese would they look down on me for having a tattoo? Like it could affect my life down there.
(A allready have one on my arm, but it is small.

Thanks for Norway!

[NTREEG]

I think there's 2 blogs you should read. The first one is the blog of a guy from England (I think) who came to Japan and is working as a game developer. He writes a lot about life in Japan, what it's like to work for a Japanese gaming software company, and how he got into the industry:
Japanmanship

The 2nd blog is from a lady came to Japan to enter a game design school. She tells you about how she found her school, what she had to do to get admitted into the school, and what life is like at her school:
The Life and Times of a Video Game Design Student

[samurai007]

Originally Posted by ACN

Hello JF.com

Im new to this forum, and have been reading some threads that I find really interesting.
I guess like other people I want to try live or study in Japan some time in my life.
Im from Norway and will soon move to England to get my batchlor in Game Design, and might take a Master degree.

I guess you know Game's are BIG in Japan, and I love the Japan types of games better then western, and it would be dream to live in Japan and make Games or study for my master degree and learn the language.
At this point my Japanese is bad, the best I can do is to watch a RAW anime episode and understand most of it. But I can not talk japanese.

I have read some articles about western people move to japan and get Game Design jobs.
But it is very very hard. And important to know the language.
And about some differents from western Game Design and Japanese.

So I would like to ask, is it hard to find a job outside Game design while learning the language and culture?
How is it the dailylife in japan, interacting with people and how will I be viewed?

I guess you guys might do not know, but I will ask, is there a place in Japan there it is possible to get my master degree in Game Design, with a English speaking teacher? I know there is schools like this in china, so why not japan?

Is it really expensive to live in Japan? I have heard that everyday life items are alittle cheaper then in Norway.

If you want to ask me some other question just ask please
And I might add some more questions later..

And a fast question about tattoo, they can easy see that Im not japanese would they look down on me for having a tattoo? Like it could affect my life down there.
(A allready have one on my arm, but it is small.

Thanks for Norway!

To quickly answer your questions:

The easiest job for foreigners to get would be teaching English, but they are very careful about pronunciation, and want native speakers of English, so unless your accent is very slight, you might have trouble there. I don't know if there's a market for teaching Norwegian, but if so, you could do that.

Daily life in Japan isn't much different from anywhere else in the world. You still have work, shopping for food, doing laundry, and all the usual stuff. It's just different scenery, different foods, different culture, and everything's in another language. The best times are when you can get away on a weekend, visit someplace you haven't been before, or try something you've never tried (a new food, staying in a Buddhist temple, etc).

No idea if there's an English speaking teacher of game design in Japan. I'd guess that it's extremely rare to non-existant, though.

Japan doesn't have to be very expensive. There are Japanese generic brands of things like cereal, which are cheaper. Buy what's on sale, and learn when they go on sale (last hour when the store is open, especially on a day before the store is closed). Eat at home for dinner most of the time, and when you do eat out, don't get extravagant (You can easily eat for 400-800 yen). Don't drink, especially in bars... alcohol is expensive in Japan. Buy your sodas, coffee, etc either from either a vending machine or supermarket/convenience store, not with your meal in a restaurant, where it will be 3x as much. Buy used items, such as manga, DVDs, CDs, etc. rather than new, when possible. There are a lot of tricks and things to avoid, many of which will become self-evident when you're there, if you check prices.

1 small tattoo on the arm won't freak people out on a foreigner, though you might still be refused entry to some onsens if they see it. They usually enforce the rules for all, not just Japanese people, because rules are rules.

[MMM]

Originally Posted by ACN

So I would like to ask, is it hard to find a job outside Game design while learning the language and culture?
How is it the dailylife in japan, interacting with people and how will I be viewed?

I'll just say from the start that if you have a working visa you will be working fulltime, and won't have time for school. On a student visa you are allowed to work 20 hours a week, which won't be enough to support yourself (or pay for school), so you need to choose one or the other.

Originally Posted by ACN

I guess you guys might do not know, but I will ask, is there a place in Japan there it is possible to get my master degree in Game Design, with a English speaking teacher? I know there is schools like this in china, so why not japan?

China and Japan are two very different countries.

Originally Posted by ACN

Is it really expensive to live in Japan? I have heard that everyday life items are alittle cheaper then in Norway.

It depends on where you are. Tokyo is one of the most expensive cities in the world to live in. It's also the most expensive place in Japan. Prices for rent, etc. drop dramatically when you get away from the city.

Originally Posted by ACN

And a fast question about tattoo, they can easy see that Im not japanese would they look down on me for having a tattoo? Like it could affect my life down there.
(A allready have one on my arm, but it is small.

Thanks for Norway!

Chances are, no, you won't have a problem.

[ACN]

Thanks for your answers.
About the job: Since I guess that Japanese Language school not is 6hours everyday . It would might be possible to find a "bad" job, just to get some extra money, a 1-3times a week after school or on the weekend.
I just wanted to ask, since in norway I know there is not very hard for a person without norwegian language skills to get a fulltime job, a job that the norwegians dont want to do, a no degree job.

But as you said, Japan is not China, and Japan is not Norway either, but I thought it might was something simular..

[joker8880231]

It's very hard to find job in the game industry especially if you dont have experience even with experience its hard. The hours are long and the pay is crap.

[tenjin]

From everything I've heard, Japan is a bargain compared to just a few places, one of them being Norway. Costs can vary depending though on where you live, how big your place is, what standards you consider essential for your lifestyle, etc.
A few good sites to look at are:
PriceCheckTokyo
Your Complete Guide To Life In Japan!
japan-guide.com - Japan Travel and Living Guide

[joker8880231]

It really helps if you have a friend in Tokyo that knows a real estate agent thats how my friend got a good deal on his place. But some places wont rent to foreigners.

[Henbaka]

Originally Posted by ACN

Thanks for your answers.
About the job: Since I guess that Japanese Language school not is 6hours everyday . It would might be possible to find a "bad" job, just to get some extra money, a 1-3times a week after school or on the weekend.
I just wanted to ask, since in norway I know there is not very hard for a person without norwegian language skills to get a fulltime job, a job that the norwegians dont want to do, a no degree job.

But as you said, Japan is not China, and Japan is not Norway either, but I thought it might was something simular..

Well, it's not sure you can get a student visa going to a language school. You might though, but be sure to research that.

[joker8880231]

Some college in Japan offer language programs but they are very expensive so unless you have alot of money I would try to find a language school where you live.