Going to Japan for 2 years to study the language

[Lonewolf]

Hi again. I just want some clarification on a couple of things.

Here's my situation: I am living in the UK at the moment. I want to go to Japan next year, for 2 years, on a student visa to study Japanese. I will probarly either go live in Nagoya, Kyoto or Osaka (I'm a bit weary of Tokyo) I will be 21 when I come over. So here's the questions:
Accommodation: I'm guessing I'll have to live in an apartment. I heard it's realy hard to get an apartment if you're a foreigner. Will I be able to get an apartment for two years if I am on a student visa? I'm not too picky, I'm just looking for a place to live in, not a 5 star hotel.
Working: I know you aren't allowed to work on a student visa. But I will have to work, to earn money to survive. By the time I want to come over I will have saved up alot of money so I will be able to survive on that for about 3 months or so I think. I would also be able to pay the first cuple of months rent. But I will have to work part time while I'm studying Japanese. What kind of part time jobs do you think I will be able to get, seeing as I won't have a degree or know much Japanese in the beginning.
Studying/Language: My main goal in coming over is to become fluent in Japanese. After say two years of study, I think I'll be near fluent. Where would I study the language? A university, school, college or what? I am sure if I study hard (which I will) I'll be fluent. After that I want to either do a degree at a Japanese university, in Japanese. Or I'll just come back to the UK, do my degree and then go back to Japan.
So, yeah, any help or opinions are realy appreciated.

[Kuroneko]

I have to be honest with you I'm not so sure you plan will work, for one if you don't have a degree in any thing you cant really get a Job working, This includes teaching english. You could have a degree in wood manufacturing and you could still able to teach English. For the most part I don't think you will be able to get in to a Japanese University if you don't know any Japanese, you could however go to a University in the UK and go on some kind of Exchange program, this is problem your best bet.

I have be learning Japanese For about 3/4 years and I still am not fluent I went to Japan for at 6 months and I do have to say my Japanese did Improve, But like you said you wont be able to work on a Student Visa.

[Aoki]

Welcome in Japan

[Nyororin]

The apartment plan sounds fine - if you`re going to be here for 2 years and have a sponsor (you`d have to in order to get a visa for that long), you should have no trouble finding a place to stay.

As for the working bit - I`m pretty sure I`ve mentioned this to you before, but until you can speak Japanese well, pretty much your only option is part time English teaching... However, no matter what you would be doing, you would be limited in hours and you would have to have permission from the school you were attending. The student visa DOES NOT prevent you from working. It only puts large restrictions on your employment (20hrs/wk, requiring permission from the school.)
Also, the degree bit doesn`t make a bit of difference if you have a visa to stay in Japan. Jobs don`t require degrees - visas do. If you have a visa they won`t even ask about your degree.

However, I personally think it would be pretty hard to earn enough to live on while on a student visa.

--------------------------
Anyway - here is what I think you need to figure out.

You need to pretty much pay in advance for Japanese language schooling in Japan. It isn`t a "pay-as-you-go" sort of deal. If it`s a place where you will be able to get a visa, they almost ALWAYS want the full lump sum for the year in advance... And on top of that, you have to prove you have enough money available to you to survive the length of your stay. If you can`t do that, you won`t be able to get a visa. And nothing will be possible.

If you are able to figure that bit out, I recommend studying Japanese language at a Japanese university that offers it. They generally teach courses in preparation for the JLPT 1 - which is what is required for attending normal classes in Japanese. They also often have programs where you take the Japanese course and can then enroll directly into their normal university after you pass the test. If you are studying in Japan, you should be able to reach fluency within a year.

When it comes to student visas though, it`s all money. Sure, they may officially permit you to work a limited amount on the visa, but they certainly don`t want you to have to in order to survive.

[Lonewolf]

Thank you Nyororin for your reply. Yeah, it looks like money is the big thing. I have been saving up money for the past two years, and I am going to be saving up for the rest of this year. But even with all that money, I don't think it'll be enough to live on for two years in Japan, even if I'm not in Tokyo or Osaka (which I've heard are the most expensive cities). So I'll try figure that part out.
Also, do you know more or less how much it would cost for one years Japanese language schooling in Japan?
The thing is, I'm not 100% comitted to coming over yet, I have alot of doubts. I'm torn between coming over next year and staying here in the UK to do a degree. I can hear a little voice in my head telling me that the smarter choice would be to do the degree first, but on the other hand it's been my dream to go to Japan for years now, and I don't realy want to wait another four or five years before I do so. And also do you realy think a year is enough to become near fluent in Japanese? I'm just not so sure that I would be able to learn enough Japanese reading/writng in a year to be good enough to go to university there. The speaking part seems do-able, but learning all those characters seems near impossible.
EDIT: Oh and one last thing. You mentioned getting a sponsor for a student visa. I have heard alot about these sponsors, but don't realy know alot about them. I just always assumed you can just apply for a visa if you have enough money. So could you tell me a little more about sponsors.
p.s. sorry if my questions seem dumb or silly, it's just I'm unsure about alot of things and I'm trying to get as much info as I can.

[jasonbvr]

I certainly have my doubts about one year being enough time to get ready to pass the JLPT level one from starting as an absolute beginner. It will require a ton of kanji to get through that level. These lists may be a bit old, but they may give you an idea of what I am talking about. Japanese Language 日本語 ___

[samokan]

I am not sure about your situation, but most of the students I know here are either on scholarships or exchange program. I think that is your best bet for coming in Japan. Also, try to inquire in the Japanese embassy in your country about monbusho scholarship if available or get into the jica program. Students( undergrad ) under this program have an intensive one year japanese lesson, and they must pass level 1 or 2 ( i think ) after one year to be able to proceed.

If you get into this program, you will receive allowance from the govt of Japan. Though you are the one paying for apt., the govt will help you look for an affordable one.

So goodluck

[Nyororin]

Originally Posted by jasonbvr

I certainly have my doubts about one year being enough time to get ready to pass the JLPT level one from starting as an absolute beginner. It will require a ton of kanji to get through that level. These lists may be a bit old, but they may give you an idea of what I am talking about. Japanese Language 日本語 ___

You have a valid point - However, almost all of the schools I know of offering courses toward the JLPT1 (starting from 0) have one year programs. And you`d be surprised just how much someone can remember when they`re in an intensive course, with 8 hours of class a day. Even if you were unable to pass the JLPT1 at the end of a year, you would definitely know enough Japanese to be able to find a normal job while continuing your studies. At the very least, you`d also know enough Japanese to know exactly how to go about studying for the exam yourself back in your home country.

I can`t say that those types of courses are the best way to learn Japanese - most students end up with stilted and poor speaking skills until they get out into the real world - it is a definite start. In the end, of course, it all boils down to the student`s personal determination and learning style.

[Nyororin]

Originally Posted by Lonewolf

Thank you Nyororin for your reply.

You`re welcome.

Yeah, it looks like money is the big thing. I have been saving up money for the past two years, and I am going to be saving up for the rest of this year. But even with all that money, I don't think it'll be enough to live on for two years in Japan, even if I'm not in Tokyo or Osaka (which I've heard are the most expensive cities). So I'll try figure that part out.
Also, do you know more or less how much it would cost for one years Japanese language schooling in Japan?

Well, there are scholarships and loans in your home country, along with those granted by Japan. (Samokan wrote more about them)
As for the cost of schooling, that really depends on the school. Around here it seems that the average prices for a year are around 600,000yen. Some are less, some are more, some include housing and some don`t.

The thing is, I'm not 100% comitted to coming over yet, I have alot of doubts. I'm torn between coming over next year and staying here in the UK to do a degree. I can hear a little voice in my head telling me that the smarter choice would be to do the degree first, but on the other hand it's been my dream to go to Japan for years now, and I don't realy want to wait another four or five years before I do so.

I understand your reasoning. That`s really something you`ll have to decide on your own. On one hand, it may be faster to come over before you get your degree, but without a lot of money you may have trouble continuing to stay here / returning to school back in the UK. (Your money will most likely all be gone, and you may be in debt before you even start working toward a degree.)

And also do you realy think a year is enough to become near fluent in Japanese? I'm just not so sure that I would be able to learn enough Japanese reading/writng in a year to be good enough to go to university there. The speaking part seems do-able, but learning all those characters seems near impossible.

All I can say is that they`re not as hard as they look. The rest really depends on the course you take and how good you are at remembering them. Some people have no trouble, and others can`t seem to remember even the simplest.

EDIT: Oh and one last thing. You mentioned getting a sponsor for a student visa. I have heard alot about these sponsors, but don't realy know alot about them. I just always assumed you can just apply for a visa if you have enough money. So could you tell me a little more about sponsors.

In order to obtain a visa, you almost *always* have to have a sponsor. In most cases, the sponsor for a student visa is the school you will attend. For a working visa, it`s usually where you plan to work. It`s basically a way of making sure that you really intend to do what you`re applying for the visa for. The sponsor is generally the one who is "financially and morally responsible" for you while you`re in Japan.

[jasonbvr]

Originally Posted by Nyororin

And you`d be surprised just how much someone can remember when they`re in an intensive course, with 8 hours of class a day.

Eight hours! Whoa! That is even more hardcore than the Chinese course I took in Beijing. I had four hours a day of class and like three hours of homework. This was for only three months too, but I learned enough to have the level of two years of study in the US.

I'll give it to you Nyororin. A course like that and you should pass the JLPT 1 with ease if you stick to the books and away from the bars. I should really get my lazy@$$ in gear and study more.