life changing decision

[twon26]

through unfortunate circumstances, i am living with my brother. i want to go to japan. i plan on being there for at least a year if possible. i would like some sound advice. please don't pass judgment or call me stupid because of my decisions.

1) for someone planning to stay at least a year, what would be the best advice for a place to stay. i only have about 3 months time left before i leave.
think of me as a slave escaping to a foreign country. this means i know no one, i have no real money, and i have no place to stay. please dont say the obvious like " dont go". at this point i would rather not make it an optional thing.

2) i have some college education, i figure i can continue the rest from online classes.

3) i will have maybe 1000 dollars after the one way plane ticket.

4) i can speak and understand japanese a little and i do mean very little. this is from watching so much anime and some minor japanese classes.

5) im 26 years old and african american. ( not sure if this matters or not)

6) i will want to work doing whatever job i can get my hands on, be it at a resturant or whatever. i need some advice about this also. how does japan handle foreigners trying to work

7) what would be a good city or place to go to try to start fresh? where would i stay?

8) any other general advice or personal advice would be welcome.

i want to say thankyou in advance for those that help me out.

[MMM]

Originally Posted by twon26

through unfortunate circumstances, i am living with my brother. i want to go to japan. i plan on being there for at least a year if possible. i would like some sound advice. please don't pass judgment or call me stupid because of my decisions.

You obviously haven't gone through the threads in this forum, but I will indulge you.

Originally Posted by twon26

1) for someone planning to stay at least a year, what would be the best advice for a place to stay. i only have about 3 months time left before i leave.
think of me as a slave escaping to a foreign country. this means i know no one, i have no real money, and i have no place to stay. please dont say the obvious like " dont go". at this point i would rather not make it an optional thing.

You will have 90 days in Japan. Without a job or a school set in advance before your departure, that's all you can stay...unless your wife is Japanese.

There's not point in talking about places to stay...

Originally Posted by twon26

2) i have some college education, i figure i can continue the rest from online classes.

3) i will have maybe 1000 dollars after the one way plane ticket.

I take that back, you will have about 10 days in Japan. With no job, income, or access to more money, that's about as long as you will make it in hotels. Choose hostels, maybe 20 days.

Originally Posted by twon26

4) i can speak and understand japanese a little and i do mean very little. this is from watching so much anime and some minor japanese classes.

5) im 26 years old and african american. ( not sure if this matters or not)

6) i will want to work doing whatever job i can get my hands on, be it at a resturant or whatever. i need some advice about this also. how does japan handle foreigners trying to work

You are an illegal alien looking for work in Japan. Japan is in a recession, so the need to hire illegal aliens is at a minimum. Foreigners with work visas or Japanese spouses...no problem. Fly-by-night foreigners who may be deported at any moment? Not such an attractive employee. Especially when there are plenty of legal Japanese looking for work.

Originally Posted by twon26

7) what would be a good city or place to go to try to start fresh? where would i stay?

8) any other general advice or personal advice would be welcome.

i want to say thankyou in advance for those that help me out.

Japan is not an escape, it is a goal. Do the things you need to do to make that goal happen, and you will be welcomed with open arms.

[spicytuna]

Originally Posted by twon26

think of me as a slave escaping to a foreign country. this means i know no one, i have no real money, and i have no place to stay.

You obviously have the ability to speak the native language of your country along with the ability to work without a visa.

Why would you want to give these up by moving to Japan?

As MMM has mentioned, you'll only be allowed to stay for 90 days and you won't be allowed to work. You won't get around with your limited Japanese skills and you won't go far with $1000.

Your plan is so far fetched that I'm starting to wonder if I took the bait from a forum troll...

[twon26]

Originally Posted by spicytuna

Your plan is so far fetched that I'm starting to wonder if I took the bait from a forum troll...

no im not trolling actually. i do want to go to japan for a extended visit, but i plan to put alot more thought into it. attend a school or go after i graduate with one of the programs they host through the embassy. the reason my post sounds like it does is because thats how i want it to sound, like im an illegal immigrant. i actually want to see what advice someone would give a person trying to escape to someplace like japan.

not just an American, cause im sure every nation has its fair share of illegal people living among them. im sure japan has some illegal Koreans or Chinese and other nationalities.

i meant no offense with this post. i guess my curiosity got the best of me on this one.

[MMM]

Originally Posted by twon26

no im not trolling actually. i do want to go to japan for a extended visit, but i plan to put alot more thought into it. attend a school or go after i graduate with one of the programs they host through the embassy. the reason my post sounds like it does is because thats how i want it to sound, like im an illegal immigrant. i actually want to see what advice someone would give a person trying to escape to someplace like japan.

not just an American, cause im sure every nation has its fair share of illegal people living among them. im sure japan has some illegal Koreans or Chinese and other nationalities.

i meant no offense with this post. i guess my curiosity got the best of me on this one.

Are you asking how to be an illegal alien in Japan?

[Nemhy]

Why Japan? What makes you think being an Alien in Japan would be a better life for you then your current location?

[Nyororin]

Originally Posted by Nemhy

Why Japan? What makes you think being an Alien in Japan would be a better life for you then your current location?

I am going to second this question. But... I`ll do the nice thing and answer your questions from the point of view of someone who actually did sort of "escape" to Japan, as that appears to be what you want to hear.

No matter what, you`re going to hit the 90 day wall. If you want to manage the whole 90 days, I`d say the best (possibly only?) bet would be to go with a private homestay. How to find the mythical private homestay that will let you stay for 3 months and less than $1000? Please don`t ask - it`s a matter of pure luck. You`re going to have it tough because you`re male and over 20.

2) i have some college education, i figure i can continue the rest from online classes.

That is great... But online classes also cost money if you want to use them toward an actual degree. So you will need to be in a money making situation.

6) i will want to work doing whatever job i can get my hands on, be it at a resturant or whatever. i need some advice about this also. how does japan handle foreigners trying to work

It doesn`t let them if they do not have a valid visa. You might be able to find someone who will give you minimal pay for helping out, etc, but the thing is - you`re going to stand out. You mention Chinese and Koreans in your second message. There are some illegal aliens of the Asian variety in Japan. How do they pull it off? By not standing out. There is absolutely no scenario I can come up with where you wouldn`t obviously look to be a foreigner.

I understand that you must be cornered and desperate. I seriously sympathize with you.
The thing is... If you have, say, $2500 right now - it would be much much more efficient to put it toward making a new life somewhere in the US. You`re not a child, you can move out of city, out of state, even cross country and no one is going to truly be able to stop you. You don`t have to tell anyone where you went. You can just up and leave one day, get an apartment, and job hunt. You have the advantage of already knowing the language, the culture, and being able to legally work. Finish up that degree on minimum wage, if that`s what it takes, and then if you still want to come to Japan... Do it legally for the long term.

[spicytuna]

Originally Posted by twon26

i actually want to see what advice someone would give a person trying to escape to someplace like japan.

not just an American, cause im sure every nation has its fair share of illegal people living among them. im sure japan has some illegal Koreans or Chinese and other nationalities.

Why would you want to escape to Japan?

Japan isn't exactly a country which accepts foreigners with open arms. It's a country which only accepts around 400 refugees a year (vs around 7000 in Canada) and a country which will not hesitate to separate an illegal parent from their Japan born child. It's a country where foreigners still stand out and a place where foreigners are required to carry an Alien Registration Card at all times.

Sure, there are many North Korean or Chinese illegals working in Japan but their population is such that they have an infrastructure in place. A sort of support system which helps them find jobs, accommodations, etc. The fact that they don't stand out is a major factor in their survival as well.

I think you should sit down and re-evaluate your decisions for wanting to escape to a foreign country in the first place. If you're unable to succeed in a country like the USA where anything is possible, the chances of you succeeding and finding happiness in a foreign country is very slim.

[SSJup81]

Originally Posted by twon26

2) i have some college education, i figure i can continue the rest from online classes.

Just so you know, online and off, it's still going to cost you money. I'm finishing up my degree with the adult-education program set up, meaning distance learning (as this is perfect for "working adults"). I'm on my last class now. It's taken me about a year and a half to finish up (I already had two years worth from when I attended Community College years ago), but it'll be worth it in general, aside from my aspirations to someday go to Japan.

Anyway, you could always take out a student loan and also pay out of pocket whenever you can so that you won't have to pay back as much when you're finished. Also, if you do go the online route, I'd advise you to do so through a university where one can attend as a traditional student that just happens to have the option of going online. Not sure if they exist, but going to a school where the only option is online is something to be cautious over.

[twon26]

Originally Posted by Nyororin

I am going to second this question. But... I`ll do the nice thing and answer your questions from the point of view of someone who actually did sort of "escape" to Japan, as that appears to be what you want to hear.

that was exactly what i wanted to hear. i have no intentions of escaping to japan personally. i already know what its like for people "escaping" to america. lets say mexicans for example. i was just curious how japan handled things. but you explained it. chinese and koreans probably wont stand out as much as an non-asian nationality.

i repeat! my intention is to not escape to japan personally. i just wanted info.

now if your visiting for 3 months, you need to have some sort of permit to work correct? does this apply for every job?

after your 90 day stay is over, how long before you can come back and visit again?