Question about getting a visa

[Nyororin]

What skills do you have?

Just like getting a job anywhere else, you need to have some sort of skill to do one. English teaching is the most frequently given example because it is a "skill" that English speakers have that is also in demand in Japan.
Not speaking Japanese puts you at a serious disadvantage, so you would need to have a skill that Japanese people cannot easily provide for most positions.

Anything dealing with customers is going to need you to be at a functional level of Japanese... So if you have no skills your best bet would probably be something like a dish washer or the like.

[Tsuwabuki]

MMM already stated that the job comes first, usually. And I was trying to be polite by issuing an explanation instead of just saying bluntly that your example was a bad one. You most likely cannot get a job teaching English, so it isn't an example at all. You could teach German, but the demand is very small.

If by "on topic" you mean what jobs you may have access to? Honestly, I have no idea. Not many. Without superb Japanese ability, or placement by a current employer, I can't say I know many Germans doing much of anything. The Germans I do know live in Aichi and work for a parts supplier that has business with Toyota and are on an intercorporate exchange program with the car company.

Perhaps we should be asking you, what do you think you're qualified for that a Japanese firm would willingly hire you over someone in Japan already with the same skillset?

[Seelenstolz]

Hmhm.. Finally someone who knows what to say.. but sadly wont reply to my PM :'(
@Nyororin

Skills eh.. I think they arent that nice ;o
I know how to work with tools, I endure much ;o principles of electrical engineering (1 year seminar passed) uff, even a bit talented in art and in terms of japanese.. im learnin it : / and even if it is just dish washer, job is job ;>

[MMM]

You can work with tools and do not speak Japanese well?

As Tsuwakabi said, what do YOU bring to the table?

What makes YOU an attractive candidate for ANY job?

Being a foreigner is not an ASSET in the Japanese job market, unless you are teaching English. So what is special about YOU that YOU should come to Japan and find employment?

[Nyororin]

Originally Posted by Seelenstolz

Hmhm.. Finally someone who knows what to say.. but sadly wont reply to my PM :'(

More like I get tons and tons of similar pms, mostly from non-posters wanting a quick answer, so usually do not respond unless there is something specific and special. I`m sorry to tell you "What job could I do in Japan as a foreigner?" is not uncommon.

Skills eh.. I think they arent that nice ;o
I know how to work with tools, I endure much ;o principles of electrical engineering (1 year seminar passed) uff, even a bit talented in art and in terms of japanese.. im learnin it : / and even if it is just dish washer, job is job ;>

To be honest, I said that was your best bet - not that it was a definite job you could get. You are still at a disadvantage due to language. Anywhere that would be willing to overlook that and train you would probably not find any point in it since you`d be leaving soon.

[Tsuwabuki]

Let's recap:

Skills? Minimal.
Japanese ability? Minimal.

In Japan, there are two generations now of educated but unemployed/underemployed individuals. The first was about ten years ago. The current crop of university graduates could turn into a second "lost generation." Add onto that the number of south and southeast asians that have minimal skills and minimal Japanese that will work for a whole lot less than you are used to living on in one of the world's strongest and largest economies, and are used to tighter quarters and a significantly lower standard of living.

We get these sort of questions all the time, and frankly it's always the same advice we dispense: have a marketability. I'm an English teacher. It is what I trained to do. This means I have marketability. I know someone who is a smooth talker, and a great salesman. He works with real estate managers to help foreigners find apartments. He has marketability. I know lots of different foreigners with many different nationalities and languages, but they did their research, and they came here with a combination of skill sets that made them marketable.

It's not about what jobs are available, because even in this economy, jobs most certainly are. The question is why should I hire YOU and not someone with X and Y?

Sorry to rain on your parade, but that's just how it is.

[Firebird]

I did the Working Holiday and im german, so im gonna say something here.

Getting a teaching job will be hard (as everyone said) but not impossible. I did not work as a teacher.
I did get around before (1 year Australia) and i did bring more money than most travellers. Than i got lucky twice to work once work for these guys JAPAN TRENDS – LIVE FROM TOKYO | Marketing, Lifestyle, Fashion, Gadgets and Product Innovations (the boss is german) and once find another job. Sadly the pay was just enough to life, so think good about doing this and bring enough money to survive for most of the time. I´d say an absolut minimun of 1 million yen for the year if you want to be sure. You can always bring money back.

In Tokyo you might get information or jobs fitting your skills here Japan Association for Working Holiday Makers .
This is the governmet institution that is there to help people on a working holiday visa. There are few germans doing this year, i remember reading of around 200 visas beeing issued a year to German citycens but more to people from Australia or South Korea meaning you will be special and it will be harder to get a job.

What is essential for doing this and making it an enjoyable year is that you have to plan a bit. How much money will i need? Do i want to go to school to learn the language a bit more (i did 5 weeks in Tokyo). Where do i want to go? What kind of job is possible? How do i keep contact with home, mobile phones,....
The problem is that most people in the forum are teaching and never heard of the WHV, so they might tell you something very different from what i will tell you.
So, if you can make clear questions i can help you here or with pm, but i will need more information from you. I live really cheap for the year but lets just say you smoke and i don´t, that can make a difference.

But to answer the topic: If you are lucky you can work in a Restaurant, Conbini,.... but you will either need connections, good language skills or luck.
The Japan Association for Working Holiday Makers will be helpfull, however don´t rely just on that
You can get jobs in Roppongi working for bars or trying to get people into clubs, however 90% of this jobs are not legal (even with your visa)
With the WHV your not supposed to have a job before you get there. Check out this video YouTube - How to Get a Japanese Working Holiday Visa to get a better idea what the visa is supposed to be used for.
You could always try to do private english lessons, but this will be quite a bit of work and more difficult than if you´d be a native speaker.
There is also woofing in Japan .: WWOOF Japan :. wich will not pay any money but you can work for accomodation and food.


You can write here or with pm if you have more questions.

[atheistwithfaith]

Originally Posted by Tsuwabuki

You can be placed as a teacher with a WHV. The problem is that the WHV usually isn't long enough for an entire contract period. In addition, you will be interviewed by Boards of Education and/or the schools in question. Sometimes both. You can be nixed at that point. It may not be right, once it is determined you are not from an English speaking country and did not attend school in English, the BoEs or the schools might well refuse to give you the nod.

While your written English may not be a true indicator of your spoken English ability, it would certainly give me pause as a recruiter/private company HR manager when evaluating your fitness to serve even in the capacity as a conversational instructor or an assistant English teacher. The Japanese are, from my experience, very sensitive about proper pronunciation, and more often than not, are specifically interested in what I call broadcast voice, or Standard American Accent. What you would hear listening to Katie Couric or Dan Rather.

I consistently get complimented for how clear my English is- what most people don't realise is... I'm a Texan, who took journalism courses and studied diction. It isn't my natural voice (which Japanese people can't understand at all!). It's merely emulating the standards of the American media. I found other Americans from certain areas have a hard time being as clear as the Japanese would like them to be, and British/Australian/Kiwi/South African accents are considered less desirable (not that a Japanese person will tell you that to your face).

If French Canadians who work with me have a tough time, despite growing up in an English speaking country, and going to school partially in English, who are completely bilingual have a tough time convincing Japanese co-teachers they are competent in the language, I imagine a German would have a pretty hard time.

You say the British accent is less desirable, but when I was in Japan I stayed with a guy (an American) who ran his own language school and he said the Japanese still hold a belief that "English English" is the correct way of pronunciation and so being from England works in your favour just as much as being from somewhere in America with a neutral American accent.

[RobinMask]

Originally Posted by atheistwithfaith

You say the British accent is less desirable, but when I was in Japan I stayed with a guy (an American) who ran his own language school and he said the Japanese still hold a belief that "English English" is the correct way of pronunciation and so being from England works in your favour just as much as being from somewhere in America with a neutral American accent.

I imagine it'd depend on the employer as to what version of English they prefer. In my experience abroad though foriegners often say that American English is much eaiser to understand and comprehend. When I was in Greece I found that the British accent was much more of a hinderance than the American, for some reason it was just harder for the Greek speakers to grasp, whilst they understood American perfectly. Added on to the fact American is much more widely spoken, and a foriegner is more likely to encounter American English in media etc., I'd personally think it'd be preferable to the British accent. (I could be wrong though, but that'd be my take on it).

[Tsuwabuki]

Originally Posted by atheistwithfaith

You say the British accent is less desirable, but when I was in Japan I stayed with a guy (an American) who ran his own language school and he said the Japanese still hold a belief that "English English" is the correct way of pronunciation and so being from England works in your favour just as much as being from somewhere in America with a neutral American accent.

It has been my experience, both with my current job, and jobs I have interviewed/applied to that American spelling and colloquial phrases are taught far more than British. Your own favour, as an example. In the nationally accepted textbooks, such as New Horizon, the u is dropped, the z is standardised (note, I don't use the z myself, but I also drop the u). When I make worksheets and the like, I have to remember to add the z, because the vast majority of Americans do.

In addition, there are three major reasons why American spelling, pronunciation, and phrases are more common than their British counterparts in Japanese English education, as far as I know from my research. If you get a chance to read Toto-chan, it touches on the subject briefly.

During the turn of the century and on into the 1930s, British English was taught in Japanese schools. At the time, the British Empire's influence was already waning, but historically, England was considered highly sophisticated, and much higher class than the American (or Canadian, for that matter) accent. Culturally, England was the influence. After WWII heated up, English was dispensed with entirely as the tongue of the enemy, first because of the UK, later because of the US. It would not return until the occupation.

The Japanese school system as we know it now, was set up in part, based on the American model of the time (although this is no longer true, because America has switched) by occupation forces under General MacArthur. If that wasn't enough to return English to the classroom, and American English at that, there were several more developments that caused the trend to follow American dialectical norms:

1) Rise of America as a Superpower.
2) The end of the British Empire.
3) American pop culture dominance.

The 20th century can, I believe, rightly be called the American century. From the Great White Fleet until the election of George W. Bush, American innovation, foreign policy, and military prowess has lead the US to be the sole Superpower left standing in the year 2000. We shall see how America fares in the next century, and this isn't an invitation to dissect current American decisions (I'm explaining the perception leading to American English's preference, not promoting a view of reality). When you're the biggest kid on the block, the other kids tend to pick up your speech patterns.

As I stated, by WWII, the British Empire was already cracking. Many of the accomplishments that lead to a perception of Eigo being Ei, that is, "superior" were no longer true. By the 1950s, the British Empire no longer existed in fact, even if it existed in name. Many nations in the commonwealth had attained self-rule, then autonomy, and even complete sovereignty. With America taking the lead on confronting world instability, the Royal Navy, long the visible symbol of British might, downsized itself into near irrelevance. True, the Falkens showed that British sailors are still quite competent, but no one asks where the British carriers are in times of crisis. Certainly by the 1970s or 1980s it was more than clear that the sun had finally set on the British Empire.

My opinion is that military situation, the occupation years, and the rise of America as a superpower would have been enough to change the dialectical preference, but this is just an opinion. I think that what took the American accent over the top, as was mentioned by RobinMask, is the sheer amount of pop culture exported by America. Japan has consumed and still does consume a huge amount of media from the United States. Movie, music, Disney animation, TV shows (hit up a Tsutaya, and look at all the American TV you can rent). British? Not very much at all. Australian? Some, due to geographic location. Kiwi? South African? I haven't seen any.

Between these three shifts over the course of the 20th century, it makes perfect sense that American English would be considered for more relevant than British English, and that does seem to be exactly what the national education officials think based on the nationally mandated material which elevates American English over others.