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07-13-2010, 03:07 AM
I'd really like to make it clear that when I say that I'm considering pursuing a life in Japan, that doesn't mean that I'm miserable here in the States.
I'm content with my life and I adore my family. My parents and my sister along with my older brother and his girlfriend are my best friends. They're the most supportive, loving, and caring people I could ever hope to know. So, I'm not trying to run away to this place that I perceive as a sort of paradisal and perfect place. I apologize if I made it seem like something like that. On the other side of the coin, though, if things are perfectly fine where you then I think you will have a hard time living far away from that. As far as books go, I think I would listen to suggestions people make and definitely read reviews of books (where reviews are available). Choosing at random might be dangerous as there are sometimes books that paint Japan as the "mysterious oriental far east land of wonder" to varying degrees. Right now I'm in Japan with JET. I studied Japanese in high school and studied it in college because I had to study a foreign language. The more I studied it the more I liked it. I ended up majoring in Japanese instead of graphic design, which would have been a pain in the A anyways. Upon finishing up my major I realized there wasn't much I could do with it in America. I thought about going to Toyota and looking for jobs, but I'm kinda glad I didn't do that now! I then signed up for JET, got accepted, and moved here. I sold most of my stocks befoer I came (which was right before the market crash). So I've had some lucky timing. I ended up in an area that I love. I've made tons of friends and a lot of them are really into music so it's like everything I've ever wanted... but it just happens to be in Japan. I'm gonna try to stay here after JET by either getting a job with the board of education or city hall (which does happen around here with people who are fluent... contrary to what a lot of people say on the internet about the matter). 
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07-13-2010, 05:06 AM
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<: ) Thank you, though. And I completely agree; I think that being so far from my home and my family may be too much for me. However, I'd still like to see if I could handle it, especially if Japan turns out to be something that I really do love. I'm hoping to do some sort of exchange program, possibly in college or even for my last year in high school. That way I'll have a better grasp as to what I can handle. Because if it turns out I can't handle a month or a few away, then I'll definitely have to consider some other options, haha. And I'll definitely be reading up on reviews of anything I consider buying! ^^ Some of the ones I've already found on Amazon are amazingly affordable (4 dollars or less for used ones!) and they're the ones that have been suggested here on this thread and they also have reviews from Amazon buyers. And I've heard a lot about JET; it really seems like the best way to go if you're looking for an english teaching job in Japan. BlissfulGold ~~~ "I believe that everything happens for a reason. People change so that you can learn to let go, things go wrong so that you appreciate them when they're right, you believe lies so you eventually learn to trust no one but yourself, and sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together." ---Marilyn Monroe
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07-13-2010, 05:57 AM
I'm sure there are other teaching jobs out there, but JET seems like the safest bet. However, that's not to say it's without its short comings as well. For example, sometimes (and not unlike most other teaching jobs in Japan) you will have to jump between schools like a pinball every day. I've seen people with 7 or more schools before. This is especially bad for people looking for teaching experience as having to deal with that many schools means less student-teacher interaction, which is really important. The kind of teaching you can do is also limited which makes it a bum deal for the boards of education doing this type of thing, too (but I believe they do this to save money). I don't know if that is the majority of the cases or not, but I only have to go to one school (reduced from 2) and it's an extremely satisfying job.
Misericordias, I don't think I'd be suited for a job like that. For starers, I think most of them are located in bigger cities. I really enjoy the inaka too much to do a job like that. I'm not so sure I'd be qualified to do a job like that anyways! To begin with, I just don't think I have the brain power. It seems like you have to know all the laws in America as well as all the laws in Japan and you have to know all kinds of things. I can't imagine what they have to deal with either... like people losing passports, expired passports, full passports, visa problems, criminal issues, babies being born, marriages, divorces?, etc. As far as everyday things, that's what I picture, although I'm sure there's more. It's not something I would want to do, as far as I can tell. It seems like it would be a job without much humor. Why do you ask, out of curiosity?
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07-13-2010, 08:46 AM
When you planning on moving aboard you always have to think about the pros and cons. These can be the pros and cons of living in Japan which are taken from a book about Japan.
Pros - The Japanese aesthetic, art and culture are one of the most beautiful and sophisticated in the world. Temples and man-made landscapes and gardens. - Enjoy occasions such as slow moving tea ceremony and Kabuki theatre. - Stunning scenery. - Hot springs and winter sports. - Exquisite food, fresh and presented as art. - Friendly and polite people. - A safe enviroment. Cons - Their way of dealing with things can be frustrating to a foreigner. - Very high cost of living. - Language difficulties. - Very different food. - Living conditions can be cramped in an appartment. - A risk of eathquakes.
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07-13-2010, 11:38 AM
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Also that "high cost of living" con is regional. I think Japan is expensive for tourists. But if you do not live in a major city, living here is not all that expensive compared to other developed countries.... now.. standard of living is arguably a different story.
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07-13-2010, 12:11 PM
Why Japan? I wouldn't necessarily rate Japan as an upgrade from America. Honestly, there are probably far more Japanese who would want to live in America than Americans who want to live in Japan.
Once again (as this topic has been gone over several times), the reality of Japan is often much different from the expectation. I know many people who have come to Japan to get the experience of living and working here, and most return home after one year. A few die-hards stick it out for longer, but I wonder if they truly love Japan, or if they are simply mentally unstable. Personally, I like living in Japan, which is why I am still here going on 3 years. I visited 3 times before making the decision to move, so I knew what I was getting into, and I had lived in other countries in the past, so there was no culture shock or homesickness to deal with. Contrary to what others have mentioned, you don't really need to know much Japanese to get by in Japan, particularly if you live in one of the larger cities. If you are coming to work as an English teacher, you'll get even less chance to use Japanese, as your coworkers and students will primarily use English. I spent more than a year studying Japanese before coming here, and I can honestly say that I could have done fine without it. It's better to know it, but it's far from necessary. As for English teaching as a profession, I don't recommend it, unless you like minimal pay and minimal benefits. There is a lot of competition in the teaching industry, but surprisingly little room for advancement or good pay, unless you have a masters degree or higher and teach in a university. I enjoy teaching, but it's truly a dead-end job. But in my case teaching has become a sideline, as I've finally been able to go into business for myself. There are other opportunities for foreigners in Japan outside the education market, but you'll need a professional degree of some type to qualify. The most useful degree in Japan is economics (boring as the subject is), with others being in engineering or such. Japanese studies would be an absolute waste of time and tuition as it wouldn't qualify you for anything in Japan, and it would be worth even less in America or Europe. Keep studying, get into university learning something useful, and visit Japan a time or two before packing your bags and getting a one-way ticket.
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07-13-2010, 04:02 PM
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Sure, they ended up with the English skills of a junior high school student in N. America but they quickly realized that their degree was pretty much useless in both Japan and Canada. So, they ended up working in Japanese restaurants. I can see how majoring in Japanese studies could have some merit over here, such as in international trade but IMHO, going to Japan with a degree like that is pretty much the equivalent of bringing a knife to a gun fight. Here's what the dreamers should do. Put yourselves in the shoes of a potential employer and ask yourself what you bring to the table. Why should they go through the effort in hiring you when there are tens of thousands of university educated Japanese natives who are looking for a job.
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07-13-2010, 06:00 PM
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Sure, a degree shows that you may have learned something, but that something may have nothing to do with the job you're looking for, and many companies won't spend their time and money re-teaching you skills you should have learned in school to prepare you for that type of work. To me, it's almost insulting to hear someone think they can get a "general education" degree and think they can march into the same line of work I've been preparing for by studying business and marketing since I enrolled in college. Not saying it doesn't happen, though, which is unfortunate. My photos from Japan and around the world: http://www.flickr.com/dylanwphotography
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