I live in Japan!

[Nyororin]

They definitely were not drunk, and were taking it all as a big joke.

Obviously, not every English "teacher" in Japan is like that, but there are way too many who are. Usually, the real teachers - ones who teach in real schools - are much better. It`s the ones who are just here for the cash and partying, who teach at little "English Conversation" places are the worst.

Arrogant wives from military bases are just as bad.

[tanoly2002]

Originally Posted by Harajuku_Pimp

hm. interesting.

[Pachipro]

I have read the majority of posts here and I must agree with the points handed down by jasonbvr and Nyororin and would like to add a few of my own comments based on personal experience.


Working In Japan

If you desire to go to to Japan your best and easiest bet would be to go as an English teacher. However, you must have a degree. If you desire employment outside of teaching and, if you have marketable skills, you can always search out other employment once you become acclimated to living in Japan and decide that is where you desire to live for a while. As I've said in another post, there is virtually no employment you cannot find in Japan if you have the marketable skills and a basic grasp of the language and culture. However, it will not be easy and may be downright frustrating, but the jobs are there if you look hard enough for them and are serious enough.


Japanese Women

From the "Been There, Done That File":

As far as Japanese women go, let me give all you males one piece of advice that maybe jasonbvr can back me up on. Do not hang around foreign frequented places to meet Japanese women as most are only looking for a trophy or "token gaijin boyfriend" to be fashionable to their friends. The majority are not worth your time and you will often have a broken heart when the next new "cool" new foreigner comes into the bar/hangout or rolls into town and she has eyes for him.

Sure, you may be able to get an easy lay if that's what you're looking for, but in the long run it's just not worth it. The majority are there for one thing and one thing only: to meet foreigners and maybe hit the lottery with a rich one. I'll bet any woman you meet in those places has slept with more foreigners than you have fingers. Granted there are those few cases where two people do click and eventually marry, but don't count on it. It rarely happens.

Some women may even have more money than god and buy you anything you desire but, in the end, you will more than likely be sorry and realize that you were a bought man. Not only did that happen to me, but another of my friends also. Not a good feeling in the end. Some may desire that but, while interesting at first, was plain hell in the end and I felt like a fool and rightly so as I allowed it to happen.

Your best bet, if you have a minimum grasp of the language, would be to live in areas and go to places where foreigners never frequent. The women you meet in those places, while not easy lays, so to speak, are more real and down to earth than any of the others in the places mentioned above and you will meet real, honest, Japanese women who are not just looking for a "token gaijin". Sure, you may be "targeted" and meet women easier because you are a foreigner and can speak Japanese, but your experience and relationship, if it comes to that, will be a real one and not a superficial one. Also, don't count on sleeping with them the first, second, or even third time you date them. Try it if they are not interested or give no "signals", and you will probably never see them again as they are not looking for trophys or tokens. Also, their English will probably be minimal at best.

Also, if you do meet and fall in love with a Japanese woman who does not speak English real well, be real careful about marriage as not all Japanese women who fall in love with foreigners can acclimate themselves to life in your country. Some do and some don't and desire to return home. Many a divorce has come because of this lack of foresight. Just as many foreigners do not adjust to life in Japan, the reverse is true for those you marry and bring home with you.

Language
Nyororin and jasonbvr also gave great answers to learning the language and I concur. There is no better way to learn the language than to be fully immursed in it with no safety net of other foreigners. If you are serious about learning the language do stay away from other foreigners as much as possible as it will only impede your language learning.

While you are there it would be in your best interest to learn the language and learn it well if you desire to stay. There is nothing more pitiful than meeting a foreigner who has lived in Japan for more than three years and discover he/she cannot even handle the simplest of conversations in Japanese. This is due mainly to the fact that they are lazy and find it more beneficial to hang out with other foreigners and go to places where only other foreigners hang out.

Thus, they get no real feel for living in Japan, never understanding the Japanese and their culture, and usually come to dispise the country as they cannot get along outside of their "security blanket" of being with other foreigners and are easily influenced by their so-called friends' biased view of Japan. My suggestion would be to live as far away from foreigners as possible so you can easily immerse yourself into life in Japan. If you have no foreign friends to fall back on for support you are forced to learn the language and understand the culture.

Myself, I lived about 45 minutes outside of Tokyo alone, hung out with no foreign people save for a few times a month, and all my friends and aquaintances were Japanese who did not speak hardly any English. Therefore, all my conversations and daily transactions were in Japanese 99% of the time and if I wanted to have a good time I went to the local bars where I was well accepted after they got to know me. There is no better way to learn the language than to be fully immursed in it with no safety net of other foreigners to fall back on.

However, I would suggest textbooks as new ways to learn new phrases and words even if the textbook is in Romaji and is a basic one as, once you use a new phrase or word in real life situations that you have learned yourself from a book, you will never forget it. However, one word of caution, most of the books in Japanese teach you formal speech and, although helpful to an extent, is quite akward in real life situatuions. Also, once you have mastered the basics of hiragana and katagana and the basics of kanji stay away from romaji based books as they will only deter you from learning the language fully. You can use manga (comic books) instead to learn slang and informal, real life speech as well as the TV and Japanese friends.

While not a utopia by any means, Japan can be a most rewarding place to live if that is your honest and heartfelt desire. Do not be put off by the naysayers. Go there and decide for yourself. Live like a Japanese lives and you will have an honest, all around, real grasp of the country and cutlure.

Good luck.

[koaku]

big LOL being "bought" really? in my side be a homemade_man can be funny lol sure not for long time and its depend of wht your looking for

[housecat]

and the OP seems to be a lovely person who has overcome some incredible difficulties. She seems to be the perfect person to ask, so here goes . . .

I'd like to move to Japan sometime spring 07. I studied Japanese in university, 10 years ago!, and was an exchange student there one summer. I love the Japanese people very much. I'd like to teach English. I realize foreign English teachers are thought of in less than the best terms by many there, but this is what I do! I've taught overseas in s. korea and Taiwan for many years.

Here's the real question: I'm a single mother now, of a 4 year old son who is half chinese. How difficult do you think it might be to move us both there and make a life for us? I've spoken very little Japanese since I graduaged and never was trully good at it then, but there were only 2 Japanese students at my university, so not a lot of chance to practice there, and then I was off to other lands! I visited Japan for a short time just after graduation and remembered more than I thought I'd learned, so I'm sure I could pick it up more and more, but that's less likely if I'm teaching English all day, so. . . .

And how about child care options? I'm sure there are many options, but I'm afraid they might be terribly expensive. What would you suggest?

And I can understand, buy the way, some of the issues of a white girl married to an asian native man. I married a Chinese man and lived with him in Taiwan. We are now getting a divorce, but I know plenty of couples that have made it for a very long time. It's just that usually the asian native is the woman. And all the best for your son!

Thanks for any replies.

[Nyororin]

Thank you for the compliment.
I think I may be able to help you out more with the childcare bit than a lot of the others here. (As I have a child!)

If you have a degree and experience teaching English, you would likely be able to get a *good* job teaching English - ie in a high school, or university - and not be stuck with one of the crappy ones.

As for your son - if he is your dependent and you receive a working visa, it is no problem to get him a dependent visa. If he`s only 4, I have no doubt he`d pick up Japanese in no time at all. As for childcare, it really isn`t *THAT* expensive depending upon the school. At his age, the easiest thing would be to put him into kindergarten and register for a nursery school to pick him up after they are finished. If you`re teaching in a regular school, hours are pretty definite and you would be getting home in time to pick him up from there. Kindergarten is really a flat price depending upon the school, and the nursery schools are based upon your income. There are also daycares that have (at least in our area) competitive pricing who will watch a child until late into the evening. In Tokyo, everything is much higher so I would suggest looking elsewhere if you seriously plan to make a life here.

If all else fails, you could live close to me and I`ll watch him for you!

[Kuroneko]

I wish I could go back to Japan right now... oh well I just wait a year or 2

[Nanobrain]

I have one question for you Nyororin. This march I was planing to go in Japan and stay there for 3 months in some gaijin houses. I was wondering can I find a job about 3D modeling/animating (I've just graduated in PC technology), or should I try to find some normal job, like teacher or something.

[blueheart]

Hello Nyrorin: First, thank u very much... I was very happy when I found this nice forum because I'm looking for some on to answer my question about my dream (JAPAN).next summer I will finish my diploma in instrumentation & control engineering technology and I want to continue my Undergraduate studies in Japan . The question Mr:Nyrorin is: is there a university offered degrees in English

[nikurasu]

Hi guys!

I cant say im in the same position as you guys, my family is really supporting and all. But i feel like i dont fit, i live in Sweden and everything/everyone runs toward the future in a hurry. Everyone is stressed out...about what i cant say. But i can say this much, i dont like it. Im more of a laid back kinda guy.

I've heard Japanese people are more like this, laid back. They care more about their health. Is that true Nyororin?

Anyway, im really obbssesed with Japan and i really want too stay there for a long period. And soon my dream will come true. In 1 week im going to Osaka as an exchange student for one semester. But i feel like you Nyororin, you shouldnt hang around with english speaking people if truly want to learn Japanese. But still, this is a way in.

I have a few japanese friends who i made friends with at my home university and i can see i bright future ahead of me....i think.

At the moment i have a 1 year student visa and my semester will end in may. My plan is to try find a job in japan if its possible during the summer and ofcourse a place too stay. And then in october i will apply for 2 year study at a language school and learning only japanese.

I dont know if all this will work the way i want it too but all you can do is hope and try your best.

Do i sound cracy Nyororin or do you think its possible? Or maybe you have some suggestions how to doit different?

//Niklas