Which should I choose to work in Japan?

Hello!

I am 20 years old guy with a long-time dream of working in japan, but I never been there and I can't speak japanese, but It's one of my main goals to change that.

I'm taking the 1st year of a Cultural Studies degree in Portugal, in the end of the degree I should be:

-proficient in 2 languages (one is English, then I can choose another one between french,german,italian and russian);

-Adquire large knowledge in portugese culture,european culture, North-american culture and Hispanic-American culture.


However next year I can try to change to a degree on Languages and Asian Cultures, where I can study:

-Major Chinese(HSK4)
-Minor Japanese
-Chinese and Japanese culture,history,economics, and politics.


Can anyone give me their opinion?
Im kinda lost, I don't want a specific job, I just want to work in japan an live a honest life.

Unfortunately, as a non-Japanese person living in Japan, you will be relegated to very specific jobs even though you said anything was okay.

It will be very difficult to get, say, any regular job that you could get in your own country.

If you end up mastering the Japanese language to a near native level, then this could change of course. But assuming you don't do that (as of the time you come to Japan at least); you will be stuck with a more narrow range of job options. Most newcomers teach their native language as a job.

If your English ability can pass for native level, then you can teach English as well, which often has more demand than other languages.

Other jobs I commonly see are sales positions, where people with many different backgrounds and languages are needed. If you can get your Japanese ability up to moderate high/business level, then you might be able to find a position with a company that needs a multi-lingual person.

Don't give up though, there's jobs here, you just need to search the right places and have a bit of good timing!

@Bolo: Remember that OP will also need to qualify for a visa. This limits his options further, since visas are given only for relatively high-skill jobs (which require at least a university degree).

The surest roads to a good job and career in Japan are the same as everywhere else: IT, finance, the so-called "STEM" fields, etc. This is true for Japanese and foreigners alike.

So I can't get a "regular" job?

I studied multimedia in highshool, and spent 2 years as a carpenter and welder.

What do you mean by a "regular" job? If you mean a low-skilled job, then essentially no. More precisely, yes but it can't be the primary purpose of your stay in Japan, because the primary purpose of your stay is what your visa is linked to, and there is no "unskilled job" visa.

If you want to see what is acceptable as the "primary purpose" of a stay in Japan, see here (annexed tables):

http://www.japaneselawtranslation.go.jp/law/detail/?id=173&vm=&re=&new...

Ok, let's say I finish my degree and get a visa for teaching, I move to japan and I get tired of teaching, can't I get a low-skilled job, like working on a shop,cafe, etc?

Highly unlikely. Even assuming immigration does not revoke your status after you quit your teaching job, you still have to ask for permission to engage in an activity not covered by your status, and there is no way they will grant it to you if you have quit what should be your main job.

I understand, and what if I embrace a program to study in japan? Would I have more probabilities of actually be able to live there?

Portugal almost all years has a program to study in japan.

Having living experience in Japan is always a plus but it's not going to magically give you employable skills. You must have employable skils, there is no way around that. Not being a native English speaker, virtually all English teaching jobs are out of your reach, and Portuguese is probably not in high demand (though it's worth a look, especially given the relatively high Brazilian population in some parts of Japan). Liberal arts skills are not worthless, but you will be competing against people (Japanese and foreigners alike) who have a lot more experience of Japan than you will have.

When you will be fresh out of university, it seems that your only realistic option will be to go to a Japanese language school in Japan on a student visa. Graduate school in Japan may also be an option if you contemplate an academic career, but job conditions in humanities fields are not as good as in others.

One very important thing to do first is to come to Japan for a holiday..
10 to 14 days for example; half in the Tokyo area, half in the Osaka area.
It can be done cheaply. Not cheap, cheap, but not very expensive either, if you are willing to stay in low-priced Japanese hotels, eat small meals etc.

Some people are totally shocked when they find out that Japan is not at all what they dreamed it was.

I don't know about needing to take a trip to Japan. Vacation satisfaction is so high for this country I think it's more likely to trick one into thinking they'll only have fun all the time if they live here.
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Anyway, OP, if you can swing a teaching job and put up with it for enough years you can always go for permanent residency or citizenship which will allow you to work anywhere you can get hired. Same deal applies if you marry a national.

As for your immediate question, though, study whatever interests you more. Life is difficult to plan out too far in advance, you never know what opportunities will present themselves to you in the next few years.

I already have a girlfriend, so I don't think that I will marry another person :)

How many years I need to teach to get a permanent citizenship?

I don't know about needing to take a trip to Japan. Vacation satisfaction is so high for this country I think it's more likely to trick one into thinking they'll only have fun all the time if they live here.

A lot of people come over for vacation, realize it's not much different here, and are then able to look at the moving process more objectively. So visiting first is more about informing people if they CAN'T live here, rather than confirming that they can.

How many years I need to teach to get a permanent citizenship?

10 years for permanent residency
5 years for naturalization

The duration must be consecutive, plus you must pass the application process.

10 years for permanent residency

More precisely, you need to live in Japan for at least 10 years consecutively including at least 5 years with a status of residence which allows work (so if you spend, say, 2 years as a student, you "only" need 8 years of work).

Ok, now I'm more positive about It!

10 years pass by quickly