Tokyo Geidai/ living as an artist in Japan

Hello,
I'm wondering if anyone has attended, or knows anything about Tokyo University of the Arts (Geidai).
After having visited Japan a few times, I have decided I would really like to live in Tokyo. I've been looking at the graduate programs in music from Geidai, but I don't know if it would be a good idea at all to get a degree in music in Japan or if the school is good.

I have an undergraduate degree in music production from Berklee College of Music. I've seen a lot of questions about jobs in Japan but I haven't read anything related to the arts. Would it be different in a way to find jobs in the music business?
I'd like to hear if there's somebody who is doing music or art related jobs and how they got in Japan.

Thanks

Hi. I'm a Japanese and an undergraduate student (not art related). Geidai is the best university of arts in Japan. I think it is not so different in the way to find jobs. Of course it depends what kind of job you want. Also there could be some jobs for students at Geidai, because they are the elite and businesses want them.
But you should learn Japanese language if you want to make a living in the arts field in Japan.

I am not an artist either, so I hope the OP gets some responses from them, but Geidai is considered the Todai of arts. It's the best you can get.

That said, Geidai gradutes themselves say that you're practically creating the poor at Geidai. It's very difficult to make money as a professional artist in Japan. Many qualified artists make money by doing side jobs such as teaching.

I think the idea that finding jobs in art is really difficult is really outdated. That applies everywhere. It was hard a few decades ago, but with the new media there's a lot more demand for art jobs.
I have a lot of friends in Japan who are artists, graphic designers, photographers, fashion designers, models and actors. And they all have a full time art job.

By the way, what I meant was that those who have studied fine art at Geidai and pursue careers in fine art such as abstract art or oil paintings or classical music have a hard time supporting themselves on that alone, so they find jobs as graphic designers, commercial photographers, fashion designers, models and actors. I have friends and relatives who are currently artists (not from Geidai), and Geidai graduate actor Yusuke Iseya was the person who said "Geidai creates the poor" on TV. But that's just my opinion.

Same answer for most 'I want to live and work in Japan' queries, learn the language first. You'll need it for employment and paperwork, and perhaps for study too.

Most people with arts degrees (& I have two, so I'm speaking from experience) don't make a living doing what they want to do. They get employed by someone who needs them for specific tasks. So you learn to play music, you pay the rent playing the same pieces over and over again in a cafe, teaching reluctant children to hammer on a piano, or you do anything you can at a low wage and enjoy your music in your spare time.

Only a very small percentage of arts graduates earn money doing something satisfying and rewarding, that they enjoy and have some control over - composing music, designing buildings or clothing ranges. For the majority, welcome to the lower levels of the rat race, same as every one else without a career-orientated degree, whether in Japan or the US.

Japan is a little different - they appreciate artists more here, and things like photo books still get published - but don't confuse status with income.

Realistic expectations reduce future heartbreak, so unless you have enough cash to not have to worry about earning an income, and some lucky people do, be aware of how tough it is.

The Japanese economy is not looking healthy. Part time, low wage and low security jobs have been given an official govt. blessing as the way forward. The arts rarely deliver job security even in a good market, so unless you are already wealthy, expect to struggle for employment and to pay the bills.

And there is considerable nervousness in many quarters in Japan about employing gaijin, not to mention visa and residency issues. Expect to go to a lot of interviews before you get any job, no matter how good you are. Without some Japanese, you'll struggle to get any job.

Unless you have real genius in your field, learn something with a career plan that will pay your bills, music, and Japanese. Use your career skills to get a job/visa for Japan. Then migrate more to music when you can afford to.

Unless, of course, you are well off, in which case you can dive in and do whatever you want.

Well, in some way this isn't the typical 'i wanna work and live in Japan' question. I can speak Japanese, and I will take N2 this year. I'm not being unrealistic here, I just wanna know the experiences of fellow musicians. Also I understand that some careers like fine arts, painting and that stuff might be different. Even classical music would be different. My career s contemporary music and production.