How can I move to Japan? - japan-guide.com forum

Keep in mind, moving to a foreign country isn't as glamorus as it may appear. Without a degree, you will be working at a low-paying job, probably not a very fun one. Your going to have to make money to pay for rent/bills/and food. If your living in a big city, this could be quite tough on your own....

Just being the devils advocate here. Japan is just like any other country in that life has costs and you should evaluate those before hopping on a plane for Tokyo.

It would be really smart if several of you who are of age and are serious about moving to japan got together and rented a place together. Cut the costs and pool your resources. This could be a winning combination.

Any Buisness-minded people out there with $$$? A buisness specializing in helping young people move to Japan would
be quite profitable.

by Michael

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Working visa

2005/1/15 09:45

Theo,
It depends on what type of working visa you are applying for, but most require a full university degree or at least 10 years' of relevant work experience.

by Dave in Saitama

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i'm 15

2005/1/15 13:18

i'm 15, going on 16 and am going to study in a japanese high school... how do you get to stay in japan without parents or a guardian? (and schooling) please enlighten me!! my japanese level is at jlpt 2 going on 1... any other people going to japan please feel free to add me at novix.ivan@gmail.com or email me at ivanovix@teemie.com ^_^;;

by ivan

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hmmm

2005/1/15 13:27

Quoth:
One step at a time....
I advise all of you young people to visit Japan first.You will find it very different in so many ways from western countries. Also, it`s a very diffrent experience to be on holiday somewhere and to actually live in that place. Believe me, I`ve been there, done that.
A word of advice, don`t believe everything you see on t.v.and read in books. But saying that, you just have to try it out for yourselves!
And don`t forget the old phrase : "The grass is always greener...."

by tzjimuneh 2005/1/12

i've been there 6 times so far ... 4 last year ... it should be no problem as long as you have basic sense of direction and know hiragana to read maps. people who want to stay in japan THIS YEAR or next year please message me. (Osaka/kyoto or Tokyo) because i'm applying for osaka and tokyo high schools ... can split costs because my japanese contacts can get mansions at cheaper prices. also, you don't have to worry about communication problems. just get a handphone in japan and when anything goes wrong call me or smth to do translation. ^_^ how does this sound?

by ivan

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wow

2005/1/15 23:09

JLPT level 2 at age 15- most impressive! You shouldn't have any probelms over there then, assuming you have money...... and if you visited 4 times last year, id assume that you do...

Have fun man, what an exciting adventure!

by Michael

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have fun!!

2005/1/16 00:34

are you gonna go too? i wanna save on accomodation so i can spend more on shopping :D

by ivan

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I request some help

2005/1/18 05:39

Hello,
I visited Japan when I was very young several times, as my grandpa was a contact between the main Electronics manufacturer in the western usa, and had to go to Japan because many of our products pieces came from Japan. So I went with hims several times, and he and I both fell in love with it. Well now the last person in my family has passed on, and I am left alone, and all of my friends are on religious missions and I am alone. I need a change of life, and want to move to Japan for a new start, a new chance at life, I am 19, and I speak Japanese, though I am not sure how accurate I am (as there is no one to test it out on in USA) I have Fuji TV and watch many Japanese shows, and understand them. I just need to leave here, need a new begining, and have loved everything about Japan since my first visit. Please I need assistance in this, how do I get started? What do I do to get in the country as I know it is difficult.... Short of marriage of a Japanese LoL :) my email is om3gaz28@comcast.net please help me move on in life :)

by Tonks

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dreamer....?

2005/1/18 13:39

Ivan.
It sounds to me like you haven�t actually lived in Japan for any great length of time yet.But you seem to be full of youthful enthusiasm which is great to see.
I wish you all the best when you do move here, but as I said before, the reality may not live up to your romantic visions....

by tzjimuneh

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romantic visions? o_O

2005/1/18 20:36

i've been there for about 3~4 months to know whether its still just a dream or not :D

by ivan

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me too

2005/3/10 14:36

Hello all,
i am very interested in moving to okinawa as that is where i was born. I would like to stay for a few years and just learn about my birthplace. i am an african american male of 21 years and have had the desire ever since i can remeber to return "home" i lived in okinawa honto for 3.5yrs and am planning on returning by the end of this year. i do not know the langueage but will try to learn as much as i can before verturing out. i also have plans to deeply imerse myself in as much of Japanese culture as i can.

Please give any advice you can. id ideally like to do manual labor on a farm or something of the sort

by shamzilla

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I am also wanting to go to japan

2005/3/12 02:55

I was just reading the numerous responses and I am a fifteen year old male whom wishes to move to japan. I loved osaka when I went last summer. I wish to move there but what do I have to go through to move from the usa to japan? Are there any forms, procedures or do I just get up and hop on a plane to japan with my visa and a passport.

by steve

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Ways to Japan

2005/3/28 16:47

You might consider going to college in your country getting Bachelor or Master degree. After that you can attend the graduate school of a Japanese university. A lot of Japanese people and foreigners in Japan have a college degree. Cheap foreign laborers are not appreciated, highly skilled and qualified foreigners are.

Another possibility is gaining some work experience in your country and then applying for a working holiday visa and trying to get a job in Japan related to your experience.

Before you arrive in Japan, learn as much as you can about Japanese language and life in Japan. If you can afford it, travel to Japan as a tourist, stay for two or three weeks and explore the place you visit on your own. Moreover, it helps to get in touch with a Japanese university or company you would like to enter.

by OkinawaDolphin

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Nice advice Dolphin!

2005/3/29 09:21

I have wanted to go to Japan for a while now. I'm almost 21 and in college. I am not motivated because I have always wanted to go back to Asia, if you haven't already guessed from my name, I am a first generation Chinese immigrant. Why not back to China? Well, there are many reasons, nothing political, person or economic though.
Anyway, enough about my boring self. For anyone out there wanting to emigrate to Japan, take Dolphin's advice! Get your education! Graduate school in Japan is a good choice. Some work experience in your native Western nation is better, correct me if I'm wrong about this one Dolphin.

I'm planning to do more or less just that, get my education, a few years of experience and then emigrate when I've secured a job there.

My big concerns are the details of getting a real (non-teaching) job in Japan. How is the process different from a native applicant's? Is foreign working experience and college education valued over a native one? I mean, I go to a prestigious American university in the top 15. How does such an education compare with that from the top Japanese schools? Do employers see Stanford as being on par with Toudai?
May they look down on foreign (American) working experience as a negative factor because American companies have a poor work ethic?

Yeah, I have a lot of questions!

by Jason Liu

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Moving to Japan

2005/3/29 10:23

Hi Lewis,

I met someone while in Japan last year. He moved to Japan from Brazil when he was 17. Basically, Japan has pretty strict immigration rule, but if you have a parent who is a Japanese descendant, that means someone in your extended family has a Japanese surname, your chances are higher.

The Japanese are pretty homogenous people, so you gotta be prepared for a HUGH culture shock.....I am Asian, but their working culture is totally beyond me.
Most Japanese MNCs are pretty forward in their management style, but most are still very traditional, with 6-days, 14hour workday the norm.

It would be a good idea to go there on a student exchange first to experience the life firsthand before you jump into it.

What may fascinate you on TV-anime, the ryokans, sakuras.....may hide certain things which you may not be comfortable with if you stay there not as a guest but as a worker/citizen....

by Annette

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Getting a Real Job in Japan

2005/3/29 18:46

I have asked a similar question in the question forum. Unfortunately I didn't collect information about job hunting in Japan before it was much too late:-((. If you are at a Japanese university, you can ask for assistance at International Student Center (an institution that helps international students and Japanese students hoping to go abroad). You can also ask students at or graduates of your lab for advice. If you stay in a dormitory for international students, the Japanese staffs there also might give some advice. It might be a good idea to talk to company staffs at scientific conferences or fairs.

A foreign nationality is certainly a disadvantage when job hunting because there are restrictions concerning employment of foreigners. Relevant work experience, a degree from one of the top 15 US universities and being a little bit smarter than the best Japanese applicant can compensate this. Having connections to companies or research institutions you would like to work at certainly helps. Of course the people you have connections with should know you and your skills as well as the place you might work at.

by OkinawaDolphin

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Western influence

2005/3/30 09:01

I suppose a better way of asking the question is: are Japanese corporations interested in getting Western style management or hiring workers with Western experience. My assumption is that there are no issues with citizenship and whatnot.

The old question remains: are American universities considered to be on a higher or lower class than those in Japan.

by Jason Liu

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sounds like me

2005/3/30 09:54

I have always been facinated with Japan at an early age...

you sound like me i was drawn to this page by the title i want to go too but im way too young

by japan fan

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