15 wanting to move to Japan in Highschool

Hello my name is Cindy, I'm 15 years old. And I've been planning to move to Japan for a long time. My parents accept but don't know how I can go. I have a visa, passport. I can communicate Japanese. I know how it's different than America. (Don't think I'm a show off) I'm wealthy enough to get a apartment and live a healthy lifestyle in there. But please can someone work with me to help how I can move there, apply a school, rent an apartment. I'll do whatever it takes. Thank you!!!

I have a visa

You very probably don't.

What type of visa do you have? How did you get it?

You can't just show up in Japan, they have very strict rules about immigration. Have you thought about how hard it would be for you to survive alone at the age of 15? You might think you're capable, but have you thought about what you're going to do for food, how you're going to set up utilities and pay the bills, sign up for school, etc.? How well do you actually speak/listen/read/write Japanese?

Also, foreigners often have a hard time integrating into Japanese society. You might find yourself very lonely.

What is the idea behind moving to Japan for high school? Will it benefit you in any way over an education in America?

As a teacher and a person who used to live in Japan - I will say that living in Japan long term can be challenging. Specifically for a student - this is extremely difficult as without Kanji you will not be able to survive Japanese schools.

The Japanese education system is also quite cutthroat and extremely different from western systems. Did you know that Japan has the longest school year in the world and most students spend most week days during high school during holidays on club activities??

If you really want to live in Japan - I would highly suggest undertaking a year abroad in Japan at a high school. This is not that common here but will give you some grounding of what you expect to happen. You will live with a host family - but will get some experience of living in Japan and attending Japanese schools.

Another problem you will have to face is who will be your guardian? Who will sign your lease? Who can vouch that you will pay your bills? How will you enrol in school without an adult?

Some other problems that you will face is being seen as different in a monocultural society. Many of my previous students found it very difficult fitting into Japanese local schools because they were not Japanese.

This has nothing to do with racism - but everything to do with not being used to dealing with non Japanese kids every day. I honestly think that attending a year abroad is your best bet.

The notion that you have to "get used to deal with non-Japanese kids" as if they are some sort of strange creatures, is itself racist.

Thanks for the replys. I've indeed did study abroad and travel to Japan. I can communicate read kaji I've did study for almost a year and to me it wasn't hard as it sounded. I understand it's a big decision and I might sound like I can go like 1 2 3. But I really want to take this seriously and I would love is someone gave me tips or how. I have a passport and have made lots of friends going thanks you
Cindy

Hi Firas - thanks for pointing that out. I meant to say "getting used to dealing with being a non-Japanese kid".

It may sound racist - but I have dealt with different culture kids in 4 countries now and always find it difficult for kids who don't speak the main mother tongue.

In my home country of Australia - new students found it difficult if they could not speak English, Vietnamese or Cambodian (at the school I taught at).

In Taiwan - it was not speaking Chinese.

In Kazakhstan - it was not speaking Russian or Kazakh.

At my Chinese International School - it was not speaking English or strangely Korean.

As a kid - it's very difficult to break into friendship groups if you are not totally fluent in that said language - both written and verbal. I say this through the 2000+ expat kids I've taught over the years

I've probably over-read the comment or written too much - but it's one of my few areas of expertise.

@ Cindy - google student exchange programs. If you are well of financially, then you have no issues getting it sorted out.

what mfedley said is almost the same to all over the world. nothing special only to Japan.

Answering the OP (rather than the other stuff), most of what you are after is the practical stuff.

As a 15 yo you are a minor. You can not execute contracts like a lease and would need a guarantor or guardian. You can pay for an apartment without a Japanese bank account, but it can be difficult. Have you actually done this in your home country (living independently, not some boarding school setup)

Assuming you are fine cooking, paying bills, dealing with transport et al, do you actually have a school in mind that would accept you.

Also on the visa status, do you actually have this (for a student) and not just a visitor permit. Having money doesn't get you into Japan, and your age may also be a legal issue for your parents as they have legal duties to you - check those requirements.

If you can read and write kanji, you should go to yahoo or google .jp and try to find answers about school entrance requirements and foreign student enrollment in Japanese, as well the visa requirements in general and information about living as a minor in Japan because without a guardian you won't be able to do much for yourself (like sign an apartment or phone contract) and if you do come with a parent they need their own visa. If you can't do that, your Japanese is not actually nearly up to the level required to attend regular high school in Japan.

I second the idea of looking into exchange programs. Or you should continue to study Japanese and apply to colleges with study abroad program. It's also possible to attend 4 year university in Japan, and it's much easier to get a visa for that than as a high schooler.

Cindy - you haven't told us what visa you have. You say you have one, but is that actually true? If so, how did you get it?

A passport alone does not mean you'll be allowed to study in Japan. As I said before, Japan has strict immigration rules and won't let you just turn up and stay.

And you didn't answer any of my other questions - food? Bills? Find apartment? Enrol in school? Loneliness?