Should I move to Japan or stay in America

I'm about to enter my freshmen year of high school coming up this fall. I hear all these awesome stories of Americans moving to Japan and having the time of their lives. And see, I love Japanese culture. Yes, I'm not Asian, I am white, but I just love everything about Japan. I've never been. Anyways, the college counselor wants to what I want to do with my life, and I told him about my Japan addiction, but I'm still undecided, so he said I need to tell him ASAP if I want to move to Japan eventually in the future or stay in the USA so we can plan what college is right for me and etc.

So, I want some advice please. Do you think I should move to Japan, a country I love, or stay in the USA? B

You can't move to Japan on a whim. You have to have a valid immigration visa for any stay over 90 days.

I guess your college counselor is just suggesting you to think hard and seriously about your future, and it doesn't meant you need to decide immediately if you will move to Japan or not :) Maybe there are some colleges that have exchange programs with universities in Japan, like for a year or so, which is one way to experience staying in Japan for a while, if you haven't been to Japan at all.

You would want to think about what you want to do as a career - and see if that takes you to Japan.

It is entirely possible to go to Japan for college - either one year, or the full four. There are plenty of people doing that nowadays. This is a good place to start - http://www.uni.international.mext.go.jp/

Some of the graduates from the program I work on have been accepted to exceptional graduate schools - Oxford, Yale, Berkeley, UCLA, Michigan, George Washington, National U Singapore, etc.

Provided you are willing to work hard, college in Japan can give you the opportunity to work out whether you want to stay in Japan long-term, or whether you want to go back home. If you return home, you can enter a graduate program in the US, and get some brand recognition for US employers. Best of all, college in Japan will almost certainly cost a fraction of the amount in the US.

Completing some school in Japan is a good idea. It will give you a taste without burning any bridges. I have also heard good things about the Jet program

Usually in order to get accepted by a Japanese university (for their regular courses held in Japanese), overseas students attend a Japanese language school full-time for 1.5 to 2 years to bring their language proficiency level to that where they can follow classes in the Japanese language.

Considering that that would add approximately two years to your studies until you can start looking for work in Japan, and seeing that you are from the States, meaning you are not eligible for a Working Holiday Visa, I would suggest thinking out what you want to do as your career, completing studies in the States (with holiday trips to Japan, or one year exchange program), and then looking for ways to come to Japan if you are still interested in moving to Japan.

Particularly seeing that the OP has never been to Japan yet, planning right off to attend college in Japan sounds like a big jump (which some people make, I admit).

However - there are also a large number of English University courses in Japan. This would be where you would benefit most - as you live in the culture, still get your qualification and can communicate in English for education purposes.

I would suggest telling your careers advisor that you plan on saving some money and taking a trip to Japan before you decide whether you want to live here. Do you really love everything about Japan? Or do you just love the aspects of Japan that you are exposed to in America?

I personally can't claim to know too many Americans here having the time of their lives, atleast not relative to people in a similar situation in their home countries. Life here isn't a big party where we can just focus on things we love like shinto shrines, bullet trains, and One Piece. Life here is ordinary. There are things that makes life more pleasant for some of us, so we choose to be here. For others (many, many others, particularly westerners) those same things will make life incredibly frustrating.

Wait until you've actually tasted the in Japan (not to mention the nasty tap water in Tokyo) before deciding your next move. I think it's a lovely country and I wouldn't want to be anywhere else, but I could write spend a lifetime describing to you the experiences of the many westerners I've met here whose lives absolutely suck.

Especially a 15 year who has never been to Japan. Most people who have the time of their life there are there on holiday or very temporarily, so I wouldn't listen to those people.

Nobody can tell you whether you "should" go to Japan, that's a decision you have to make for yourself. As with all the important things in life, there is no right answer and are certainly no certainties.

You have a Japan addiction, but have never visited. So, really, you don't know if you would like it or not.

Also (and a big "also") visiting and living are two very different things. Having a great time on holiday and not worrying about the mundane things in life is really great. Living, doing chores, school, and the daily grind which is the norm, not so great.

Also, as a student (high school or university, you probably have not needed to shoulder the responsibility of being an adult yet - so just as a simple item, where is the money coming from to fund your adventure? (I borrowed to fund my university, but it took a while to repay.)

How can you know if you "love everything about Japan" without ever having been? The culture is not just anime and manga, or what you see in movies and on TV. Their way of life, and attitudes, are very different and foreigners can find it difficult to integrate. I would suggest visiting Japan before you decide, and reading a book on Japanese culture (e.g. The Japanese Mind, a book of essays).

I think your best bet would be to start studying Japanese ASAP and choose a college or uni that has exchange programs with Japanese universities. That way you can come to Japan for 6 months or a year and see whether you do like the daily life here or not :)

You definitely need to come to Japan before making such an important decision. I suggest staying with a host family because it will give you a better glimpse into daily life. If you can afford to study at university here or do some type of exchange program then that might be another option.

The jobs for most foreigners are pretty much limited to teaching English, and you need a university degree to do that. If you can't afford to go to university here, I suggest going to a college in the USA that offers Japanese as an elective and begin studying the language.

Japan is no Shangri-La, there are lots of problems here as there are in every society. It's difficult being a foreigner in Japan because no matter how hard you try to adapt to the Japanese way of doing things, you will always be considered an 'outsider'. Most people who move to Japan to work and live do so only for a few years, unless they meet someone special and get married here.