Help with moving to Japan

Hello all. I'm planning on emigrating to Japan. I was hoping you could offer me some friendly advice and tell me if I'm on the right track.

First of all a bit about me. I'm from England. I'm currently employed as a Engineer and have been working as one since leaving school at 16, 8 years. I've studied part time and have a bachelors degree in Mechanical Engineering. I'm earning decent money but want a change. I'm currently taking Citalopram for depression, which no longer gives me much problems thanks to the drug. I'm also type 1 diabetic on a insulin pump. I've visited Japan twice before and absolutely loved it.

As I've said I'm planning on moving to Japan. Here's my plan:

Do a TEFL course next year.
Increase my understanding of the Japanese language.
Work on softening my accent, I currently have a broad Yorkshire accent.
Save up some money.
Apply for JET in October.
If unsuccessful apply at Gaba.

I guess one of my major concerns is how I'd get on in Japan with my medical requirements. How I could live a lifestyle cheaply out there. How I could get a visa if sponsorship failed. And pretty much anything else to be aware of.

Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance for your time.

Hi Felly,

In what industry are you working now? With 8 years of experience, I'd encourage to look for engineering jobs instead. For highly skilled professionals some companies don't require you to speak japanese fluently. There's a huge shortage of qualified engineers here.... give it a try. Take a look at career cross, daijob and recruiting agencies (hays, enworld, robert walters, igs consulting, etc.).

As for your questions:

Medical requirements: Investigate about Lexapro, it is available in Japan and reportedly very similar to Citalopram.

Cheap lifestyle: If you land an engineering job, don't worry about this. If you get into JET or an english teaching job, you can still have a decent life. (Tons of advice online on how to survive on an english teaching job salary)

Visa sponsorship: You need an employer to sponsor you, yes or yes. If you can't get a work visa, you need to either come here as a tourist (max. 90 days), student, or on a working holiday visa.

Lastly, I really don't want to discourage you, but considering your mental health situation I feel obliged to tell you that visiting and living in Japan are two completely different experiences. Life here can easily turn into boring routines and if you don't know anyone, it can get pretty lonely and depressing. Just thought you should know.

Good luck