considering Japan for my future

Hello,

I have recently given more life to an ideal I have years about when I was in my teens. Now that I'm 21, I have been finding myself searching over the internet about life in japan or more specific Moving and working in Japan. Not just staying for bit, but maybe settling down there and making it my permanent home (yes that does mean changing my citizen ship).

Currently this is just in the thinking phase, as I have been gathering a lot of data on how to accomplish such a feat. and this is where I need first and knowledgeable experience that will not white wash things for me.

First off it seems that the most basic start is a English teacher (which sounds great seeing how I do like English myself) but recently I learned of the Nova incident and how that career path kinda ends. Would someone be kind enough to post some helpful tips on career paths for an American in japan?

Secondly, I spent two years of my life doing nothing and would like to apply myself towards a goal/career. I mention earlier that I do like English and I have some talent in artistic department. The question is how did you work out paying for college (stateside) and going to Japan?

These are two of my greatest generic questions that I need some help on from experienced people. I have nothing holding me down in the States and I do not mind the small apartments and I adore the culture and values that on the surface are presented in Japan. Now if you think I need more information on something or you think I may be at a lost please feel free to help. I also have not visited Japan and I will not make an decision to move there until I do so ( I was thinking I could work it out during college as a student transfer).

Solemnclockwork,

Questions like yours crop up here regularly, so you really should spend some time trawling through the forum archives for ideas of how best to achieve your goal.
Just to summarize your options at this stage, you would be wasting your time even thinking about moving to Japan until you have got a university degree, married a Japanese national, or enlisted in the US military. In the meantime, start learning the language!

Dave in Saitama is right- as a US citizen you are not eligible for a working visa in Japan without a bachelor's degree or a number of years experience in the job you hope to do in Japan. Whether you do the degree in the US, Japan, or both is up to you, but you won't get far without it job-wise.

As for changing your citizenship- very premature to be even thinking about that. Most foreigners who live and work here do not change their citizenship, ever. I have been here for 11 years and would not even consider changing mine- you will never be Japanese in any case, regardless of what passport you carry. Also the US government does not recognise renunciation of citizenship on the part of its citizens.

Coming here to teach English, or work in IT or finance (there are few other occupations open to non-Japanese who haven't lived here a long time already) is a very well-worn path, so as Dave in Saitama says, look on this site or elsewhere for loads of information already written about this topic.

I should have posted that the only way to even accomplish anything in Japan (US included) is a college degree. I know this. I already even planed to go to college. As for changing my citizenship depends on what happens to me in Japan I find a "life" then by all means I will, but anyway I do not plan to for a good while. As far as me being Japanese is not the problem because it is the same as some regions of the US, you don't have to be a native to like a culture. I only need some friends not the whole country to like me.

I know and continue to look up information about being an English teacher (90% sure I would probability end up doing this at first). I wanted help on the long term like maybe getting a lot of experience play the game right and land a job at an university as an English professor. Long term would be the key here;trying to plan not only the short term but the future over there as well.

Well if your long term plan is an English professor at Japanese university you'll need a lot of school. You might get by with a Masters but I'd think that a PhD. in English would be the requirement. As well as fluency in Japanese.

To teach at a university, the usual requirements stated are: minimum of Masters in TESOL or Applied Linguistics, very good Japanese language skills, experience teaching in Japan and several publications (contributions to textbooks, research papers etc.)

So you've been looking on www.eslcafe.com's Japan forum?

Look at aiming for permanent residence (that is if you even like the country once you get here!) rather than citizenship- that is a much more attainable and practical goal.

Don't build up Japan too much in your head- I find it's the people with the biggest expectations that end up being disappointed and end up going home earlier than they intended.

On the other hand I knew very little about Japan before I arrived (pre widespread use of internet, so not much info available), only planned to stay 6 months, and here I still am after almost 11 years...

Sira,

Not to you mention the site, and that has been one of the most informative sites I've visited so far. I plan to put myself toward an teaching career and want to actually teach, and ask if there is a difference between an eikaiwa and actual English teaching?

Also I don't consider the language to be an barrier, I will not put myself into a position to be part of a new land where I'm not at least somewhat understanding of customs and language (I will learn what I can by being in an English country). I'm will/would take part in the country not try to create a bubble around myself and other English speakers.

I've got a long way to go, college first and then see whats in the field after that. Hopefully the recession will be over by then.