Hey OP,
I was very very much like yourself when I was the same age as you are. So I think maybe I can tell you my story, cause I was in the exact same boat. I'm also from the USA, from NY state. I'm 32 now. When I was 18, I had just graduated high school and I really, really wanted to come to Japan.
I picked up a textbook and started learning the language by myself. I bought all kinds of books about Japan, read about the various places, memorized the map of Japan, read about Japanese history, etc. I ended up dating a girl from Japan and I worked my ass off for $5.35 an hour (lol min wage in 2000) to save up money to take a trip with her to Japan for a month. I had a fantastic time, fell in love with the country and culture.
I would spout off similar stuff that you are saying on this thread, about how crime is lower in Japan and people are nicer, the culture is friendly and convenient and such.
Well, as much as I dreamed of moving to Japan quickly, I did realize from my one month trip with my then-g/f that not knowing the language would be a major obstacle.
The poor girl had to translate everything back and forth every single time I talked to someone (I had taught myself some Japanese by then, but let's face it, the stuff I had learned wasn't conversational, it was greetings, restaurant ordering, really simple stuff).
So, instead, I decided at 18 to snag a B.A. and then go to Japan. I took 2 years of community college classes first, knocked out all the general requirements and basic classes that you need to graduate. Tuition was dirt cheap and the school was affiliated with a state university, so the credits applied directly when I transferred to the actual state university.
I didn't major in Japanese, I took a minor in it. I don't recommend you major in Japanese. It will not serve you any use at all. You can take other tests and get other qualifications that show your language ability. Major in something else so you have something to fall back on.
I was able to get grants, loans and scholarships. I studied abroad in Japan via an exchange program from my uni. I received the JASSO scholarship after applying for it (based on my good grades, letters of recommendation from my Japanese professors, my personal essays, etc). It covered my transportation to Japan and paid me 80,000 yen per month as a stipend to live there, it was pretty sweet.
I really recommend you try the college route. You can do community college cheap, then goto a university. From the university, you can study abroad in Japan, hopefully on a scholarship. If you can't get one of those, you can still get loans at least. You'll get a B.A., hopefully in something not related to Japan, while also taking Japanese language classes, so you'll end up with 2 abilities. You'll be 21-23 when you graduate.
There is no rush to get to Japan @ 18. You're talking about getting several part time jobs and studying full time while in Japan. Working 6 days a week and such. You'll burn out. You think you won't, but you will. Even if you didn't, you won't have any time to enjoy Japan anyways. You'll literally be a slave here, just studying and working nonstop. It'll be a waste of time and money.
Anyways, I lived in Japan as a student. That was over 10 years ago. I live in Japan now too. I'm married with kids. Here is the other part of the story. Once you start living here, you WILL wake up to the problems of this country. I was JUST like you @17/18. I thought this place was some kind of utopian society. Do yourself a favor and WAKE UP NOW.
Japan has good points and bad points. A LOT of bad points. That's for Japanese people. Not Japanese? EVEN MORE BAD POINTS. I don't need to talk about them in this post, you seem internet savvy enough, so do your own looking.
After all these years, I still like Japan, but wow, is it hard to live here. Your jaw will hit the ground with the things that you will experience here eventually. Like how you speak fluent Japanese, work with the same people for 3 years, and even after 3 years, sometimes they still say things like "oh! wow! you can read Japanese!?" after you read something in hiragana out loud. And it's not a joke. I mean, literally, jaw on ground. That's just a sample.
I'm not a bitter person living here. I just think you should calm down, realize that Japan will still be here in 2018. Go to college in the USA. Try to study abroad here via a university in the USA. Get the B.A. Don't bury yourself in debt and burn yourself out @ 18 trying to get here. And realize above all else, that Japan is not a utopian society. It is not better than the USA. It still sucks living here, just like living in the USA sucks. Just for different reasons.
|