/jp/ - Otaku Culture

Less than living in California, that's for sure.

>>2246402
CurryButt you live in California? @__@

Let's go get tacos or something.

>>2246426
Sounds good, let's do it anon, but i'm a cheapass so don't whine about paying.

And yeah, I live in LA.

>>2246400

Google you lazy fucker.

>>2246400
you'll never get work visa on your own,
so you have to save lots of money to buy one from the yakuza

>>2246402
lolno. the highest costs of living are tokyo and london

>>2246458
Since when was all of Japan turned into Tokyo? Last I checked the entire country is far from being one huge island known as Tokyo. ಠ_ಠ

>>2246458
It's a shame that the majority of London is a complete shithole. Niggers, sandniggers and chavs united in one ugly ass city. No thanks.

>>2246433
Wanna drive, then?

>>2246470
Tokyo has Akihabara, Shinjuku and Shibuya.

Who the fuck wouldn't want to live there?

Do you have a degree? Because it is almost impossible to move to Japan without one.

Someone else can verify.

>>2246489
People who don't want to live in a crowded, expensive city?

It's not like you can't take a train over to Tokyo anyway. You're going to have alot more spare money if you live in a rural area.

This is assuming you're not a 50 year old businessman whom shits green.

bump

>>2246497

It's the same with other first world countries too. They don't want trash.

My current cost of living in Japland (per month):
Necessities
60,000Y - 1DK Apartment
20,000Y - Food & Drink
8,000Y - Electricity
3,500Y - Gas
1,500Y - Water
4,000Y - Transport

Optional:
4,440Y - 100Mb/s fiber internet (up & down)
1,050Y - Mobile

Total (without optional): 97,000Y
Total (all inclusive): 102,450Y
Total (all inclusive): US$1045

Also, depending on country of origin, you should have no problem getting in on a Working Holiday Visa. Which gives you 6months (extendable to a year) and you can work part time. If you happen to find a full time job, the place you'll be working for would be able to sponsor your working visa.

>>2246572

sorta

some 1st world countries are actually lacking in vocational workers or grunts so to speak ie australia

>>2246575
What do you do to cover all of that?

Thanks Osaka for the answers, how long have you been living out there & area & if you dont mind me asking your place of work

>>2246575
Crap, no wonder being a NEET is so easy, life's not very expensive.

>>2246599
I saved up enough money working back home (Australia) to cover me for at least 6 months (been here 2.5 so far). Looking for a part time job now teaching english :P. Full-time english teaching pays between 200,000Y and 300,000Y typically. Part-time 50,000Y to 180,000 (depends on hours). As you can see, a part-time job would easily cover your expenses each month. Its just the extras that'll get you, like buying figures :P

>>2246601
Job would be nice, but like I said, haven't got one yet (haven't tried too hard either :P)

there is no work visa for the USA, however

so don't plan on that. as far as i can figure, it's because the USA doesn't offer a similar visa plan for japanese.

if you are in USA and you want to work/live in japan then you will have to:

- secure a job ahead of time or while on vacation visa (but don't work while you're on the vacation visa)

- marry japanese citizen

- have a four year college degree and go teach english

>>2246633
Ah, didn't know that. Sucks for US citizens a bit I guess. But yeah, if you have a 4 year degree (in anything! Arts, engineering, whatever) you should be able to get a job teaching english with a bit of effort.

>>2246646
>>2246617
>>2246608
>>2246588
>>2246575

Thanks for the info, bro.

>>2246617

Just wondering Osaka, do you have any notable qualifications?

>>2246667
Computer Systems Engineering with Honours (4-year University Degree). CSE is ComSci + ElecEng.

>>2246680

Couldnt you just apply for a permanent visa with that? It's more than what I've got.

>>2246692
"In practice, the applicant is required to have lived continuously in Japan for a particular period depending on his situation. For example, the periods are ten years for a person having a working visa, five years after obtaining a long term resident visa, and three years after getting married to a Japanese for a person having a spouse visa."
So I need to be here awhile yes? No matter, I've enjoyed my time here, but I do want to go back to Aus eventually (even though the net there sucks compared to here ><)

>>2246633
>marry Japanese citizen
Sounds easy enough to me.

Gameplan: Find self-concious fat chick, 'love' her for 6-7 months and then propose.

Then divorce after a few months pass. OHO

>>2246710

Kudos, I guess if I were in your situation I'd like to return to my country of origin (UK, pretty shit to live here but I have family, friends etc) at some point, it'd be easier that way too I guess

>>2246736
>Then divorce after a few months pass. OHO
Except for the spousal visa to be valid, you need to be married the 3 whole years I believe.

>>2246736

Hey, that's not nice!

>>2246633

So how long is a vacation visa?

Teaching english sounds cliche but if its easy as you say then I'd go for it.

(Not OP)

>>2246956

http://www.mofa.go.jp/j_info/visit/visa/index.html

>>2246956
Vacation (not allowed to work) - 90days (3months-ish)
Working holiday (can work) 6months (extendable, USA not applicable)

>>2246956

Is it Cliche because they have a permanent shortage of reliable english teachers so they'll accept anyone? Or am I just talking off rumor here?

>>2246956

Is it cliche because there's a shortage of reliable english teachers in Japan so they'll hire anyone? Or am I just bouncing off a rumor here?

Well i will be moving from the UK, not the US, so the main things i would need are:

-Degree
-Money

>>2247600
If I were you, I'd wait a while and hope for the exchange rate to be less shitty.

>>2246489
>Shinjuku and Shibuya.
Hmm.

>>2246575
>4,440Y - 100Mb/s fiber internet (up & down)
Oh wow I pay the double for a 20Mb/s (Down only)

Dowant.jpg

Pro: YOU CAN FEEL LIKE YOU'RE REALLY JAPANESE ^______^
Con: You are still a pig-digusting gaijin.

Pro: YOU CAN FEEL LIKE YOU'RE REALLY JAPANESE ^______^
Con: You are still a pig-disgusting gaijin.

>>2246956
Wouldn't you need a Degree in English though? I don't think it'd be as easy as just going there and saying " Hey, I speak English" and them going "You're hired!"... right?

>>2247703
No. You just need a Bachelors Degree or equivalent to become a teacher in any country to teach primary through secondary education. To teach at university level you will need a Masters.

I thought being an English teacher to a bunch of highschool kids is about the worst job you can get?

>>2247794

I'd teach them all sorts of new curse words, like buttcunt.

there are multiple US military bases in japan, you should look into seeing if there are civilian jobs you could do for them allowing u to live on the bases. cause then you would be around people who speak english and be able to venture into japan whenever u want

>>2247843
People probably think going over there and teaching is all fun and games like in Persona.

>>2247851

Oh, you, Persona was never fun

Are Canadians better received in Japan than Americans?

>>2247851
Actually, if you have a sense of humour and get along well with young people, teaching can be one of the most enjoyable experiences you'll ever have.

Seriously, brah. You can make it fun by not being a dick.

there's always a demand for teachers

mainly because people use english teaching as a way to enter japan and gain residence and then get another job they wanted all along

many do it just to see japan for a few years then leave as well

>>2247911
You mean they won't call you a silly gaijin all day long?

>>2246400
Is that the matrix on the signs?

>>2246400
I have a question, if you have a degree, wouldn't it be better to get a job that you have a degree for? Instead of going to teach English?

Does anybody here know about teaching other languages than english? German for example?
I'm really good at english and would be able to teach it just fine, but I dont think anybody would want a teacher who isnt native in a language when there are zilions of americans and australians running around.

>>2247908
Some of them love Canada because of tourism, whether they've been there themselves or not.
Some of them have never heard of Canada.
Some of them think that Canada and America are part of one country.
Other than that, I never found it made much of a difference to most people?

A distant cousin of mine spent a day asking me what words were in 'American' once, no matter how many times her parents corrected her. Apparently for some little people, English=American.

>>2246575
christ, I pay more to stay at an off-campus apartment... and my apartment doesn't include food.

>>2247956
Because actually, teaching your mother's tongue is much harder than teaching something you have learned.
In your own language, there's plenty of stuff you use on instinct that you aren't able to explain.
Someone who was taught english will be able to explain everything just fine.

>>2247951

Because holding any other job, than that of a English teacher is preposterous.

Heres an idea

Lets all form a brotherhood of christ and get the retarded church to pay for us to live in Japan

We can harass the lovely miko all day

Guess i got to search for a teaching degree/masters then :P
Thanks for the answers
Keep some more coming would love to hear more about it.

You can download Japanese video games, anime, and manga from any part of the world.

Why would you want to live in Japan? Why not move to a better country?

>>2248774
>4,440Y - 100Mb/s fiber internet (up & down)

I'm stuck with 3Mb/s down and 384Kb/s up for $30.

>>2248156
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/g3_prayermobilization4Japan/
>G3 Prayer Mobilization for JAPAN aims to mobilize Christian individuals and churches all over the world to PRAY for JAPAN and for the SALVATION of 127 million JAPANESE PEOPLE. WHY WE NEED TO PRAY FOR JAPAN? 1) Japan has around 127 million population but only less than 1% are Christians. There is only one church for every 38,000 people and one missionary to every 55,000 people. 2) Shinto and Buddhism are Japan&#39;s two major religions. 3) Japan is a country that acknowledges 8 million false gods but refuses the one and and true God who is heaven. 4) Tokyo is the largest least evangelized megacity in the world. 5) Japan is known as the Land of the Rising Sun and we want it also to be known as the Land of the Risen Son. 6) Japan has a highly developed technology, efficient transportation system and super highways but the people don&#39;t know that JESUS is the Ultimate Way to Heaven. 7) Japan is materially rich but spiritually poor. There is loneliness and emptiness in the hearts of the people amidst material prosperity. 8) Everyday nearly 3,300 Japanese die and most of them do not know Jesus as their Lord and Savior. 9) According to statistics, the suicide in Japan has an average of 32,000 a year. Many Japanese regard suicide as a show of sincerity to expiate their shortcomings, and view it as an act that would restore honor to their name, their family, or organization.

>>2248798
I'll pretend to be Christian if they pay for me to live in Japan.

>>2248821
I'm actually Christian, where do I sign up?

Also, people should just leave other religions alone, whatever floats their boat as the saying goes.

So what kinda money am im looking at saving
-In Sterling/Pounds
To sit out there nice and comfortable for good few months?

>>2248842
You OBVIOUSLY have never met an southern Christian.

You can easily get a Guest House room in Tokio for 60,000 Yen. Sure, the room may be small, but it usually includes all utility expenses (electricity, air conditioner, water, internet, etc.), you may have to share the shower and kitchen, but it's for the sake of saving money, right? You could always live in a dorm for ~30,000, but I really wouldn't wanna do that.

Anyways, I've been in Japan for almsot half a year now. I've had a job for four months but global recession bla bla bla, not having the best relationship with my boss didn't help either. I'm German so finding a job as an English teacher isn't all that easy, so I'm currently chilling in Tokio and living from my savings.

For me that would be:
60,000 rent + utility
~20,000 food and drinks

meaning I can get by for 80,000 yen a month. However I usually spend more, there's trains, my cellphone etc.

so 100,000 yen a month should be no problem
That's about 1000$
about 730 Pounds
about 790 €

sounds manageable if you save up some money beforehand.

>>2248842
Sorry bro, Japan has enough failipinos.

>>2250224
Could google my ass off for answers, but i think youve got some clue about you and could save me some time if i could ask you, but preparations

Visas etc etc, Give me a full list of who/what i should get/see etc etc
and thanks in advance.

Probably be more time consuming to save up, which means i will be doing more hours and getting less time to myself but i will benifit from it.

Pros&Cons too Annon

Yo OP, I pay 60000 yen a month for my apartment in Shinjuku. I spend about 10000 to 15000 on utilities on top of that. It isn't that expensive compared to other big cities I don't think, but I've never lived anywhere else, so I guess I don't really know.

To anons in moonland, what do you do for work?

>>2250321
>>2250280 here, I work at a televison company.

>>2250321
I worked there in 05/06 as a Duty Free Shop attendant.

>>2250277

Are you American? I have a working holiday visa, wich you can easily get. But IIRC America doesn't have a working holiday agreement with Japan, so sucks to be you.

If you're not American: http://www.mofa.go.jp/j_info/visit/w_holiday/programme.html#1

Also don't count on the JAWHM to find a job, that place SUCKS.

>>2250321
I worked in a Restaurant for four months, but they got less and less customers. Then they fired me, wich is understandable since I was the one with the least Japanese knowledge.

Oh well, now I'm back to looking for a job, wich sucks if you want to be anything else than an English teacher.

As an actor, and interested in traveling around, I was wondering.

How much are Actors in demand? (I already know VAs are highly competitive)
I don't mean just one kind (IE: movies), but as I am just starting, it would likely be theater.

>>2250389

just wondering y dont they have it for the US. i thought us-japan relations were good. i mean fuck they even have filthy corea on that list.
srs responses plz. inb4 weeboo comments.

>>2250414
Fuck, put some effort into your spelling first.

Take this back to /trv/.

>>2250433

It's already on there bro, but it gets better responses here, somehow.

>>2250441


/trv/ Are just taking the piss with most of their answers which is why I havent bothered to post anymore in that thread (:

Rule 3: Don't use smilies - Smilies aren't accepted in /jp/, please refrain from using them. We are all heartless bastards who don't want to see what kind of faces you make IRL while posting (This also applies to reaction images, if you want to post them so badly go to /a/ or /v/) Exceptions: ;_; (Life-like texture ;_;), 2ch smilies and ransmirk.jpg

Rule 14: Grammar and spelling - Type coherently. Firefox has a spell checker, there's no excuse. Also use proper capitalization and punctuation. Yes, we actually care about that.

>>2246588
LOL enjoy working as a janitor in Japan.

>>2250477


Fuck off this is the internet :)(:)::D:PD::>:<:X:O

>>2250414

bump

>>2250414
Because one of the requirements is "good health" and only a tiny minority in the US has that. Too much obesity. It actually says so on the Japanese version of that page.

>>2250486
You can meet moot in Akihabara!

>>2250971
now i know how poland feels

>2250548

If you are careless in using English on the net, it'll affect your English use outside of the net as well.

>>2250414
>>2250971

Not to mention that the US is the only country that's ever nuked them... twice...

>>2247606
>If I were you, I'd wait a while and hope for the exchange rate to be less shitty.
Oh agreed. When I booked tickets and stuff, my money was at AU$1 = 100Y, when I got here, AU$1 = 62Y, seriously, major hit. That reduced my savings from a 1 year stay, to 6-7months. Very sucky.

>>2247908
>Are canadians better accepted than US.
Well, kind of. Some older people have some racism towards US, but then again, some do to just ANY gaijin, which sucks. Meanwhile, the kind that do this probably just assume you're from the US. But its really not that big a deal, I rarely encounter racism here (that I know of, heh).

>>2248787
>I'm stuck with 3Mb/s down and 384Kb/s up for $30.
I myself paid AU$70 for 1.5Mb/s down, 512Kb/s up AND a 60GB a month limit, so its a huge improvment for me.

>>2250414
>just wondering y dont they have it for the US. i thought us-japan relations were good. i mean fuck they even have filthy corea on that list.
Mainly? Because the USA doesn't want a similar agreement. See, Japanese can come to AU/CA/UK/Korea/etc on Working Holiday, in exchange, we can go there on working holiday. The US doesn't want to just give Japanese Working Holiday status for whatever reason. And thats the point of working holiday, it works both ways, if one party doesn't want, neither get.

>>2250277
>Visas etc etc, Give me a full list of who/what i should get/see etc etc
and thanks in advance.
Go to the embassy of Japan's website for your country, it should have the info for what you need in your situation. Alternately, your travel agent can sort it out for you and tell you what you need to know.
Few requirements for Working Holiday:
>must be between 18 and 30 years of age.
>must possess a valid passport and a return ticket or sufficient funds to purchase a return ticket.
>must possess reasonable funds for living expenses, including medical expenses, during the period of the initial stay in Japan. For a single person, the minimum is US$2000, for a married couple, US$3000 or equivalent amount of the national currency.
>must be in good health and not have a criminal record.
>must be a citizen/national of Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the Republic of Korea, Germany, the United Kingdom, Ireland or Denmark currently residing in his or her country of citizenship.

>Pros&Cons too Annon
Pro: you're in Japan!
Con: you're not at home.
Pro: You can watch things on TV when they air (for anime this generally means after midnight).
Pro: You can go buy your goods directly from Akiba(Tokyo) or Denden Town (Osaka) or wherever else.
Pro: You'll pick up Japanese.
Con: Drinks don't come in 2L bottles, 1.25-1.5L max :P
Pro: If you're from AU or anywhere else with shitty exchange, any money you earn here is instantly worth more in your home currency.
Con: If you're from AU or anywhere else with shitty exchange, any money you bring here isn't worth as much as it was 8 months ago.
Pro: Jap girls everywhere (although its hit & miss as to the quality :P)
Con: Jap guys everywhere :P
Pro: Public Transit system that works and is on time everytime.
Pro: Fair priced convenience stores open 24/7 and usually within 2-3mins of your home in any major city.
Plenty more pro/cons but I dont want to keep listing :P

Hey OsakaNEET, fellow Ausfag here, thanks for the contributions so far.

Im guessing its mainly been just a holiday there for you since u seem pretty non-pussed abt getting work and ur almost halfway through (unless ur gonna renew it up to a yr? tho the exchange rate might have decided that for you). Also just wondering what have u been doing in Japan since anyway?

You said you finished uni with a Computer Systems Engineering with Honours (4-year University Degree). Which uni was that? And do u think that you might have hurt ur chances of getting a decent job once u come back home despite the honours. Seeing how the economy has gone to shits (altho hopefully ur getting the 900$ rudd is giving ppl) and that in general employers look at gap yrs between study more favourably than gaps yrs between study and work.

Alot of questions lol sorta like a lame interview lol. And apologize for the lax spelling (pressed for time). Thanks in advance OsakaNEET.

Hey OsakaNEET and that other Ausfag,

for you two, it should be fairly easy to pick up a Job as an English teacher. Just try jobsinjapan.com . For me on the other hand, I've tried applying for a few but they all go "since you're not a native speaker we would rather have someone else, but maybe we will contact you again if we don't find a native -blabla-" and never contact me again. Shit sucks.

Pic is a figure I got earlier this month ^^

>>2251212
>Im guessing its mainly been just a holiday there for you since u seem pretty non-pussed abt getting work and ur almost halfway through (unless ur gonna renew it up to a yr? tho the exchange rate might have decided that for you). Also just wondering what have u been doing in Japan since anyway?
If I get a job, I'll probably extend to a year. That's if it pays enough to cover my expenses and some to save up for the cost of sending things back. I ain't just going to be leaving the figures/books/etc I've bought behind :D. I've been visiting the sites and hanging out with a few jap-friends. Like Osaka aquarium, Osaka castle, visiting Nara/Kyoto/Kobe (all within about 50km of Osaka), etc.

>You said you finished uni with a Computer Systems Engineering with Honours (4-year University Degree). Which uni was that? And do u think that you might have hurt ur chances of getting a decent job once u come back home despite the honours. Seeing how the economy has gone to shits (altho hopefully ur getting the 900$ rudd is giving ppl) and that in general employers look at gap yrs between study more favourably than gaps yrs between study and work.
I will be getting the $900 yes ^_^. As for hurting my chances at work back home, well, maybe. But for me its worth the risk, and if all else fails I can go back to my previous job working at a petrol station :S, sucks, but it got me here :P. That said, I will be trying my best to get a job in my field when I return. I know employers like to hire directly after graduation (I guess so the material is more fresh in your mind? Who knows), I try not to worry about it. Either way, the degree can't be a bad thing to have :)

>Alot of questions lol sorta like a lame interview lol. And apologize for the lax spelling (pressed for time). Thanks in advance OsakaNEET.
No problem.

Does anyone here live in Nagoya?

>>2251256
>I've been visiting the sites and hanging out with a few jap-friends. Like Osaka aquarium, Osaka castle, visiting Nara/Kyoto/Kobe (all within about 50km of Osaka), etc.

How well do you know Japanese anyway? Are your Japanese friends from Aus or ones you made in Osaka? Unless they knew English wouldn't that have been hard to do?

>>2251256
Learn to express yourself without having to use fucking emoticons like a gigantic faggot.

>>2251355
I'm not going to waste my time typing out all the words necessary to convey certain emotions to please the likes of you.

>>2251321
>How well do you know Japanese anyway? Are your Japanese friends from Aus or ones you made in Osaka? Unless they knew English wouldn't that have been hard to do?
I can read hiragana, and say a few words/phrases, that's about it. They're japanese people that I met in Aus (they were at uni and such), they know english.

Also, someone asked earlier which uni, I don't think I said which, University of Adelaide.

>>2251375

oh wow so it was a group planned working holiday? or that ur japanese friends going back home with their shiny international degrees and u tagged along.

Yeh OsakaNEET is awesome.

>>2251355

Jealousfag.

>>2251391
Yeah, they went home with their shiny new degree's. And I came over with my shiny new degree that doesn't help too much over here :P

Fellow Anon-in-Osaka here

Each month I pay (give or take):

57000 for a nice 2DK apartment near Shin Osaka
3000 - gas
2000 - elec (OsakaNEET, 8000 whaaaaa!?)
2000 - water
20000-30000 -food and drink

4000 - internet
2000 - mobile

My job pays for my train pass (11000 yen) which covers most of Osaka.

I have been here a while and have a degree in english. I teach at an international school (near fluent students) and earn about 290,000 yen before taxes (which is good for teaching english) you should expect to earn 250,000 starting at an english conversation school, anything more is pretty hard to get, so I wouldnt expect to earn anymore than that. If you want to teach, I would definitely recommend getting a teaching certificate before coming. You can earn more money and get better jobs at international schools with better benefits as well (just starting my 2.5 weeks paid vacation now!)

I also teach some private lessons on the weekend for 3500 an hour which is good for extra money.

>>2251450
>2000 - elec (OsakaNEET, 8000 whaaaaa!?)
Heating and PC + Laptop do add up... It's winter afterall :P

>>2246453
Is it possible? I will go the underworld route if it's easiest.

>>2251463

psh if ur gonna go the underworld route u might as well get Japanese citizenship while ur at. and wats the worst that can happen if ur caught ................... (not a rhetorical question)

Oh yeah OsakaNEET and others, is it true that you guys can't get a JR pass because you're on working holiday visas. But that they allow JR passes to tourist visas.

>>2251461

I have the same situation (heater and computers), unless you are just leaving your heater on full blast 24 hrs a day you shouldnt have to pay more than 5000. You should talk to your landlord, because that is far too much to pay.

just curious, where exactly in Osaka do you live?

>>2251481
True. JR Pass is for Tourists only.

>>2251484
Bentencho.
And I use the heater for about... 8hrs a day?
How many kWh (kilo watt hours) a month do you use? I used 340kWh last month. I estimate 150 of those were the heater, 80 for the PC/LCD, everything else for the rest.

>>2251481

also, some big stores (like yodobashi camera or Don Quixote) will sell things tax free to tourists, but not to someone like OsakaNEET or me with working holiday or 3 year visa

>>2251559

total ouch!

>>2251607
It's only 5% sales tax. Not too big a deal.

>>2251558

only 155kWh here. Maybe my heater is just newer or more efficient.

I looked at apts in Bentencho, the ones i saw were nice. Rented out by some guy named Alex.

>>2251622

Perhaps you're just not asian enough OsakaNEET :p

>>2251627
Yeah, Alex is who I went through. And yeah, the heater is far from new I'm sure. I'll just have to try to use it less :P

I've been living here long enough to accumulate a lot of shit for my apt: washer, stove top, sofa, tables, tv, REAL CONVECTION OVEN. So i dont have to pay for furnishings which is nice. And I can make roast dinners whenever i feel homesick!

To get an apt with furnishings will cost you a bit extra

Half of the gaijins I met when I was in Japan were English teachers and it seems to be the number one profession for people wanting to stay over there. How many English teachers do they need? How come despite all these English teachers none of them can actually speak English?

>>2251646

wat do u mean by furnishings?

Capsule living is kinda futuristic I think I'd like that

How many of you guys went to .jp without speaking the language (knowing what cute means doesn't count, but anything from vacation to permanent does)?

>>2251667
Semi furnished often means say, Fridge, Couch, TV/VCR, Coffee Table, aircon.
Fully furnished would have more stuff, washing machine, gas stove, table/chairs, bookshelf, other shelves, rice cooker.

My 60,000Y rent includes fully furnished btw.

>>2251661

compulsory english education begins at elementary school level, so in the public school system alone, thats a lot of teachers needed. Although many schools just hire a japanese person who studied english and probably doesnt speak it very well.

Other than that, the English Conversation school is big business here, and most of them are all about appearance: get native english speaker, put them in a tiny room, collect money from japanese people who want to 'study' english as a hobby. Anyone with (or without in some cases) a college degree can do it, its fucking stupid easy and one of the few business a foreigner can join in japan without speaking fluent japanese

>>2251679
My first week here I was in Tokyo, in a place like that. Its not really all that great, privacy sure (it had a solid wooden door that shut over and could be locked). Better than standard bunks with no privacy or security. But you still share living space with other people which sucks.

>>2251689

i didnt speak a lick of japanese before i got here.

After 2 years, I'm conversational and my listening is pretty strong. Reading and writing needs much improvement

>>2251695

thats what i dont get

if normalfags like ourselves can figure out how retarded this is, y cant/doesnt the government do anything abt it

>>2251700

living space? was there a communal are area kitchen / lounge?

>>2251729
>living space? was there a communal are area kitchen / lounge?
Communal kitchen / lounge room area (was in the basement, was pretty nice down there though). Communal shower/toilet/wash basin area (showers were private booths with lockable doors, same with toilets obviously). The sort of thing you'd expect. Oh, and free wi-fi across the building, which was cool.

you should just live in an internet cafe!

-high speed internet
-comfortable couches/reclining chairs
-showers
-free drinks (soda)
-tons of free movies, comics, and games
-fly address-free completely under gov't radar

there are thousands of japanese nationals that do it, why not you too!

>>2251724
Why would the government want to stop it? They make money off the taxes we pay (and working holiday pays 20% tax instead of 10%, I believe you can get your 10% back after you return home if you stayed a year). They also get money from taxes from the other stuff we do, like rent, and purchase crap.

If you mean the people teaching English at schools, well, its part of their curriculum, and English is one of the most common languages in the world, and it can't hurt the students to know some.

>>2251763
Renting an apartment is ultimately cheaper, and if it is about comparable (net cafe's aren't necessarily too cheap), you wouldn't have anywhere to keep all your stuff, or much room. But hey, if that doesn't bother you, go for it :P

>>2251763
Net cafe refugees. The thing is that they don't have a choice about this.

>>2251766
Im sorry. What I meant was that most (not all) these "English teachers" are pretty much highly ineffective and they are essentially getting a free ride a real working holiday. Not stop it. Reorganize from the top-bottom.

>How come despite all these English teachers none of them can actually speak English?

Because they don't get enough practice speaking English in Japan, and because they study English in order to pass tests or get certified, not to speak it to other people. They study textbooks, not fiction.

>>2251779
Im sorry. What I meant was that most (not all) these "English teachers" are pretty much highly ineffective and they are essentially getting a free ride a real working holiday. Not stop it. Reorganize from the top-bottom.
Well, for the ones working for companies, that's the companies problem, and if they don't see a problem with it (i.e. they're making money), then there is no problem.

The school ones, well, the education department probably isn't too worried, the position of an ALT (assistant learning teacher or something) is hardly demanding. They just need to talk English and try to convey things to the kids.

One of the things I dislike about English conversation schools is that the teachers are not allowed to speak Japanese ever. Ultimately I reckon the kids/whoever would learn a lot easier if they were told what the words meant in Japanese. Instead the teachers just try to explain in English, and if the kids know none in the first place... pretty pointless.

I mean, if you're trying to explain the word 'impossible' and the person just doesn't get it, surely telling them its equivalent to 'muri' would save you both a lot of time and headache.

Hey Osaka, I've been thinking about moving to Kyoto, and you say you've visited it. Was it nice?

>>2251889
Lots of shrines/temples that's for sure. Its a nice enough place. And its not far from Nara & Osaka if you want to visit them.

>>2251805
I agree with you as a Japanese. I have studied English from text books and inter net to get through a collage entrance exam. Never have I been speaking with native speaker. I can read this site almost all. but I can't listening and speaking. I think the English education of Japan's compulsory school is really poor. My English teachers are all Japanese who can't speak English fluently. We Japanese students are studying English alone back home. not school. Yet rich people are not the same. Their children are send to some selective private schools which have excellent English teachers. That's why the Japanese government doesn't solve the problem that we poor people have no superior English education in our compulsory school.

>>2246497

Almost impossible. You can get away with some shiz, and get sponsored if you go over and apply for jobs.

But if you stay in your home country and apply, yeah you're fucked.

JRPass Loophole - If you have time, enter Japan for 3 days as a tourist, claim your JR pass, then exit and re-enter Japan work/holiday visa.

So you can get another view expenses, here are my monthly bills:
￥78500 1DK Rent (<10min walk Shibuya Dori) Internet heating, water, electricty included.
￥6000-7500 Softbank keitai
￥12000 PASSMO! (damn you suica) All corp re-embursed.
￥20000 Food (Very low because majority is corp expensed/ client entertainment, etc)

Total: ￥170500 typical give or take.

>>2251902
The Japanese dont make english teaching attractive to qualified english speakers.

I do not want to get paid 200000 yen a month and live in a small apartment without air conditioning when I could earn 40000 USD driving UPS trucks with little to no training.

>>2252029
How about you go and tell me a country in which a teachers job is actually worthville?

>>2252029
They don't make doing engineering work attractive either.

I was in line for a program that would have had me doing contract engineering work for various firms in Japan (Electronic, software) but the base pay for someone with a bachelors was around 220000yen a month. It went up with experience.

This, combined with the fact that they wouldn't pay you for the initial 9 months of training (3 in San Jose, 6 in Tokyo) forced me to give up on that route (go go student loans.)

It's unfortunate, I'd have loved to given it a shot even if the Japanese work ethic is completely crazy.

Continued from >>2252006

As soon as you're settled, get your gaijin card. You'll need it to open a bank account (usually) and keitai. (1SEG for the win! haah...)

Cop explained to me that, if you dont have your gajin card yet, and you're caught without your passport, it's reasonable cause for deportation. Getting carded happens more often when you're on a bike and white (haha I know) or hanging about Roppongi on the weekends (ugh)

Japan national tax rate is around 20% gross income. If you're Tokyo, each prefecture has their own tax on top that that's can be up to 10%. Not sure about Kyoto or Osaka - but they're probably similar in workings.

If you have to leave Japan for ANY reason, GOOO to the ministry and get a reenter permit. Otherwise they'll hassle you at customs if you have a work visa, and they'll flat out tell you GTFO if you didn't get a re-entry permit with your working holiday visa.

>>2252056
I think one of their justifications is that they get more engineering graduates in Japan as is, so there isn't as much need for foreigners to fill the gaps unlike other countries where there's a lower ratio engineering graduates.

>>2252006
>￥78500 1DK Rent (<10min walk Shibuya Dori) Internet heating, water, electricty included.
Sounds like a good deal to me!
Was it furnished at all? Even if it wasn't you're saving money. If I do stay an extra 6 months, I'm thinking of moving to another apartment (maybe city?) to save more money, or have more room, either way. The contract for this place ends around the time I have to extend, so that's why I'm waiting till then.

>>2252146
I could see how an engineer with good japanese writing skills could be in very high demand, considering all the technical documents that have to be translated

>>2252155
How big? That's less than what I'm paying now, and my rent doesn't include any utilities.

>>2252160
an engineer should be engineering, not translating.

>>2252160
Which is kinda what I'm aiming for, except instead of doing the program I mentioned in >>2252056 I'm doing it via a company in the US. Spinoffs of major US silicon manufacturers aren't quite as good as the parent, but still better than some contracting company.

>>2252173
I should also qualify that I'm living in Folsom, CA. Fuck it's expensive here.

foreign student in hiyoshi (Top north of Yokohama, 25min from Shibuya)

house renting : 45200 Y (this includes electricity, water, gaz, internet) because of student discount
food : 25000 Y (at lunch cafeteria @ campus, dinner in restaurant with friends)
transport : 4000 Y or so I think (going to Tokyo on week ends, have to move around for part time job)

I have several part time jobs so I earn around 10000 Y per week.

Thing is that I'm spending way too much money in Karaoke, Game Center (yet I'm failing bad) and melon pan v_v

foreign student in hiyoshi (Top north of Yokohama, 25min from Shibuya)

house renting : 45200 Y (this includes electricity, water, gaz, internet) because of student discount
food : 25000 Y (at lunch cafeteria @ campus, dinner in restaurant with friends)
transport : 4000 Y or so I think (going to Tokyo on week ends, have to move around for part time job)

I have several part time jobs so I earn around 10000 Y per week.

Thing is that I'm spending way too much money in Karaoke, Game Center (yet I'm failing bad) and melon pan v_v

Do we have any anons living in Sapporo? I'm kind of more interested in how it is up in Hokkaido as opposed to Kanto/Kansai.

>>2252155
Not furnished. Coworker actually hooked me up, I dont know the details but he keeps bugging me about how much he saved me and how the landlord is going to raise it to like 1400+ after I leave.

If you have time on the weekend, wonder around the residential areas about yoyogikoen and tomigaiya. The local real estate guys are much cheaper than anything you'll find online. They'll have bills posted all over the entrance of the office so you can browse all you like till you see something you like/affordable. Bring a Japanese friend too if you can - sometimes the agents are kind of edgy (or rip you off cuz you're foreign) or wont deal with gaijins at all.


Definitely get out of Tokyo and visit the rest of Japan. Tokyo is not Japan... Everyone tells me Osaka-ans are even more courteous than ppl in Tokyo.

>>2252173
Mmm, 7 ish tatami bedroom, I dunno, similar size for kitchen+dining area combined. Not really that big but I love the location.

>>2252319
Mmm, 7 ish tatami bedroom, I dunno, similar size for kitchen+dining area combined. Not really that big but I love the location.
Sounds like mine. Mines 8 matts, similar size kitchen/dining, balcony, and shower & toilet of course.

I have noticed decent priced places at real estate agents though. Something to consider anyway.

so is it easy to pick up chicks? do you get any gaijin bonus?

>>2252029
That makes a lot of sense. I don't know what you said truck drivers earn so much in the U.S.. While In japan many young Japanese can't earn average 200000 yen in a month. Japanese labor circumstances is very bad so that many Japanese youngsters would earn from about 150000 yen to about 200000 yen in a month. Besides part time job worker numbers are very large among youngsters in Japan. As I have heard that you said, I want to work in the U.S..

bump!

>>2252445
>I want to work in the U.S..

noone works there, not anymore.

>>2252445
While I'm pretty sure the cost of living is different, 200000 yen per month comes out to about 24,000 USD per year, and a family of four can live fairly comfortably on that.

>>2252704

Low standards are low. 24k a month is horrendous in most US cities.

You would have to learn American english

>>2252704
Lol, i dont want to know what kind of comfort that is.

I live an 8 minute train ride from Shibuya in a 34 square meter place. I pay 105,000 yen in order to not live in a slummy foreign ghetto shoebox.

A friend of mine just got a place for 250,000 a month. Neither of us are teachers, obviously.

Tokyo isn't all it is cracked out to be. If you enjoy being at the fringe of society as a human tape recorder (english teacher), then come and spend some time here, but if you want to develop a career and have real goals in your life, then don't bother, because most teachers that come, just end up wasting time after a certain point.

OP here, been giving some huge thought of this matter, and with reading through this whole thread & browsing various stuff on the web, nothing has been a major put off and I would still love to get over to Japan.

Guess that means I will be saving up quite abit of cash, and will be looking at trying to get some sort of job as English tutoring in Japan.
In sterling/pounds what am I looking to save up here to sit comfortably for a while.

Dont suppose anybody could help with the preparations and/or give me some links to websites or phone numbers I could ring to get in touch so I can start this tutoring certificate, I would love to start ASAP so as not to waste anymore time.
[I am from the UK, just near London]

But to Osaka is there anyway I could talk to you either email/msn or by phone etc?
Just to get some more infomation and to anwser some questions/queries.

Sounds weird but like I said previously you do have some knowledge and experience in this, so would be a great help.

Ive been offered a job at a tokyo hostel which is smart for them, considering most their clients are english speakers and it would probably be very helpful for a native speaker to be able to talk with them.

Plus, all of their signs have horrible engrish and I could fix that.

>>all of their signs have horrible engrish and I could fix that.
You'd be defacing the tourist attractions.

>>2254362
>Not waste anymore time
>Teach English in Japan

>>2252438
I read once that if you want a bonus, be black. Second best is White. (In b4 wut?)

>>2252718
24k translates to about 288,000USD in my book.

~1000USD Rent
~2000USD Utilities
~1000USD Savings
~2000USD Spending

Its really enough for doing whatever you want.

>>2254362

do u have a degree? if not dont bother. teaching certificate will get u nowhere.

>>2254362
OH! You're from the UK!

In that case, Working Holiday Visa. Best option hands down.

1. Apply for your working holiday visa. Also Passport.
2. Go to Japan
3. Apply for Jobs
4. Work for a company for a year
5. Hope they offer secondary sponsorship/Extended contract after the first expires
6.?????????
7.Ganbatte, you're living in Japan.

steps 2 and three are interchangeable, but you have a better chance if you're in japan for them to hire you. The Japanese like face to face meetings, it shows initiative or something.

>>2255026

Haha ok then.
I also prefer the face-to-face meetings.
With the bullshit we get in the UK with applying online and stuff, its a windup really.

bump

>>2254362


Bump for curiousity

>>2255026

u do realize Japan doesnt even have jobs for their own people

-13% ftw

Very interesting thread, considering an English degree now.

Just a quick few questions for the guys who moved out there:

1) How difficult was it to overcome the language barrier? Was there a lot of time where you didn't have aclue what was going on because you couldn't understand people? Did this make getting jobs/accomodation difficult?

2) What's it like when it comes to food, etc.? Is there and option to have traditional say, British food, or is there only the Japanese option?

3) Does it feel too secluded over there? I've heard stories that Japan is very cut off from the world.

Thanks in advance.

CANT WAIT TO MEET HOT NIPPONIAN GIRLS
^_^
I'LL BE THE ENVY OF MY ANIME CLUB!!!
SUGOI!

>>2257268

Yeah i would also like to know this.

Espeically the language barrier.

I downloaded Rosetta Stone and single words are easy enough, but stringing sentences together are hard sometimes..

Its definately one of the most different languages to English in my opinion.

>>2257268

Im sure they have mashed potato & sausages

Hey!
Gimme link to downloading XRUMER 5.05 Palladium keygen!
Thank you...
Very-very much.
I'm so need this program for promote my website! This software is the best thing for online promo and mass posting, you know...

And, dont send me XRumer 2.9 and XRumer 3.0 - that versions are too old!

P.S. Google cant help me((((

Language barrier depends on how hard you study, that should be obvious. If you're a lazy fuck enjoy being secluded more.

Food, you get used to easily. Frankly it's harder to adjust coming back to the states/uk.

Secluded? only if you know nothing.

Doesn't amtter for most since most of /jp/ is in highschool or a dropout.

>>2257268
Depends on where you are going. In Tokyo you might get along without any japanese at all. In the more rural parts its diffrent.
Apart from that i would recommend at least basic knowledge of the japanese language.
The same goes for food. Of course you can find international food but dont expect too much of it.

I'm saving my virginity for a Japanese femvirgin. Am I awesome or am I awesome?

I'm an attractive male (atleast when compared to your average 4channer forwardslash weeaboo), so it won't be much of a problem for me.

>>2257361
Enjoy your bucktoothed yellow whore, fag.

>>2257369
Enjoy your fat pie munching whitey slut, Fag

>>2257361
Idiot

>>2257413
I shall.

posted this over in /trv But seeing as you have dual threads, I'll post it here as well.

I'm moving to Japan in about 2 months. I'm 25, I interviewed for work in the UK and my employer will be sponsoring my work visa.

I've just finished getting everything sorted to move out there. It has taken about 6 months, from initial contact with employer to being offered a job, with a number of interviews along the way. Before then I have spent 4 years getting undergrad degree, TEFL and teaching experience.

People already living in Japan may have had a different experience, but this is how it is NOW for peeps in the UK who want to move to Japan.

Here is the reality for you:

1: If you have not visited or spent time in Japan before, don't even fucking bother thinking about moving out there. It is NOT the dream land you may think it is. GO ON HOLIDAY.

2: You best have a DAMN good Degree, you'll need a degree for a work visa, and due to the recession even ESL teaching jobs are hard to get (They used to be an easy way to move to Japan, but alas, no more.) You will be up against alot of competition. (for example MA level TESL trained teachers.) I recommend having at least a 1st class undergrad degree in English language and 2 years of teaching experience.

3. If you do not want to teach English, you should be fluent to a native level in Japanese, otherwise you won't even get an interview.

4. If you just want to get away, then Thailand and South Korea are alot cheaper and easier places to live and work in.... I do hope you've travelled Asia and visited all these places... Otherwise, why... Oh lordy WHY are you thinking of moving Japan!?

facepalms all around. for all of you. allllll of you.

>>2257443

>UK

Opinion and advice invalidated.

>>2257470

On /trv OP stated he is from the UK, So How is my advice invalidated... Please do tell. Thanks.

>>2257443
Thank God someone else knows whats up here

The short answer is: He's a weeaboo fucktard who's never been to Japan and has a very bad preconception of what life is like there.

My wife's sister owns a mansion (condo) in Tokyo. She is moving away and plans on renting it while she is gone. I was there, it has 1 kitchen, 1 living room, 2 bedrooms. She is asking for the equivalent of $2000 USD per month.

My wife's brother lives 1 hour away from whatever station you stop at when coming in from narita airport. He pays $1600 per month for an aparment about the same size.

Way out in the boonies where my wife's parents live. They have houses for $300,000 that are tiny.

>>2257443

What you say is true, but you can't say that it's not a nice place to live, if your moving there yourself.

>>2257764

I didn't say it's not a nice place to live, I said it's not a 'Dream land.' I think that rural Japan is wonderful, one of the safest places on earth and very beautiful. Tokyo is great for a weekend out, but I wouldn't really like to live there, too hectic and impersonal for my liking…. But yes it’s always fun to explore, and I do enjoy shopping in Akiba.

What I meant was Japan is NOT the dream world of:
‘Everyone loves the white guy, I’m gonna be so popular and have cosplay girls fighting for me in the street, I’m gonna eat sushi for breakfast lunch and dinner and so watch the latest animated films with my Robot buddy every night.’

Japan = Normal people, living normal lives in an Asian culture that’s very influenced by western business and media.

When was the last time you spent time with a foreign immigrant in your country who does not speak your language? ….Don’t expect much more from the Japanese.

>>2257969

Nice little statement at the end there, you can empathise with them in a level.

Hello,
Amazing! Not clear for me, how offen you updating your www.camondraconis.com.

Thanks
Eremeeff

>>2257976
on*

>>2257361
Thanks. I needed that

>>2257982
SHUT UP BOT!

>>2257969

I myself have not been to Japan, but my aunt was back in the late 80's. I imagine having the hordes 30+ something salarymen hitting on you just because you got blonde hair gets annoying after about 12 hours once you get out of the airport. Because like we all know in Japan, natural blondes put out more!

Morale of the story:
The weeaboo view of Japan is about as distorted as their view of the slightly less mainstream western world. (think northern europe and scandinavia.) Maybe it has changed in recent times though.

>>2257443

OP here

Well I've been talking to a friend that should be coming with me too, and we've assessed the situation and are planning few weeks holiday over there in the December period, even though we should have the money by early July, Imperial Palace over there is open for 2 days or something, so we want to do it then.

While on this holiday we put a week into looking around gathering prices and such, then the other week enjoying ourselves.

I think the main point of this thread is to get a rough idea of what the prices would be like, jobs situation and other things.

Its good to get a varied amount of answers and I appreciate the replies and attention, keep it coming (: