4 simple steps on how to move to Japan and be successful
Ever wanted to live abroad? It may not be as difficult as you think
On November 9th 2016, half of America woke up to the horror of the news that the president elect was going to be Donald Trump. For others, it was pure jubilee that despite the media, despite the pundits, despite expectation, their candidate had actually did it. This reality might be extremely hard for many to wrap their head around. I am purposefully not going to get into politics with this article because that is another article of in itself, and there are plenty of those out there. This article is for the countless amount of people asking me how to live and work in another country, like Japan.
Before I dive in, first, this is not a solution to the problems that exist in this world. Running to another country will not solve the deep rooted divide that exist in countries like US and England. Second, Japan is not a perfect place. Living in a country that is homogenous, where foreigners stick out like a thorn has its cons. Third, I don’t have all the correct answers. My way is very different from others, and at the same time it is like many others as well. What I can tell you is what worked for me, and worked for many other people like me.
If you understand all of the above, and despite these issues you would like to try and live in one of the safest, cleanest, convenient, and most technologically advanced places in the world, then go ahead and give it try. But don’t say I didn’t warn you.
1. Get a job
The first step is to get a job that will get you on your feet. If you don’t speak Japanese then you are fairly limited. But do not fret, if you hold at least a Bachelors degree from an accredited university, there are plenty of English schools that will hire you AND (this is the important part) sponsor your VISA. If you don’t have a VISA and you are an American citizen, you cannot legally work in Japan.
Now back to your job, yes, teaching English is not the most exciting thing to do, but consider this your stepping stone. It is the path of least resistance and will get your foot in the door, and many who are successful in Japan start by getting their feet wet at a teaching job. Take the CEO of Playstation’s company, Sony Interactive. Yes, he started there too.
Here are four Eikaiwa schools (English conversation schools) that will take applications from overseas, sponsor your visa and even set you up with accomodation:
Those are 4 schools that you can apply to RIGHT NOW! For these English schools, the only requirements is to be a native English speaker or live at least ten years in a native English speaking country and hold a bachelors degree, and they will set you up with accommodation and decent job to pay the bills.
If you would like to work in an actual elementary, junior high or high school then becoming an ALT (Assistant language teacher) is also an option. The company that I used to work for is Interac and my experience was overall positive.
In my opinion, these jobs are more interesting just because the salary is a bit better, and teaching kids was more fun for me. However the application is a bit more rigorous and they only accept people when the new school year starts. There is also the likelihood of you not being able to choose a desired central city like Tokyo or Osaka. If you are willing to work out on in the country there are plenty of spaces open, however Tokyo placement is limited, but you are always allowed to request a transfer.
2. Learn Japanese
Now that you have a job and an apartment that you call home, it’s time to learn Japanese. Remember, that teaching job is only temporary and you want to use it as a stepping stone to move on to a better paying position. It is very easy to get comfortable and then next thing you know 5 years have gone by and you haven’t added anything significant to your resumé.
Now there are two ways to do this, the free way and the costly way. Being cheap like me, I went with the free way. This involves complete immersion. First, picking up a book to learn the basic hiragana and katakana characters. It took me a day. In the meantime watching TV in Japanese even when I didn’t understand. Making friends with pretty girls who don’t understand a word of English, but are willing to struggle alongside you to figure out what each other is trying to say. Going to the bar with a phrasebook so that you can put practical conversation to use in real life situations with new drinking buddies.
This is how I studied Japanese. By doing what I like to do back home, but doing it all in Japanese. After about 2–3 months, I was able to hold a basic conversation. 6 months, I was able to live my everyday life without needing to refer to a phrasebook. In less than a year I had a circle of friends of whom didn’t speak English, but we all had common interest. And this is where learning excelled.
Of course, you could pay to go to school. They will teach you proper Japanese but I don’t have much experience in that area so I can’t say too much. What I can say is that these schools will teach very proper Japanese, great for proffesional e-mails and business Japanese and so on. They will also show you how to take the Japanese proficiency test. If you get a high score, it is something valuable that you could notch onto your resumé.
3. Moving on up
Okay now that you have a handle on Japanese and you pretty much know how the country operates, it’s time to put your skills to the test. If you are an artist, a marketer, an IT guy or girl, whatever it is, I encourage you to get back to that trade and make the most of it. Some markets don’t even recquire good Japanese for example many IT jobs, engineering jobs and so on. If you have no experience because you came straight out of college, then you may have to sell yourself a little better and “enhance” your resumé. Check these links below for entry positions.
These three sites have jobs that can turn into careers. Daijob offers job fairs twice a year and it doesn’t hurt to visit them and see what they offer. For mid-level positions, you would fare good to register at a head hunting firm. Michael Page and Robert Walters are just two of the many recruitment firms that exist here in Japan. After building your resumé, your native English skills will come in really handy if you decide to stay in a domestic company. If not, there are plenty of positions that pay adequate salaries for relevant experience.
4. Network
Being an expat presents its challenges but you would do well to network with other bilinguals in Japan who have established a strong footing here. Attending events like TED x Tokyo, proffesional MeetUp events, or JMEC (Japan Marketing Expansion Competition: http://www.jmec.gr.jp ) would put you into the right network and also give you advice on many issues like for example, how to own a house in Japan, or how to start your own company.
In conclusion, this is not a solution to your problems. Japan is not perfect for everyone but I call Japan home because the people are in general very kind. Day to day interactions like shopping and driving are pleasant. The food in general taste pretty good and at the same time it is healthy. I sometimes leave my door unlocked but it’s not an issue. Somteimes I leave my bike unlocked with the key stuck in and come back to find it untouched. I’ve left my bag, wallet and other personal belongings around without worrying it’ll be gone. I walk through whatever neighborhood I want, at whatever time I want, in whatever I want to wear, without a concern. I walk by cops and give them a nod to say have a good day, and in general I am respected for who I am.
Despite this, there is NO paradise on earth.
This is MY unique experience and that differes for everyone. and sometimes there are things I do miss about the US. I keep telling myself, eventually I will come back home, but lately that motivation has taken a steep decline. In any case, I welcome you to come and experience the country I’ve called home for the past 10 years, and if this article helps you to come out here, please contact me. Your first drink is on me.
