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Working/Living in Japan

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dutchie said:
Is there anyone here living/working in Japan?
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I am at the moment looking at purchasing a house in Hokkaido. Plan is to live there for a couple of months each year during their winter for snowboarding and general fluffing around :D. And the odd holiday throughout the year.

Not as a permanent resident and not to "work" as such.

What are your plans/ideas?
 
i did it for a few years, it was great. you'll need any degree to work and there are options like JET where you are placed in a school or the factory schools like geos. you can pm me any questions if you like
 
Dutchie,

Check out the travel forum in my sig for info about teaching english overseas
 
ha!

look at her style - she's clearly copying Japanese!

;)

don't make me surf the net for hot Japanese chicks! ;)
 
dutchie

You will have about an extra $15-20K at the end of a 1 year contract to go traveling, if you choose Korea instead of Japan.

I've been to Japan and enjoyed my experience there. But still prefer the food, culture and overall experience of Korea. JMO

If you hold a South African passport you can also get a great work visa for Taiwan.
 
Trembling Hand said:
I am at the moment looking at purchasing a house in Hokkaido. Plan is to live there for a couple of months each year during their winter for snowboarding and general fluffing around :D. And the odd holiday throughout the year.

Not as a permanent resident and not to "work" as such.

What are your plans/ideas?
Click to expand...

Only problem is that their winter is our summer, so you miss the beautiful Sydney weather, beaches, the festival etc

What? You're in Melbourne?. No worries then, off to Japan you go:D

Seriously though, I'e thought about moving to Japan, but think Tokyo would be too much for me, but that is best place for me to get jobs in finance. Problem is you have to work too hard:eek: Might think about living down south - Kyushu way as the wife's family is from that area. Saw someone on here had a Okinawa address - that is really south, but nice and warm.

Warning - Japan is very very foreign for Australians. I lived in Hong Kong for a few years and Japan is nothing like that. Much more foreign.
 
gooner said:
Only problem is that their winter is our summer, so you miss the beautiful Sydney weather, beaches, the festival etc

What? You're in Melbourne?. No worries then, off to Japan you go:D

Seriously though, I'e thought about moving to Japan, but think Tokyo would be too much for me, but that is best place for me to get jobs in finance. Problem is you have to work too hard:eek: Might think about living down south - Kyushu way as the wife's family is from that area. Saw someone on here had a Okinawa address - that is really south, but nice and warm.

Warning - Japan is very very foreign for Australians. I lived in Hong Kong for a few years and Japan is nothing like that. Much more foreign.
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Fukuoka has a nice beach but no surf. Just near the Softbank Seahawks stadium. Tokyo is overwhelming and try paying $40 for a watermelon, now that's an experience. :eek:
 
I live and work in Japan. Frankly, you're an idiot (and I put major emphasis on idiot) if you are thinking about coming to work here right now considering the difference in economic climates between Japan and Australia.

Japan is in really bad shape. Salaries are in the gutter and falling further; jobs are few and far between and they are getting harder to find. As a rough example, IF you could find a job chances are you would be earning about $20k pa (and maybe not even that). Then you need to pay for living costs which are still exorbitant. The days of high flying and easy money from teaching jobs in this country are long, long gone. Trust me, I've been here for over a decade and seen the changes taking place.

Frankly if you leave Oz to come to Japan, I'll slap you for stupidity. Oz has so many damned chances now, so much going for it. At least when compared to Japan.

Sorry if I come across rather blunt, but it's really not a very clever decision imo.

p.s. I've no idea about Korea, but I have heard what others (Gumby) above have mentioned on numerous occasions.

edit: oh, there are plenty of hot chicks wherever the hell you are. I wouldnt bother making that the reason to go somewhere.
 
Ato said:
I live and work in Japan. Frankly, you're an idiot (and I put major emphasis on idiot) if you are thinking about coming to work here right now considering the difference in economic climates between Japan and Australia.

Japan is in really bad shape. Salaries are in the gutter and falling further; jobs are few and far between and they are getting harder to find. As a rough example, IF you could find a job chances are you would be earning about $20k pa (and maybe not even that). Then you need to pay for living costs which are still exorbitant. The days of high flying and easy money from teaching jobs in this country are long, long gone. Trust me, I've been here for over a decade and seen the changes taking place.

Frankly if you leave Oz to come to Japan, I'll slap you for stupidity. Oz has so many damned chances now, so much going for it. At least when compared to Japan.

Sorry if I come across rather blunt, but it's really not a very clever decision imo.

p.s. I've no idea about Korea, but I have heard what others (Gumby) above have mentioned on numerous occasions.

edit: oh, there are plenty of hot chicks wherever the hell you are. I wouldnt bother making that the reason to go somewhere.
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Totally agree. The industry is changing.
 
Japan is an awesome place, great chicks, food, going out... I was there in the busy days when making money was damn easy... I was teaching english and working at some of the best nightclubs, but I left in 2005 simply because work was drying up and the salaries were getting lower. Last I heard from my friends is that everything has dried up, not as many jobs and people aren't partying as much. But I guess you will still have a great time regardless... it's probably best to get yourself a job beforehand with a company like Nova.
 
Ato said:
I live and work in Japan. Frankly, you're an idiot (and I put major emphasis on idiot) if you are thinking about coming to work here right now considering the difference in economic climates between Japan and Australia.

Japan is in really bad shape. Salaries are in the gutter and falling further; jobs are few and far between and they are getting harder to find. As a rough example, IF you could find a job chances are you would be earning about $20k pa (and maybe not even that). Then you need to pay for living costs which are still exorbitant. The days of high flying and easy money from teaching jobs in this country are long, long gone. Trust me, I've been here for over a decade and seen the changes taking place.

Frankly if you leave Oz to come to Japan, I'll slap you for stupidity. Oz has so many damned chances now, so much going for it. At least when compared to Japan.

Sorry if I come across rather blunt, but it's really not a very clever decision imo.

p.s. I've no idea about Korea, but I have heard what others (Gumby) above have mentioned on numerous occasions.

edit: oh, there are plenty of hot chicks wherever the hell you are. I wouldnt bother making that the reason to go somewhere.
Click to expand...

Agree. I did a 2 year stint about 10 years ago and had the time of my life. I went over to snowboard the dry powder of Hokkaido and ended up sticking around teaching English a few hours a day getting paid silly money. The exchange rate was phenomenal, the work easy and the social life brillant. However, now I hear from mates still over there that it bites as the gravy train has run dry.
 
what a pack of whingers! :D

I came back late 2004.

rent $250 - $300 a month (nice place 5 minute walk from Station)
food - bugger all (plates of sushi for 2.50 or perhaps yohinoya at $5 a bowl)
transport - again not much (but this depends on how many stops from home to work)
Clothing - trendy t-shirts etc... $35 each. Levi jeans $65-75
Beer - up to $8 for di jokeys (sp) I think they were the bigs ones (750mm - 1lt) - I'm sure someone will correct me. buy 500ml cans aasahi for $4.50 @ supermarket/convienience stores

Japan is way cheaper to live in than Australia.

Work was easy to find if you bother looking for it... but a lot of expats fall into the mendokusai (sp) attitude once over there.

websites like sensai segasu make life easy

I saved over $80,000 and managed to get blind every weekend and that was with a rising aussie dollar (around .80 from memory)
 
I've quoted a few comments for emphasis. Cut a few up too, apologies, but to make the point.

tywo said:
I was there in the busy days when making money was damn easy...but I left in 2005 simply because work was drying up and the salaries were getting lower. Last I heard from my friends is that everything has dried up, not as many jobs and people aren't partying as much. But I guess you will still have a great time regardless... it's probably best to get yourself a job beforehand with a company like Nova.
Click to expand...

No, you wont have a great time when you cant afford anything but rent and food. Nova has gone bust; they dont exist any longer. Ex-Nova teachers were offering to work for food. Yes, for fracking food, because they didnt have enough cash left in the bank for costs. In Japan, there is no social net for foreigners. No one gives a **** about you. Better hope mummy and daddy can bail you out if you use up all your money. Geos is in big trouble - on the verge of bankruptcy. Many big places are/have gone under. The other night on the news some dodgy english teaching company in Tokyo was forced to suspend business because of dodgy operations. News about failing businesses seems to happen almost nightly. The industry is bad, really, really bad.

Grinder said:
Agree. I did a 2 year stint about 10 years ago and had the time of my life. I went over to snowboard the dry powder of Hokkaido and ended up sticking around teaching English a few hours a day getting paid silly money. The exchange rate was phenomenal, the work easy and the social life brillant. However, now I hear from mates still over there that it bites as the gravy train has run dry.
Click to expand...

I was here when Grinder got here (10 years ago) and am still here. As I've already stated the gravy train has dried up and is truly mouldy. There is a huge difference in the way things currently are from only ten years ago.

sam76 said:
what a pack of whingers! :D

I came back late 2004.

rent $250 - $300 a month (nice place 5 minute walk from Station)
food - bugger all (plates of sushi for 2.50 or perhaps yohinoya at $5 a bowl)
transport - again not much (but this depends on how many stops from home to work)
Clothing - trendy t-shirts etc... $35 each. Levi jeans $65-75
Beer - up to $8 for di jokeys (sp) I think they were the bigs ones (750mm - 1lt) - I'm sure someone will correct me. buy 500ml cans aasahi for $4.50 @ supermarket/convienience stores

Japan is way cheaper to live in than Australia.

Work was easy to find if you bother looking for it... but a lot of expats fall into the mendokusai (sp) attitude once over there.

websites like sensai segasu make life easy

I saved over $80,000 and managed to get blind every weekend and that was with a rising aussie dollar (around .80 from memory)
Click to expand...

With respect to Sam, as I dont personally know him/her, the comments here are from a different time, as I've stated. Currently things are terrible. I guess it's all a matter of perspective though. If you want to live in a dogbox with no shower or kitchen and barely any heating/cooling (because that's all $250 rent per month will get you) and earning less than $20k pa, then yeah maybe Japan is for you.

Why anyone would consider Japan over Oz right now is utterly beyond me. Get a good paying job in Oz, and come visit Japan on your holidays as a tourist. Win/win scenario. Hell, if I wasnt in the position I'm in right now, I'd probably leave Japan.
 

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