Asia's Endangered Species: The Expat

[Catoneinutica]

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304177104577305780300265926.html?mod=WSJ_hp_us_mostpop_read

[Coligny]

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304177104577305780300265926.html?mod=WSJ_hp_us_mostpop_read

I blame Olympus...

[Taro Toporific]

...Forget expats. Western companies doing business in Asia are now looking to locals to fill the most important jobs in the region...

Even before the Bubble burst, "get rid of the gaijin-expats" was standard HR wisdom for hiring in Japan. Every firm in Japan will say they will only begrudgingly hire a Western expat out of extreme desperation (or dementia directed by the home office in the West).
Since the start of the Lost Decades in 1992, I doubt there are now more than 1,000 expats in Tokyo on the real-deal "Package" at any one time. Homat Homes expat-rental vacancy rate is around 50%. Hell, right now the American Club is looking like a ghost town---They have been forced to open their dining area to anyone who wants to make a reservation.

...

Computing Japan, Volumes 48-53
LINC Japan, 1998 - Business & Economics

[Screwed-down Hairdo]

I, for one, am glad to see this anachronistic, borderline racist practice disappear...unless, of course, there's a company out there willing to offer me a lovely expat package for my services (fucked if I know what I can provide, though...)

[GomiGirl]

Hell, right now the American Club is looking like a ghost town---They have been forced to open their dining area to anyone who wants to make a reservation.

This is not exactly true.

There is one outlet that allows non-members and this is capped to ensure that there are no members who will miss out on a table if they want it.

The reason for this is because they are aiming for a Michelin Star status and one of the requirements is that the restaurant must allow the public to enter.

That said, most of the club members are now Japanese. Also that most of the top level international schools are bursting at the seams with J-kids - their parents eager and willing to shell out huge wads of shekels for their kids to be edu-ma-cated in an international environment.

It is true that the true expat numbers have dwindled and singles rather than families are now being hired. This is due to a few factors namely that lots of people with families are not wanted to be located in Japan for fear of their kids glowing in the dark but also companies are choosing to hire singles (usually guys) due to the high cost of international schools the fees of which are usually included in a true expat package. We may see a return of the packs of coked up finance type guys if this practice continues. There was a pendulum swing about 5 years ago when lots of families were expats as the large companies saw them as more stable. It is all swings and roundabouts.

That said, there are plenty of "localised" foreigners now that are wanting/needing international type education for their kids. So it is the "second tier" international schools, bilingual schools and catholic schools that are seeing growth. The big name top tier schools with their 2m yen/year base fees (not including the "gift" money that is unwritten but expected) are suffering.

I know personally of localised foreigners that have come from both directions. They have moved up from student status or working holiday type visas/lifestyles and set down roots - married local girls and having families. There are others who came as expats and then liked it so much they opted to take a local package after their expat contracts ended in order to stay in Japan. And then there are people like me who fit into no category at all. I came to do a job 12 years ago and I am still here doing the same job.

[cstaylor]

The big name top tier schools with their 2m yen/year base fees (not including the "gift" money that is unwritten but expected) are suffering.

Are these schools as good as the ones at home? Beyond learning English I mean...

[GomiGirl]

Are these schools as good as the ones at home? Beyond learning English I mean...

My mother has taught in a number of them here in Japan over the years and she thinks they are awesome schools. Equivalent of private school education in Australia at least. My mother has only just retired after a career of over 40 years as a primary school teacher. She is one of those dedicated teacher types but became dissatisfied with the Australian public system and so became an international school teacher about the same time that I moved to Tokyo. She has done a number of contracts here in Tokyo, has been in Shanghai for a year as an exchange teacher, Eastern Europe etc. She wished she put herself on the International School circuit years ago as it blends her two loves - teaching and travel. Dad loved it as he was the trailing spouse.

The curriculums are usually the same as the preferred country depending on the school - usually US or UK. They are often aligned with the education departments in these countries too. The teaching staff are all qualified teachers of very high standard and are selected on their subject ability and real teaching experience. All the teachers almost do a "circuit" of international schools around the world - the job fairs are legendary.

The kids are often able to slip back into private schools in their "home countries" without any problems in ability and school level. Or after graduation, they head off to Universities overseas without any problems. Make no mistake, these are not glorified English language schools, these are proper schools.

This is why they are expensive as the teachers are considered expats. Flights home, furnished apartments, cars and all the other perks.

The only thing you cannot do if you went to an International school is attend a Japanese university.

[Screwed-down Hairdo]

My mother has taught in a number of them here in Japan over the years and she thinks they are awesome schools. Equivalent of private school education in Australia at least.

As a graduate of an Australian private school, all I can say for international schools is...eek!

[Samurai_Jerk]

I heard about this trend about 15 years ago when I was a college student taking a business in Asia course. At the time they said it was more typical of American companies than European ones. Based on my own experience in Japan that still seems to be true. I think American companies are more likely to hire a local country manager than European ones.

[GomiGirl]

As a graduate of an Australian private school, all I can say for international schools is...eek!

I too am a graduate of an Australian Private skool. I turned out OK - didn't I?

[Taro Toporific]

...I think American companies are more likely to hire a local country manager than European ones.

Yeah but, Continental European expat managers generally speak much better Japanese than Anglophone expats.

[Bucky]

[Samurai_Jerk]

[gaijinpunch]

Fun fact: the international school tuition used to be a write off. It no longer is. I believe sometime just around the turn of the century they changed it. I wonder what the breaking point is when there are so many J-kids in an International School that lose their appeal.

On that note, they are the most fucked up business in all of Japan. If they cost 2m a year, and on average have 50% acceptance rate, where aren't there more? I realize the acceptance rate is probably a lot better now, but about half were rejected for ages.

[Dreamy_Peach]

I heard that the British School is around 2m per year. For a Brit this would be a shocking amount of money given the weakness of the pound against the yen at the moment. You could probably send your kid to Eton, Westminster or Harrow or one of those other posh schools for the same amount.

Of the natives, I wonder how many can afford this. I understand that salaries overall for Japanese have been decreasing year on year for most, and the average is something less than 5m. Even for those in upper bands, they must be taking out loans or have a shit load of savings to do this.

Are Japanese schools really that bad?

[FG Lurker]

I heard that the British School is around 2m per year. For a Brit this would be a shocking amount of money given the weakness of the pound against the yen at the moment. You could probably send your kid to Eton, Westminster or Harrow or one of those other posh schools for the same amount.

Not if they're boarding. I looked into schools in Canada for my daughter and including boarding costs I was looking at $35k to $45k per year -- plus travel back and forth and whatever extracurricular funds needed.

Of the natives, I wonder how many can afford this. I understand that salaries overall for Japanese have been decreasing year on year for most, and the average is something less than 5m. Even for those in upper bands, they must be taking out loans or have a shit load of savings to do this.

Averages are just that -- averages. There are lots of people above that, some far, far above. 2mil a year isn't much when you're making 100mil a year, and there is no shortage of people making that and much more.

Are Japanese schools really that bad?

Depends on if your goal is to turn your kid into a robot or not.

[Russell]

I heard that the British School is around 2m per year. For a Brit this would be a shocking amount of money given the weakness of the pound against the yen at the moment. You could probably send your kid to Eton, Westminster or Harrow or one of those other posh schools for the same amount.

Of the natives, I wonder how many can afford this. I understand that salaries overall for Japanese have been decreasing year on year for most, and the average is something less than 5m. Even for those in upper bands, they must be taking out loans or have a shit load of savings to do this.

Are Japanese schools really that bad?

Here in the Kobe area we have Marist Brothers and the Canadian Academy as International Schools. The Canadian Academy (CA) is regarded higher than Marist Brothers, and it is more difficult to be admitted in the CA. I have only one data point about the Marist Brothers: that is when I shopped at a local furniture shop and the saleswoman told me that she attended Marist. Of course there is a need for furniture saleswomen in society, but I suspect that her parents may wonder why they paid all those expensive fees. Her English was good, though.

As for my kids, they attend Japanese schools, and I am quite satisfied. Public elementary schools tend to have a good level in Japan in my experience, but Junior High (age 11-14) and Senior High (age 14-17) tend to be mixed. Especially the levels of public ones depend strongly on the area they are located, especially Junior High.

My oldest kid has gone to a good level private High school that combines the Junior and Senior years. That means once admitted to the Junior years, it is possible to continue in the Senior years without doing entrance examination. Of course entrance examination for the Junior level was necessary, but it is a bit less of a hell than entrance examination for Senior level. And once in, the kid is free of entrance examination idiocy for 6 years, until University calls.

One reason why fees for International Schools are so high is that they do not receive support from the Japanese government, as far as I know. Japanese schools (even private ones) do get support, so they are much cheaper. In exchange for this they have to follow a certain minimum curriculum, but for most this is not a problem.

Now, as for universities, the public ones tend to have a better level than the private ones, but even among the public ones there are big differences in quality. I tend to evaluate Universities in the US and the EU higher than in Japan, though the major public universities in Japan, like Tokyo University, Osaka University, and Kyoto University, have good levels in my experience.

[Coligny]

<insert Mark Twain quote here>

founded...

"I never let my schooling get in the way of my education."

[gaijinpunch]

Of the natives, I wonder how many can afford this. I understand that salaries overall for Japanese have been decreasing year on year for most, and the average is something less than 5m. Even for those in upper bands, they must be taking out loans or have a shit load of savings to do this.

Are Japanese schools really that bad?

Japan is old money -- as long as the savings is around, there will be people squabbling it. Japanese schools prepare* it's students for one thing: Japan.

*May actually not prepare the student for Japan.

2mil a year isn't much when you're making 100mil a year, and there is no shortage of people making that and much more.

Actually it's a shit ton -- 2 mil post tax on a 100 mil a year salary is painful. Probably closer to 1/3 of the take home. And then there's juku and hookers.

Now, as for universities,

I've never heard anything good about even the "top" Universities here. I've known a handful of Todai students who all concurred its' the same old story: sell your soul to get in, then finger yourself all day every day after that. When I was studying abroad WAAAY back in '96, we had a Kiwi teacher Shink his way down to Shizuoka once a week for a 3 hour course. He was a prof at Sophia and said it was a joke, and that he did his job on a leash.

[Russell]

I've never heard anything good about even the "top" Universities here. I've known a handful of Todai students who all concurred its' the same old story: sell your soul to get in, then finger yourself all day every day after that. When I was studying abroad WAAAY back in '96, we had a Kiwi teacher Shink his way down to Shizuoka once a week for a 3 hour course. He was a prof at Sophia and said it was a joke, and that he did his job on a leash.

I have first-hand experiences collaborating with researchers there (quite a few experiences actually), and they are mostly positive.

Now, as for the graduates, that is a mixed bunch. There are those who get in by studying hard for the entrance examination, and they tend to be kind of robotic, without much creativity. There are also those who are smart enough to get in without too much cramming, and they tend to be quite open-minded.

In any case, it is better not to generalize.

[Samurai_Jerk]

Actually it's a shit ton -- 2 mil post tax on a 100 mil a year salary is painful. Probably closer to 1/3 of the take home.

So you're saying the tax rate on 100 million yen is 94%?

[FG Lurker]

Actually it's a shit ton -- 2 mil post tax on a 100 mil a year salary is painful. Probably closer to 1/3 of the take home. And then there's juku and hookers.

You missed a zero.

Also, tax on a 10mil yen salary is nowhere near 40%. It's plenty high, but not that high.

[dimwit]

You missed a zero.

Also, tax on a 10mil yen salary is nowhere near 40%. It's plenty high, but not that high.

At 10 million, your national tax would be about 900,000 plus another 900,000 for prefectural tax plus god knows what else for health insurance. So in total 1/3 of income is probably not far off the mark.

[FG Lurker]

At 10 million, your national tax would be about 900,000 plus another 900,000 for prefectural tax plus god knows what else for health insurance. So in total 1/3 of income is probably not far off the mark.

...except in my original post I said 2mil of 100million.

[gaijinpunch]

So you're saying the tax rate on 100 million yen is 94%?

Duh... was thinking 10 million yen.
No shortage of people making 100 million yen? Japanese? In Japan? Obviously they exist but you gotta assume most of those people's kids are all grown up.

In any case, it is better not to generalize.

Yeah, I will definitely give you that. What I've taken from most conversations on Japanese academia is that it will take you as far as you want it. The difference in western (at least in the US state university program) is there is a minimum you are required to learn (which can actually be quite grueling) to get good marks.

[dimwit]

...except in my original post I said 2mil of 100million.

At 100 million your tax would theoretically be about 33 million if you didn't have a good tax accountant.

[FG Lurker]

At 100 million your tax would theoretically be about 33 million if you didn't have a good tax accountant.

Anyone making 100 million yen is going to have a very good accountant, probably a few of them, and a tax lawyer or two as well. Most will be business owners whose actual "on paper" take-home is less than that as many of their expenses get put through their businesses where they are paid for with pre-tax dollars.

[FG Lurker]

Duh... was thinking 10 million yen.
No shortage of people making 100 million yen? Japanese? In Japan? Obviously they exist but you gotta assume most of those people's kids are all grown up.

Sure, I have several acquaintances who I have no doubt make more than that. It's not as uncommon as most people think, but you need to have the mind for making money and building a business.

I'd say anyone making over 2000man per year (20mil yen) can afford to put two kids through private schools costing 2mil yen a year. There are lots of people who make that sort of money.

[Samurai_Jerk]

No shortage of people making 100 million yen? Japanese? In Japan? Obviously they exist but you gotta assume most of those people's kids are all grown up.

In a country of 120 million people even a very small percentage is still a lot of people. As others have stated on here, there's a lot of old money in Japan and family businesses being run by people who've inherited mini Empires. My ex was a hostess at a very high-end Ginza club and most the guys who hang out at those places are very wealthy. A lot of them are real estate owners collecting rent on property that has been in the family for generations.

I also have a friend who owns a house in the second richest neighborhood in Zushi. I've been down to hang out with him and his neighbors and trust me, they're loaded. They're living in homes worth several hundreds of millions of yen, driving Bentlies and Ferraris, and keeping 50-foot cruisers docked at Hayama Marina.

[IparryU]

In a country of 120 million people even a very small percentage is still a lot of people. As others have stated on here, there's a lot of old money in Japan and family businesses being run by people who've inherited mini Empires. My ex was a hostess at a very high-end Ginza club and most the guys who hang out at those places are very wealthy. A lot of them are real estate owners collecting rent on property that has been in the family for generations.

I also have a friend who owns a house in the second richest neighborhood in Zushi. I've been down to hang out with him and his neighbors and trust me, they're loaded. They're living in homes worth several hundreds of millions of yen, driving Bentlies and Ferraris, and keeping 50-foot cruisers docked at Hayama Marina.

Is this why you have your head so far up your ass about going out to lunch with other FGs?

Maybe I need to start acting like you and I can end up with one of your friend's sisters/friends...

But if I did that I would lose out on the goat parties and Russian roulette roofie drinks and pagan rituals...