want to move to japan

[johnjohnn99]

Ok I know i might sound a bit ahead of myself but..i am a 16 year old lives in california.i want to move to japan its my dream..or whatever u wanna call it im not gonna seriously think about it for a couple of yeah though because i wont be able to learn japanese till college. but i was jjust wondering what is a good job in japan ,i dont necisarily<im bad at spelling>want to live in tokyo i want to live somewherewith a small population but not too small.i just want to know what i have to start doing ahead of time to get prepared for my move i have now about 8k in the bank iv been saving from my job..its not a great job here (im a kinda sub machanic i work at my grandpas business its a rental yard..tools and machinery) but iv been working there for about 5 years but anyway if someone could give me some tips on what i need to do i would greatly appriciate it thank you..^^

[GomiGirl]

Just out of curiosity - why Japan?

[johnjohnn99]

because i love the women ..my gf is japanese and i love the culture

[cstaylor]

Sounds like another anime otaku casualty.

[johnjohnn99]

actualy i dont watch anime i used to watch dragon ball when i was like 14 but not anymore...im serious about moving >< y cant u guys help me

[ramchop]

Sounds like another anime otaku casualty.

That's a bit harsh, this boy actually has a girlfriend... doesn't that levitate him above the ranks of the closeted otaku?

of course it could be an imaginary girlfriend, or he might be a stalker who has convinced himself that the woman he yearns for is indeed his girlfriend

note to self: be nice, he's only 16, only 16

[Taro Toporific]

Ok I know i might sound a bit ahead of myself but..i am a 16 year old lives in california.i want to move to japan its my dream...

Do a 3-month HOMESTAY!
This is real cool and within your budget. A few of the FG here, started that way in HS.

[johnjohnn99]

ok i dont even know wtf otaku is and yes shes real wtf do u think i am and i know ithis might sound stupid but ...whats a homestay

[Big Booger]

What in the hell are you talking about?

[cstaylor]

Have you ever come to visit Japan? Maybe you should do that before deciding to move here.

As for your girlfriend, is she nikkei or an exchange student?

[johnjohnn99]

i meant to put this somewhere else but i accidentaly clicked new post instead reply look at my other post sry about this ...>_>

[johnjohnn99]

ok i dont know what nikkie is or whatever ..she was born here butlike here dad is like full blooded japanese and her mom is whith but the japanese culture kinda dominates her family..and yeah i guess i should visit it beforei get to committed thank you

[Taro Toporific]

ok i dont even know wtf otaku is and yes shes real wtf do u think i am and i know ithis might sound stupid but ...whats a homestay

Homestay
Try a home stay in Japan! You will experience Japanese daily life with your host family. It will be a memorable language and culture exchange.

About Homestay in Japan
Our Japan for Visitors Guide Shizuko Mishima will tell some ways you can arrange your home visit/stay in Japan.

[johnjohnn99]

ooo ok i understand what it is now..so where do i find information on a homestay..

[AssKissinger]

Otaku is the Japanese word for 'nerd' or 'geek' and for the most part around here it's a good thing so don't sweat it.

[Big Booger]

16 and already slaying down J-hoochies.. I'm Otaku for Calbee Coco Puffs LOL

Dude, do as Taro says, get on a homestay program. Get a farking degree stateside... Not saying that having a degree will make you less of a person, but if you want to live in COncrete-Natto land, you're gonna have to market yourself, and without an education it'll be tough.

If you just want to come over for a visit, get the homestay deal, or do a short tourist jaunt.

If you want to move here and live here, and all taht wing wang, do yourself a favor and get an education first.

http://gojapan.about.com/library/weekly/aa091699a.htm

For the homestay check the link above. Are you still in high school or what? Stick with the schooling unless you plan to try your fortune in the entertainment area.. IE a bar boy, yakuza slacker, ball licker.. etc...

Good luck on your adventure.

[rmpfreeman]

ok i dont know what nikkie is or whatever ..she was born here butlike here dad is like full blooded japanese and her mom is whith but the japanese culture kinda dominates her family..and yeah i guess i should visit it beforei get to committed thank you

Judging by your posts no doubt you''ll be a great success teaching English.

[Caustic Saint]

1. Keep saving money.
2. Don't blow your money on something big you can't take with you or sell for only a minor loss.
3. Start learning Japanese anyway. Does your gf speak it?
4. Education.
5. Education.
6. Education.
7. Homestay.
8. Look into student exchange programs or "junior year abroad" for while you're in college.
9. Make a serious plan and let your parents know about it. They may not support your decision at first (especially since you're not even out of high school), but show them you're determined and are willing to do whatever you have to to make this plan come together.
10. DO NOT GET YOUR GIRLFRIEND PREGNANT!

That oughta be enough to get you started.

[FeLingHi]

I have an idea here.

I'll trade the white boy for a nice far east hoochie.

It's a WIN-WIN situation.

[cowboy charlie]

i swear to god this forum is useless. no one can give any advice without being a complete asshole. not that im suprised since most the foriegners in japan are outcasts in america.

i suggest you make a few trips over to see what japan is really like. some aspects of the culture are a pain in the ass.

get a job, save money, come over for the summer.
if you can make friends with some japanese chick shell probably let you stay at her place. otherwise you can stay at hostels and whatnot.

if you still like it after a couple trips, get a BA degree and come over and 'teach' english. its the easiest way.

[rmpfreeman]

[Andocrates]

This board hears a post like this once a week "Japan is a dream cuntry where all the men are strong, the women good looking and the children . . ." oh wait that's Minnasota

Chances are 90% that you will hate Japan, I mean despise it with a passion (then you can join this board) in so many ways Japan is as backwards as Nicaragua. No one ever says what they mean, Japanese is so difficult to learn (then there is the Kanji nightmare) the people are rude etc.

So you did get good advice, try a homestay this summer. Maybe you will like it, if you have the right temprement.

[cstaylor]

if you have the right temprement.

As in, "oh God, I didn't save enough cash for the return flight..."

[kamome]

i swear to god this forum is useless. no one can give any advice without being a complete asshole.

I admit that lately one has to wade through a lot of manure to find pearls of wisdom on FG. But you should acknowledge that good people are posting on this board, and that one just has to have the knack for sifting through the crap to identify the good stuff.

By the way, there is a considerable anti-n00b element on FG, precisely because this site is targeted at those who have been living in Japan for a long time. So some amount of n00b-baiting is to be expected, although a few people have taken it to an extreme.

[Taro Toporific]

Japan-born Koreans Live in Limbo
The Seoul Times, Tuesday, October 18, 2005, 11:30 / By Norimitsu Onishi
..."I want to tell people all over the world that they shouldn't come to Japan to work," Chung said in perfect Japanese, befitting someone who has lived only in Japan. "Being a worker in Japan is no different from being a robot."
After a decade-long battle, the Supreme Court ruled recently that Chung, the daughter of a Japanese woman and a South Korean man, who was born in Japan and has lived all her life here, could not take the test to become a supervisor at a public health center because she was a foreigner. ...more...

[Punishment]

Do a 3-month HOMESTAY!
This is real cool and within your budget. A few of the FG here, started that way in HS.

Yeah, 3 months is long enough to help you make a better decision.

After going on a two-week sister-school trip, I too, once thought to myself that Japan would be an AWESOME place to live in. I have a low budget but I went on a 3-month homestay (1 family per month) over the winter season with invaluable help from my school teacher, and it definitely refined my thoughts. After this trip, despite having Asian appearance, I would personally say that I'd rather live in my home country (New Zealand) instead. There's nothing quite like home sweet home. But that's just me. I wouldn't mind going on another trip though.

Besides, assuming your typo before says your g/f's mother is white and your g/f has grown up in the U.S, she too MAY encounter some difficulties assimilating with J-society no matter if she has strong J-tradition at home or not. Her own people have already made a distinguished category to place her in - 'nikkei'.

[Greji]

i swear to god this forum is useless. no one can give any advice without being a complete asshole. not that im suprised since most the foriegners in japan are outcasts in america.

Naaa, I had to come to Tokyo to be an outcast and further, I'm an asshole whether I'm giving advice or not. I was born with the gift, it just comes naturally! People like you have to work at it.

[maninjapan]

SO you are a 16 yr kid who, by the sounds of it, still hasn't fully appreciated the situation you are in.

Ok let's have a quick perspective here - you are 16 yrs old and the current girl you are banging is an American right? And because of her heritage you want to live in Japan. You have no qualifications except being a high school student. And you speak no Japanese.

Give it a few more years (and i mean at another 7yrs here once you have got your degree, you still want to live here) - it isn't that easy to live here with no Japanese - well unless if you live in Tokyo.

Seriously every boy who likes gadgets, video games or manga wants to visit or live in Japan. Once you have finished growing up and still feel that way come and visit, you'll be more than welcome.

Get on an exchange or homestay programme via some local language schools or ask your local city hall if they have any twin towns in Japan and ask to see if you can go. Ask your school.

[FG Lurker]

I don't think the OP is going to hear your advice... He hasn't been here since about a week after he posted.....in 2003.