chances of work as a carpenter

[samzaretan]

I've kinda been enjoying checking FG quite frequently recently so heres taking the plunge.
Obviously it's a difficult time to think of moving to J but heres my deal, sorry if this is really dull, but hey, there do seem to be some sound people on here who might be able to help with a couple of things, gosh you must get this alot.
I and my other J half (we're in our 30's) have just had our 1st sweet child in London, and well, maybe J might have more to offer. Married 3 yrs, my wife's an artist/calligrapher, I'm a carpenter, her english is good, my Japanese bad (but improving), should we come to Japan to do the do.
I guess what i mean is do we need to get married in J for me to get a spouse visa, how difficult is it to get work at the mo. When i spent a month over there after getting hitched i got hooked. Awesome/crazy place, loving the new and old, the wabi sabi, the wood, the water, the food... The carpenters look like ninja's!! How cool is that. Well i guess i know the chances of getting picked up by a carpentry firm without fluent J would be slim... and even then. So maybe its teaching English for me in the short term. Or perhaps web slave (my previous job here in London). How bad would it be for me with an ancient degree, no recent experience in graphics and no experience at all in teaching? But god damn i can talk it well.
The wife will probably run calligraphy classes (what she did before coming to London 10 years ago) but hopefully her painting will take off. London is an interesting place to make art but its hard to make money where ever you may be.
What d'ya reckon?... would i be an fg or a tfg.
Cheers all...

[Mulboyne]

You can apply for a spouse visa through the Japanese Embassy in London. Details here. That will probably offer you more flexibility than any other visa you might be able to get.

If your current savings are in sterling then Japan, particularly Tokyo, has once again become expensive because the pound has almost halved against the yen over the course of 2008. That might limit the amount of time you can go without having two incomes.

Foreign carpenters used to be able to pick up some work with firms who build western-style holiday homes so you could investigate that area. However, Japan is having its own economic woes so there are fewer opportunities than before. Even getting an English teaching job is harder than it used to be.

For your wife, Japan might be attractive with a new baby in the family because she can perhaps rely on her family to help. Bear in mind, though, that you can look after yourself in London but, without decent Japanese, you'll become more dependent on her to help you with daily life. If you don't bring a regular income in to the household then there could be some stress ahead for both of you which you will need to consider.

[kurohinge1]

[samzaretan]

thanks for the thoughts mulboyne & kurohinge.
a couple of other things, sorry to seem a bit untogether, just sort bouncing early ideas about. We have a couple of years to get things sorted and settled before our daughter Emiko will need full stability. The exitement of her arrival makes me feel perhaps anything is possible. So far my learning Japanese has been sporadic and perhaps sidelined by my helping my wife with English... alright enough excuses. But I intend to push on with it, do a course at soas or suchlike, and do a tefl as a safety net come Japan. So being settled, with family, a degree, a tefl, and a little enthusiasm, would i be well placed to get a gig teaching english. My wife's parents reside in Hiratsuka, so we'll look to live and work somewhere on or near the Tokaido line, say Yokohama-Odawara. Is this too optimistic teaching job-wise.
Whilst aware this isn't a most prestigious of routes I still quite fancy it.
After a few years my Japanese will have progressed enough to expand horizons, look to use graphic design skills or perhaps start a carpentry business or calligraphy school.
Mainly I feel we could be happy in Japan, with basic needs sorted, my wife incidently is not really driving this line of thought, she is comletely open minded, and afterall came and stayed in London to pursue her art. London is all I've really known, and I know there are just as many faults to Japan as here, but somehow regardless of friend and family ties here something keeps pulling my thoughts eastward.
cheers...

[pheyton]

Sam, I too was a carpenter/GC as my father before me. This year that came crashing down as the American economy imploded. We did high end work and thought we might be able to weather the recession, but it hit like a brick and even the affluent stopped projects. Luckily my wife's cousin came through and landed me with a job at the company she works for and I will be transferring to our Tokyo branch next year. That is if the economy doesn't get much worse.

As to your inquiry about working in Japan, I worked for my wife's uncle in Tokyo doing water proofing, bousuikoji. The job had it's ups and downs, but taught me a lot about trades in Japan. Most gemba, job sites, were filled with friendly people. I would think though that construction in Japan would be just about dead right now, as it is here in the states. I've often thought about becoming a landlord in Japan, buying up neglected properties, fixing them up and renting them. Still thinking about it.

Canman built 2 of his own houses and there is a housing construction thead here: http://www.fuckedgaijin.com/forums/showthread.php?t=19592

Btw, I don't know why but I love Odawara. Wife thinks I am nuts. Must be some past life shit as a Japanese cartographer living in Odawara. Good restaurant there called Ryo.

Anyway, congrats on your daughter and good luck with you move.

P.S. forgot to mention some great shows you might be able to pick up in the UK at your local Japanese video store: Before/After Geki/Teki and Kansei Dream House.

[samzaretan]

Thanks peyton, happy new year all that,
Yeah difficult times for work all most everywhere. Still want to make it work in Japan though, is this slow down a depression yet!
A bit more time for getting shit together then, maybe things will have settled in 12 months or so. Learn more Japanese, TEFL, try an save some money! If I can learn every word the wife says in Japanese to our 4mth old daughter I'll be happy.
Ta.

[omae mona]

Thanks peyton, happy new year all that,
Yeah difficult times for work all most everywhere. Still want to make it work in Japan though, is this slow down a depression yet!
A bit more time for getting shit together then, maybe things will have settled in 12 months or so. Learn more Japanese, TEFL, try an save some money! If I can learn every word the wife says in Japanese to our 4mth old daughter I'll be happy.
Ta.

Be very careful about accidentally asking your co-workers if they want to suck on your tits.

I'll echo what others said (I'm a little late to the party) that what you're trying to do may be difficult. But saving up money and studying Japanese are two of the best things you can do to get closer to your goal. A spouse visa is probably your best bet. But bear in mind that for a spouse visa, you'll need a 3rd party (like your wife's parents) to sign as a guarantor, unless your wife has her own income and J-immigration is comfortable that's enough to live off of. Technically that means the guarantor has a legal obligation to support you financially if you get in trouble, though I've never heard of the government following up on this threat.

[gomichild]

Hey samzaretan - I live in Hiratsuka and my Japanese husband works in the building industry. If you have a spouse visa and some Japanese there is still a chance if you have a solid grounding in your trade. Right now there are fewer jobs in construction - but there is always work for skilled tradesman.

Of course it's always good to have a back up in case.

Please feel free to PM me if you like.