Moving to Japan, wanted: advice, tips, horror-stories, etc

[AruOjisan]

HI ALL!

I'm planning to move to Japan in the fall and was hoping you would all share your experiences / tips with me. I'm not too worried about becoming a "fucked Gaijin"--worse case, I should have a blast on my way to disaster. :/

So, to get started, please allow me to bullet-point out my goals and "stats".

STATS
[INDENT]age: late-20s
Education: MsBA (international management, marketing, applied research)
Experience: 5 successful years, market research / marketing / consulting
Foreign-language skills: english, spanish, german (all fluent)
JPN-language skills: good apprehension/mimicry skills, limited vocabulary
Add'l skills: trained fighter (kungfu/muythai/grappling), socially adroit
[/INDENT]

GOALS
(%% represents my confidence in my abilities/luck)
[INDENT]- build a marketing/communications/business consulting practice (85%)
- build some fame as a fighter, leverage to become a "tarento" of sorts (55%)
- build local/JPN nightlife contacts, promote/host/invest-in a bar/club (15%)
[/INDENT]

Realistically, I'd be trying to upsell private english language/conversation coaching into a proper consulting gig, by leveraging my experience/networking/fun-ness. I'd start out doing 2-3 mos intensive JPN course, while networking/etc. Hopefully, I'd be able to transition at somepoint into an essential "go-to" for corporate clientele--you know, go from "tell me how to say what I want to say" -> "tell me what I should say"?

Any thoughts on this? Please, feel free to mock, bash, or be helpful--I'm trying to map-out possible scenarios/paths, and anything is better than nothing!

Thanks all!

[nottu]

[Taro Toporific]

GOALS (%% represents my confidence in my abilities/luck)
- build a marketing/communications/business consulting practice (85%)

This goal is not only Japanese language dependent but also dependent on your "mad skillz" at a very specific technical/financial field (Japanese think of themselves as generalists and don't think generalist gaijin can help). Moreover, wasting time in Japan will quickly devalue your ability to market your present skills/experience. Outside Japan, Japan experience is viewed as a resume hole.

As it has been said many times on this forum, an Exit Strategy is more important than your Entrance Strategy. You need to set in your mind a time---we usually tell people 2 years, 3 years max---that you are a success or you bail out of Japan.

GOALS- build some fame as a fighter, leverage to become a "tarento" of sorts (55%)

Believe it or not, this goal could be more do-able than your "consulting practice." Success as a tarento/fighter is dependent on your luck, appearance, and charm.

Be sure to have your pro friends at home now help you make a tarento portfolio with proper headshots, performance/flight resume, and a comp sheet (one page composite photo selection). No matter how cool you are, if your portfolio is crap and photos are amateur, you'll fail at the portfolio initial screening before you meet anyone. Likewise, start now to make a tight edit of a video your "fighter" action and tarento abilities. Be sure to have some good "fight" photos like some of the other FGs...
[+] [+]



Recently Dagmusic in Tokyo has been making all-important-for-FG-n00bs "open calls" for casting all sorts of odd gaijin such as:

Dagmusic Macho Guy For TV CM! \110,000 after tax.
Dagmusic // Casting and Audition // Movies, TV Commercials & Programs
dagmusic.com
Looking for an opportunity to shine? Well join Dagmusic's casting mailing list and recieve up to date new casting and audition opportunities straight to your email account ...https://twitter.com/dagmusic
----------
Male Swimmer For Magazine Ad
We are looking for a competent swimmer with a swimming background. For example, someone who has some competitive experience. The ideal candidate will be between 20-30 and posses a good physical physique and be able to dive cleanly.
Deadline Apr 2st ...

GOALS- build local/JPN nightlife contacts, promote/host/invest-in a bar/club (15%)

Sorry dude, but this is a baka goal. The bar/club/mizu-shobai biz dropped 60-to-80% in the past decade and thanks to Japan's aging depopulation population it ain't ever cuming back. A lot of small bar/club owners are looking for suckers to unload their spank on. (Yah, yah, yah, this sounds like a good "opportunity" to get a bargain. Don't say I didn't warn ya.)

[AruOjisan]

Wow,

Thanks for the insight.

My sport's actually a bit more serious than the examples you put up, but the advice on building up an "image" now is definitely well received. I had actually been considering trying to fight my way up the SHOOTO rankings or at least valiantly take a beating or two in a big show, but this tack seems a lot cleaner...



As for the business/consulting angle, someone suggested in another thread that 'teacher -> interpreter -> business consultant' would work well. That's more or less the angle I'm shooting for, but I'd want to present myself that way from the get go.

So yeah--I'm not too worried about my CV, condescending-types here in the US see me as a quadruple-play (black/latino/educated/international experience), and the JPN angle will only serve to enhance my status as the ultimate token everything.

And Nottu, yes, I will be coming with about 6-9 mos living expense so I should have some flexibility to network/hustle-about. Speaking of--

How's that work in JPN, networking that is? My girlfriend (JPN-jin, from Hokkaido) talks about her family hookups, but to me it seems like she's trying to discourage me for networking/socializing too much... Not too sure if it's legitimate "don't waste your time", or whether it's just her wanting to keep me away from "megitsune".

But yeah--didn't want to bore you with tones of prose (too late, I know!), but thanks for taking the time to read/answer this regardless.

Cheers,

[FG Lurker]

As for the business/consulting angle, someone suggested in another thread that 'teacher -> interpreter -> business consultant' would work well.

There is one massive problem with this: English teachers get very little respect in the business world. This is of course unfair to many people who teach (and I mean no disrespect) but it's the way things are. Trying to directly leverage teaching into something more is very, very difficult.

[BigInJapan]

[AruOjisan]

You may want to work on your comprehension skills instead...

...I was sure that apprehension was contextually correct--i.e., natural language acquisition (including social competency) vs. textbook comprehension + "they get the gist" speaking skills--but it's more or less what I think you're referring to as "business Japanese", dakedo... Speaking of--

How is that, may I ask? I'm trying to find a Japanese-language "role model" and am leaning towards "FURIIZA", from DragonBall Z. He's ultra-polite--albeit unnaturally and somewhat condescendingly so--but my girlfriend says its probably the best way to speak in business, especially as a Gaijin. I'm, however, not sure if she's just saying that "to be safe" (or just duck the discussion altogether). Thoughts?

And yeah, thanks for the tips on the JPN fight scene. I'm more or less a Blacktino version of Gono, so maybe my best bet would be to lobby/train-with/suck-up-to Grabaka? Any thoughts on how to deal with them personally? Should I try to fit in / be super-humble, or should I be "loud-mouth but still a good guy" Gaijin?

...scheisse, I'm going to be a mess developing/juggling a business and a fighting personality over there, aren't I? Is it at all possible to be a cool and outgoing, but successful and trusted business-type in Japan? I mean, I don't mind developing MPD out there but I'd seriously rather not...

Again, many thanks for taking the time to read/respond. Cheers,

[AruOjisan]

There is one massive problem with this: English teachers get very little respect in the business world. This is of course unfair to many people who teach (and I mean no disrespect) but it's the way things are. Trying to directly leverage teaching into something more is very, very difficult.

No, that's a very fair assessment. I appreciate your candor.

My thoughts were to market myself as a communications consultant from the get-go. Perhaps even by directly networking at fancy bars, hotels, etc. Not too sure how that would work, but I was thinking my angle would be "let me help you close that deal / get that promotion", rather than "let me help you chat/bullshit".

...or would JPN folk not buy it?

[Ketou]

How's that work in JPN, networking that is? My girlfriend (JPN-jin, from Hokkaido) talks about her family hookups, but to me it seems like she's trying to discourage me for networking/socializing too much... Not too sure if it's legitimate "don't waste your time", or whether it's just her wanting to keep me away from "megitsune".

Cheers,

In Japan, more than anywhere, networking through introduction is the key. Your gf is right about family hookups, you will get substantially further through being introduced to people than you will from trying to establish contacts on your own.
Not saying that there may not be an ulterior motive there on her part but the method she talks about is the way it works here. In the west we tend to see it as riding the coat tails but here it lends you credibility as the person doing the introduction is putting himself on the line. He will in a sense be responsible for your actions thereafter....so remember any success you gain from the contact you repay in kind. Whether it's a bottle of wine, or a trip to one of those bars where you get your dick sucked by a high school girl in the back room, is up to you.

[Samurai_Jerk]

No, that's a very fair assessment. I appreciate your candor.

My thoughts were to market myself as a communications consultant from the get-go. Perhaps even by directly networking at fancy bars, hotels, etc. Not too sure how that would work, but I was thinking my angle would be "let me help you close that deal / get that promotion", rather than "let me help you chat/bullshit".

...or would JPN folk not buy it?

It won't work. There are plenty of companies already doing the same thing (or at least claiming to) and it's a dying industry. The only people that make it as freelance English business teachers are people that have been here for years and have a good network.

As for the fighting thing it really only depends on how good you are. You don't need to kiss up to anybody. If you want to train at Grabaka (http://www.grabaka.com/) just join and if you're good enough you can fight for them. Do you have any decent amature or pro experience in the US? If not, you have to start at the bottom like eveyone else. Sign up for MMA classes, pay your monthly dues, train hard, and enter whatever competitions they'll let you enter. You might also want to stop sporting that Pride logo since it makes you look like you have no clue what's going on in the current MMA scene.

[AruOjisan]

@ Ketou

Thanks for explaining that. It sheds alot of light on some things. My girlfriend is hesitant about introducing me to people at times, which I had seen as her trying to keep me to herself... lol ...I've gotten really pissed at her for that, at times.



As for the business prospects, guess I'll just work the tutoring angle while I hustle to improve my language skills, then start looking for real work based on my background. How hard/unlikely is it for JPN companies to hire Gaijin?

@ Samurai_Jerk

Yeah, I'll probably have to do as you suggest. I've never seriously competed, due toprofessional obligations. That's changed now, so we'll see where it goes.

As for Pride--none of the JPN promotions have really delivered the greatness that was Pride, neither has the UFC. Is it considered jackass/clueless (manuke, as my gf would say) to pay homage to a now defunct organization--i.e., does it show disrespect for the current promotions?

[Samurai_Jerk]

@ Samurai_Jerk

Yeah, I'll probably have to do as you suggest. I've never seriously competed, due toprofessional obligations. That's changed now, so we'll see where it goes.

As for Pride--none of the JPN promotions have really delivered the greatness that was Pride, neither has the UFC. Is it considered jackass/clueless (manuke, as my gf would say) to pay homage to a now defunct organization--i.e., does it show disrespect for the current promotions?

Late 20s and never had a real amature or pro fight. It ain't 1996, dude.

The reason the current organizations in Japan can't deliver like Pride did is because the best fighters aren't here anymore. They're in the US and mostly fighting in the UFC.

[AruOjisan]

Late 20s and never had a real amature or pro fight. It ain't 1996, dude.

The reason the current organizations in Japan can't deliver like Pride did is because the best fighters aren't here anymore. They're in the US and mostly fighting in the UFC.

lol ...point definitely well taken, time's probably long past where dudes like Bob Sapp or Bobby Olg/whatever would get picked up on tossed in the ring for fun.

10 years ago, I did go 6-0-2 in a local Fight Night series. Yeah, nothing serious (the "fighters" were mostly boozed-up fratboys/meatheads), but I'm not a paper ninja or WuShu/Taekwondo-type guy by a long-shot.

I hang pretty well with pros in my weight class, but I'm still counting on just taking whatever I can get. Hopefully I'd get some camera time and make an impression on someone, if anything as a fun/marketable Blacktino.

...we'll see.

I've long since become professional/clean-cut guy, so if anything, this'd be my backup plan, in case I totally fail on the business front.