Moving to Japan - visa/job advice

Oddly, there is (according to my lecturer) quite a virilant anti-Semitic vibe in Japan, despite Japan having little contact with Jews in its history. Lot of Iranian street sellers/drug dealers as well apparently. There was some Visa arrangement several years ago and a lot went over and just stayed.

 

My only run-in with this was when I was working in the office of a business English school. One of the teachers was originally from Israel. The company asked, "isn't she Jewish, not American?". We of course gave them the PC response that Judaism is a religion, not a race.

Yep, loads of 'em. They won't shut the fuck up either. Always trying to sell drugs to any gaijin they see. Me at least anyway. For anyone that wants to do drugs in Japan - don't buy from them.

 

I though those jews were japanese, not inmigrants...

I see, but then why doesn't the police deports them?

About the drugs, I'm somekind of a cheap bastard, thus I don't see the logic in spending 500 bucks in some coke when I can get a laptop for that:dance:

 

In most cases, they are connected, and the police suck. Coke doesn't cost $500 -- not unless you buy a shitload of it.

 

That bad is the police in japan?

I know it doesn't cost that, but an addict gets a fix 4 or 5 times a week.

 

There's a huge difference between using sometimes, using, using frequently, and being an addict.

 

OK man, I don't want to go offtopic with the subject.

About police, do they have any problem with us gaijins? I mean, is racism a common thing inside the force?

 

Not sure about gaijin, but the Japanese police in general seem v. hardcore from what I've read. They can hold you for up to 28 days without charging you and in that time they usually extract a confession. Conviction rates are over 99%, so if you are charged, then the trial is basically for sentencing rather than proving your guilt.

I can't imagine gaijin being treated better than the Japanese, unless it could become political.

 

OK so my new plan is a bit different. And again it's only a possibility.

I'll go over there and get a job teaching english with an outfit i've managed to get in with (it's all about the people you know). Then after a year of that, if I'm still loving Japan, i'll come back, change my visa to a Student Visa, and go over to gain a cert in Japanese as a Second Language. With a bit of luck I can still stay with this teaching firm, so I can earn a bit of cash. Once i've got the qualification... well..... who knows. But it's seeming like a more viable alternative than trying to worm into a Work Visa through the back-door 0_o

 

Yeah, but will the certifcation you recieve be equivalent of a 4-year degree? That's what's requried to get the working visa. Either way -- good luck w/ it.

 

Nope. But I wont need a Work Visa in this plan.
I'll get a Cert. in Japanese, then with that I could (COULD) get into a Japanese University and cross-credit my University papers that I've already done.

Plus that way I'm doing what I actually want to do, learn Japanese

Just means I'll have to find some decent part-time work to subsidise my stay.

 

I believe to get into a real Japanese university you are required to pass the level 1 Japanese Proficiency Exam. Really doesn't matter -- if you can't pass the exam, you're going to have a bitch of a time taking even the most elementary of classes.

Anyways, it's an extremely hard test. If you're planning on passing it after 3 years of study, it will have to be three very intensive years, all in Japan. To be honest, the 2nd level would still be a challenge w/ that much studying.

If I'm not mistaken, you can study Japanese now w/ a Student Visa, and legally work 20 hours a week. Will be hard to support yourself, but fuck - you're a student. It's not supposed to be easy.

 

I survived here in NZ on $150 a week. To put that in perspective, after paying for rent, power, food + utilities, I was left with $4 each week to spend on 'extra' items. And I was living in a CHEAP flat.
$4 will buy you a pie and a drink... if you are lucky.

Anyway it's just another possibility. I'm determined to make this trip/holiday/move work for me.
You only live once.

 

Well, you've got the right attitude. FYI -- you cannot survive on $150 a week anywhere near Tokyo. Maybe if you're 100 miles from any city, but not any closer. Even a shit flat an hour outside of the city will cost 50,000 yen. On the upside, you'll probably make a lot more than that if you work 20 hours a week.

 

Yup that's exactly my thinking.