Category Archives: Life in Japan

Some Experiences While Living in Japan

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Q&A: Student living in Japan on a budget

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Question:

An unnamed person writes in – I’m writing because I have a question that you might be able to answer. I’m planning to apply for a Masters Degree scholarship at a University. If accepted the scholarship would cover full tuition, medical and accident insurance obtained through the University, a monthly stipend (around 157,000 Yen) including subsistence and housing allowance for one person, book allowance, other miscellaneous expenses and economy class airfare for one person covering the trip from the scholars place of residence and the return journey at the end of the study program.

Since the scholarship covers almost everything, my question is would 157,000 Yen be enough for my expenses on food, leisure and transportation? I also plan to save my monthly stipend to bring back home. Thanks!

Answer:

Hi there. I’m not sure how expensive the city is where you’ll live, but I’m assuming that you’ll be fine on 157,000 per month + all the added perks. You should be able to spend wisely, do fun things, and save money. You can get meals from 500-1000 yen each if you eat out, and if you eat at home you’ll save a lot of money. For two people, including all living expenses, I think a person can easily spend about 350,000 yen a month for everything. So if you remove those extra expenses that you’ll be getting for free, you could end up spending 100,000-150,000 (or less if you’re frugal!). There are some good travel guides about how to get the most bang for your Yen. It’s all about how you budget. And remember, there are many fun things that cost little money like going to the part, hiking, etc.

Living on a Japenese Yen Budget

Living on a Japenese Yen Budget

If you enjoyed this post, then please consider subscribing to my RSS feed. You can also subscribe by Email and have new posts sent directly to your Inbox.
The Q&A section of my blog is kind of new. People like my “contact me” link on the blog! Every month I get asked some questions and many tend to be similar so I thought I’d share a few along with my answers.
(photo from k4chii)

Magic slipper cleaning machine

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Today I thought I’d show an interesting picture from my trip to the dentist. At the dentist you need to remove your shoes at the door, and wear (real small) slippers in the office, then once you leave you place them into this Star Trek style machine that has a mysterious blue light that magically cleans them (using ultraviolet light).

Dentist slipper cleaning machine

Just press the button to get your clean slippers, wow!

Blue light cleans your slippers

I dare you to stick your hands in there!

Q&A: Chihuahua Breeders in Japan

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Question:

Luwyn writes in: Hi, I hope you can help direct me to some Chihuahua breeders in Japan as their websites are incredibly difficult to find online! Is there a Japanese Kennel Club, or a national Chihuahua Club? Thanks very much!

Answer:

Hi Luwyn. Sorry but I lost contact with the breeder that gave us the gift of Lulu. The breeder lives in the country side about 8 hours from my town and I haven’t seen her since. I know she doesn’t have a website. I hope you can track one down! Be prepared to spend a lot to get a genuine Chihuahua in Japan along with the paperwork. You could always import one from your country, but then you’d have to teach her Japanese. Here are some books about importing animals into Japan.

Attack of the Japanese Chihuahua!

Attack of the Japanese Chihuahua! Watch out!

If you enjoyed this post, then please consider subscribing to my RSS feed. You can also subscribe by Email and have new posts sent directly to your Inbox.
The Q&A section of my blog is kind of new. People like my “contact me” link on the blog! Every month I get asked some questions and many tend to be similar so I thought I’d share a few along with my answers.

Takoyaki on a Chopstick

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Walking downtown I saw a vendor selling Takoyaki on a stick for 200 yen. I thought wow! I could really use some takoyaki right about now! And I decided to grab some of these tasty octopus treats at a great value! It’s strange to have a piece of wood go through the takoyaki because there’s supposed to be some octopus in the middle. The presentation and the vendor’s friendliness helped secure the sale. The value was good, but it turned out the food wasn’t.  So I’ll be sticking to the freshly made takoyaki in a box for now on. Take a look at the difference. The 2nd picture is from a summer festival. You can make takoyaki at home too, it’s not too difficult.

takoyaki on a stick

Takoyaki on a stick with what I’d consider great presentation and a lot of mayo!

Takoyaki in a box at a Japanese summer festival

Fresh takoyaki in a box at a Japanese summer festival

Q&A: Working in Japan, no bachelors degree?

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Note: I don’t teach English and I don’t work for a Japanese company so I was hesitant to answer this. But I figured… what the hell… so my answers below are based on what I know and have learned from others, not from experience. Another post, Americans working in Japan, might be of interest to you.

Question Part 1:

Zac writes in – I’m 20 years old and I want to teach English in Japan. My family has done it in SE Asia for years. My question is what do I need to do? I know being an American you have to have a bachelor’s degree go do work of any kind. Sorry for the vague question.

Answer Part 1:

Hi Zac. Without a 4 year degree your options seem limited, but it’s still possible to teach English. I know a guy that has a 2 year degree who taught English for years at a variety of smaller companies and made a decent living. He came to Japan without any work lined up and found work within the first month. He stayed for a few years, but then returned to his home country so I can’t ask him any questions about it. Also there’s the idea of doing private lessons at a cafe or at people’s houses, but you need to look into the legality of that yourself. It’s going to take a lot of searching to the work you’re looking without a degree, but with persistence you might find exactly what you’re looking for.

Teaching English in Japan

Teaching English in Japan

(photo from flickr)

Question Part 2:

Steve, thank you very much for the info it did help a lot, but i was under the idea that you had to have a 4 year degree to apply for work visa of any kind?

Answer Part 2:

You need an employer that will give you a work visa. I’m not sure about the 4 year degree requirement but as I said, the guy I knew only had a 2 year degree. If you go on a tourist visa (90 days I think), then find a job that will give you a tourist visa, you just need to ask if you can change your visa status or else you leave the country for a day and come back on the new visa. I don’t teach English so I’m not sure on all of the details. I did see this online…

To get a work visa you need:

  • a valid passport;
  • an application form;
  • one passport-size photo; and
  • a certificate of eligibility issued by the Japanese Immigration Bureau (your employer must apply for the certificate).

More info that might help you
Here are some TEFL books to check out.
mofa.go.jp – Visa types in Japan
ESL employment – teaching English in Japan (requirements, etc)
How to teach English in Japan + many useful links

Maybe my friend got the work visa because of his experience of teaching abroad already. You might look into teaching English in Korea as well. Busan (or Pusan) is a popular spot, and for $200-300 you can take a round trip ferry to visit Japan to get your sushi on.

Here’s an interesting quote from Gaijin Pot – (Living, working or visiting Japan? Not without a visa!)

You normally need to show that you have a relevant college degree to be able to apply for a working visa. However if you can show that you have a certain number of years relevant work experience you are also eligible to apply. You can also be eligible if you have a degree from another higher, relevant educational institution. Each visa and industry has different requirements.

A lot of sites contradict each other. But I think it’s possible.

More links to help you on your journey to information:
Yahoo Answers – Advice on getting a Japanese work visa without degree?
Japan Guide – Teaching in Japan Without a Degree
Yahoo Answers – is an online bachelor’s degree good enough for a work visa?
Yahoo Answers – Entry-level job opportunities in Japan?
3yen.com – Is a bachelors degree necessary to teach in Japan?
thunderguy.com – Japan visa types
JapanForum.com – jobs in Japan question about requirements etc
Escape Artist – Living in Japan

Also as Cornelius pointed out in the comments, it’s possible to self sponsor your own work visa. Here are some sites to check out about self sponsoring a Japanese visa. A page from Gaijin Pot says:

Self-sponsorship is very possible: especially if you are already living in Japan and have steady work. A self-sponsored visa falls under the working visa category and you will therefore need to show that all requirements for a working visa is met. You will have to show that you are guaranteed the minimum income required to support yourself in Japan. For example, contracts from 3 companies promising you payment may be required. Free consultations are available at immigration offices in Japan and will they help you prepare the necessary documentation. Self-sponsorship may require some leg work and extra paper work but might be the best solutions for you!

Also with a self sponsored visa you’re going to need to prove that you have large savings or steady income that is good enough to pay for your living expenses. Here are a few links about self sponsored visa in Japan:
jiosu.com – Work for yourself by self sponsoring your visa
ESL Cafe – self sponsored visa
Gaijin Pot Forums – Self sponsorship Japanese visa
Self sponsored visa application in Japan – successful!

Good luck with your quest to move to Japan!

If you enjoyed this post, then please consider subscribing to my RSS feed. You can also subscribe by Email and have new posts sent directly to your Inbox.
The Q&A section of my blog is kind of new. People like my “contact me” link on the blog! Every month I get asked some questions and many tend to be similar so I thought I’d share a few along with my answers.

Americans Working in Japan

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How do you get a job in Japan besides teaching English? What are wages and working conditions like for Americans and other foreigners living and working in Japan? These are a few questions I’m often asked. Currently here are some posts that might help you out.

There are other routes. If you want to learn more about government jobs in Japan, here’s a great resource: NAFjobs.org And here are some TEFL books that might come in handy.

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Falling asleep on the train

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The first time I fell asleep on the train I was surrounded by mountains! There are no mountains on the train line near where I live so I knew I fell asleep. The good thing is I can hop off at a stop, cross over, and catch the train back at no extra charge because they don’t take your ticket until you leave the train station. I’ve always wondered what would happens if a person falls asleep on a Shinkansen (bullet train) and Sibylle Ito answered that over at her blog. Another interesting post at her blog is  Japanese manners: Info from an expert where she interviews an experienced trainer for Japanese culture/manner.

Falling asleep on a train

Falling asleep on a train

Tools for Teachers

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A friend of mine created a site that teachers can use in the classroom, it’s basically web-based quizzes and surveys for students. Looks like it’s great for iPhones. It’s called MOARS (Mobile Audience Response System).

moars is designed to be used with students. This is not an iPhone app — the students use mobile web-based browsers to take quizzes and surveys. Even though the system is designed to be used with Safari on iPod Touch or iPhone, students have accessed the system from other mobile browsers.

Click here to check out MOARS (Mobile Audience Response System)

Another site teachers might find helpful is “captur.me” which is more low tech.

PaddleCaptur is a simple tool that teachers can use in their classrooms to help them capture the class’ understanding or opinions in an instant. Each students has a paddle-shaped flash card. When the teacher asks a question, she also provides up to four options for the answers. Students all use their Captur paddle to give their answers…

Check out the Captur website here.

Hanami, Sakura, and Kyoto

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For those that don’t know, “sakura” are the cherry blossoms that grace Japan every year. “Hanami” is a “flower viewing” which can be romantic but usually turns into a huge drunken party under the cherry blossoms far into the evening. And “Kyoto” is just some city in Japan. Alright, alright, Kyoto is a beautiful city full of culture that used to be Japan’s capital before Tokyo! But we’ll get to Kyoto later on…

Being an American, what amazes me about hanami is how people can reserve a spot in public place and people usually respect the reservation. Somebody will go to the park early and block off a section for their group with string and a note saying “reserved [this date] at [this time]“… and there usually isn’t any problem. Talk about courtesy! That’s like having nosebleed seats at a football game and not moving to the already reserved front row seats that are empty. In the U.S. after a while we’d move down to those awesome seats until the person who reserved those seats showed up, if ever.

Each person usually bring something to the party such as drinks, snacks, food, bento, and last year I made pizza at home and brought that . I always have fun at hanami parties because brings a mixture of friends together. Here’s a photo of a sakura tree in full bloom. For more pictures of the beautiful cherry blossoms and hanami action, check out Ben Does Japan where he goes to Kyoto to check things out.

Friend's Chihuahua Loving the Sakura

 A Friend’s Chihuahua Loving the Sakura

Getting an accurate weather forecast

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I’ve been using U.S. based (I think) services on my Google homepage to check the weather in Japan for over a year and the results have been just ok. Sometimes the Fukuoka weather forecast is accurate, but a lot of times it’s off. For example WeatherUnderground or Google’s weather widget will say it’s going to be a warm sunny day, but my wife tells me it’s going to rain. Sure enough, it rains and the temps drop, and that’s when widgets on my home page change their forecast. I know that I’m getting some bad information when I’m walking around with an umbrella and 99% of the people I see don’t have one.

Directly on a website like Weather.com the weather forecast seem accurate, but I want to see weather on my Google homepage without having to click around. I think the main issue is there’s not enough information about the day displayed. For example, here’s today’s Google widget. It shows today as partly cloudy and tomorrow as a rainy day, but it’s probably going to rain between 11pm-3am.

Google Weather Japan

Last week I found a Japanese widget in English that shows weather from Yahoo Japan. So far it’s been awesome! It shows the weather changes through out the day for today and tomorrow and then gives an extended forecast. Here’s a screen shot so you can compare it to the Google widget weather. I like the 3-hour window of information.

Pinpoint Weather Forecast in Japan

It has a lot of locations and options to choose from and can display Celcius or Farenheit. It also reads the language you’re using for Google and automatically choose English or Japanese for you. If you use Google as your homepage, I recommend this widget. You can find it by searching “pinpoint weather japan” or by visiting this site for more info.

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