Chris writes in – Hi, Steve. I really enjoy your blog I’ve read it a couple of times and I am thinking of an adventure to Japan. My question is… is there a way I can learn more of the culture? What I mean is, I wouldn’t want to offend anyone if I do go there. Is there a way to prepare myself so that I don’t offend them the day I step off the plane?  Their culture is a more serious than living in the United States, I just don’t want to be a stereotypical clumsy American they seem to think of us as. I really enjoy their history and culture. So I may find myself over there sometime after I graduate next year.

Answer:

Hi Chris,

It’s great that you want to learn and understand Japanese culture before visiting. The culture is different than what I was used to, so it’s easy to offend somebody. For example if you slam a door by accident when you leave maybe somebody will think you’re upset with them and that will make them upset which results in them not talking to you for a few days for no reason. (This happened to me once)

Don’t forget who you are either, so if you’re awesome be awesome. Japanese guys seem to be shy or drawn back when you look at their body language but I think they’re strong verbally. Since I don’t speak Japanese well I can’t be strong verbally so I’m more aggressive using body language, but at the same time I’m not too invasive. I call this maneuver “just being myself”.

For learning about the culture you might search the internet or find a book about Japanese Culture. I read a book I bought in the travel section of a book store. If you can read Japanese already, you can find Japanese online newspapers here. Even when you’re ready you should be prepared to offend somebody on accident, it happens. Just stay positive and try to move on. In my opinion daily Japanese language and body language seems to land in the middle of the road, not an exact yes or no. Something I noticed is if somebody offers you something when visiting them, you should accept. If you offer somebody something (like food or a drink) and they say no, then offer it a few more times because they may be saying no to be polite. If you’re on a bus or train you should get up and offer your seat to women with children, older people. And if somebody says they’re going to do something with you, they might not follow through. It’s life. Hmm, what else, I bow when other people bow, and I use formal words most of the time because being super polite doesn’t offend people. There are a lot of silly and happy foreigners on TV, and I try to be happy and smile most of the time without going overboard. A few people have commented about this saying that it’s great because I’m happy like the people they are familiar with on TV, so you might keep that in mind. Nobody enjoys seeing grumpy, angry, rude, or sad people.

Also when you’re in Japan, look around at what others are doing and try to mimic their actions. People don’t liter and I notice people don’t often eat while walking or on public transportation among other things.

Relationships and marriage is another story. But to get you started in that area you could check out some Asian wedding favors.

(Photo from flickr)

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!). 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

(photo from flick)

Question:

Gabe wrote in:  I was an exchange student in Japan for a summer while in high school, and now in college i will be going back. I had a question about the post office ATMS. I think you said that they don’t charge a fee? Is that for all cards, or just who you are banking with. Thanks!!

Answer:

I think you’re referring to my old post: ATM Currency Conversion

The Post Office ATM have never charged me an ATM fee, so I’m assuming it’s for all US banks. However my bank account charges a 1% fee for the currency conversion and Master Card charges 1% so I’m dinged a total of 2%. If I withdrawal $100, I’m charged $2 which is reflected on my bank statement. However my Capital One (High Yield Money Market) account covers all conversion fees so it’s a straight up currency conversion without fees. The ATM at 711 charges me 200 yen or something like that as an ATM fee.

What I do is I have multiple Capital One saving accounts (with interest, wow!) so I have multiple debit cards. Then online I transfer from my regular checking account (a US bank account) to my Capital One accounts. With a max of $500 daily withdrawal per Capital One account I can withdrawal a large amount if I need to ($500 per account). I get a fair exchange rate and no ATM fee and no % currency conversion fees. I can also play the timezone game, where I withdrawal in the morning (it’s the evening in the US) then withdrawal in the evening (it’s the next day, morning in the US).

On a side note: My Capital One accounts offer a debit card only (with a Plus logo on the back), so I can’t use this at a store. If I use my checking account debit MasterCard (Non Capital One account) I’m still charged the 1% conversion fee from the bank and 1% from MasterCard so I try to limit the amount of times I do this. You can compare some rates here:
http://www.flyerguide.com/wiki/index.php/Credit/Debit/ATM_Cards_and_Foreign_Exchange

The USD in other countries isn’t in our favor right now, so it’s always good to save as much as you can when converting to another currency. It’s also a good idea to setup your accounts in the US before traveling. I setup my first Capital One account in America, and others while abroad, and I can log in to one account and manage all of the Capital One accounts. Here’s an example of what the debit card looks like.

Here’s an article I found interesting that talks about credit cards and fees. Yen & You: Plugging the money leaks in your credit cards and one talking about something that’s not discussed often enough, Why You Need an Emergency Fund

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.

Attack of the Japanese Chihuahua! Watch out!

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

(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
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:
tokyo.japantimes.co.jp – The definitive guide to Visa and Immigration in Japan - Check out the section “Self-sponsorship and Investor/Business Manager status”
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!

Leah writes in – Am writing a short piece for Telegraph Expat on the new skype iphone/ipod app and wondered if you’d be interested in commenting on it, as an expat user? Would be good to know whether it’s been useful for you and your expat friends, and what you think of it!

Answer:

Sure I’ll tell you my thoughts on it. I think Skype for the iPhone is great! An iPhone/iPod is small enough to take anywhere, so now It’s easier than ever for me to Skype or call abroad. I use it daily when I’m on the go. My only complaint is that I haven’t been able to listen to any Skype voicemail on my iPhone.

Skype message about iPhone 3G mobile subscription

On a side note – Skype will be requiring a subscription in the future to use it on the cell phone network (3G) on the iPhone. I don’t like the idea of this since I already have a regular skype subscription with a phone number, but I use it frequently so depending on the price I might subscribe. It should still be free to skype to skype calling when you’re connected to a wifi hotspot.

Question:

Andrew wrote in – Man, this blog is great, I think I’ve read every post! Found this today, and I love it. Going to Japan has been my dream since I was like 10, and I love sites like this that detail personal experiences! It’s great to hear about your time in Japan and really adds realism to the dream

Was it expensive moving there? I’m 19 and living in the UK, and I currently have no idea what I’m doing with life :O I sometimes wonder if I’ll ever get to go (I need a better Job!) But your blog gives me hope my friend ^^ Keep up the good work!

Answer:

Hi Andrew,

Thanks for the feedback! I’m glad you enjoy the posts that I’ve made. It was expensive to move to Japan because I had to sell everything I owned in the U.S. The other alternative would be storage (monthly fee) or keep stuff at my parents house (they wouldn’t like that). On top of that I had to have money to move into a new place. This included damage deposit that I would not get back, 1st months rent, last months rent, and money for setting up things like internet, electric, cell phone, and not to mention the $1400 plane ticket. I don’t remember clearly but I’d say a rough estimate of the first month cost around $8000-10000 USD, but this is for two people. If you budget well and are a minimalist, and if you had a job lined up, you could spend $3000-5000 USD depending on where you live. Then your monthly budget would be between $1000-2000 before including food. These figures are just estimates so you’d really have to break everything down to match your own personal tastes. But I have some friends that are working in Japan as English teachers and they’re making about $1600-2000 USD a month and they’re able to live in a decent place, have a cell phone, internet, and some have cable TV. So it is possible. Just remember that the apartments are very very tiny compared to Western style living.

If you move to Japan you should considering getting a job in advance because finding work in Japan is a tedious task. If you’re just doing some soul searching then you might consider going to Japan on an extended vacation instead of moving right away. One way to keep things affordable is to make some friends on www.couchsurfing.com and stay at somebody’s place for free.

Good luck with everything!

(I got the photo in this post from flickr)