liveing in japan

Visual Novel Community Off Topic
#1

Well I’ve lived in Japan for about 6 months, and I’ll say this:

I am NOT touching the raceist/anti-foreigner questions. This is really more of a personal issue, as everyone has their own feelings on what exactly IS ok or not ok. Have I been stared at? yes. Have I ever been emotionaly mistreated? No.

My pay is fine for the work I do. Am I rich? No, do I expect to be? Also no.

If you live like a Japanese person the living cost is fine, if you live like a foreigner, its expensive.

I live in Shiga Prefecture, I have never been told “No foreigners” at any restaurants, bars, or stores.

Oh good luck getting a proper work VISA without some kind of education…

#2

ya, i really discourage any sort of racism discussions here and for sure i will close this thread if not banning of accounts if things get out of hand

however, it’s ok to talk about other aspects of living in japan so go ahead and talk about those

[ 03-28-2007, 12:43 AM: Message edited by: Lamuness - BBS Admin ]

#3

Hey! Before this thread gets closed, let me add that Peter regularly sends information about life in Japan through the Peach Princess newsletter.

If you’re not getting those, I recommend you do. It’s not “encyclopedic boring” info, but actual “what’s it like to live in Japan” coolness.

He tends to send at least one per week. Even have lived in Japan myself, he mentions stuff I’m in the dark about. :slight_smile:

#4

Not the Peach Princess newsletter, but the J-List newsletter.

I’ve received those for about a year, after which I unsubsribed. The reason? I started getting duplicate entries. I have all those e-mails archived in several plain text files. :slight_smile:

[ 03-23-2007, 04:16 PM: Message edited by: Benoit ]

#5

nah i wont close this thread unless some kinda flame war broke out due to racism discussions

you guys can go ahead and talk about living in japan; i am perfectly okay with that part

#6

I live in Japan and the bars and restaurants that are closed to foreigners are few and far between unless you are looking for a certain type of bar. These types of bars have entertainment best left to the imagination and are exclusively Japanese only. Frankly, from what I have heard the women who work in these establishments are not the types I’d want to be with anyway.

The cost of living is high, yes. Expect rent in major urban areas to be astounding for a small apartment. I knew one guy who was paying $900 Canadian for an apartment that was two rooms plus bath. It was tiny too.

Food is pricey if you like meat, although chicken is reasonable and some fish is reasonable but beef is a crazy price even with Australian imports. Ground beef/hamburger isn’t bad but more expensive than other meats.

Pay rates depend on where you are and what you are doing and for whom. Most 1st year English instructors can expect about 250,000 Yen per month, roughly $2,500 Canadian. It isn’t a bad salary if you are careful and not living in places like Tokyo. Pay rates will vary depending on whom you are working for. Schedules can vary too.

Some places you can expect to work 6 days a week. If you want to teach than prepare for a 20 to 30 hour teaching week with about 10 hours a week for prep. Your mornings may be free but your evenings are busy.

If you are working in a Japanese company be prepared to work like you are Japanese. This means you are there until your boss leaves even if you have little to do but play “Minesweeper” on your computer. :wink:

For the most part I have found living here to be wonderful. The culture is great as are the cultural events. The food is good, even sushi and sashimi, you can always find familiar food or something you like here. The people are generally very welcoming and interested in foreigners with a few exceptions.

Racy stuff, well, that can be easy to find but since you are a foreigner you tend to stick out and people take notice of what you are doing so you have to be somewhat discrete especially in small cities and towns. Bars are generally okay unless you are getting drunk almost every night then it will be noticed and talked about.

Since I live in a small city I have to be very careful where I am seen and seen doing. I am a minority here and am very visible, a 6’ 1" guy who weighs 120 KG stands out. This means that I am very careful about what I do. I live with those limitations because I enjoy what I do here and wish to keep doing it.

I will say this, racism exists here as it does every where. It is a fact of life. It isn’t a hinderance for the most part but it is there. If it bothers you then you should think carefully before coming here. It bothers me but I work every day to over come it and to provide those I have contact with with another point of view. Just like back in my home country.

Working here really requires you to have a university degree especially in certain fields. Many employers will not even look at you if you do not and the higher paying jobs will be almost closed to you.

I have been here for the last 3 years and was here for 5 years in the mid and late 90’s. I enjoy it here very much but it is not without its drawbacks. I would investigate your job options BEFORE you go very, very carefully. You may find things very tough if you do not have the requirements for employment.

However, you never know. You could look into a study/work visa and study the language while you work part time. It might give you some inroads into other jobs.

#7

You go to bars to meet women?

#8

what’s wrong with that? that’s not uncommon for many people actually and it’s not illegal nor necessarily morally wrong either

hell, i have friends who go to church just to meet girls…well, prolly not in the same methods as the bar, but still meeting the opposite sex nevertheless

#9

Ummm, Benoit, well, it depends on what you mean by “meet”. The bars I was trying to imply are generally closed to foreigners because they do things that make lapdancing look tame.

I don’t go to bars to meet women any longer. I outgrew that years ago but many do, yes. Not sure why it’s seems strange.

#10

I never said there’s anything wrong with it. But it seems strange to me. Usually you go to a bar for a drink.

Now that’s sad. :confused:

[ 03-27-2007, 01:38 PM: Message edited by: Benoit ]

#11

keep in mind benoit, that bars are also places for socializing, not just strictly for drinking beer or whatever

that said, socializing with or “meeting” women is perfectly acceptable

[ 03-27-2007, 02:35 PM: Message edited by: Lamuness - BBS Admin ]

#12

Yes, they are. But you don’t go there just for meeting women, usually. You go there for a drink and socialising. Not strictly with the opposite sex.

#13

I know a few Japanese guys who would disagree with you on that one. I knew a few gaikokujin who would disagree with you as well. Heck, I met a couple of Japanese women who would disagree with you too.

For some here it is all about “nanpa”! :wink:

#14

Bars charge a hefty markup on alcohol. If all you wanted was a drink, you would do better – MUCH better – to buy the alcohol yourself and go home.

I think you are underestimating the degree of importance placed on the socializing.

Besides – if you ARE interested in “hooking up” – a bar is going to be a good place to find people; therefore such individuals are going to be disproportionately attracted to such places.

#15

Very true. And if you go to some bars the price is VERY high. Hostess bars will cost you a small fortune to “socialize” and drink.

Izakaya’s, think pub like restaurant, seem to be the cheapest way to go out with friends for a few drinks from my experience but still a mug of draft beer can run you 500 Yen or more depending on the size. Mixed drinks aren’t any cheaper.

If you are in the big cities then there is more variety and some more North American style bars but they too can be expensive. Dance bars in Tokyo are an experience to say the least.

However, if you just want to socialize with friends you are much more likely to go to someone’s apartment and sit around there drinking. It is a LOT cheaper.

#16

I can testify that also if you live like an Italian person the living cost is fine, if you live like a foreigner, its expensive is very real, and I’m pretty sure this applies to most nations, it’s an universal thing, in my opinion :frowning: .

#17

Well except in America, where everyone is into the bling-bling, big guns, fast cars, and hot women. :wink:

#18

Well, maybe it’s late :o :stuck_out_tongue: , but I’ve found a very informative site for you (all) in general, http://www.thejapanfaq.com/ , and I recommend this page in particular: http://www.thejapanfaq.com/FAQ-Prices.html

#19

Good links, Baldo. Although after living here for 8 of the last 13 years I think the second one has to be taken with something of a grain of salt.

The cost of living in the major urban centers is crazy, yes, but once you get into the smaller urban centers your expenses, read rent, do go down especially in places more or less rural.

I think you’d find most major cities would suffer similar rent issues if you look carefully. With the number of people in Tokyo and region it is now wonder renting a small apartment, and I mean small, costs a fortune.

I lived in Yamagata Prefecture when I came over in '94 and had a very nice place for $600 Canadian. It had two floors with a huge kitchen, bigger than the one I had in Canada, an large entry area, a bath and toilet on the first floor. The second floor had a large room I used for a bedroom and a 6 tatami mat room. Lots of space. I found it comparable price and size wise to living in a Canadian urban area.

However, I am sure it would have cost me almost double that had I been in Tokyo or anywhere near a larger urban center.

Land prices are crazy here for reasons mentioned in the link and also because most people have little experience buying and selling land. Oldest sons tend to live with the parents so the land and house get passed down through families. Condos are increasingly popular but many buy one and that is where they stay for the rest of their lives. If the husband gets transferred often he will go by himself and commute home a few times a month and on holidays. OR the company will find an apartment for the family and their condo may be rented out.

My Japanese brother-in-law’s apartment rent is subsidized by his company so he pays a lot less than he would normally. Some companies do this in order to get employees or to get employees to transfer.

I am careful with the sort of “knowledgable” statements made in the second link because they are not always the experience you get everywhere in the country. So, read through the page for the basics and then plan carefully BEFORE you come over. Once you are here be prepared for an entirely different experience than you read because it may happen differently.

Japan is fun but it has its downsides too.

#20

I agree, but for the casual, Japanese-resident wannabee (like the creator of this thread :wink: ), it remains an invaluable resource, in my opinion.
Better safe than sorry, I would like to say (especially as native of a country sharing with Japan the twin curses of overpriced goods and exorbitant taxes (heck, Italy and Japan have too many things in common for my peace of mind :stuck_out_tongue: ).