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Forums - General Discussion - To all VGChartzer that live (or want to live) in Japan, let's share our experience!

I decided to make this thread because a couple of users were interested about my experience in Japan (namely Slimebeast and Vyse_Blue_Rogue). So I thought that it would be nice for other users too  to share their japanese life (even tips and advices useful for either us that live here and for those that would like to come in the future)! 

Actually I wasn't entirely sure about making this thread because I don't feel that my experience is super interesting or worth sharing, but anyway here it is (I'll try to be brief)! 

I was always interested in learning the japanese language since high school, although I'm not a super otaku. I only read a handful of manga and viewed some anime, I'm not into japanese music either. I do love japanese movies and, of course, games.

So, since my nearest university had a major in japanese culture and language, I decided to enroll there. After graduation I decided to enroll in a japanese private school of language in Tokyo for six months, to improve my japanese. The process of enrolling was long (several months) and a pain in the ass, and I almost missed the deadline to submit the documents, but in the end I managed to receive a visa for a year. 

So I came here on April 2015, fully enjoying the life of a student in Tokyo. I had a couple of girlfriends( not at the same time of course :P) and a part time job. After graduating on September I decided to look for a full time job since I really enjoy living here. Even though it wasn't entirely legal for me to stay here after the end of school (even if my visa was valid for one year) I kept sending resumes. I was a bit worried that the government would find out that I was breaking the law, but nothing happened fortunately! 

It took me some months (I even had a job interview at SCEJ, fantastic place!), and it wasn't so easy as I hoped it would, but in the end they took me in a transportation company as a database administrator. I feel lucky because it's a pretty relaxing job, everybody are nice to me and I never have to do overtime. The salary is good (not super good), and raises are costant here in Japan and you always get them even if you are a stupid monkey. In the future I'm going to work for SCEJ of course ;)

During free time I usually play games or go out with the few friends I have, we mostly go to international party where you can meet a lot of people. 

Tip: don't date japanese girls! By my personal experience they are crazy as fuck (in a bad way) and you'll never know what they think. They can go out on a date with you and never answer to your messages after, even if you have been the coolest guy on Earth! 

I'll add more when it comes to my mind, right now I'm at work! :) 



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Thanks for the feedback!

I'm a french engineer and am currently planning a one-year trip to Japan starting nect October to improve my japanese (I already did an internship there a few years ago, but lost my ability to speak japanese pretty quickly...).

I'll take a one-year visa too and would like to do small jobs (like waiter, it's hard to find engineering jobs without a good japanese level) there, obviously to gain some money but also in order to speak as much as I can.

But I've read that the one-year "work holiday" visa can't be renewed there and that I will need to come back to France before going to Japan again... You got a job and a visa extension without that?

And of course, I would love to have some advices about jobs, housing or other potential good/bad deal (we should avoid japanese girls? :( ), but I still have time for that ^^.

Thanks again for the topic and your insight!



Faelco said:
Thanks for the feedback!

I'm a french engineer and am currently planning a one-year trip to Japan starting nect October to improve my japanese (I already did an internship there a few years ago, but lost my ability to speak japanese pretty quickly...).

I'll take a one-year visa too and would like to do small jobs (like waiter, it's hard to find engineering jobs without a good japanese level) there, obviously to gain some money but also in order to speak as much as I can.

But I've read that the one-year "work holiday" visa can't be renewed there and that I will need to come back to France before going to Japan again... You got a job and a visa extension without that?

And of course, I would love to have some advices about jobs, housing or other potential good/bad deal (we should avoid japanese girls? :( ), but I still have time for that ^^.

Thanks again for the topic and your insight!

Thank you for your contribution!

Yes, I know that feeling, it's so easy to forget a language if you don't exercise every day :( Don't worry though, your japanese knowledge is stored somewhere in your brain, when you are coming back here you will quickly regain what you knew!

What kind of engineer are you? You should definitely look for a job, I heard that engineers make good money here!

About the visa, who is going to sponsor you? Because even if you can't extend the working holiday visa you can ask for a new, proper working visa if a company is willing to sponsor you. In my case I had a one year student visa and after graduation I found a company that sponsored a new working visa. But, as I said, I wasn't actually allowed to look for a job after graduating, I was lucky ;)

About the girls, it's not that you should avoid them, but approach them with caution and a HUGE amount of patience. Dating a japanese girl is usually a long and expensive process and you can't never be sure about the outcome. Or maybe I've been VERY unlucky. But the reward is usually worth it, they are super hot! :) 



Been here for three and a half years. Nothing too remarkable I guess, it's not the paradise some people make it seem to be, and there's a lot of BS to deal with. But I like it here and I'm not planning on leaving any time soon. My pay is decent, enough to save quite a bit, and I have a very flexible job that allows me to take time off whenever I fee like. (This is not the norm though).

I don't think dating Japanese girls is that bad. You have to get used to the dumb things and yes, them not replying to messages all of a sudden is one of them. They don't feel you're really dating until you clearly and openly state so (what they call 告白, kokuhaku or confession). But who cares, move on to the next one haha.

I don't want to give out too much personal info online but if anyone has questions I'd be happy to answer (as much as I'm willing to).

Edit: oh and I'm not really into anime or manga so I can't comment on that. I can say not everyone here is a super otaku though, lol. Love games of course, but I order them on Amazon.



No troll is too much for me to handle. I rehabilitate trolls, I train people. I am the Troll Whisperer.

Risthel said:

Thank you for your contribution!

Yes, I know that feeling, it's so easy to forget a language if you don't exercise every day :( Don't worry though, your japanese knowledge is stored somewhere in your brain, when you are coming back here you will quickly regain what you knew!

What kind of engineer are you? You should definitely look for a job, I heard that engineers make good money here!

About the visa, who is going to sponsor you? Because even if you can't extend the working holiday visa you can ask for a new, proper working visa if a company is willing to sponsor you. In my case I had a one year student visa and after graduation I found a company that sponsored a new working visa. But, as I said, I wasn't actually allowed to look for a job after graduating, I was lucky ;)

About the girls, it's not that you should avoid them, but approach them with caution and a HUGE amount of patience. Dating a japanese girl is usually a long and expensive process and you can't never be sure about the outcome. Or maybe I've been VERY unlucky. But the reward is usually worth it, they are super hot! :) 

 

I'm an industrial engineer, so pretty much "universal" engineer with a bit of formation about several subjects (electricity, materials, chemistry, programming...), but more focused on production, management, logistics and other factory tasks. I've been more or less looking for an engineer job in Japan, but they all ask for a good language level, that's why I want to train first ^^. 

 

The "Holliday work" visa (at least that's how it's called here) doesn't ask for a sponsor as far as I know, it's like a regular Holliday visa, but it allows you to work there as well for a year max. But I've read that we can't extend it from Japan, so I might have to come back to France and then ask for another Visa. Well, if everything runs smoothly, I won't complain for a Japan-France-Japan trip!