"Better the devil you know..." [warning: rambly spill-my-guts-out post]

[solittletime]

Well, as a few people may have gathered from my introduction post, I'm a generally squeeish fanboy, like so many others before me, at present and sure to come after I'm gone.

I'm also thinking about possibly moving to Japan one day... I heard that the technology field is a good one to move into, and I even asked an experienced, 18 year old female online contact of mine, who's been to Japan to study, and has many friends intending to go to live in Japan (she actually plans to live their herself as a translator, and translates jrockers online diaries for fans on a daily basis) if it was a good idea.

Apparently, it is. I'm starting a two year college course based around hardware assembly, programming, web design and much much more in a week friday, and I was hoping that'd give me a grounding to go learn more at another college or a university. At the same time I'd learn Japanese on the side, and possibly take some classes or use home tutoring or something - just enough to learn the majority of everyday Japanese (I was thinking perhaps I could pick up the rest via submersion, although I'd like to know a reasonable amount to begin with, so I started learning it recently. The sooner, the better). If I don't know enough by the time I feel properly eductated on the technology I'd be working with (I can't pinpoint what I'd do, but one idea that cropped up was a system admin or something), I'll go to classes and learn more or something... it'll take as long as it takes. I was planning to take a holiday along the way as well, just to see if I actually like it or not (probably a good idea, ne?).

Now - I may be a fanboy, but when it comes to something serious like, oh I don't know, moving country, then it'd probably be a good idea to realise a few things about it...

- It's not just like *snap fingers* *teleports* "ZOMG I'M THERE" - I suspect there will be PILES AND PILES AND MOUNDS of paperwork to climb (Don't worry, I'm prepared - I climbed Mount Snowdon this summer :giggle:)
- It is most definitely not going to be a perfect country. Perfection isn't even a realistic ideology, as from one perspective something's perfect and from another perspective it isn't, so it's quite obviously going to have it's problems.

So I sat down and realised this, and thought to myself... "now. Where can I find a very large bunch of people, willing to provide me with knowledge on this subject?". The first thing that popped into my head was "JREF", so I knew where to go.

So yeah, in short, what I'm asking in this post is... what are the problems with Japan? It's not perfect I'm sure, but it's smarter to know what problems you're going to face with the country as a whole than just accept that there will be some. As they say, better the devil you know...

I'm bisexual {in the closet and it's pretty comfortable, actually} with no pref, 16 years old, interested in contempary Japanese culture and look set to get even more interested in it - as well as possibly traditional Japanese culture, fairly shy, never drank alcohol before and I don't smoke or take drugs, never had a girlfreind {lets face it, I haven't really met anyone I'd WANT to date over here}, I don't feel safe in my current country and I don't go on to the streets at night over here for fear of encountering the oh-so-infamous drunken or/and violent "Chav".

Is it a very bad idea to "come out" in Japan {I actually don't feel any pressure in the closet, genuinely it's pretty alright}? Are westerners rejected, accepted or is it different in different places {from what I've read the latter seems most likely}? What's crime like, do people feel safe generally? What's the drug and firearms culture like, is it big? How expensive are things {I'm sure it varies from area to area}? Will I survive? That sort of stuff... is what I'm looking for answers for.

I searched the forums, but of course the information was what one may call "inconclusive" {very varied}.

Thank you for any future input, and sorry if it's too long... I wanted to tell my entire "story", so to speak.

- solittletime/Dan

[ArmandV]

Switch-hitter or not, Japan is not a friendly place for "alternative lifestyles." I've seen so many advertisements from hotels alone stating they won't allow same-sex guests. You may want to re-think things and do a lot of studying of their policies before you commit yourself.

[solittletime]

I don't know if that'd be too much of a problem or not - I don't act camp or anything and I'm not planning to come out of the closet any time soon (I swear there's no point coming out over here, because it'd be completely academic - seriously, I have met like 1 attractive guy here and that was until he opened his mouth). I guess I could just avoid chatting up guys or something, it's not as if I'm an unstoppable love machine or something. Like I said, the closet's pretty cosy. Although, having said that, constantly hearing and reading anti-gay sentiments could really get on my nerves and put me off the place. Seriously though, I'd think there'd be a fair amount of homosexual/bisexual acceptance given the feminity (sp?) of most of the celebrities and rock stars there. Never assume though, eh?

Studying their policies may not be possible if it's all in Japanese, but if I could find it in English then maybe I could read them through then or something?

[Mike Cash]

First things first...two words: Visa Eligibility

A two year degree most likely won't cut it. You need to research this and build it into your preparation.

[solittletime]

Alright, I'll go research visa eligibility. I wouldn't think a single course would cut it either - least of all a two year course - but I can't predict exactly what other courses I'll be doing between the time I go to Japan [IF I go] and the end of my second course, so I'll have to look into that closer to the time. It'll most definitely be related to technology [unless I have a sudden change of heart which I consider unlikely] so it should work in conjunction with my previous course fine, being the same general topic of career and all.
Yeah, this plan is seriously covered with holes, but I've got a lot of time to "patch them up", so to speak - I have no set time I have to go to Japan but the sooner the better IMO (as long as I'm actually prepared for living there)... if I can't change things about Japan (which is quite obviously not an option, a country doesn't just change for someone) then I'll have to change my mindset on specific topics, and I'm not going to deny that that might be difficult on some things... but I'll do it if it's achiveable.

I mean it's not just the pull factors of contempary Japanese culture that make me want to switch country, it's also the push factors that I hate almost everything in my own (before having this live in Japan brainwave, I was actually considering moving to New Zealand - not because I really like anything there, just to get away from the UK). I've been reading up on the forums a bit more and it appears that racism is quite a big issue, especially among the older generations... I'm quite used to bullying (was a constant victim of it at school) so I've built up quite a tolerance, especially against verbal abuse... racial abuse? I don't know, I'm not even sure I'd care about that. Racial abuse is the knocking of your nationality and/or country, right? I wouldn't say I'm "proud" of my nationality, so maybe that's not actually going to be too bad... Physical abuse? Yeah, that's where I draw the line...

I guess I'll just have to take the old fashioned route of living there for a small amount of time, maybe just enough to max out a tourist visa or something, and then see if I like it enough to go back.

Blah, I'm rambling again. Domo for reading.

[Ewok85]

Consider this tough love :)

The one thing you need to do is research. Research does not mean a forum, especially for a wide question like what you are asking - so many factors and things to consider.

But to make it simplier - visa eligibility. You need to be able to legally work in Japan. http://www.mofa.go.jp

Next to need to be attractive to possible employers. If you want to get into IT or something technical you need the education and also experience. That means working in your own country and building up the experience and skills that will make people want you.

Japanese is also very important, and while you do hear about people who are working professionals without Japanese having it will make the first step easier, and eventually climbing the ladder quicker.

Finally being a selfprofessed fanboy I have little doubt that your image of Japan is skewed or biased towards everything being wonderful and not like you have now. Maybe it is, but not everythings perfect. I'm an amazingly optimistic person, and living in Japan has plenty of issues, big and small, but I did my best to find out the worst that could happen so I knew what to do and what to expect.

Goodluck!

[Mike Cash]

To expand on what my good friend Ewok has put forth, if I may:

Think of yourself as being two "selves".

There is the private time self....your fanboydom and your sexuality and whatever else gets tossed into the mix that makes you you. Japan couldn't much less give a damn about that and it really won't affect your ability to live here. Contrary to what many seem to think, you can assimilate here and get along quite nicely without giving up a single thing that makes you yourself. "Going native" isn't required in the least.

Then there is the self which puts the food on the table....the job self, if you will. That is the part which requires specific preparation in order to facilitate your goals. There is the educational requirement...the acquisition part of which is just good common sense no matter where on the planet you happen to end up, and part of which is to satisfy the visa requirements of the Japanese government. And there is the requirement to equip yourself with marketable job skills. I am given to understand that there are good opportunities in IT for foreigners in Japan. I am further given to understand that there is no shortage of competition so, as Ewok indicated, anything which will give you an edge will be of immense benefit. Japanese proficiency leaps to the top of the list and will, of course, be of benefit outside the work place as well.

On a different note altogether....you might discover, as many have before you, that people all over the world tend not to be so horribly different from each other and that physical relocation does not provide the relief one might think it would from certain human relations problems/annoyances.

[DoctorP]

I wouldn't sweat the bisexual stuff. Especially when you are keeping it on the low! You'd be surprised how many Japanese men are closet bisexuals here. Especially after they get their drink on! The others have given you some good advice on the other subjects, so listen to them.

[Ewok85]

I am given to understand that there are good opportunities in IT for foreigners in Japan. I am further given to understand that there is no shortage of competition so, as Ewok indicated, anything which will give you an edge will be of immense benefit. Japanese proficiency leaps to the top of the list and will, of course, be of benefit outside the work place as well.

I'd back up what Mike has said, there are plenty of excellent opportunities in IT in Japan because of a lack of competition, which was the reason I came here. But, you still need experience and marketable job skills, the most important of which would be Japanese proficiency.

[solittletime]

Ok, thanks for all the great advice guys! As soon as I bit the bullet and let all the negative stuff/culture shocks sink in, it's doesn't seem too bad... like I said, better the devil you know...

I've already started learning Japanese, and by my calculations I should have learnt Hirigana by the end of the year... then of course there's Kanji and Katakana... I started college today, and my timetable has a LOT of gaps. Enough to fit in learning Japanese, at least. Hopefully if I begin at 16 (current age), I should be proficient sooner... I might also have a sensei of sorts, a langauge teacher who doesn't formally know Japanese, but knows enough to teach students a few things in his/her spare time...

Anyway, again - thanks for all your advice!! :wave:

[DoctorP]

you can learn the hiragana and katakana in a week...but it may take you a while to become proficient at reading actual words/sentences.

[Mike Cash]

I might also have a sensei of sorts, a langauge teacher who doesn't formally know Japanese, but knows enough to teach students a few things in his/her spare time...


I hope you're not thinking of learning from a fellow fanboy/fangirl. In practically all cases, that is to be avoided like the plague.

[solittletime]

Hmmm, yeah, I'd figured that. I wasn't too confident in fangirl/fanboy romanji, in fact the reason I started learning it properly was to get away from that (well, at least outside of my fanboying conversations and such ^^;;)... so I'm currently learning it [Japanese] using a take home CD + book course for getting started in Japanese (I'll buy new material when I finish this thing off) from Oxford University. I've also got a handbook I bought recently - an introduction to Kanji, Katakana and Hirigana/script writing/reading. Of course none of it's as good as enrolling on an actual course, but there isn't even a UNIVERSITY course in my entire damn county which does Japanese. I mean, I'm not even at Uni level yet. And even then I won't find a nearby course for it. O_O;;

Of course I might attend a course if I keep up my intrest in it, but I'd have to seperately pursue that, move out of the county... I can't even THINK of doing that at the moment.

The sensei of which I speak, however, is actually a languages teacher at the college I started attending yesterday, he/she doesn't formally know Japanese [as in, not formally qualified as fara s I know] but as one other student is thinking about learning some stuff from him/her, and the fact that this teacher was reccomended [by my tutor] as the only real path to learning Japanese that the college could offer, it's the only option next to learning solo/with a friend from a kit. I'm probably going to take everything this teacher says with a bit of caution, just in case he/she's not as learned as expected... if I don't get taught by him/her and I just have to learn solo or with this one other student, off the books/CDs, it's better than learning off *another* fanboy/fangirl. I mean that's like Stevie Wonder taking Ray Charles for a walk over a busy highway. :D

[ricecake]

Japan is not a friendly place for "alternative lifestyles." I've seen so many advertisements from hotels alone stating they won't allow same-sex guests.



That's blatant anti-gay attitude,Japan is still under-developed in this regard.

[ArmandV]

That's blatant anti-gay attitude,Japan is still under-developed in this regard.


Since the OP brought it up...

I really didn't know about the attitude about "alternate lifestyles" until about a year or so ago when I was planning an October 2005 trip to Japan. I was going through different hotel/inn guides when I saw notices from some hotels and inns stipulating that they won't allow same-sex guests. They'd never get away with that in the U.S.!

[yukio_michael]

[...] I'm going to come back and edit this post when I have more time.