people just randomly go to Japan and never come back?

[peach]

(not sure if I posted this in the right spot..) Well, I'm just wondering, because I always read about peoples' travels to Japan, they still live there, and a lot of them say that after highschool or whatever that they needed a new start at life, so they went to Japan with "nothing but some money and some clothes". I always wonder when reading these, well, HOW are you allowed in Japan without a visa? You aren't right? None of them ever say anything about a visa, so, how did these people go to Japan without a visa, whether it a working holiday visa or whatever. How did they aquire permanent status? Back in the day (like 30 years ago) did you not need a visa? :23: :23: Any ideas are welcome!!!

[Mars Man]

Even going on a working holiday from Canada--which I am guessing is possible since I've been told the Japanese can go there from here on such a plan, and I'd think it would work both ways--a person can not 'never go back' unless they had a permanent visa, or had met some most unfortunate fate. (as far as I know) MM

[Mike Cash]

(not sure if I posted this in the right spot..) Well, I'm just wondering, because I always read about peoples' travels to Japan, they still live there, and a lot of them say that after highschool or whatever that they needed a new start at life, so they went to Japan with "nothing but some money and some clothes". I always wonder when reading these, well, HOW are you allowed in Japan without a visa? You aren't right? None of them ever say anything about a visa, so, how did these people go to Japan without a visa, whether it a working holiday visa or whatever. How did they aquire permanent status? Back in the day (like 30 years ago) did you not need a visa? :23: :23: Any ideas are welcome!!!

Since none of us know what you have been reading (and since you don't provide any links), it is sort of hard to comment on the stories of the people you have read about.

You aren't allowed to stay in Japan without a visa. So it is probably safe to assume that those people have visas and just didn't bother to write about that aspect of their stay.

[mr.sumo.snr]

Plenty of people 'stepped off the boat' 20 or 30 years ago with nothing more than a 30-day tourist visa and found themselves company sponsorship within a matter of weeks - almost exclusively to teach English to conversation-starved executives.

Long gone are those days, but it's still a fact that with a university degree any native English speaker can always find employment in the big three metropolitan areas. Not necessarily always in the English language field - though it certainly helps NOT to have any major hang ups about prostituting yourself in the present tense.

Behind every interesting NHK news story about a gaijin learning how to make earthenware pots, studying Japanese archery, living their life as a Buddhist priest or importing wood-burning stoves and selling them for 300% profit there is a trail of visa sponsorship paperwork.


--

[nurizeko]

If Japan allowed folk to just walk off the boat so to speak it would be over-run by a sizable minority of Japanophiles that can actually afford the flight themselves and are legally allowed to lvie away from their parents.

Personally If I was gonna go miles round the world, I'de rather just keep going, live on my feet so to speak.

[GaijinPunch]

I did that for a spell. I didn't need a fresh start though. I knew I wanted to check out Japan for a couple of years. That 2-year trip quickly turned into 7, and will start resuming again in a few months.

[Mike Cash]

I've always been more curious about people who start threads and never come back.

[kazika]

I've always been more curious about people who start threads and never come back.

LOL.

That 2-year trip quickly turned into 7, and will start resuming again in a few months.

wow. 7 yr. That is very long. By then, you should have settle in japan.

[peach]

I've always been more curious about people who start threads and never come back.

I came back to check this everyday after starting it. I just didn't have much else to say, except thank you to the people who posted useful information.

[jRus]

:cool:
Yes If you ask a question wouldnt you want to know the answer???

[Mike Cash]

I came back to check this everyday after starting it. I just didn't have much else to say, except thank you to the people who posted useful information.

Well, it would have helped if you had shared with us some of the stories or links to them or something.

[GaijinPunch]

By then, you should have settle in japan.

Many more have stayed longer. I didn't really play on my career taking off in Japan to be honest, but it did. The fact that I had (and still have) many friends, and love the Tokyo in general didn't hurt. In fact, I only moved b/c my comany moved.

[peach]

Well, it would have helped if you had shared with us some of the stories or links to them or something.

I couldn't find them afterwards to put them here! It's not like I bookmark everything I read.

P.S. when I said "thanks to the people who posted useful information", it was not meant to sound rude or anything...just incase you took it that way.

[Ewok85]

If Japan allowed folk to just walk off the boat so to speak it would be over-run by a sizable minority of Japanophiles that can actually afford the flight themselves and are legally allowed to lvie away from their parents.

Doubt it, they would be overrun by cheap labourers however.

[kooo]

Will customs(?) even allow you into Japan if you're only on a tourist visa and don't have a return ticket? I know a girl who tried to move to the UK with no return ticket/visa and they wouldn't let her in. Makes sense that they would do that.

[GaijinPunch]

don't have a return ticket?

Most likely not. I've only entered the country on a tourist visa three times, and they never checked. I wouldn't want to risk it though.