Todays 'I want to move to Japan' thread

[kobutachan]

Ohayoo,
I'm fishing for advice and tips, so here's a bit of background..

My wife is Japanese, we have been married for 9 years, and live in England.
I'm nearly 36 and she's 40, we have finally decided to move to Japan, and will seek to do so when my Japanese is 'fluent' .. I am currently trying to learn all day every day through various text books, CD's, listening to Sankakuyama FM and watching lots of movies.
I met the wife ten years ago when we were both studying a Masters in Painting at the Royal Academy of Art in London, we both have a degree and MA in Art, I guess that makes this is our best option job-wise, although it is very specialized, but I would be happy to try teaching part-time, my main strength is portraiture and life-drawing. She might consider teaching small kids, but I think she'd prefer a job translating literature - her aunt does that and I think she needs to complete a specific qualification to get that kind of job.
A few years ago I did the CELTA course (same thing as TEFL) so I could teach English as a last resort, although I am not very good at English! (don't ask me what the heck a gerund is..)
Experience-wise, since we left college and left London (too expensive and rubbish quality of life - I'm definitely not a city-type) it's been a case of having to survive, my wife worked in Nursing Homes, a Hospital, and now as a Support Worker with people who have learning disabilities. I worked for employment agencies, tried lots of different jobs from factory work to telemarketting and hated all of them - now I have a few part-time cleaning jobs which I don't mind as I don't have to deal with anyone!

So that's us - wifey has been here in England for 15 years so Japan will be a foreign country to us both - I know having a fair degree of linguistic fluency will at least increase my odds of getting interviews for jobs, I'm hoping I will be able sustain a conversation in around 18 months - 2 years, then it'll be back into full-time work to save up for flying/moving etc.

We won't move unless/until I have a job to go to - be it teaching English or teaching Art (but I'd much rather work on a farm growing rice - maybe one day.. I can dream!) we don't drive, I'd rather not learn to, I've always lived/worked in walking distance and I'd rather keep it that way.
Anyway does anyone here know anything about how a gaijin might go about getting a job as a 'traditional' art teacher? Maybe in a college or an art school? I haven't done a lot since we left London, but I want to get a portfolio of drawings together over the next couple of years to get myself back into it.

Sorry for the wall of text - any advice will be much appreciated!

[ASHIKAGA]

Are you an established Artist where you live? If yes, do you have any experience in teaching?

Have you contacted any colleges and art schools in Japan?

Would your wife's family be able to assist you with netwroking?

Those are the few questions that came to me reading your post. One thing I can say is it will be difficult. Sounds like you are rather picky about the job/s , wouldn't want to have to drive, and don't like dealing with people.... that might be a little bit of a problem.

I have no idea how competitive a field the teaching at art schools is. IF there was an opening at some school, would they go with someone whose Japanese is not perfect over someone who speaks it well and have some kind of a teaching background or an experience as a working artist?

Gawd, just listen to me! Why can't I say something positive for a change? I think you should just go for it. Study the fudge out of Japanese, put together a brilliant portfolio and who knows?

I sincerely wish you and your wife the best.
:cheer:

[kobutachan]

Hi, and thanks for replying, I'm not an established artist, nor do I have art-teaching experience - in that way teaching English would be easier for me to get into as I taught a summer school after I did my CELTA training.
I haven't contacted anyone anywhere yet, as it's really early days and all my time is going into learning the language right now :D
My wifes family is an option, her brother is an ex-boxer turned singer/writer and knows lots of people who help promote artists etc., I think he might be able to help us hook up with galleries.
As far as being picky about jobs, that's in the UK - in Japan I would happily work in any job going, as it's a society and culture which I respect and admire, and one which I would like to contribute to to the fullest of my abilities in any way I can - unlike here in the UK.. (the reason for which is a life-story in itself)
I'd learn to drive in Japan if it was absolutely necessary, I would imagine there is relatively less 'road rage' than we have in this country.
I suppose I reckon art is my best bet as a way in because there might not be all that many European artists living and working in Japan - maybe somewhere would be interested in me as much for novelty value ascultural crossover :D

I'll keep studying until I'm fluent, and keep dreaming of a farmers life in Hokkaido :D

[Glenski]

I don't have much positive info for you.

If you are looking to teach art in a mainstream school, you are not going to find many, if any, chances for foreigners unless you are highly fluent in Japanese. At least we English teachers are not expected to teach in Japanese; you will be.

Better get your Japanese language skills up to par, but even so, there just aren't openings for foreigners in that field. Maybe in a culture center, but I wouldn't want to support a family on that kind of lifestyle.

Your brother-in-law can promote you till the cows in Hokkaido come home. You are going to find it very difficult being an artist here without some sort of portfolio and real professional connections (and more than conversational Japanese in order to negotiate or understand contracts). What sort of long-term work is there in galleries, anyway?

Learning to drive for a Briton in Japan is relatively easy compared to people who don't drive on the left. Realize that you have that advantage over, say, Americans. You don't even have to take a driving TEST here! Lucky you. You may have always lived within walking distance in the UK, and Japan may have wonderful public transportation, but depending on where you live, you may need to drive here. Farmers certainly do.

We won't move unless/until I have a job to go to - be it teaching English or teaching ArtSeriously evaluate what both of you want to do. And talk about kids. At her age, the biological clock is ticking, and once you have kids, a woman in Japan usually doesn't work. That puts the onus on you to bring home the bacon. Perhaps coming for an extended visit would be an option, allowing you to explore what is around in the non-teaching and teaching fields. Want teaching advice? I'll be glad to give it, and you are probably going to have to consider that before coming in the art field. Just my opinion.

[kobutachan]

Thanks for your input - I guess I'll brush up on my English when my Japanese is up to scratch and take the conventional teaching route.
As for 'family' that is a definite no-no for both of us, neither of us would have married someone who wanted children, as we absolutely don't want to be doing that.

It's good to have got some realistic advice from you guys, here in the UK it's been easy for us to mull along not really taking things seriously or thinking about the future - the present is often hard enough! We could quite easily keep doing that for another 30 or 40 years as time seems to whizz by! I see that in Japan this degree of relaxation won't be an option - I see that we need a 'plan', one we are both going to stick to.
Thankyou again! :)