what are my chances?

[Ouzop1994]

I do really want to work, live and die in japan. I just love this country. So what are my chances to accomplish my dream? I dont care about what my job will be, i dont care if i will be living in a tiny house. I just have to make it happen. I am 18 years old right now. I'll do my army duties and work in my country to make some money just to be able to make a new begining living in japan. I have no degrees except high school diploma and english. What are my chances?

[jarjarbinks]

I have no degrees except high school diploma and english. What are my chances?

zero. 0. nil.

[Ouzop1994]

Really? Not even as a cleaner or a dishwasher or anything?

[KansaiBen]

Really? Not even as a cleaner or a dishwasher or anything?

You need a visa and a full time job before someone will sponsor you for a proper work visa.

No one will sponsor a foreigners as a cleaner or a dishwasher when they can pay a Japanese high school student 800 yen an hour to do it.

If you are a native speaker of English with no degree you can not even get English teaching jobs, except with a Working Holiday visa, unavailable to Americans. Canadians can get, but visa is valid for up to 12 months.

[Max Payne]

My advice would be that if you're going to be doing military duty, then devote as much time as you can to Japanese study. The military will be a 5 year commitment, which gives you more than enough time to not only study diligently, but to also take the JLPT (Japanese Language Proficiency Test) exams and possibly get up to the N2 level, which is seen as a level of acceptable fluency by most companies. N1 would be even better, but that would basically give you the ability to read a newspaper in Japanese, something which can be achieved after you get here.

As you're on active duty or working, save up as much as you can, as most parts of Japan are quite expensive and it's always great to have money in the bank to fall back on.

While you're studying and saving up, try and gain an understanding of the job market in Japan. I believe that there are opportunities available for translational work for a range of companies, especially if you can show you have a very adept level of Japanese ability.

I commend your sincerity in wanting to even do blue collar work in Japan as a means of getting to the country, but you're very young and it's important to use the next few years to position yourself such that you can have an acceptable standard of living. One day, you're going to have a family and will want them to enjoy a decent lifestyle. Now is when you begin preparing yourself for that future.

Lastly, maintain a positive attitude. Realizing one's dreams and desires takes hard work and dedication. If you're willing to dedicate yourself to achieving your goal, you can get there. Just keep that goal in mind and work towards it every single day. It may not be easy, but it's also not impossible.

In case you're still considering college, I would recommend it. You can take courses in Japanese and build up your credentials to one day join a company in Japan.

Best of luck dude. Ganbatte kudasai.

[KansaiBen]

In case you're still considering college, I would recommend it. You can take courses in Japanese and build up your credentials to one day join a company in Japan.

Best of luck dude. Ganbatte kudasai.

Realise also that you are competing with thousands of bilingual Japanese and foreigners for jobs and its very rare to get hired for Japanese ability alone. Screeds of paper have been shed on the need to develop solid business skills or some kind of professional qualification. Knowing Japanese is icing on the cake. Think about what you actually want to do with your life and what you can contribute to Japanese society rather than simply the desire to live here. Each year it gets harder and harder to survive here and without proper skills and training you will not even get past the start line. Having dreams and ambitions is fine but you also need to be practical and realistic as well. Americans need a minimum of a degree to qualify for most working visas so you should aim to at least qualify from college with a minor in Japanese or Asian studies.

[Hijinx]

To OP: I hear Fukushima is looking for workers.

[Ouzop1994]

Thank you for your answers.Arigatou max payne. By the way, i am from greece, a non native english speaker. + My chances for college are gone since i f***ed up my schoolmarks.

[twelvedown]

Thank you for your answers.Arigatou max payne. By the way, i am from greece, a non native english speaker. + My chances for college are gone since i f***ed up my schoolmarks.

Since you're only 18 you may as well fly out here and try to get a job as a waiter or something.
There are plenty of gaijin waiters here and I presume they don't all have degrees.
And hell, if it doesn't work out you at least had a holiday in Japan.

[ttokyo]

My chances for college are gone since i f***ed up my schoolmarks.

Your case is pretty standard in this forum. Many people f**k up at home and than have the illusion they make it big in Japan :


"Shall I stay here at the zoo
Or should I go and change my point of view
For other ugly scenes
You did what you did to me
Now it's history I see

Here's my comeback on the road again
Things will happen while they can
I will wait here for my man tonight
It's easy when you're big in Japan

Aah when you're big in Japan-tonight...
Big in Japan-be-tight...
Big in Japan...ooh the eastern sea's so blue
Big in Japan-alright, pay!
Then I'll sleep by your side
Things are easy when you're big in Japan"

[gaijin ga iru]

Have you been to Japan? If so, for how long and what did you do?

[Ouzop1994]

No my friend. Unfortunately i have never been to japan.

I dont have the illusion of making big in japan. I already said that i dont care about the job as long as i can live at least in a tiny house without tv,furnitures or a car.

[trip_hop]

i dont care about the job as long as i can live at least in a tiny house without tv,furnitures or a car.

Better search real estate listings, and see what that tiny house will cost you, even without tv, furniture of a car...

Minimalistic zen life....

[edin日本]

Better search real estate listings, and see what that tiny house will cost you, even without tv, furniture of a car...

Minimalistic zen life....

I hear you can get an entire ghost town for just a few yen in Fukushima. The downside is you'll need to spend the next 5 decades in phytoremediation to leach out all the plutonium, cesium and other heavy metals present in the soil.

[Agitator]

Better search real estate listings, and see what that tiny house will cost you, even without tv, furniture of a car...

Minimalistic zen life....

What many people don't realize is that this house is actual size.

Domestically,
A.

[ttokyo]

No my friend. Unfortunately i have never been to japan.

I dont have the illusion of making big in japan. I already said that i dont care about the job as long as i can live at least in a tiny house without tv,furnitures or a car.

Without a higher education, why not become a farmer ? Get a couple of years of experience in Greece raising sheep or planting tomatoes and then marry a farmer's daughter in rural Japan, taking over the familly farm.
Or get work as a cook for several years in Greece and then get hired by a Greek restaurant in Tokyo (or open one yourself...)

[gaijin ga iru]

No my friend. Unfortunately i have never been to japan.

I'm sure you know what my response to this will be.

I dont have the illusion of making big in japan. I already said that i dont care about the job as long as i can live at least in a tiny house without tv,furnitures or a car.

Do you think you might want a family?

[Ouzop1994]

Yeah i think my desire for family will grow sometime. I am not thinking about it will be anytime soon but eventually yes.

Guess i'll have to decline the farm option since i dont like farm life at all. A city boy i am. Actually i was thinking about Osaka but i'm not absolute for it.

[StarfoxPro]

Really? Not even as a cleaner or a dishwasher or anything?

In order to obtain a work visa in Japan you need a skill that Japanese residents do not have. For most of us it is being able to speak fluent English.
I am not trying to put you down or anything, but unfortunately you have no skills to offer in which to get a visa. They have plenty of people here who can clean and wash dishes, etc... They will not grant you a visa to do menial labor because they have plenty of people here who can do those things.

Sorry dude.

[StarfoxPro]

To OP: I hear Fukushima is looking for workers.

They are going to be looking for workers for a long time won't they.......

[Ouzop1994]

I will definately try. I know i can do this and i will no matter what. I wont get discouraged so easily yet thank you very much for the reply. I apreciate that you showed to me how cruel reality is.

[Nightwalker]

I will definately try. I know i can do this and i will no matter what. I wont get discouraged so easily yet thank you very much for the reply. I apreciate that you showed to me how cruel reality is.

Japan needs high skilled worker. If further education is out of the question, I would look into going to trade and acquire a niche. One option off my head is a Greek food chef. European food are really hot in Japan. You would find solid work immediately in Japan if you specialize in Greek food.

[ironist]

What are my chances?

Do you have an undergraduate degree/speak English well enough?

Then your chances of getting a survival-salary teaching gig are really good.

Do you have a Japanese spouse + a degree?

Then your chances of long-term stability on a lower-middle class teacher's income are pretty good.

Do you have a Japanese spouse + a graduate degree?

You laughin'.

Do you speak fluent Japanese (JLPT 1 or 2) on top of having a spousal visa and a university education?

You king.

You have no degree, you're not a native English speaker, you have no way of getting a spousal visa -> permanent residency?

Go to school, bud.