Need Advice: Moving to Japan

[Flyermax2k3]

Hidey-ho ATOTers! As the title says, I'm moving to Japan and I'd like to get advice from anyone who's ever moved to a foreign country on their own before (especially if it's Japan!). Any personal advice on customs, culture shock, the Japanese language (spoken and written), cost of living, or anything else you can think of. I've read a few online guides on moving to Japan, but they weren't as helpful as I had hoped for.
I'm not sure how much money I'll be going over there with but I will be paying off all my credit card debts before I leave and I will have several thousand dollars to live off of. I will be finding a job when I move over there (either as a translator or a voice actor hopefully) so I don't need to live off the money I'll be bringing alone for too long. Any suggestions on where to live that won't eat a hole in my wallet within the first month or two? I'd prefer to live somewhere near Tokyo, if not in the city itself. I'm not opposed to other cities like Osaka or Yokohama but would simply prefer Tokyo if it's feasible. I will be traveling all over the country after I settle down there and get adjusted to things so it's not too terribly important that I live exactly where I want to, since it's such a small country and I'm going to try to see it all anyway.
Oh, and if anyone wants to start a "Get Flyermax the Fsck Out of Our Country" Fund I wouldn't be opposed to that I'm sure there are plenty of you who would just love to see me disappear forever all that much sooner
Anyway, thanks in advance!

 

[GTaudiophile]

Cool. What will you be doing over there? JET program?

 

[RagingBITCH]

PM AndrewR (he's in the military but currently stationed in Okinawa)

 

[bunker]

Originally posted by: Flyermax2k3
Hidey-ho ATOTers! Oh, and if anyone wants to start a "Get Flyermax the Fsck Out of Our Country" Fund I wouldn't be opposed to that I'm sure there are plenty of you who would just love to see me disappear forever all that much sooner

Only if it includes a "Keep Flyermax the Fsck off of AT" clause in that fund

Sorry can't help you with the info but I do recall a thread about this very thing quite some time ago with some interesting links about living in Japan.

 

[Flyermax2k3]

Originally posted by: GTaudiophile
Cool. What will you be doing over there? JET program?

I'm moving over there because it's my dream and I now have the opportunity to live out that dream. I'll be moving on my own, not as a part of any program (school or otherwise). I want to be a voice actor in anime because I'm a huge anime fan and I have a great voice for such things (or so I've been told by countless people). I've got a "radio announcer's voice" if you know what I mean by that.

 

[Flyermax2k3]

Originally posted by: bunker

Only if it includes a "Keep Flyermax the Fsck off of AT" clause in that fund

Sorry can't help you with the info but I do recall a thread about this very thing quite some time ago with some interesting links about living in Japan.[/quote]

Absolutely! You don't think I'll be wasting all my time on ATOT while I'm in Japan, do you? I'll have far too much to do to be logging onto ATOT. So it's a two-for-one deal! Get rid of me physically, and "mentally". Can't go wrong there Thanks for the suggestion too, but I already did some searching a short time ago and read all the threads I could find on the subject. Not too bad, but still not quite what I'm looking for. Personal advice would be the best.
Thanks guys!

 

[LuNoTiCK]

I heard it's real expensive to live in Tokyo. If anything try to live outside of there. Do you even know anyone who lives there? How good is your Japanese?

 

[FuZoR]

Originally posted by: Flyermax2k3

Originally posted by: GTaudiophile
Cool. What will you be doing over there? JET program?

I'm moving over there because it's my dream and I now have the opportunity to live out that dream. I'll be moving on my own, not as a part of any program (school or otherwise). I want to be a voice actor in anime because I'm a huge anime fan and I have a great voice for such things (or so I've been told by countless people). I've got a "radio announcer's voice" if you know what I mean by that.

so your fluet in japannese?
wouldnt voiceovers be done state side???

anyways i have no advice on moving to another country... Good Luck though.

 

[OulOat]

Get a shot of Godzilla for me!

 

[Flyermax2k3]

Originally posted by: LuNoTiCK
I heard it's real expensive to live in Tokyo. If anything try to live outside of there. Do you even know anyone who lives there? How good is your Japanese?

It is expensive to live in Tokyo, that's why if I do end up living there, I'll be getting a job ASAP. I don't know anyone who lives there, unfortunately, and I'm still learning Japanese at the moment. I'm not moving right this very second, it will be at least a couple weeks before I can get everything straightened out over here. More than likely it won't be until February/March before I move. That is, of course, unless someone wants to open that fund I was talking about...

 

[Flyermax2k3]

Originally posted by: FuZioN

Originally posted by: Flyermax2k3

Originally posted by: GTaudiophile
Cool. What will you be doing over there? JET program?

I'm moving over there because it's my dream and I now have the opportunity to live out that dream. I'll be moving on my own, not as a part of any program (school or otherwise). I want to be a voice actor in anime because I'm a huge anime fan and I have a great voice for such things (or so I've been told by countless people). I've got a "radio announcer's voice" if you know what I mean by that.

so your fluet in japannese?
wouldnt voiceovers be done state side???

anyways i have no advice on moving to another country... Good Luck though.

No, with a "not yet" on the end, but I'm learning it right now. You're partially correct on the voiceovers, but you forget that the original versions of anime are produced in Japan and aired there. English-language voiceovers are *usually* done in the U.S., but I'd be doing Japanese-language voiceovers anyway

 

[kage69]

I really hope you've made some contacts over there first. Japanese are wonderful people, but just showing up on someone's doorstep unannounced and expecting a job might make this a short trip for you. Don't be surprised if you're asked to take some type of proficiency test in Basic Japanese, or at least present references. I think you'd have to be insane to expect to live in Tokyo or Osaka upon arrival, they're like the MOST expensive places to live on the planet! Your best bet might be to check out some of the surrounding smaller cities. Getting a small apartment within a ~1hr. commute would prolly be more feasible.

I trust you have the working VISA all straightened out?

 

[Flyermax2k3]

Originally posted by: kage69
I really hope you've made some contacts over there first. Japanese are wonderful people, but just showing up on someone's doorstep unannounced and expecting a job might make this a short trip for you. Don't be surprised if you're asked to take some type of proficiency test in Basic Japanese, or at least present references. I think you'd have to be insane to expect to live in Tokyo or Osaka upon arrival, they're like the MOST expensive places to live on the planet! Your best bet might be to check out some of the surrounding smaller cities. Getting a small apartment within a ~1hr. commute would prolly be more feasible.

I trust you have the working VISA all straightened out?

This is why I created this thread. This is exactly the kind of stuff I needed to hear Thank you very much for the advice. I don't have any contacts, unfortunately, so unless anyone on ATOT lives in Japan and would be so kind as to help me through this transition I would sincerely appreciate it.

 

[Mermaidman]

My brother-in-law went over about a year ago to teach English. He didn't speak a word of Japanese! He recently extended his stint over there, so he must be having a ball. It's really hard to reach him (in Osaka), but if I can get any info, I'll post it here.

 

[Flyermax2k3]

Originally posted by: Mermaidman
My brother-in-law went over about a year ago to teach English. He didn't speak a word of Japanese! He recently extended his stint over there, so he must be having a ball. It's really hard to reach him (in Osaka), but if I can get any info, I'll post it here.

Thank you very much! I sincerely appreciate any help or advice you can provide.

 

[WinkOsmosis]

Oh great.. Another American who wants to turn Japanese and teach English because he loves Dragonball Z. I hope they laugh at you dorky tshirts there.

 

[Shanteli]

You sound way to positive for some reason. Being in a country where you can barely speak the language and stuff is fairly difficult. Same goes for jobs, job interviews, getting a cell phone, getting a place to stay etc. Not all people speak English...just try to remember that.

 

[Flyermax2k3]

Originally posted by: WinkOsmosis
Oh great.. Another American who wants to turn Japanese and teach English because he loves Dragonball Z. I hope they laugh at you dorky tshirts there.

Thanks for the helpful advice

Let me clarify a few things here: DBZ is teh suck compared to real anime and I don't own any anime pariphernalia (i.e. t-shirts or anything of that kind) so you can just quietly back out of the thread now unless you have something useful to say.
I've already explained why I'm going over there, and it's not because I'm some crazed DBZ fan. I want to go over there because I'm in love with Japan, it's people, and their culture. Anime is *not* the only reason I'm moving over there, it just happens to be a part of their culture. That and I'd prefer not to be in the U.S. when the next "terrorist" attack occurs and this country goes to hell.
This has been a dream of mine for quite some time and I'm certainly not going to listen to any asshats such as yourself who would rather see me fail than live out my dream.

 

[Flyermax2k3]

Originally posted by: Shanteli
You sound way to positive for some reason. Being in a country where you can barely speak the language and stuff is fairly difficult. Same goes for jobs, job interviews, getting a cell phone, getting a place to stay etc. Not all people speak English...just try to remember that.

Did you miss the parts where I said "I'm learning Japanese"?

Anyway, I've got to get going to school now, I'll be back within a couple hours so please keep this thread alive! I need all the HELPFUL advice I can get on this.
Thanks again to everyone that's been helpful so far, and thanks in advance to those of you who have yet to post but will at some point.

 

[kage69]

Oh great.. Another American who wants to turn Japanese and teach English because he loves Dragonball Z. I hope they laugh at you dorky tshirts there.

It's too bad you have an axe to grind with Japanese culture and those expats who like it. Go troll elsewhere please. But at least you spared us the blatant crap you shoveled into that thread about Japanese swords, thanks...

 

[bigalt]

it might be too late, but a good job for whiteys is to sign onto the JET program or something similar, where you basically get paid to stand up in front of the class and be as american as possible. it pays pretty well while you learn the language and familiarize yourself with the territory.

you can get by without speaking japanese there, but learning the language would really help you to become comfortable. otherwise you might find yourself hanging out with white people the whole time.

 

[adelphi]

kawaii!

 

[tallest1]

Your best bet for now would be to teach english. And don't live anywhere fancy. Finding a job is tough since there are fewer discrimination laws there than here in the U.S.A.

 

[dc]

double post

 

[atom]

How old are you? To be blunt, you sound like some doe-eyed kid with no real plan or qualifications to do what you want to do. You have nothing planned out and you are gonna move there in a month or so? You have no job lined up, don't know where you are gonna be staying, and you are gonna move there with a few thousand in your hand? That's just a recipe for disaster.