School me on Japan

[instantneedles]

Anyone know a japanese job search database that's specifically catered for the international/foreigners?

[Jer3]

if u travel to more than 3 destinations that are reasonably far from each other, id say the jr pass is worth it.

in terms of how much money to bring its kind of hard to say. depends person to person. for 2 weeks id say the minimum you should bring is $1000 though $1500 would be preferred. i spent around $1000 alone for 7 days in tokyo but then again, i was doing a lot of drinking, clubbing etc. this is just in terms of spending money and not including flight/lodging.

[Ronin]

Originally Posted by dbaz

depends how you spend your money. clubs in tokyo (roppongi/shibuya) run almost 1000yen a drink. theres a lot of izakayas that have all you can drink from 11pm-5am as thats when the trains are closed. Im not really an expert on places in tokyo but in kyoto ive found a place where you can drink from 11pm-5am for 1500 yen($20ish). theres also ones that do 2hrs for the same price during peak hours. depending on where you go theres lots of free things you can see but of course it takes money to get there(train/bus). You can find business hotels in tokyo that run for 35 a night but they usually lock their front doors by 2am. as ive been here for 7 months already if you specified your plans a bit more i could probably tell you a budget.

Cheapest thing to do when the trains aren't running is head to a Mos Burger or some other cafe open all night. They get it. People miss the train and need somewhere to sit and chill. Do that if you don't feel like sleeping.

If you do need to sleep, manga or internet cafes usually have private rooms. Or give a capsule hotel a try.

Taxi is another option if you want to get home but be warned, prices double after the trains are shut down for the night. I paid $70 to get home to Shibuya from Roppongi one night.

Clubs are expensive too but usually include a couple of drinks when you pay admission.

[mnash]

Can I buy JR Pass @ Narita Airport? And how much is it ?

[dbaz]

jr pass you must buy before entering japan unless it has recently changed. you can purchase it online then activate it when you land in narita airport. or at various places in vancouver. make sure you buy the right pass as some are only for certain areas
IACE CANADA English
can buy from these people in van as well as other places

Can I use my Japan Rail Pass from the airport?
shows which lines you can use from narita and in tokyo with the jr east pass. + other info. dont buy from them as they are located in france

[neggo]

Originally Posted by instantneedles

Anyone know a japanese job search database that's specifically catered for the international/foreigners?

GaijinPot : Japan jobs, Apartments, Living Guide and Blogs

[neggo]

^ I might add that a lot of those postings are looking for foreigners already IN Japan.

There are a few, however, that offer visa sponsorship like Interac.

But once you get a Visa, jobs aren't hard to come by unless you are very picky about not working as an English teacher.

[dbaz]

If you actually want to teach in Japan become a professor but you'll need a phd. Otherwise it can suck big time. As a general English teacher you honestly don't make too much. It enough to live on but its still meh. If your goal is to come here, make some money then open your own school, don't bother. So many people try it now and id say about 95% fail if not more. There's too much competition. Requirement for teaching is a bachelors.
If you dont want a job as an English teacher theres very few jobs around unless you are fluent in Japanese. Even then because you are a foreigner you will get lower pay and more than likely passed over for other people. For the most part you basically have to be a huge bitch and you aren't allowed to think for yourself as its considered rude. Whatever management says goes or even a colleague who has been at the job longer than you(even if its only 1 month longer), no input, no changes. No overtime pay but daily overtime.

[neggo]

First year English teachers live quite comfortably if you choose a company that provides a standard, set salary, instead of a "by class" based pay. You can get royally screwed if you can't get enough students if you go with companies that don't pay set salaries.

Private English companies, like Interac, have a salary of about 250,000 yen a month. With JET you get more with subsidized housing and paid airfare. Now, if you don't blow money every night by partying and drinking you will have a decent amount left at the end of the month. You will not be living like a bum.

As dbaz said, you don't earn much but a lot of this working abroad thing is to go for the experience. If you're young and really interested, do some research and commit! Echoing what dbaz said again, English teaching is the easiest and readily available job for foreigners to get into. If you're looking for something else, good luck. Honestly!

[mnash]

Is it better to exchange cad to jpy here or should I do it in Japan?

[dbaz]

uhh exchange some here. if you go to 711s in japan you can use your bank card or visa, but $5 charge, its quick and worth not having to dick around imo. it should be a red atm. i never bothered dealing with a bank while i was there, too much hassle. many bank atms and stores usually say they take visa but the truth is its japanese visa only, not worldwide ones.

[SkinnyPupp]

7-11, Post Office, and Citibank are the most common ATMs you'll come across that work with our debit cards.

[ncrx]

Originally Posted by neggo

First year English teachers live quite comfortably if you choose a company that provides a standard, set salary, instead of a "by class" based pay. You can get royally screwed if you can't get enough students if you go with companies that don't pay set salaries.

Private English companies, like Interac, have a salary of about 250,000 yen a month. With JET you get more with subsidized housing and paid airfare. Now, if you don't blow money every night by partying and drinking you will have a decent amount left at the end of the month. You will not be living like a bum.

As dbaz said, you don't earn much but a lot of this working abroad thing is to go for the experience. If you're young and really interested, do some research and commit! Echoing what dbaz said again, English teaching is the easiest and readily available job for foreigners to get into. If you're looking for something else, good luck. Honestly!

i was on JET for 2yrs, i travelled around japan, throughout asia, party'd every fri/sat/sun in tokyo for 2yrs and was able to come out with some savings.. altho my intent was not to save. live man, live.. if you're there just for a year or 2 no more, live life... just don't party with the high rollers every weekend a 2000 yen nomihodai goes a long way. i would suggest you keep a min balance of 700,000-1,000,000 yen tho as a safety net.

besides you can get like 80% of your pension deductions back, a bit complicated and requires the help of a friend, but its doable. and its a fair some of money you get back.

[Expresso]

I got 5 days, would 3 in Osaka and 2 in Kyoto work? Or am I spending too much time in one?

[Jer3]

Originally Posted by HachiSix

I got 5 days, would 3 in Osaka and 2 in Kyoto work? Or am I spending too much time in one?

i think thats an appropriate amount of time to explore both places.

[Expresso]

I'm actually leaning to 2 days in Osaka and 3 days in Kyoto now. Thinking there's more to do in Kyoto and its outlying areas versus Osaka I'm on the ball on this?

hey Jeremy, you mind posting your email addy here or PM. Love to ask you a few questions about places to eat etc...

[RCubed]

jer you still in Korea?

[Jer3]

Originally Posted by HachiSix

I'm actually leaning to 2 days in Osaka and 3 days in Kyoto now. Thinking there's more to do in Kyoto and its outlying areas versus Osaka I'm on the ball on this?

hey Jeremy, you mind posting your email addy here or PM. Love to ask you a few questions about places to eat etc...

you can PM me with your questions. as for spending more time in kyoto, that could be a possibility too. i only spent a day there and felt like i didn't see or eat everything i wanted to. osaka itself is not that interesting compared to tokyo so the 5 days i spent there i felt could have been reduced to 2 days.

Originally Posted by RCubed

jer you still in Korea?

yes i am

[Chronix]

Ill be in Tokyo from September 21st to 30th. If you guys wanna meet up and party, let me know. Me and my friends rented an apartment (cheaper than hotel) in Azabu Juban. There's a club underneath our place.

[Jer3]

Originally Posted by Chronix

Ill be in Tokyo from September 21st to 30th. If you guys wanna meet up and party, let me know. Me and my friends rented an apartment (cheaper than hotel) in Azabu Juban. There's a club underneath our place.

i stayed at the same place on airbnb lol. muse is like a 2 minute walk from there literally. vanity is only about a 15 minute walk as well. the area is pretty convenient and nishi-azabu is also one of the wealthiest neighbourhoods in tokyo so you'll probably see a lot of random ferrari's, lambo's and bentley's.

[keifun]

Anyone been to Okinawa?

I will be there on the last week of October. I will be renting a car there. First time driving RHD and on left side of road.

[neggo]

^ I was there in April for a few days and enjoyed it quite thoroughly. It was a little strange driving RHD but aside from constantly mistaking the windshield wipers with the turn signals, driving went fine and was easy to adjust to.

Whereabouts in Okinawa are you planning to be?

Churaumi aquarium was quite breathtaking and I suggest you go if you plan on staying/visiting the main island.

[dbaz]

^ probably one of the best aquariums youll see, if not the best. just so you know, lots of okinawans hate foreigners because of the americans. so some people might be rude to you

[keifun]

Originally Posted by neggo

^ I was there in April for a few days and enjoyed it quite thoroughly. It was a little strange driving RHD but aside from constantly mistaking the windshield wipers with the turn signals, driving went fine and was easy to adjust to.

Whereabouts in Okinawa are you planning to be?

Churaumi aquarium was quite breathtaking and I suggest you go if you plan on staying/visiting the main island.

I will be staying a few days at Hotel Nikko Alivila for a wedding and enjoying the beachside. Then I will head to the Aquarium, Pineapple plantation etc. Towards the end of the week I will just be in Naha city area using their monorail. Any good places to visit in the city?

Originally Posted by dbaz

^ probably one of the best aquariums youll see, if not the best. just so you know, lots of okinawans hate foreigners because of the americans. so some people might be rude to you

Thanks for the tip, I will be going with the gf, she can speak a bit of japanese, I will tell them we're Canadians. Hopefully they will treat us nicer. =P

[dbaz]

Depends what you want to do. Japan has tons of historical sites/museums everywhere. There is probably quite a few near where you are staying. More than likely there are also spas/onsen, tours etc nearby. You can check this, site which has reviews and recommendations. Okinawa Prefecture Vacations and Tourism: 599 Things to Do in Okinawa Prefecture | TripAdvisor I can also ask some of my friends what they suggest if you want.