The future for Japan

[rd1023]

Yes, provided they keep their noses clean and otherwise appear to be a productive member of society.

Very interesting. I suppose there is the downside of having to give up your previous citizenship to get it but honestly seems like one of the easiest ways to immigrate to another first-world country (excluding any marriage or family-based immigration). To my understanding, all you need for most English teaching jobs is a degree and a pulse lol. That being said, I would not want to be an English teacher in Japan for 5 years given the awful pay (JET seems to be the only reasonable paying option but everywhere else seems like a race to the bottom and even JETs aren't making a ton of money).

 

[Barabbas]

Very interesting. I suppose there is the downside of having to give up your previous citizenship to get it but honestly seems like one of the easiest ways to immigrate to another first-world country (excluding any marriage or family-based immigration). To my understanding, all you need for most English teaching jobs is a degree and a pulse lol. That being said, I would not want to be an English teacher in Japan for 5 years given the awful pay (JET seems to be the only reasonable paying option but everywhere else seems like a race to the bottom and even JETs aren't making a ton of money).

It seems to me they heavily seek native Eng speakers. I applied to few positions but got no replies (non native Eng speaker). I know people who managed to do it though.

Personally I am looking for opportunity to get longer work sponsored Visa, and do some work until my Japanese is up to speed so I can move to my main field.
Being in the country is a big blessing for learning the language and of course, time is valuable. Plus networking is a big thing.

US, Canada and some other countries I think get the working holiday visa where you can sustain yourself with arubaito decently enough. Id be on it but my country gets 3 month tourist visa which is neither here nor there.

For me ideally: English teaching job, year long visa, somewhere close to the bigger city or in one. I can learn by myself I love books and "learn this shit by tomorrow" is my preferred mode of learning this shit by tomorrow.
For someone talking to me I can always go out with friends or propose some new girl in the subway.

We shall see, looking into options rn.

 

[rd1023]

It seems to me they heavily seek native Eng speakers. I applied to few positions but got no replies (non native Eng speaker). I know people who managed to do it though.

Personally I am looking for opportunity to get longer work sponsored Visa, and do some work until my Japanese is up to speed so I can move to my main field.
Being in the country is a big blessing for learning the language and of course, time is valuable. Plus networking is a big thing.

US, Canada and some other countries I think get the working holiday visa where you can sustain yourself with arubaito decently enough. Id be on it but my country gets 3 month tourist visa which is neither here nor there.

For me ideally: English teaching job, year long visa, somewhere close to the bigger city or in one. I can learn by myself I love books and "learn this shit by tomorrow" is my preferred mode of learning this shit by tomorrow.
For someone talking to me I can always go out with friends or propose some new girl in the subway.

We shall see, looking into options rn.

I wish you the best of luck!

I'm going to be staying in Japan for 3 months to attend a language school and get a feel for the country, see if I want to pursue a transfer to my company's Tokyo office. Also, the US doesn't have a working holiday visa arrangement with Japan but Canada does.

 

[Barabbas]

I wish you the best of luck!

I'm going to be staying in Japan for 3 months to attend a language school and get a feel for the country, see if I want to pursue a transfer to my company's Tokyo office. Also, the US doesn't have a working holiday visa arrangement with Japan but Canada does.

Thanks man

Have a great time in Japan and good luck to you too!

 

[fireman]

And provided they are willing to give up their other passports, which is the biggest reason why many people opt for PR instead.

 

[rd1023]

For most people with western passports who have roots in their own countries, it doesn't really make sense. If you're from a third-world/poor country it makes a whole lot more sense.

 

[TAG Manager]

see if I want to pursue a transfer to my company's Tokyo office

Think long and heard about about this one.
If your company is going to take care of you on a inflated expat package, then sure.
If you're not getting an expat deal (housing, big expenses covered) and have to live as a local... it's not worth it.
At least at this juncture, Japan is falling down in competition among western salaries and perks.
It wouldn't be so bad if the local CoL wasn't increasing so much... utilities, food, daily life items -- all have risen but zero increase in salaries for the majority of workers in Japan.
And so long as the Yen remains in its pitiful state, taking trips out of Japan or just to go home for a visit, will be much more costly if your primary currency is Yen.
OTOH, if you come to Japan and get paid in USD or similar, strong currency, then you're good until the yen value goes up again (if it ever does).

And no, getting a a Japanese passport isn't that great of an option since there is no dual citizen option. But yeah, if you're not from a 1st world country and have no ties to your previous country, then it's a good move.
I started seeing ads for renouncing US citizenship, I wonder what triggered that? That's something I'd never do.

 

[rd1023]

Think long and heard about about this one.
If your company is going to take care of you on a inflated expat package, then sure.
If you're not getting an expat deal (housing, big expenses covered) and have to live as a local... it's not worth it.
At least at this juncture, Japan is falling down in competition among western salaries and perks.
It wouldn't be so bad if the local CoL wasn't increasing so much... utilities, food, daily life items -- all have risen but zero increase in salaries for the majority of workers in Japan.
And so long as the Yen remains in its pitiful state, taking trips out of Japan or just go to home for a visit, will be much more costly if your primary currency is Yen.
OTOH, if you come to Japan and get paid in USD or similar, strong currency, then you're good until the yen value goes up again (if it ever does).

For sure I'd be taking a pay cut if I was to be working in the Japan office (I'd be paid in yen and also my salary would be adjusted for the Japan office I make well above 6 figures currently in the States). However, finances are not really that much of a concern to me. I have no debt, making really good money and saving/investing a lot already in the States, and I haven't had to pay rent for basically my entire time working, My overall expenses are really low and I'd only be going on a temporary secondment for a few years (no intention of settling down in Japan unless of course if I find a wife there and even then I'd much rather go back to the States). I'm not even sure if I want to do this or not but I'm still relatively young so why not have an adventure is my thought process.

 

[fireman]

Think long and heard about about this one.
If your company is going to take care of you on a inflated expat package, then sure.
If you're not getting an expat deal (housing, big expenses covered) and have to live as a local... it's not worth it.

Well... depends, I guess.

You can make $100k in the US, but you'll pay $2k a month in rent and $500 to have sex with a fat woman.

Or you can make Y5,000,000 in Japan, pay Y100,000 a month in rent, and pay Y30,000 to have sex with a tight college student. And the food is much better and you are less likely to get randomly shot.

 

[TAG Manager]

You can make $100k in the US, but you'll pay $2k a month in rent and $500 to have sex with a fat woman.

I've said before, it really depends on where you are in the states. At least from where I'm from (east coast), people care more about their health and women are more fit and lack some of the shit attitudes.
We have fat people, but also plenty of fit, professional workers. The salary/living situation also deeply varies on where you're from. (If you're making $100k+, you should be owning instead of renting...)

 

[fireman]

I've said before, it really depends on where you are in the states. At least from where I'm from (east coast), people care more about their health and women are more fit and lack some of the shit attitudes.
We have fat people, but also plenty of fit, professional workers. The salary/living situation also deeply varies on where you're from. (If you're making $100k+, you should be owning instead of renting...)

If you're talking about the dating market on the East Coast -- it's horrible for guys who are not physically stacked and/or financially loaded. It's true that there are some good-looking women, but there are also far more wealthy men, and far more men who are muscular/in shape and not social retards, than in Japan.

As far as p4p goes, it's way more expensive and legally risky than in Japan. Check out Tryst to get an idea. Fit college girls charge $1,000+ a session. And there are enough guys with that kind of budget.

Housing is so ridiculously expensive in the major East Coast metros that it is almost completely out of reach for people who don't already own, and odds are that even on a decent salary you can only afford something way out in the suburbs, where there is no public transportation and you have to drive an hour to go anywhere.

 

[TAG Manager]

As far as p4p goes, it's way more expensive and legally risky than in Japan. Check out Tryst to get an idea. Fit college girls charge $1,000+ a session. And there are enough guys with that kind of budget.

That part, I can understand, but that's not an issue I contend with -- but I see the pain where access is limited and out of reach for a lot folks that would like to partake.

It's true that there are some good-looking women, but there are also far more wealthy men, and far more men who are muscular/in shape and not social retards, than in Japan.

Yes, this is true I suppose... but I also believe there more options away from the high profile areas.

Housing is so ridiculously expensive in the major East Coast metros that it is almost completely out of reach for people who don't already own, and odds are that even on a decent salary you can only afford something way out in the suburbs, where there is no public transportation and you have to drive an hour to go anywhere.

I haven't been looking at the real estate market lately, but I've heard that it's due for a correction since values have shot upwards. I know that my place (that's in a suburb/semi-rural area of a metropolitan area) has gone up in value since I bought it, significantly but has also been through some deep swings. What needs to be reworked is the broken mortgage system that the US has. Japan definitely has an advantage when it comes to banking and dealing with real estate. Rates are better and none of these bullshit closing costs -- the bullshit comes when you have to pay the acquisition tax AND the registry fee to have some young lady come and stamp your deed documents and confirm the newly registered ownership papers. A cool 200k for some papers.... (I'm more experienced with Japan's system now than I am the US...)

 

[TAG Manager]

But, I think those salaries scale. I'll have to look at the latest salary markers for each region.
I just know that I'm tired of seeing my colleagues in other locations seeing big bumps in their base packages.

 

[rd1023]

Worth noting that with remote work, it doesn't really matter anymore. I'm fully remote and I have the freedom to live anywhere in the states and work.

 

[MikeH]

Yes, provided they keep their noses clean and otherwise appear to be a productive member of society.

So you are pretty much telling us none of us will ever have any chances.

 

[Stepz]

Recently started looking at maybe hobbying out here (SoCal) but I can't shake the "I could literally fly to Tokyo and have a session with Manami for that same price" feeling 😂. Shit's wild out here.

 

[Frenchy]

The future for Japan is probably going to be same as its present …. Old, peculiar, insular, slightly boring , safe, rich in aggregate but with a large silent poor minority, beautiful country but with ugly decaying cities (apart from Tokyo’s center) , maybe slightly more touristy but not even sure. Marginally more migrants doing the jobs nobody can/want to do anymore, but not encouraged to stay long-term.

And that’s not so bad

 

[Alice]

The thing is that by a lot of metrics, Japan is easier to move to than most Western nations.

This for sure. Afaik it’s very difficult to move to Europe if you are outside the EU, really have to prove you have some special skill that people in that country can’t do or something.
Well I suppose English teaching is a special skill that Japanese people can’t do. 😂
But within Europe there is no need for it.

 

[rd1023]

This for sure. Afaik it’s very difficult to move to Europe if you are outside the EU, really have to prove you have some special skill that people in that country can’t do or something.
Well I suppose English teaching is a special skill that Japanese people can’t do. 😂
But within Europe there is no need for it.

I think the EU ironically is only easier to move for refugees. That being said, there are a lot of people with family ties to the EU already (I know one person at work who got an Irish passport recently through ancestry).

 

[asaccard]

I'm afraid the only situation where it's not a financially disastrous to move to Japan when you are high income professional is if you have already stacked a lot of cash in low tax places like HK/Singapore. Then pay all your offshore/travel/retirement with that income and treat your Japan salary as lunch money.