What advice would you give to someone looking to move to Japan?

Question

About culture, language, society, food, what to pack, what to expect, whaere to go, etc.?
Try to include things that wouldn't just be easily found on a google search.


Also, the person who is going to Japan is in 6th grade, and wants to go in 7th grade, but her mother thinks that is to early for all involved parties(the whole family is going, 1 mom, 2 daughters, 1 dog). What age do you think would be best fo us to go? (We are moving there, staying for at least a year.)

I meant to write "Where to go" not "Whaere to go".

Sorry about my phrasing the question so weirdly, I'm the 6th grade girl and I want to go in 7th grade. What age do you think my twin and I should be?
And I'm asking for information because I'M the one who wants information about Japan. I trust that my mother will learn all that she needs to know before we go.
But right now, I want to learn more about Japan, so please help me out! Thanks!

I didn't mean too early in the year, I meant she thinks we are too young and that she isn't prepared enough to go.

Answer 1

First of all to Lasser198 ----- FREE HEALTH CARE are you mad !!! There is not free health care in Japan.

Many areas of Japan are very nice indeeed and you will have a great time in school there, regardless of the grade you go into but you will be expected to work very hard indeed. Japanese children have one of the hardest schedules I have seen some 14 year olds have a day that starts with pre-school study at 7am and they will do school then afterschool clubs till 6pm and then have homework to do. If you go to an International School is is not as bad.
If you are in a major city like Tokyo or Yokohama you will be safe to travel around and have many things to see and do when you are not at school.
If you do not speak or understand Japanese it can seem a little worrying but peopel are nice and if you work hard you will be suprised how quick you can learn to speak and understand some Japanese.
Taking an animal with you to Japan might be okay but most people in Japan and I suspect you will to live in apartments without gardens and maybe to small to have a pet - if your mother is the only adult she will be working (I can not see how she would be allowed to live in Japan if she did not have a job) and leaving a dog allow all day in an apartment that can get very very hot in summer would be very bad.
Japan can be a very expensive place if your mother is the only adu;t working you may not be able to have so many new things or be able to go for days out very often - depending on the area you live in you might feel a little deprived.
Food is very interesting in Japan - try new things you might not like some tastes at first but the more you have the more you'll like the new tastes.
I hope things go well for you - gambette

Answer 2

I think that the mother is probably right about it being too early to go. If this girl is American or Canadian, then she will begin seventh grade in late August or early September, which is closer than it seems!

To go to Japan, this girl's mother needs to have a job or a man waiting for her to marry in Japan in order to move there. If she and her family are only going there for one year, then perhaps English teaching jobs would be the best for her to look for (a husband is a bit more permanent than one year!) A sixth grader is not too young to go to Japan, but she should have good knowledge of Japanese, because during that year, she will have to go to school there.

If the mother doesn't want to move there, then maybe this girl and her mother could research some one-year exchange programs in Japan.

I think that if the mother is serious about going to Japan, then she shouldn't rely on her 6th grade daughter to find out what she needs to do to get there. She needs to know the information much more than the sixth grader!

Answer 3

Oh, it's you again.
Firstly, the school year starts in April, not September, so the guy that said something about that is wrong. I agree that you may need some time to kick back before starting school, but if you guys move in August (most teachers do) then you and your sister will have plenty of time before April. Maybe you could visit your mom's school, or try to make some Japanese friends your own age before starting school. The person that said the junior high schedule was rough was right--HOWEVER--because you are foreigners I really don't think that will apply to you. Japanese jr high students have to test to be admitted into high school, but that won't affect you. You won't need to go to afterschool classes or cram school, etc etc.
My last piece of advice which I know you will NOT like--
do NOT take your dog. Finding a rental property that will allow dogs is next to impossible. "Sneaking" a pet as many of us Americans do will NOT work in Japan because Japanese neighbors ARE nosy and the walls ARE paper-thin and you WILL be discovered and evicted in no time!!! Just getting the dog through quarantine is a very costly and time-consuming ordeal. Plus if you guys plan to travel around Japan WHO do you think will watch and take care of your dog? A complete stranger? Do you think you're going to take your dog on the train w you? Ha!!

Answer 4

I think if you are only staying for a year, then you should move somewhere in the countryside like in Kyushu, near Nagasaki because its so beautiful, people are friendly, and you will have a good time. I dont recommend Tokyo, unless you like concrete and expensive stuff. Hoikaido is pretty cold. Okinawa is too small. Honshu is ok, but has many people. HOpe that helps

Answer 5

I think a spousal visa would greatly increase your chances of becoming an illustrator. About your comment on alphabet learning... I suggest learning Hiragana and Katakana early (Japanese phonetic alphabets) and let Kanji come in time. It helps you understand the structure of the language I find, and every time you encounter a sign or website containing them it just helps you internalize it that much more. My Japanese isn't great yet, but I learn fastest when actually in Japan I find.

Answer 6

if you are planning to go there first you have to be prepared like for instance you have to study a little knowledge of their language first because everything will be very different,japanese have a little knowledge of english language because japanese really love their own.. if you are in a 6th grade right now its also the same if you go there.. be always prepared to experienced anything its just like trying something new..the best place would be somewhere in tokyo,kyoto, or osaka because an average of people living there speaks english

Answer 7

1/ dont go.
2/ learn karate and japanese
3/ the dogs will be welcome....very tasty!
4/ why would a 7th grade tell her mother, when she wants to go.
5/ this needs a lot more thought.

Answer 8

I have a friend who just moved there.

best part of it all: free health care. even to non citizens.

Answer 9

You could try an exchange program

Answer 10

Honey, I say just do it.

Your question is way too broad for any specifics.

You'll be fine.

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