Job Discussion Forums

[NorthofAmerica]

Okay, I wanted to title this "How weak does the yen have to get before you think about leaving" but that was too long.

Now, obviously some people here are here for good. "Lifers" if you will, who have few or no assets and connections overseas that the weak yen really affects. I figure these people are gonna ride out whatever comes and not really consider another country to call home for awhile.

What about people like me who have been here for a year and are thinking of maybe another year or two? Have you had second thoughts at all? I recently looked at jobs in Korea, Taiwan, and even China (not to mention other regions) that all pay more or at least comparable wages.

I like Japan and am generally happy enough with things here but wouldn't it be nice to work somewhere where the currency adjustment worked out to a pay raise as time passed. Here it feels like the opposite, I need to negotiate a hefty raise just to make as much as I made when I first arrived after adjusting for inflation.

Anybody else looking overseas at other opportunities or thinking about it?

[sidjameson]

Currently teaching for most in Japan pays the same as McDonalds in England. In inflation and GBP adjusted terms I was making nearly as much in Eikawai 8 years ago as I do at my university today.
If I didn't get 5 months holidays I would be off. Not because I don't like Japan but because the world is too exciting and life is too short to stay in one place when you have a job/career that lets you travel as TEFL does.

[japanman]

I agree with you there. if you are from the UK, it's impossible to come here to save money and send it home, I think so anyway. I'm here to enjoy myself and live a life away from where I was born. The value of the yen is of no importance to me at all. Been here seven years and haven't sent one yen back. What's that money going to do in England anyway? I don't live in England anymore.

[furiousmilksheikali]

I agree with japanman and I find it hard to believe that anyone came to Japan within the last ten years expecting to make a fortune in the EFL business. If you did then you picked the wrong industry or the wrong country and I will second what japanman said about the strength of the yen relative pound being irrelevant to me.

[furiousmilksheikali]

[japanman]

I always feel that if your prime purpose for being here is saving cash then you can never fully "be" here in this country. you can learn the language, etc etc but you are always planning to leave at some point and go back. This kind of thinking puts a huge barrier on yout chances at getting to know this country and being accepted by your community etc.
This saving thing puzzles me greatly when I see posts like "How much can I save in Thailand" etc why should you be able to save money in a country that is much poorer than your own? The save, save, save mentality is very strange coming from people who come from rich nations.

[gaijinalways]

japanman posted

[dove]

To make up for the terrible exchange rate, I have taken on some more private lessons. But Japanman is so right---the more I work to save money, the less I feel I am really here. But next year I want to take a break from Japan for a year--it takes money to start up fresh somewhere. I am trying to save $(US )1,500 per month. (Usually successful) But I am thankful that it is easy to pick up part time work in my area. And I am thankful I have a nice kitchen so they can come to me to teach. (I hate commuting).

[Gordon]

I think the devaluation of the yen is a big deal to me. What is wrong with saving and investing? I won't invest in Japan stocks or real estate and somehow I think it is wrong to have money sitting in a bank account making .0000000000000000001%. I want to have a bit saved for my kids and my own retirement, but when the yen drops 40% in 5 years (almost 20% in 5 months), I think it is a problem.

[David W]

[madeira]

The yen was fine when we lived in Japan. We still earn yen, but now we have to live in London. We are burning through our savings, even with housing provided. There was no salary increase for the new posting, and the company won't allow me to work. It's quite frustrating!

[Glenski]

[zorro (3)]

Actually the horrible exchange rate is putting me off of returning to Japan. It was depressing last time I came home with all of my savings (hey you can experience Japan and still save...I did and I managed to travel all around Kyushu as well and watch the world cup in a drunken stupor) and to be offered �1 for every 230 yen when previously it had been nearer the 200 mark! I felt like someone had stolen �200 from me.

Now it's on 241 which would mean that a salary of 300k is about �1250, when my original 275k was about �1310. That means that I will be taking a pay cut to return to Japan.

I guess it hits people who go to Japan for shorter contracts the hardest.

I'm with the OP and find it a shame that I'll have to look elsewhere because I really enjoyed Japan.

[canuck]

I think it's toughest on newbies that come here and dream of paying off their student loans, or making a big dent in them.

[sidjameson]

If you're in your 30's or 40's these are the years when you should be saving. Unless you have the wealthy parents thing going on how are you going to have any sort of retirement?

By the time I am 65 90% of the country are going to be geriatric along with me. It's bad enough on the trains now. I couldn't stand to be part of a nationwide old people's home.

If you want to retire and you want to do it outside of Japan the exchange rate is very much an issue.

The GBP was 155 to the yen......now it's 243, that's real currency fluctuation. 8 years ago that pound brought you 30% more than it does today too.

So even Glenski's point about the yen dollar rate isn't exactly true as 130 yen buys a lot less in America today than it did 10 years ago. That's a currency fluctuation, you just can't see it in the numbers.