Job Discussion Forums

[Mahik]

heh, yeah sorry.

Just a little anxious to talk about it. I'd still like to know a bit about Osaka from people's personal experience. How does it compare with Tokyo? My brother says he never liked Tokyo because it was a very 'cold' city (and not in the sense of weather). And will people laugh at me if I learn Japanese with an Osakan accent?

[Mahik]

Quick question about insurance for current or former ECC teachers.

How many of you signed up for NHI or went the path of illegality and didn't, opting for private insurance? I'm told ECC's Personnel section handles it, so I don't see how you would get out of joining either NHI or Shakaihoken.

Speaking of Shakaihoken, is there any reason to opt for the 30 hour work week and get Shakaihoken for the first year? It doesn't really seem worth it since the premiums on first year NHI is so low. Unless hours over 30 received some kind of bonus, but isn't that only overtime pay and only for hours worked over 40? (I'm not entirely sure).

Also, how many of you arrived in Japan without International insurance for the period before you got Japanese insurance? I hear from ECC we 'should' be covered but will they do anything if you're not? And if it's a good idea anyways can anyone recommend some good (cheap) international insurance plans that can be abandoned in the first month?

Thanks!

[gonzarelli]

Mahik,

Southofreality offers the best advice possible. Relax and go to Japan with an open mind and you'll be fine. Not everyone has the same experience with Japan. Some love it, some hate it. It will most likely be either or. I don't think I met too many people who were in the middle. While in Japan, I loved to hate it but I loved it. I really miss it. Luckily, I'll be there next week visiting my girl for a few weeks

Ask your students about konpa. That's a great way to break the ice with students. It seems the Japanese love to tell newcomers all about Japan. Maybe too much so

Just try not to be a charisma man.

http://karatethejapaneseway.com/all_about_japan/charisma_man.html
Good luck. I'm jealous.

[gonzarelli]

ECC didn't have the option of working 30 hours to get NHI when I was there. This is something that started last summer. Can't help too much here. I always had insurance with Global Health.
http://www.globalhealth.jp/

Here's a link from the General Union. It's a FAQ page about ECC. I hope this helps.
http://www.generalunion.org/ecc/faq.htm

[scorchio]

Hey Mahik,
congrats on the job. I guess you'll be in panic mode by now trying to get all your stuff sorted.
To answer a few questions about where you will be living etc., I believe that unless you have opted to live in Kobe or Kyoto then you will be somewhere in Osaka, exactly where is a little bit up to you. The housing agent gave us a few options of where to live (I believe Juso in the north, bentencho in the..erm..west? and daikokucho a bit south). Personnel try to give you permanent shifts as close as possible to your home, but when you are subbing you might find yourself out in Nara, Kyoto, Kobe, the other side of Osaka, etc. I think they try to minimise that though, because they're paying for the transportation. You'll find your shifts will be much more convenient to you in your second contract in April, only because when you start in January they'll just be looking to fill gaps of teachers that have left.

About Osakan japanese, apparently it's cool to speak Osaka-ben thesedays. No one's going to laugh at you. I'm sure they'll be thrilled that you learned any Japanese at all!

Good luck with the move, and don't sweat about the little stuff. There's loads of helpful and supportive people here.

[southofreality]

[Mahik]

Thanks south, I've actually read that by you in a previous post.

What I was wondering was if it is worth it to try and avoid NHI and go private the first year, and how to avoid it if it is possible (I was told by ECC that it's handled through the personnel dept. so would they just enroll me automatically?). It sounds as though NHI will be pretty cheap the first year. And also what kinds of advantages Shakai Hoken might have over it.

But I just really didn't want to have to pay into the pension scheme. I'm only planning to be in Japan 1-2 years and I don't want to go through the hassle of getting to my pension money. If I don't have to pay into the pension scheme with NHI then it sounds like a good way to go.

[gonzarelli]