Job Discussion Forums

[Lynn]

I don' t live in Japan now, so maybe those of you living there now can fill me in?

What can Americans do for work in Japan?
a) English teacher
b) business man coming directly from the states working at an American branch office in Tokyo (usually temp. transfer 2 years only)
c) own a bar


When I was in Japan I never saw Americans do any other kind of work. The american I have in mind is a U.S.Citizen married to Jpes citizen, so visa is not an issue. Language level is mid-high having passed the level 2 of the JLPT. Age is 29. Education is BA Asian Studies Japan.

[Billy Chaka]

Just off the top of my head, the last time I was in Japan I remember meeting an American who owned a second-hand English book store. I also remember meeting an American who owned a furniture shop. Basically I think you could own any kind of small business. Also, this is purely fictional, but for what it's worth in Sujata Massey's mystery novels, the main character is an American fluent in Japanese who is an antiques dealer. She looks for bargains in the flea markets and sells to clients in Japan and the U.S.A.

[PAULH]

Heres another couple

1.Independent financial consultants (give advice on pensions, investments etc). Tokyo is full of them.

2. Day traders, trading brokers, currency exchange etc.

3. Sales reps for EFL text publishing companies. previous ESL/EFL teaching preferred.

4. Chefs/waiters. Hotel industry.

5. TV Talents or personalities

6.Male model for catalogs, commercials, bit parts in Japanese dramas.

You really need a skill that Japanese want and can't provide, as there are millions of qualified bilingual Japanese here already.

[tokyorabbit]

This is really the million dollar question that many who love living in Japan but want to take a break from teaching ask frequently.

So far, it looks like most of the options have been covered. Of course, if you have a visa then you can open just about any business. Most of the foreigners I have seen who are not teaching own some kind of small business (usually with the help of their Japanese spouse and family).

I agree that there are plenty of qualified bilingual Japanese (especially in the Tokyo area), so unless you have some special skill or degree then simply being a foreigner will not automatically open the door to millions of jobs. Even some of the foreigners I know who are doing "other things" still teach an occasional private lesson or two or teach part time. But that`s not necessarily a bad thing.. teaching can be a lot of fun and is one of the easiest jobs I`ve ever had. There`s also a lot of variety if you are teaching students of different levels and using different textbooks.

[Lynn]