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Imseriouslylost · Joined: 09 Nov 2009 Posts: 123 Location: Tokyo

Which puts me in better shape than most. I'd like to thank everyone on here as if it weren't for various forums I'm on I don't think this would've been possible.

There *are* jobs in Japan, you just have to apply to every single one of them in order to find one. I was lucky enough to have a few to choose from but considering I applied for more than fifty jobs that's no surprise. In Korea, if you applied for fifty positions you'd definitely be offered fourty of them (at least).

Anyway, I have a few simple questions before I get on the plane (in two weeks).

I'll be coming with about $6000 USD. I'll have to put down money on an apartment and various other things as a startup cost. Let's say this costs me $3000. If I want $3000 to last me for two months (I don't get paid until the end of April), will I have to live very frugally or can I allow myself some travelling? I'll be in Japan and not working for all of March. I want to travel around, mainly in my area and in Tokyo and I want to take a lot of pictures. Is this going to break my back financially?

I'm also not bringing any of my apartment things with me. I'll need to buy a lot of hygenic items, a computer desk and various other things for my place (rice cooker, bedding, shower curtains etc.) What is the cheapest place to buy these sorts of things at?

Another question that I've asked that didn't really get answered. Are training sessions and dispatch-provided temporary accomodations good places to meet other foreigners or will I have to expand beyond that?

Cheers.

lenoreelux · Joined: 30 Nov 2009 Posts: 44

The last couple of times that I have been to Tokyo, I discovered Tokyu Hands and also there is also IKEA. Both I think have pretty decent pricing for needs items and also deliver. Razz

http://www.tokyu-hands.co.jp/
http://www.ikea.com/jp/en/

You may want to check out Gaijonpot.com also. People sell used items on there all the time. You may find some good deals.

Glenski · Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Posts: 12844 Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN

natsume · Joined: 24 Apr 2006 Posts: 409 Location: Chongqing, China

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2362.html

If you want to travel you can keep it bare bones by buying a Juhachi kippu (￥11500) for 5 days of unlimited travel on local trains during all of March and part of April, and staying in guest houses. I haven't stayed in one of those in a long time but I believe they can be around ￥2000 for a space in a communal tatami room or dorm. Capsule hotels I have used have been ￥2500 and ￥3000, and the cheapest business hotels tend to be around ￥5000.

So theoretically, you could squeeze a couple short (2-4 day) trips out of maybe ￥40000-60000.

Imseriouslylost · Joined: 09 Nov 2009 Posts: 123 Location: Tokyo

Inflames · Joined: 02 Apr 2006 Posts: 486

Glenski · Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Posts: 12844 Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN

ShioriEigoKyoushi · Joined: 21 Aug 2009 Posts: 364 Location: Japan

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Imseriouslylost · Joined: 09 Nov 2009 Posts: 123 Location: Tokyo

Glenski & ShioriEigoKyoushi:

I'll be working for an ALT company and they have a lot of employees / schools under their jurisdiction. I went digging through the information package they gave me months ago and it said that the apartment might be furnished or might not be. It depends on a lot of things, like whether or not I'm moving to an area where there was an ALT before and whether I choose to get a new apartment or just move into an apartment where the previous ALT left all of their stuff.

Either way, I don't plan on buying all that much stuff. I might not even get a bed. I hear sleeping on the floor Japanese/Korean style is better for you anyway. I should probably get used to that.

Here in Korea I have too much crap as it is. I'm going to end up tossing a lot of it when I leave and I feel bad about that.

Glenski · Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Posts: 12844 Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN

It's your life, but if it were me, I'd want to know before landing whether I have a place that needs furnishing or not. You're going to be here in less than 2 weeks, you say. How soon after that do you start work?

I ask because it could be a frantic race to get all the appliances, furnishings, and light fixtures if you are given a totally bare apartment. Your call, though.

seklarwia · Posted: Thu Feb 11, 2010 7:24 am Post subject:

You can ask, but if it's a dispatch company, they simply may not know. Dispatchers are competing for contracts against many other companies in many cases. The BOEs know this, and can therefore wait to the last minute to make important decisions and/or make changes. And some of these changes will affect the new arriving ALTs.

A neighbouring BOE did it just last summer. A dispatch ALT was leaving and we assumed that the new ALT that the company brought in would simply replace them, taking over the same schools and same apartment. But the BOE decided to juggle the schools in each placement and the new ALT then ended up placed at a JET school that had previously only had a JET there part-time which was on the opposite end of town. So the poor newbie had been told that they were moving into a previously occupied apartment, but then ended up having to pay set up costs on a new rental because without a car, it wouldn't have been feasible to stay in the old place.

Its better to assume that you will get a bare apartment with all the moving in costs and be pleasantly surprised than be told that you are getting a previously owned furnished apartment and being caught short when you end up having to pay to move into a new and bare apartment.

And if you are coming over with any half (or possible a quarter) reputable company, then you should have a Japanese speaking helper assigned to you who will help you move in, take you to register for your ARC, help you set up a bank account and mobile and taxi you around to places where you can get any essentials for your apartment. And should you have to acquire larger and more expensive appliances such as a washing machine or fridge; recycle centres are your best friend and they often have a wide arrange of items at dirt cheap prices.

southofreality · Joined: 12 Feb 2007 Posts: 579 Location: Tokyo

A little off-topic, but it's been said that the practice of demanding reikin (key money) in Kanto while not so much in Kansai was born in the aftermath of a natural disaster. Apparently, after the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923, housing was scarce and apartment owners took bribe money to guarantee priority placement for those willing to pay it. From there, it just became standard practice.

When you find yourself often paying so much for so little here, you can easily start to believe that there's a business culture here that basically looks to fleece consumers because they will invariably pay up.