Job Discussion Forums

[ninjamon]

Mrs Ninjamon and I have been immensely fortunate in recently coming into a sufficient sum of money that means we would be able to buy a 3 or 4 bed house cash in either the UK or Japan (Mrs Ninjamon hails from the land of the rising sun, I am English) and start a family. In either country we believe that we would be able to generate an income to live comfortably and raise a child. This leaves us a quandary - which country would be better to live in long term - Japan or the UK? Anyone care to share any insights regarding living in Japan (particularly raising a kid there) and/or Japan vs UK long term economic prospects? Should we go with Japan, Mrs Fafa's preferred cities are Sendai, Yokohama, Kawasaki, Kobe, Okayama or Fukuoka. In the UK we would probably look to remain in the East Mids where we could get a house in a decent area.

Mrs Ninjamon is a qualified primary and secondary Japanese school teacher with several years experience so would look to get at least a part time job doing that. I have a CELTA and 4 years teaching experience mainly in China, teaching all ages and levels but primarily primary school kids and university students. My Chinese is a decent level (can read a newspaper for gist ok, detail is a bit slower). My Japanese is elementary and other than a fortnight's holiday in Tokyo I have never been to Japan. Having said that I feel that I have a reasonable idea of what life would be like and also believe my Chinese would give me a head start on trying to learn Japanese as I already know the kanji and have experience of learning an Asian language. We have been married for nearly half a decade since when neither of us have set foot in a classroom and I have been working in a reasonably standard office job. I assume I would end up working in an eikaiwa and also assume it is highly likely I would never get anything better. I know this would be a tough choice whatever and have no illusions about that.

Any and all random advice much appreciated

[inuzuki8605]

Well, when it comes to you and your language skills, if you are willing to really learn Japanese, you can find an office job easily speaking with English speaking customers in customer services or translating documents or something like that. You may start out being a teacher, but you could do better if you got the language down.

As for the children, you just have to figure out what type of environment you want to influence your children. Out spoken, out going society of the UK or the somewhat more reserved and study study study Japanese society. Both have good and bad points. But the possibility of the kids being 100% fluent in both Japanese and English will be greater in Japan because they'll have to speak Japanese in day to day life but they'll have English classes from Elementary and you to practice English with.

I have no experience in raising children in the UK or Japan. I'm an American but I believe I will also have to make the same choice as you one day. I hope this helped.

[Dark Machine]

I can't comment too much on Japan right now bar what I read in the Economist/Financial Times etc., I'm sure one of the Japanese residents will be along shortly with the low down on that. However as a UK resident I think I can comment a little on prospects here.

Currently, with you being older, having a grasp of Chinese and experience in an office, your job prospects here would strike me as being some of the best right now. The UK is on a big downturn currently, so it's the best of a bad bunch I'm afraid. The coalition government's policies have cut jobs everywhere, with almost 1million more people predicted to be out of work by next Christmas, so competition is fierce. Having said that, you have experience, and speak Chinese, which is what companies are looking for, you could probably get a decent job here quite quickly, not too sure about your wife, but maybe she could try for a 'public school' or University as they're the ones most likely to want native Japanese staff and run Japanese courses. Another downside is that outside of London, Jobs are being cut thick and fast. Crime is rising, and services being cut, so I don't think the environment is going to be brilliant in the medium term, and we currently have no idea where the UK will be in the long term. Could see recovery, or could end up like Ireland (bankrupt). Job opportunites for young people outside of London are very scarce, I myself want to emigrate to Japan/Far East to 'improve' my job prospects. Pay could be lower than you'd expect since so many people are desperate for work currently.

One thing I would say 'currently' is that maybe you should still try to get your kids British passports. Nothing against Japan but the British passport is much more valuable than the Japanese one right now, for getting into places more easily I mean.

Hope I've helped in some way, don't mean to be down on the UK, and it's certainly more receptive to immigrants than Japan is, but it's also a more dangerous place to live right now, with all the job losses crime is rising and prisons are full, so just have a long think about how long you'd want to stay.

[ninjamon]

[inuzuki8605]

[Dark Machine]

[fluffyhamster]

Hi Ninjamon. Your second language skills (Chinese, fledgling Japanese) will likely not bear much fruit in the UK. (It would be different perhaps if you had majored in one of them and stayed on in academia awhile, to which you could've then tried returning).

Hmm, you don't appear to say how or where you met your wife (and hence where she presumably wanted to be at at least that moment in time), or quite what she has been doing since, but I doubt if she will find as "good" (steady) work elsewhere as she did as a qualified teacher in Japan (though much depends of course on the acceptability of those qualifications in other countries...but you and her will know more about that than I do!).

Given the problems in both countries, I would personally consider different countries entirely (Aus, NZ, Canada, others in Europe even), and if your wife's qualifications don't quite make up the points for more or less permanently emigrating wherever then perhaps you could consider upping your own to help you both out (e.g. if you are a graduate, try to get QTS yourself, and if you aren't, consider doing a degree PT or something). It sounds like you are still pretty young and have time to work at improving your qualifications (and to be honest, just a CELTA isn't much nowadays is it) and prospects no matter where you end up deciding to go.

Anyway, it ultimately comes down to where you both want to live regardless of your exact prospects there (fate can always throw you a curve ball), and I know that I for one would choose Japan over the UK, even if that meant potentially just TEFLing until one's hair was as white as the chalk. (But I'm resisting starting to moan on about the UK LOL - I think we all know or are capable of inferring reasons why it is fast becoming a more and more unattractive place - or less and less attractive place, if you prefer! - to live even short-term. Dark Machine has it about right though when he says "Not sure what it's like down by you but up here there's little to no work for young grads like myself, all the ones advertised mean you have to go to London and live on buttons, I think that if I'm going to do that, I'd rather do it in Japan than here"!).

[inuzuki8605]

Hey! So I just came across this article on gaijinpot website. It's very relevant to your job question.

http://injapan.gaijinpot.com/2011/02/15/which-japanese-companies-are-hiring-international-graduates/

[Glenski]

Since your wife is Japanese but you yourself have never been here, I strongly suggest coming to visit for a while, and definitely spend some time in Japan with her family and friends. It is likely that your wife will show you a different side of herself under those conditions, and you will get a better appreciation for her culture. Heck, she may even change ("revert") to some ways of the old school instead of remaining as she is now (more international) as you know her.

Can't say anything about the economy of the Japanese cities where you are looking. I'm in Hokkaido.

[Angelfish]

If I were in the exact position you're in, I would buy property in the UK and rent it out through an agency (minimal stress for you).

Live in Japan until your kid(s) are around junior high school age. Work on getting them bilingual in English and Japanese. Personally, I'd prefer to bring up young kids in Japan, older kids in England (or non-Japan). While you're in Japan, just rent. Your income from the UK can be ploughed into savings or you could use it in Japan.

Once the kids are around junior high age, I'd relocate back to the UK, to the property.

But that's just a personal opinion, no expertise. I'm a Brit living in Japan thinking of starting a family.

[ninjamon]

[Bread]

[Mr_Monkey]

[ninjamon]

[inuzuki8605]