Job Discussion Forums

VOLVO · Joined: 31 Mar 2003 Posts: 6

Lately I've started to look at jobs in Japan more seriously, especially after watching this documentary about the live volcano near Kagoshima on discovery the other night. I'm thinking about Kyushu as my area of choice because of it's geography and more temperate climate and closeness to Korea via Fu-kuoka.

So my questions are about camping and the weather there, what is the monsoon season like? I noticed when I lived in Korea that most typhoons seemed to gravitate to Japans coastline, is Kyushu brutalized by them? Also, are people able to just camp outdoors anywhere in the mountains like Mt. Aso? And are Japanese big on hiking like Koreans are (ie. are the mountians jammed with people on holidays and Sundays?)?

I noticed that a lot of jobs require you to drive, what is the driving like in the cities, and when they say you can have it for personal use does that mean take it on Holidays and such? Many schools also ask for an essay on "Why you want to live and Work in Japan", what are some key points I should include in my essay and things I shouldn't?

I've looked through all daves Japan job links, are there any other good places to look for jobs in Japan and specific japan job related places to post your resume? And what do most Japanese want in terms of preperation time? I saw that hours ranged from 25-40 per week on average. Has anyone gotten a working holiday visa for Japan? Can you teach english with it? Does it take long to get?

How do Fuk-kuoka, Kitakyushu and the other cities shape up, what kind of industrys are there? Is there a nice nightlife scene? Are there interesting cultural spots?

Thanks for your time~ Wink

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

PAULH · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 4672 Location: Western Japan

VOLVO · Joined: 31 Mar 2003 Posts: 6

The cultural and nightlife I wanted to know about were specific to Fu-kuoka. I like museums and ancient architecture, buddisty temples and hiking+camping, does anyone know about camping in Japan? I found I read volumes about Korea before I went but the one thing I didn't do is get much first hand commentary from people who were there. I think no matter how much you read it can't fully prepare you for what it's going to be like. You can fill your head with usefull info, but can't start to apply it until you get there.

As far as the jobs go I have realized that the majority don't pay your way over, but I was going to fly myself back to korea anyway to look about, so why not Japan. You guys said without a visa in my back pocket it's difficult? But don't you need sponsorship to get one? I've got all the requirements for the working visa, as for the Holiday one, I'm 25 and Canadian, I'm assuming most WH are for folks under 30?

And interms of the essay, should I play up the fact that I'm very interested in learning the language and about their culture? I noticed a few places where they weren't too keen on those points.

Thanks again Smile

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

Employers would rather not fund your own studies, especially if they are for personal gain. So, I don't think they'd take too kindly to someone saying they want a job teaching because they want to learn Japanese. Are there any employers here to speak to the contrary?

Why not say something about your teaching philosophy or reason to teach? That might grab their attention more.

homersimpson · Joined: 14 Feb 2003 Posts: 569 Location: Kagoshima

I agree about the "learning the language" point. I'd leave that out of the essay (after all, you could study Japanese at a university; and many, if not all, eikaiwas don't want teachers to speak Japanese in class anyway). As for job hunting, I mentioned in another post that some schools will interview over the phone, thus negating the need for current visa status.

Celeste · Posted: Wed Apr 09, 2003 11:57 pm Post subject:

I live in F ukuoka city, and the night life is pretty good. There are a lot of small night clubs, pubs, and excellent restaurants around. If you walk along the riverside at night, there are many small stalls with various Japanese specialties. Many of the night clubs have live entertainment, and there is always something to spend your hard earned money on. If you like museums, we have a few of those (so far I have only been to one, but I really enjoyed it) and there are also some small private galleries about. This is a city with a relatively large international community, so there are a lot of services here for ex-pats. There is an internati0onal airport here, so you won't always have to start your vacations from Tokyo.

I don't really know much about camping in Japan- the mosquitoes in the city in the summer are enough wildlife for me! I have heard that some people have gone to Shikoku for camping vacations, though.

We do have a nice beach here in F ukoka-city, and a friend of mine has even been trying to learn to surf- he's not very good yet, but last year was his first season. You can also do some SCUBA diving here in the warmer months and get your certification here. Once again, these things cost money, but if you have money tospend, then go for it.

PAULH · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 4672 Location: Western Japan

Volvo

Just a word about camping- I have done a bit on my own and I also do some when I have some free time. I have a car now and have accumulated all the required equipment (including gas burners, cooking table and dining tent) and know a little bit about what they call 'auto-camping' over here. Last summer I spent six days camping up in Kanazawa on the Japan sea coast. Japanese by and large do not camp on the beach or by the sides of the road, though they may take off into the mountains and pitch their tents, or go mountain climbing. . As you can not really have campfires on the beach (there are rarely toilet facilities anyway) many will stay at camping grounds designed for vehicles. You can buy books which have maps and acess details. Many of the best places you can only get to by car, but it is possible to catch public transport, take taxis or hitchhike (I have done that in Japan too, but thats another thread)

Auto-camp sites will be less than 1,000 yen a night for a campsite depending on whether you have a car or not, they have a store on site for buying gas burners and they have ablution blocks as well.

Another option you may want to consider is the youth hostels as they have many lodges but you will probably use many of their facilities.

By the way there is a youth hostel on Mt Aso but you want to make sure you go on a good day as I have heard the view is SPECTACULAR. I went when it was rainy and overcast and didn't see anything.

VOLVO · Joined: 31 Mar 2003 Posts: 6

Of course I'd describe my teaching philosophy in the essay, that's an obvious good point. It's just that some schools want Japanese ability or a willingness to learn and other advertise that they will help you learn. I think the language and cultural exchange are part and parcel of living in a foreign land. They wouldn't be funding me, I'd just learn it on my own time and by day to day living.

Thanks for your input, surfing and scuba diving are things I've often thought about doing, but haven't had the opportunity yet, so they are helpful criteria in factoring what area I'd like to live. Wink

Ange · Joined: 16 Feb 2003 Posts: 23 Location: F U K U O K A

Last year a couple of friends and I went hitching and camping around Kumamoto. Hitching was incredibly easy, people went miles out of their way to take us somewhere - very friendly.

As for camping, in Aso we stayed in a large park that we happened across accidently. There was a camping site a couple of kms away from that park but we had hammocks and no tent and the owner was extremely inflexible about letting us string the hammocks up. I would say you would have no problems finding somewhere to camp for a night or two. Word of warning though - even though it is incredibly hot and humid during the day, the night times are freezing!

We also stayed in a couple of residential parks in the small towns. We just put up our hammocks after dark and there were no problems whatsoever. We got a few strange looks in the morning but most people were just interested in what we were doing.

I also live in F u kuoka and I agree with Celeste - it is an excellent city to live in.

VOLVO · Joined: 31 Mar 2003 Posts: 6

As far as camping goes, I was looking more towards hiking in the mountains and pitching a tent where there was a nice private spot, off the beaten path as far into the wilderness as possible< < < I wouldn't be really opposed to sites, but I'm looking into buying a nice 3-4 season tent which can even withstand some snow< < <I came across an online outdoor store in japan that has a lot of more extreme camping gear so I imagine others are doing it.

Now a totally unrelated question, where are some good sites to learn the Kanji, katakana and hiragana. I picked up a crappy getting along in. . .book yesterday which illustrates the various phonetic symbols of japanese, but doesn't show how they interact with other symbols. I had to look over it a bit to realize that when symbols are combined one of the 2 characters that represent each symbol is dropped< < < nouns are all pictographic characters, so I'm alble to pick them out of the sentence when i break it down ( guess you just have to learn them all), but the books got no dictionary, which makes it a little difficult. Can anyone recommend a good book I can order online in NA?

Many Thanks Smile

p_track · Joined: 22 Jan 2003 Posts: 11

Concerning the essay,

I had to write a similar one to get my AET job at a junior high school in Nagano prefecture. I included lots of intrest in learning language, culture etc and becoming part of the larger community that i would be working in. I feel that i was hired because of this. Public school jobs are a lot different from privates though. I am being paid by the city hall of Okaya and therefore including such information was important as i am thought of as a public figure and an international addition to the city. Try to size up each job and cater to what they are looking for. Like the other guys said, eikaiwa are probably not to concerned about your life outside the class but some are.

concerning the WHV, I would definetly suggest it. With it under your belt you have a huge advantage over the other tourist visa job hunters as you are less of a head ache for your employer. Besides, it can always be changed to a regular visa after you land a job. Check earlier threads about WHV, there are lots of them.

As for Hiking, I am living in Nagano ("the Japanese Alps") where there is a ton of great mountain ridge trails. It kinda reminds me of home back in the Rockies! If you head up this way for a holiday and want a hiking companion e-mail me. I have yet to meet any serious hikers!
Good luck!