Tuesday, July 21, 2009

How many Kanji do you have to know to live in Japan

How many Kanji do you have to know to live in Japan?
I am hoping to live in Japan eventually and I am learning Japanese. There are over 50,000 Kanji and that makes me nervous. How many would I have to know to thrive in Japan and read Manga? Also how would I be accepted? How differently do they treat foreigners? And would I ever be able to blend into the communities?
Japan - 5 Answers
Random Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions :
1 :
1, 945 is how much they learn in school. They don't use the 80,000 + kanji there are existing. Most Japanese know more than 1,945 however. I would say they probably know actually around 3, 000 kanji because they might have special kanji for names that are rarely used or they could be doctors that use special kanji for medical terms. You won't be treated like a Japanese, but you'll be treated with respect. You won't blend in because Japanese are Asian, so they look a lot different than Caucasians. They don't have that melting pot idea like America or even the blending like England or Canada.
2 :
You don't HAVE to know any. We were stationed in Northern Japan for 5 1/2 years and there were only a few that I knew (mostly names of towns). Most highway signs have some English on them too. Unless you're of Asian descent, you won't blend into the communities. We had good experiences while we were there, but if we were able to speak at least some Japanese it would have helped.
3 :
I knew about 1000 kanji before my company trasferred me to Japan. I picked up more on a daily basis. After 3.5 years, I knew most kanji needed for daily life. My co worker, my wife and other people I knew in Japan knew 0 before they lived there. From my experience, the more Japanese you know, the better. That does not mean you cannot go there, it only means you will have to struggle more at first. Remeber the most important thing to living in Japan is to have a some sort of visa.
4 :
You need about 2,000 to read a newspaper. If you don't look Japanese, you can't blend in. And BTW, you just can't move there !
5 :
There is no way anyone but a specialist scholar knows 50000 kanji. The 1945 joyo kanji should enable you to read anything written post WW2-typefaces are only joyo kanji. The important thing is learning them in context. Learning a bunch of kanji by themselves won't give you reading fluency. Start reading materials intended for learners and children now and work your way up.

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

How to live and work in japan

How to live and work in japan?
Say you know the japanese lingo mildly well,and you live in america, hoping to live in japan. How do you get a ob there,how do you get a house, do you do it ahead of time or sleep on the street untill you find a place to live as well as a place to work. But more questions ahead,such as do you need to have a document to work in another country as well as live there and where do you get one???
Japan - 3 Answers
Random Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions :
1 :
It's not that simple. You just can't go there and sleep on the street while looking for work. A tourist visa is only good for 90 days. And you can't legally work on a tourist visa. To get a work visa you need to have a job waiting for you. Most Americans there teach English. And you need at least a BA / BS degree to do that. You can't even get a job at McDonalds unless you can speak Japanese as well as a native born Japanese. Unemployment is going up there, and many young people are looking for work. Guess who'll get hired first ? Rents are very high, and many landlords won't rent to a non-Japanese. And yes they can get away with it. Sorry, but if it was so easy, I'd be in Japan right now myself !
2 :
Well there is always the JET program. This program put on by the Japanese government invites English speakers to teach English to Japanese student in Japan. They provide your job. salary, and place to live. There are also other jobs available that they offer.
3 :
The first problem would be your visa. In order to work legally in Japan, you need a working visa. In order to get a working visa, you need to have some business or organization sponsor you for that visa. So depending on what field you would be working in and organization sponsoring you, you would have to provide proof that you are able to work in that field. Once all your documentation is mailed to your sponsor, the burden is now shifted to your sponsor. They will have to go to immigration with all their financial statments etc. to show immigration that they can afford to hire you. Then once they get approved, immigration will issue the "certificate of elegibility" which your sponsor would then mail to you. Once you receive it, you would have to go to the Japanese embassy with the CoE and then they would stamp your passport with the necessary visa. As for living arrangments, you would have to ask either a friend to find something for you, or your sponsor to find something for you. Then, once you get here, make some contacts, aclimatize to Japanese culture, you can find your own place. Good luck.

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

what are some good carrers or classes to persue that will ultimately let me live in japan

what are some good carrers or classes to persue that will ultimately let me live in japan?
ive always wanted to go to japan and i was wondering what sort of classes i should take and carrers i should pursue because i know you cant live there without a bachelors degree right? are there any loopholes O_o?
Studying Abroad - 5 Answers
Random Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions :
1 :
You should go to school to learn how to bind feet.
2 :
Well, you can always join the armed forces and get deployed to Tokyo or Okinawa. But academically speaking, you should try to enroll in a study abroad program in Japan. That way you get a better understanding of life and job opportunities in that country. You should do some research and see if any of these study abroad programs are suitable for you - http://www.macquil.com/abroad.php or if your university offers a semester or year abroad program in Japan. Also, definitely start by taking Japanese language classes, Asian studies, Japanese culture classes and read as much as you can about Japan. Good luck!
3 :
I have a client whose daughter teaches English in Japan. She loves it. Other than this I would also think that if you chose a career in engineering or any other technology oriented field you could seek employment in Japan. Do heavy research and divise a plan ahead of time. Secure your contacts and your essentials before you leave and then you're good to go.
4 :
you should try going there to study, the best majors would be international buisness administration since japan is a worldly known international buisness country....
5 :
It really depends on which part of Japan you're looking at. A degree is optional, but a diploma is all by necessary (Our Polytechnic Diploma is pretty much well recognized around the world nowadays). Which, you should take up courses in either Informatics or Engineering if you want to stand a chance to get a job there. In regards of recent changes in the requirements for a foreigner to obtain a work permit in japan, you must be first be fluent in Japanese and have at least 5 years worth of relavent work experience in the specific field before you head are accepted, without knowing the language, chances is lesser than 40~50% they'll issue you a work permit. A tip for people who is seeking to live in Japan, start planning early. It takes a serious commitment and you'll be required to make alot of sacrifices to get what you want. Set correct goals, and as an advice, don't jump into the idea you want to live there just because of Anime or Video Games. Lastly, I'd like to highlight the ethic issues present in japan, although the younger generations do not have much issues with gaikokugins (As a matter of fact, they're easy to relate with ^^), but the older generations is of a much different issue. Thus, finding a place to stay is pretty hard unless you have friends that is already staying in Japan and could help you out.

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Would it be hard for a person with Peanut Allergies to live in Japan

Would it be hard for a person with Peanut Allergies to live in Japan?
I have a Peanut allergy and I want to live in Japan when I am older. I don't want to just eat a Mcdonalds either. Would it be hard for me to live there? I eat Japanese food, sense I am japanese. But my mom makes it Nut free. Do they cook alot that way ? ?
Allergies - 4 Answers
Random Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions :
1 :
talk to your allergist.
2 :
Wow thats a rough one.lol. I have nut allergies too. I would think that would be hard cause most of it has nut in it.
3 :
yea sure just don't eact peanut
4 :
Japanese tend to cook with vegetable and sesame oils, not peanut oil. Also, Japanese don't really cook with peanuts like other Asian countries. The only time you might encounter peanuts are in snacks where you can clearly see that there's peanuts in it. I don't think it'll be hard to live there with a peanut allergy but whenever you are concerned about the food, always ask, and be sure to tell them it's because you have an allergy. Otherwise, Japanese just think you're a picky eater and are not accommodating, especially when you look Japanese and not gaijin.