Hey everyone, I just thought I would open up a Q & A thread about living and teaching English in Japan, or anything else you want to ask.

I know there are a some threads already about Japan, etc., but they seem inactive, and I thought I'd make another one just in case anyone has any new questions.

Why have you moved to Japan ? Do you have any family there ?

im flying to Tokyo on 22nd, whats the night life like? is it easy to pick up Japanese girls as a westerner?

can you ask lil bow wow for those red jordans?

asian nitelife is awesome generally

I don't have any family there. I live in Japan during the summer (I attend University in the states during the school year) teaching English. It's something that I have done for the past three years. I find it incredibly personally rewarding, and it just doesn't get old for me, as there is always something new and unique to explore in Japan.

As Gregvenezia said, Asian nightlife is usually awesome, and Tokyo is no exception.

It depends on what you are looking for. There are a ton of bars, ranging from hole-in-the-wall to very upscale. In general, expect to pay 500-1000 yen ($5-10 USD for beer/cocktails. Many of the bars in Tokyo are located in the Kabuki-cho area of Shinjuku, which is also the red light district.

As for nightclubs, most of the most frequented ones are located in the Shibuya and Roppongi areas. Shibuya is the trendy hotspot for young people, and Roppongi is where all the foreigners go. If you need recommendations, I'd be happy to list some of my favorites and tell you about them. From my experience, there are tons of Japanese girls who go out to clubs looking to hook up with foreign guys, so if you know where to look, then you shouldn't have too hard of a time. Certain clubs, such as "Gaspanic" in Roppongi are notorious hangout spots for foreign guys/Japanese girls looking for this kind of thing. It also depends on how much Japanese you speak, because the overwhelming majority of Japanese still speak little to no English and are incredibly shy about talking to foreigners for this reason.

I'm flying from bangkok to Tokyo on nov. 22nd

I've been there last year and spent my 5 days mostly in shibuya. It was perfect! look for Vuenos night club and Atome club.

From what i saw, a few people can speak english. So the language barrier can be a problem with girls and everything else. But in general, yes they like all the westerners white skin/long nose look.

This time i will try roppongi, it looks crazy there.

ty for response PoseidonCubed

lol im flying from bkk too, who are you flying with?

im staying with my cousin whos half english half japanese so i prob get him to all the talking, i kind of prefer it when girls cant understand a thing you say anyway

i also used to live in Japan as a college student,

went to Gaspanic in Roppongi many times, im a white guy from california and basically all u have to do is show up, and the girls will fall on you

i also recommend the kabuki-cho area of shinkjuku, there are alot of cheap bars here,

look for places that offer "nomihodai" in japanese this basically means "all you can drink" you pay a flat rate of like $20 for 2 hrs, or something like $30 for 3 hrs
u can drink as much beer as u want in that time period, some places will often offer unlimited whiskey, or sho-ju as well with this package. many places will serve food with this deal as well, i remember one place in particular in kabuki-cho that was in a basement it was actually really big when u got inside, it was nomihodai and like a 8 course meal for like $35, 3 hrs. I remember japanese ppl there cheering their friends on as they attempted to chug pitchers of gin and tonic. These places are best enjoyed with a group of like 6+ , and its not uncommon to see a group of liek 15-20 walk in and take up a big table, so bring friends! get drunk at a nomihodai place for cheap then hit the clubs

i can try to point out some places on a map for anyone, just PM me, i dont remember names because i cant read Kanji that well but i can tell you what corner they are on etc...

is it possible to get some of this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1r5eHeU8-w?

Gotta be more specific. Some girls are totally looking for western guys, and will tend to fall in love with them right away, and others won't give guys (Japanese, Korean, American...anything) the light of day. If you are not shy, and are persistent enough, you are bound to get lucky. A white friend of mine ram really good for a few days and hooked up with three different girls in three nights. I saw showed me a few pictures of them, and I thought they were very pretty.

There's a really fascinating phenomenon in Japan right now that people just aren't ****ing enough and having kids. The government is trying to find a way to address this before it becomes an emergency. If the current trend keeps up, over half of the Japanese population will be over 60 by 2025. I bring this up because it is getting more and more popular for girls in Japan to be more independent and spend their money and attention on fashion items and traveling (completely ignoring boys), instead of getting locked down in marriage.

This.

If you are on any sort of tight budget, nomihoudai is the way to go. It's usually offered at almost any izakaya, but not at most bars. It is definitely not hard to find. When you're in the kabuki-cho area, you just have to keep in mind that the occasional establishment will not exactly be friendly to western patrons.

how did you get started teaching there? qualifications? applied from the usa, overall process/ comments/concerns? would just a bachelors degree in any subject be enough to teach there? is the job in real demand like other asian countries?

OP, thought/experiences or criticisms on this thread? http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/92.../japan-449967/

I never really had much interest in Japan until my second year of college (Wisconsin). They were partners with an organization that brings over American college students to Japan for free for two months to teach English at summer camps for Japanese students. The camp was called Guy Healy Japan USA Summer Camp (link) and it ended up being pretty much one of the most life-changing and heartwarming experiences I have ever been lucky enough to a part of. This is what made me really want to pursue something there. I can't really describe what it feels like when a kid comes to you before they leave camp to go home, crying, give you a hug, and say they'll never forget you.

The application process itself is pretty standard, and almost exactly concurrent with the descriptions in the South Korea threads. I have quite a few personal references who I can go to with questions about job offerings, but there are a number of Web sites where offerings are being posted constantly.

Like has been mentioned in the "South Korea" thread by SuperUberBob, there is a high demand for English teachers in Japan. You just need a bachelor's degree (in some rare occasions, you don't even need this) in any subject and (most importantly) be a native English speaker. I know have several Japanese friends who are very fluent English speakers looking for jobs teaching and are having a really tough time. Schools and institutions are generally extremely adamant that their teachers be native English speakers from an English-speaking country.

...wow. I thought I had seen everything, but Japan never ceases to surprise me. No matter how weird your fetishes are, you're sure to find something there. But I have to emphasize if you're just a regular gaijin (i.e. you don't have a TV show, camera & production crew) looking for higher-class prostitutes, or in this case "specialty" masseuses, and speak no Japanese, don't be at all surprised if you get a strict "No," or are turned away immediately.

Ive never been to japan and I really want to go sometime. If you were to recommend cities to go to as a tourist for two weeks or w/e what would you recommend?

i recommend living out of Ueno (suburb in tokyo) if you like a relaxed atmosphere, and like to get exercise.

- hiring bikes in Kyoto was worth doing, food in Osaka >>>>> rest of japan (idk why).

- Fukushima is a pretty sick area to do some travelling (if you have a car - transport out there [mountains] is reduced)

- Harajuku is overrated, Roppongei has good nightlife i guess, but too many white ppl.

Sorry for the late response...there's a lot of good and interesting information/observations here. Feihua obviously knows his stuff very well, and it's cool to hear his take on Japan. There are a few observations I'd like to make about topics brought up in that thread, but I think I'll wait until this weekend when I have more time to do an extensive write-up.

Greg, definitely visit. I don't think you will be disappointed. I would recommend getting a JR Rail Pass and travel around as much as you can. They offer 7-day and 14-day passes, and you can ride the Shinkansen (bullet train) as much as you want. Otherwise buying individual train tickets to travel from city to city can add up.

Obviously, I would recommend Tokyo and Osaka and Kyoto (beautiful) for sightseeing purposes. However, people in the Tokyo and Osaka can be rather hurried and sometimes rude, just like in any huge city. I personally love the cities of Fukuoka and Kagoshima, which are both located in the southernmost island of Kyushu. If you find Tokyo too hectic and crowded (and believe me, riding those trains during rush hour is hell if you're even a little claustrophobic), then Fukuoka provides a cool, fun city atmosphere without an excess of people. Personally, I find people in Fukuoka to be nicer than any other city I have visited. It is also well-known for its good-looking citizens.

Tokyo is great and all, but one complaint I hear a lot is absolutely no green or trees anywhere--just skyscrapers and other buildings. This is why I'd definitely check out Kagoshima for its great ocean scenery and beaches.

Finally, in response to KakiTee's last comment, I couldn't agree more. Harajuku is interesting the first few times around, as it's fun to look at the Lolita girls and other funky fashion statements, but once you've looked around the shops a few times you realize that there isn't much there. Definitely recommend you visit, but you'll probably find a lot of people there for the same reason: people watching.

Also, Roppingi has a lot of good restaurants , and is a must-visit if you want to tour the clubbing scene (and Roppongi Hills is kind of cool, just because of the sheer scale of the project). However, I don't want to sound rude, but I go to Japan to experience Japanese culture and what it has to offer, not to hang out with a bunch of foreigners who are all probably just trying to get laid.

You must be drinking to remain inside Gaspanic

How much does a typical Engrish teacher in the Land of the Rising Sun earn? Is it a respectable gig compared to how English teachers are perceived in The Land Of Smiles?
I think I'll most definitely take a trip to Japan there for a few days to just sight see and maybe pick up a pair of $400 jeans lol

Neither job will get you much respect from the expats with real jobs, but it's a different story with the locals because most asian cultures are big on respecting authority figures of which teachers are very much one - something a lot of English Teachers abuse in order to get laid.

As for earning you can expect minimum wage + accommodation (which is huge) in Japan if you are working for one of the agencies like Nova, more if you are private.

No real exciting answer here. It's comparable to the average starting salary in the U.S. often times, but the great thing is that most schools set-up and pay for your housing. If you have a degree in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages), you'll be able to get a better, higher-paying job quicker. It's of course not a title that comes with any importance, but I have also seen at least one English teacher trying to use his position to get laid. He's really into Japanese women, which his female colleagues find rather creepy and disgusting.

The good news is that you can get high-end Japanese brand jeans often in the neighborhood of $200.