Japan and living there

^ Eh the cram school thing isn't limited to Japan alone...

I went to english classes on Sunday for 4 hours, and had math classes on saturdays.

Guess it was sort of like a cram school now that I think about it.

Of course then I moved to the U.S and didnt have to really study much at all.

edited 9th Jan '13 8:38:43 AM by Baff

I can confirm that Korea and China are much like Japan in that regard. I don't think they're the only countries that cram academics into every waking hour of their children's lives as well.

From what I recall of my high school Spanish classes, kids in Spain spend 6 days at school, but they spend more time each day doing stuff like playing sports than American kids get to do "on the clock". I imagine other continental European countries have similar setups.

It seems leaving Japanese was good thing before he die of karoshi.

Anyone still here?

Well, four-year thread necros aren't always the best idea... that said, hi. I'm an American who just recently got a job in Japan (living and working in Tokyo), though I'm on break right now.

Oh hey. :)

What kind of job BTW? Is it comfortable?

Neat, blast from the past here. Left Japan a few years ago.

How was it?

Great views, nice people, delicious food. I liked it.

I'm working as a translator (Japanese>English) at an up-and-coming mobile games developer. It's a little hectic, but the people are nice and the work is fun - and it doesn't hurt that it's basically an international company instead of a Japanese one, given Japan's corporate culture.

and Ah.

Well, I came here to see if there would be some sort of new activity here, but I also came in regards of my future job as a borderless writer for any kind of medium, because I plan to build a career based on writing stories for any country regardless of where I am, with Japan being a special demographic to pick. What are the current trends and genres from foreign countries that are popular in Japan at the moment?

Couldn't say. I have to admit I spent most of my time with other members of the American military community there, rather than integrating with Japanese society at large.

Hm, well, that's not super relevant to the question of living in Japan, honestly. Maybe keep asking in the Culture thread, or do some Google searches on top sales lists for Amazon books or something?

Hmm, you're right.

But I also wonder if you can work off-distance in a Japanese job as well. Is it possible?

You mean working long-distance? It's doable - I did for about a month before I moved to Tokyo - but I can't recommend it, depending on the timezone difference. If you're in the Western Hemisphere you're basically looking at a 12-hour lag time in work efficiency every day, especially if someone important in the command chain can't give any input because they're asleep when the important stuff needs to be decided.

Basically, not unless you're a freelancer working on contract or by-hours basis.

edited 31st Jul '17 9:48:28 AM by RedSavant

I'm planning to be freelance.

Then I'd say it depends on your timezone and industry. The closer to Japan time the better, obviously.

Will you be writing in Japanese?

Not really, because part of what I plan for the type of writer from me is that I can write with whatever language, no matter the country unless they translate. For me, borderless writers can great work for other countries no matter the language they write or the nation they're located.

I'm not really sure what you mean by that. Unless you're fine being a not-very-well-known borderless writer, you're going to need to at least consider the languages spoken in other countries, or hire a lot of translators.

I may consider the latter.

I really don't recommend being borderless. Not fitting in ticky boxes in forms means epic amounts of trouble should you try dealing with paperwork for even straightforward things, like updating a driver's licence. Forget the convoluted mess that is international health-care, education, financial services or taxation.

You fall between the cracks so easily, it's scary; and, it's nobody's job to notice because you don't belong in any particular box. You better hope nobody tries to use you as a convenient scapegoat for anything, either. Bad. Things. Seriously bad things.

edited 1st Aug '17 6:45:39 AM by Euodiachloris

Actually, I may settle in Spain or the UK for my work as a writer, but I'll still try to be an international writer, which I meant.