Traveling To Japan

[xX Baby Ougi Xx]

Being a Japanese citizen I see many tourist and travelers coming to Japan and end up spending way too much money. If you want to make a safe and sucessful stay in Japan the best thing to do BEFORE going to Japan are the following:

1. Make sure you are fluent in Japanese
(It reduces confusion)
2. Make sure you have a planned place of stay and money for it
(It reduces large money spending for last minute things that can possibly make you bankrupt. My apartment I live in is one room and it is equivalent to 1700USD a month)
3. Make sure you understand the Japanese economy especially tax rates etc. if you plan on working.
(To reduce confusion or wondering why your check is so small.)

That's all, safe traveling and have fun. ^^  

[killerqueen121]

Would you have to give up your U.S. Citizenship to become a Japanese citizen? And I'm also wondering, How hard is it for a foreigner to become a manga artist?  

[Astrl Alchmst]

まじで?
i did spent a lot.
i didnt necessarily know the currency rate so i spent 6,000 in one night! on food!
i just recently went and everything was expensive!
(lucky my daddy has lots of money hahahaha)
the trains were also really confusing!
im not fluent but i thought i knew enough to get by but that wasnt the case..
私は阿呆でした....
nobody told me these things.
after a 3 hour flight to nyc then another flight from nyc to narita airport took another 12 1/2 hours. (in business class of course i'd die in coach)
oh and another thing!
i didnt realize there were so many tall people!
i loved it!
i was so ready to see people as short as me (i'm only 4 10" 1/2)
i was like wow so tall so hot..
i almost died their hair was so effing awesome.
i was also surprised it was hotter in japan than it was in texas!
anyways it was expensive and i did need to be fluent..
i will be back in 3 or 5 years to complete my studies and go to roppongi for some hot guys lol.  

[oTrissa]

You don't have to be fluent in a language to go visit a country, it's different if you want to live there.....it just makes things easier....1,700 USD? That's stupid expensive. Is that including utilities? What area is this in? That's equivalent to a house payment in the US....  

[thejade9]

xX Baby Ougi Xx

Being a Japanese citizen I see many tourist and travelers coming to Japan and end up spending way too much money. If you want to make a safe and sucessful stay in Japan the best thing to do BEFORE going to Japan are the following:

1. Make sure you are fluent in Japanese
(It reduces confusion)
2. Make sure you have a planned place of stay and money for it
(It reduces large money spending for last minute things that can possibly make you bankrupt. My apartment I live in is one room and it is equivalent to 1700USD a month)
3. Make sure you understand the Japanese economy especially tax rates etc. if you plan on working.
(To reduce confusion or wondering why your check is so small.)

That's all, safe traveling and have fun. ^^

This is more for living in Japan versus visiting. You can get by without knowing any Japanese. Most Assistant Language Teachers (ALTs) come to Japan with zero Japanese skills, and we've all made it ok. It is a little more confusing, but you won't die. Also, if you're just visiting, staying at a hostel or a friend's place will reduce costs.

Living in Japan is quite different. Learning basic Japanese will help, but it also depends on the kind of job you want to get. My recommendation is learning as much Japanese as possible. If you're a controlling type of person or you're used to understanding things, you might as well try to become fluent in Japanese just so you don't get angry. I've seen so many Americans get angry over not understanding what's going on because they don't know Japanese, yet they've had time to learn Japanese.

If you decide to live in Japan, rent depends on the location. If you're in the city, rent is higher. If you're not in the city, rent is cheaper. Getting an older place will also be cheaper. I live in the southern, more rural (but still urban) part of Okinawa, and my rent is about 600USD per month for a 2LDK (not including utilities). It's pretty big in Japanese standards, but it's an older apartment. Also, it's good to have a Japanese friend meet with the housing agencies and whatnot. Otherwise, they'll charge you more just for being a foreigner.

Understanding tax rates and systems in any country that you live in is important, so make sure you know what you have to do in regards to being a foreign resident in Japan.

As for food, if you're in the city like Roppongi, Shibuya, or any popular part of Tokyo or any Japanese city, food will be expensive. We're talking $5 for a cup of basic coffee.

Here's an interesting post about coming to live in Japan:
http://wp.me/p10nQf-4N  

[angelbankai45]

thejade9

Why does all of this scare me? XD

I want to go to Japan one day in the future. Asian culture and people have always interested me. It's one of my dreams in life to be able to go there one day.

I also want to be the first non Japanese authentic manga artist. If you do manga over here you must do it in left to right format. -_-

I'm totally prepared for the many rejections I will receive on my way to my goal. Rejections are a part of life. It will be very difficult, but I will not go down without a fight! If I achieve this goal, I'll make history.  

[thejade9]

angelbankai45

thejade9

Why does all of this scare me? XD

I want to go to Japan one day in the future. Asian culture and people have always interested me. It's one of my dreams in life to be able to go there one day.

I also want to be the first non Japanese authentic manga artist. If you do manga over here you must do it in left to right format. -_-

I'm totally prepared for the many rejections I will receive on my way to my goal. Rejections are a part of life. It will be very difficult, but I will not go down without a fight! If I achieve this goal, I'll make history.

You should do your research first. Plus, you wouldn't be the first non-Japanese authentic manga artist. Felipe Smith was picked in Kodansha a few years back. Now he's a popular manga artist. You won't be able to become a Japanese manga artist if you don't know Japanese. This was my dream a few years ago, but the reality is that it's difficult to become a non-Japanese manga artist, especially if you don't Japanese.

I would learn Japanese, maybe study at a manga art school in Japan or even just do an exchange program or study abroad program in Japan. Even Felipe Smith had to learn Japanese for his position. Actually, here's a video with advice from Felipe Smith: Masters of Manga presents Felipe Smith.

Not trying to scare you, but these are the realities. Like I said, I've thought about becoming a manga artist in Japan, even going to art school to perfect my art. But getting into comics--Japanese or American--isn't an easy job, and you need to do your research first.  

[angelbankai45]

thejade9

Not trying to scare you, but these are the realities. Like I said, I've thought about becoming a manga artist in Japan, even going to art school to perfect my art. But getting into comics--Japanese or American--isn't an easy job, and you need to do your research first.

Thanks for informing me of this. Well, correction now: I want to be a non Japanese authentic manga artist. Of course I know that I need to learn Japanese to become one. I don't have a lot of money however. I can't afford to travel there anytime soon.

Being a pro artist is what I want to be in life. I've been trying to get a job for so long but so far no luck. If I had one I would be able to save money for it. Right now I'm still in my first year of college. I want to get a bachelor's degree in art. So becoming a manga artist isn't just something I want to do just because it's cool. It's because art is my passion, and comics/graphic novels are one of the things I love to do in art.

So I have a strong reason for wanting this. It's just something i'll have to fight for.  

[thejade9]

angelbankai45

thejade9

Not trying to scare you, but these are the realities. Like I said, I've thought about becoming a manga artist in Japan, even going to art school to perfect my art. But getting into comics--Japanese or American--isn't an easy job, and you need to do your research first.

Thanks for informing me of this. Well, correction now: I want to be a non Japanese authentic manga artist. Of course I know that I need to learn Japanese to become one. I don't have a lot of money however. I can't afford to travel there anytime soon.

Being a pro artist is what I want to be in life. I've been trying to get a job for so long but so far no luck. If I had one I would be able to save money for it. Right now I'm still in my first year of college. I want to get a bachelor's degree in art. So becoming a manga artist isn't just something I want to do just because it's cool. It's because art is my passion, and comics/graphic novels are one of the things I love to do in art.

So I have a strong reason for wanting this. It's just something i'll have to fight for.

Don't let money stop you. You've just got to work twice as hard and be five times as resourceful in accomplishing your dreams. I came to Japan for the first time in 2008 with nearly zero money. I got into a city program that had a sister cities program for college youths. It paid for a good portion of the trip, and I saved up for the rest of it. I also did some side jobs, like drawing portraits for small events, alongside my regular job in order to save for it.

There's also the opportunity to study abroad. Some colleges have a special study abroad program or exchange program with a Japanese university. You pay the same amount for tuition as you would for your normal college, but you go to the Japanese university. Since you're a first year, you can also get a scholarship, and if there's no stipulations, use the money towards a trip to Japan. Currently, getting flights to Japan is cheaper for foreigners and tourists because the Japanese government is trying to revive the Japanese economy from the 2011 tsunami and earthquake.

Also, you can start your own web comic. One of the staffers in a school I worked at had her own web comic (mind you, I work in Japan, so this is a Japanese artist I'm talking about). It saves money and time, and it's a little easier to promote. Some American comic artists are also going digital in order to save on distributing costs.

Like I said, don't let money stand in your way. Lots of people have come up from having nothing because they strove for their dreams.  

[angelbankai45]

thejade9

It's difficult because you have to have money to do these study abroad things. The only way I'm even going to college right now is because of financial aid. I don't think it will cover anything outside of the US. Even with a scholarship it may not be enough.

For the webcomic thing you need a website and websites cost money. Unless it's a free webcomic. I also think you need to be very good at making websites in order to make one where they pay to access the content.

I've been trying to get a job for over two years now. Even getting a job seems impossible up here. I wonder what they're even looking for? I just keep on applying to places. Some of these online applications are ridiculous as well. I have no work experience either.

Giving up isn't an option however.  

[thejade9]

angelbankai45

thejade9

It's difficult because you have to have money to do these study abroad things. The only way I'm even going to college right now is because of financial aid. I don't think it will cover anything outside of the US. Even with a scholarship it may not be enough.

For the webcomic thing you need a website and websites cost money. Unless it's a free webcomic. I also think you need to be very good at making websites in order to make one where they pay to access the content.

I've been trying to get a job for over two years now. Even getting a job seems impossible up here. I wonder what they're even looking for? I just keep on applying to places. Some of these online applications are ridiculous as well. I have no work experience either.

Giving up isn't an option however.

Sounds like a bunch of excuses. I too only had scholarships for college, and I've met college graduates who didn't even have that and have made it through college. As far as working (in the U.S.), jobs do come hard, but you've gotta make a consistent effort in finding one. If you don't have work experience, use your volunteer experience. If you don't have either, you're going to have to step forward with more effort. Get to know some hiring managers. If you're submitting an application, online or not, follow up with it by going to the company or calling them on the phone. Right now in the U.S., it's possible to get an entry level job, like working at a fast-food place or retail. It takes a lot of time in job-searching, but you can find something. My first year in college, I had no work experience either, so I went to the mall dressed in a business suit and asked everywhere for their applications. Don't get discouraged. It's happening to everyone right now because the U.S. economy is so crappy. For now, you can use your drawing skill or any other skills to make some small-time cash.

Also, there are websites where even monkeys can create websites. You can't expect someone to pay for your work at first, though, so setting up a fan-base with a free access website is better at first. Or you could ask a website if they need mascots or illustrations. I've made some cash this way too.

Sorry if I'm giving you some tough love, but I've been in your shoes before. So has my husband and many other people who I've met through college and work now. It's not impossible! Just stop making excuses and make some options happen through your own diligence and determination!  

[Nana Shinu Ai]

that could be true. So We should take much time to learn stuff.  

[DelAcc111111]

If you haven't already you should check out www.wix.com and also google.com if you want to make a web site. wix.com has some especially good programs.  

[Master joanna17]

when u go to Japan u should know mostly how to talk Japanese,and u should also know about the kind of money they uses in Japan..they use yen biggrin  

[oTrissa]

Although being fluent I'm sure would be helpful it would be ridiculous to attempt to be fluent in every language of every country you travel to. Especially if you traveled as much as my BF's family.
I think instead you should say they should know travel phrases and proper etiquette.