Hello from J-List! Once again I’ve taken my annual hop from Japan to my native land of San Diego, to prepare for the summer anime conventions and to prepare to move our San Diego company to a new office. It’s great to be back in California, the land of broad, straight freeways and sunshine. I’ve already started buying all the foods I can’t get back in Japan, like cottage cheese, which you don’t miss until you live in a country where they don’t have a tradition of eating it.
Since I don’t have anything planned to write today, I decided to take random questions from readers on Facebook and Twitter, including Japan employment questions. Here we go…
How common are forks and other food utensils in Japan?
Very common. Japanese use them often, though chopsticks are usually used for eating rice.
How hard is it for a foreign student to pursue undergraduate studies in a Japanese university?
I don’t know about success rates, but there are a lot of foreigners in Japan’s universities, mostly from Asia but also from the U.S. and Europe. As the population of Japan falls, there are more and more foreigners studying there. An American friend of mine got his Ph.D. from Kita Kyushu University.
What does it take to get permanent residency?
You need to have arrived on a work visa and gotten your three-year visa, which takes a couple years. Then you apply for permanent residence. Mainly if you’ve got a basic education and will work, pay taxes and follow the rules. Japan is happy to have you.
Can foreigners work in the anime industry?
Not only can they, but Japan has made a special visa to make it easy to come work in the industry because there aren’t enough workers. If you’ve got the concrete skills to do animation (or manga assistant work), there are jobs here. Understand that the pay is not the best, however, so only explore this route if it’s your true passion.
What’s it like dealing with Japanese companies?
Challenging. If economic times are good, they’ll refuse to change because they don’t need to. It’s only when things go to hell that they’ll be forced to change their business models and do things in a new way.
What’s unemployment like in Japan?
Japan has always had “low” unemployment compared to other countries, barely rising above 5% during the economic downtown of 2008-2009. These days it’s way down to 2.5%. Many businesses have difficulty finding employees, and in general, Japan is making it easier for foreigners to come work in Japan.
Is there any particular employment that you feel is very popular with foreigners in Japan besides teaching English?
Translating, editing and writing copy are some examples, though teaching ESL is still common. If you have up-to-date design or programming skills, there are lots of jobs available. Here’s a post I made with some details. I can’t recommend ESL teaching, except as a temporary way to get a beachhead in Japan.
What’s the cost of living compared to the wages in Japan? Is it true that even the lower paying jobs can somewhat allow to you live?
Yes, because Japan is only just recovering from its huge economic bubble bursting and “lost decades,” prices did not rise significantly for goods since I came to Japan in 1991. (In the past couple years, inflation finally seems to be returning.) Since prices are flat and apartment rents are low ($900 is the average in Tokyo, far less out in Gunma where J-List is based), it’s possible to get by on a lower paying job.
Why did the Japanese create tentacle porn?
While the original idea came more than 200 years ago with the erotic ukiyoe illustration The Dream of the Fisherman’s Wife, the reason Japan is so famous for it today is the popularity of the Urotsukidōji/Legend of the Overfiend in the 1980s. Actually Japanese have no idea people equate their country with tentacle porn.
Is it true Japanese girls like American men?
It’s like all things in life, your mileage may vary. Many girls are interested in the thrill that dating a non-Japanese can bring. It’s never about one country vs. another country but about two individuals. One odd effect I’ve seen is, the more Japanese you learn, the less popular you might find yourself (on the most superficial of levels) with the opposite sex. I guess it kills the mystique or something.
Got any more random questions about Japan? Ask us on Twitter!
Do you love super cute anime figures that can be configured to have many cute expressions and assume different poses? Then browse the new Nendoroid figures we’ve got on the site, including the adorable Raphtalia one! Her pouting face is adorable…
