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japan :: tokyo :: general


lamscott

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i tried to teach english last year in tokyo. i went over in march at 22 with no degree and a working holiday visa. i was offered a few part time eikaiwa jobs (10hrs a week max) but i turned them down because i wanted full time work (so i could stay for the full 18mths) and didn't see the point in only working a few hours if i couldn't survive on it. i applied to almost everything i could find and only got interviews maybe 10% of the time, which is quite high considering i didn't have a degree. as mentioned, the market has been oversaturated for years now and everyone is basically either fighting for scraps or guarding the (now very rare) cushy/semi-well paying jobs they have. i have one friend who is 28, has been there 6 years at the same school and only works 20hrs a week. makes 350k yen a month - he has a degree in fine art. another friend with a BA in teaching went over a few months before i did, landed a job doing about 42hrs a week and makes 225k yen a month. average salary until about 2004 for eikaiwa was 250-270k yen for a 38hr work week, now its about 200-240k. he could almost make that much (225k) working at mcdonalds back in australia. salaries keep getting lower and more and more people keep going over. the golden years are long gone.

near the end of my stay, a friend offered me his job teaching primary school kids as he was going back to canada but at that point i had lost interest in teaching. saw so many stories and i guess i just wanted to enjoy my time. after 3.5 months my money ran out and i went back home, but i still had a blast.

if you want to get a taste, gaba will basically hire any white monkey who can speak passable english and wear a suit (ill-fitting preferable). pay/conditions suck, but that's eikaiwa in 2010. check out the gaijinpot forums, lots of helpful information for all aspects of living in japan (esp in the archives) although there are lots of bitter older dudes who hate their life because they are stuck in japan doing the same job and earning the same money that they were 20 years ago.

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1. Go to a good university and get a degree in business

2. while attending school, learn japanese

3. get a job in finance / consulting at a prestigious firm

4.show them your credentials and request to be transferred to japan

5. get money

6. go to fancy ass parties

7. fuck bitches

8. go back to 5 and repeat (plus jawn copping in between)

moral of the story: study hard and it might pay off

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If you're coming to work only, don't come, its not that cushy anymore. If you're coming on a lark to keep your neck above water while chasing local girls with your dashing blue eyes, you're about a decade late.

Like everyone above said, the markets flooded with people who either really need it or people who should be working at gas stations back home and are happy with what they can get. I work part time at an eikaiwa to keep up my visa (I picked up other jobs but they can't sponsor me) and other than the class of guys who are too dumb or lazy to realize its a shit job, the rest of the teachers are guys traveling, using it as a stepping stone, or guys who go stuck in the game with kids (most of them are leaving).

That's the bad thing about it though, people bash on English teachers but there's a lot of good people there. Its just really hard to get out once you get in and once your in your surroundings can really drag you down.

I realized I hated it so I went to school and got passable Japanese "cause fuck if I'd settle but even then its not big money or anything.

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If you're coming to work only, don't come, its not that cushy anymore. If your coming on a lark to keep your neck above water while chasing local girls with your dashing blue eyes, your about a decade late.

Like everyone above said, the markets flooded with people who either really need it or people who are to should be working at gas stations back home and are happy with what they can get. I work part time at an eikaiwa to keep up my visa (I picked up other jobs because I bothered to learn Japanese - but they can't sponsor me) and other than the class of guys who are too dumb or lazy to realize its a shit job, the rest of the teachers are guys traveling, using it as a stepping stone, or guys who go stuck in the game with kids (most of them are leaving).

That's the bad thing about it though, people bash on English teachers but there's a lot of good people there, its just really hard to get out once you get in and once your in your surroundings can really drag you down.

I realized I hated it so I went to school and got passable Japanese cause fuck if I'd settle but even then its not big money or anything.

No wonder Japanese people have trouble learning english, eikawas like you can barely type simple coherent english sentences.

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Thinking about buying a car here.

Divided on getting something practical (cheap-ass kei car) or getting something I can't get in the states and want to drive badly.

Was looking into getting an old Mini Cooper, insurance is expensive (初心者 status) but they look really fun to drive.

Nissan Figaro, if you can find one in half decent condition that can pass shaken

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Cool city car for long leisure drives... I would get it if I mainly drive under 80 kpm but since it has 3 gears and I like to drive fast (100+ kph) so it's a no-go for me:(

I drive a Suzuki Alto and if I go over 80 kph on that, it shakes and guzzles A LOT of gas.

Was looking at this site for Minis http://quick.u-cars.bz/stock/ . Cheap relative to other shops and some include 2 years of shaken but I'm suspicious about the condition.

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1. Go to a good university and get a degree in business

2. while attending school, learn japanese

3. get a job in finance / consulting at a prestigious firm

4.show them your credentials and request to be transferred to japan

5. get money

6. go to fancy ass parties

7. fuck bitches

8. go back to 5 and repeat (plus jawn copping in between)

moral of the story: study hard and it might pay off

aint this pretty much djrajio all summed up

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where can i buy rhodia notebooks on the intarwebz?

i live in middle of nowhere so i have to trek down to kinokuniya in NYC for cheap rhodia.

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where can i buy rhodia notebooks on the intarwebz?

i live in middle of nowhere so i have to trek down to kinokuniya in NYC for cheap rhodia.

did you google search dude? I see them all the time. My local bookstore even has all the Paul Smith and black versions as well.

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Needing to get a haircut in Tokyo.

Would like to experience the best that Tokyo's got to offer. Am male, Asian.

Recommendations please?

Thanks :)

I guess you should get a perm - pin or rod.

It's dope cause most asian kids outside of japan have shitty looking buzzed / crew cut.

also jawnz and crew cut don't go together.

I'd say getting a japanese style perm is a life changing experience.

well, sort of.

also no need to get a haircut every fucking month.

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Herpsky

My mother in law just bought a brand new machine for perming, she said it was a kiri perm or fog/cloud perm. She had trouble explaining it to my wife, any ideas what it is exactly?

Never heard of it.

Must be a women's thing or possibly one of those correction perms i.e. some people are born with really ugly ass looking "natural" perm and wanna make it straight

then again, i'm not a hair stylist or anything so i don't know

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yoooo sufu

i'm living in yokohama right now for the next 3 months. damn i didn't think things would be this expensive.

i'm looking for a job, but since i'm on a student visa, i can't "legally" have one. i know it's a long shot, but does anyone know anybody/anywhere that needs help? i need to be paid under the table.. lol

i've been putting up ads on craigslist for english tutoring..lol any other good websites?

don't laugh at me

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