Hacker News new | past | comments | ask | show | jobs | submit | mattnumbe's comments login

I can second taking a language as the most useful elective...and it leading to moving to Japan, studying here, getting married etc.


Gods in America is done really well. I also enjoyed listening to the Game of Thrones series on the way to and from work every morning for like 8 months. Gave me something to look forward to in the morning.


The one in Sapporo is a tourist trap.


Oh so you think Tsukiji with its "authentic" sushi joints operated by Koreans and Chinese is not a tourist trap?


Most of the time delivery problems have everything to do with the seller. The point is that the seller and the product should be separated in reviews of the product.


There's a good radiolab episode about American dialects http://www.radiolab.org/story/yall-youse-yinz/


I think it's mainly because you can't find a Yoshinoya in a town/road that isn't even on google maps but you can find 3 lawson's and a famlymart. (convenience≠cheap)


Also, afaik Yoshinoya doesn't carry anything that can compete with Family Mart Milk Cocoa. Japanese convenience store drinks are so good.


I agree 100%. I am currently an expat with local language skills. When other expats complain about getting treated differently because they're foreigners, and then you find out they've been here 10 years and have no local language skills, it's easy to understand why.


As opposed to those who invest in time saving services.


I'd like to catch them off guard.

Plus, I'll be moving from recruiting to sales, so I'm expected to know a bit more.


I'd personally like my recruiters to know things. On both sides of the transaction that makes things a lot easier.

I imagine the same thing goes for salespeople


You definitely don't need TEFL to find a teaching job easily in Japan but it would give you more options. I taught in language schools, a junior high, and did corporate classes as well. It's also quite easy to get hired from abroad, and getting a job while on working holiday/travel visa is a bit of a grey area, although I know plenty of people who have done it.

If I can suggest, from experience, skipping the initial 'just teaching English' thing and apply for undergraduate/graduate school here and teach on the side. I made more money from scholarships (very easy to get) and teaching than I'm making now as a salary man.


Thank you. As much as I would like to take your advice about undergraduate/graduate school, I'm not sure how I would fare as I am already an undergraduate, and my knowledge of Japanese isn't that great (it's been on the backburner for a very long time, usually I haven't paid attention to it) and I'm not sure how I'd fare doing a course in Japan; I don't think I would like to be studying the subject I do (ECE) much more beyond graduate level, though I guess I'll see about that. If it's not too much to ask, what are Japanese university fees and ease of entry like?

Do you have any advice or ideas where to look if I want to go into a career teaching English in Japan, if such a thing isn't too laughable? :)

Edit: one of my biggest concerns is whether I can apply from abroad, as getting into Japan in the first place is an issue.


For jobs teaching English (it's not really a career choice unless you end up getting a proper teaching degree or happen into something special) check out www.gaijinpot.com it's, despite the name, one of the most credible sources for English teaching jobs. For universities, public universities in Japan are incredibly cheap when compared to universities in the US. Tuition for the university I went to was less than 5,000usd/yr (a tenth of what I paid in the us/year for undergrad) and there are scholarships a plenty. Check out the MEXT scholarship or JASSO. I ended up getting both which paid for my living expenses as well as school. Like I said, working part time on top of that I was living very comfortably. So, going to school will grant you a very affordable apartment, gym membership, very good intensive Japanese lessons, an education, friends, the chance to work up to 28 hours a week, and if you get a scholarship, spending money, on top of the education of your choice.

Search for the G30 program. There are a bunch of public universities here that participate in G30, which is made for foreign students, in English and it's very well funded.


Getting a job on working holiday visa is not a grey area at all - it is, after all, a working visa.


Quite right. Changing from a working holiday visa/travel visa to a residential visa is the grey area


Guidelines | FAQ | Lists | API | Security | Legal | Apply to YC | Contact

Search: