Part Eight
Useful Information

Opening Remarks
This section is intended to smooth the way into the classroom and society at large. A more profound understanding of Japan and some basic knowledge of things Japanese can sometimes come in handy as a way to better build relationships with students, neighbors, bosses or native collegues and avoid unnecessary difficulty. This section will focus on living in Japan and some of the differences you will encounter. Part Seven will then give you some knowledge of Japanese culture and history.
Living in Japan will be one of the most exciting experiences in some people's lives. The possibility of major misunderstanding, confusion and other problems is also very real. My personal belief is that most of these can be overcome by keeping an open mind and remembering the old saying, "When in Rome, do as the Romans do."
Japan will in some ways offer no difficulty for first time visitors and new residents. Most goods and services that are found in other countries are readily available here, albeit sometimes at premium prices. In addition, there are a plethora of other items that people coming from western countries will have never seen. Also, Japan is one of the safest countries of the world. You will be able to walk alone in most areas and at most times of day without incident.
Use this section to familiarize yourself with some aspects of life in Japan and get ready to enjoy a new and wonderful experience.

1. How the Japanese view foreigners
Japanese tend to be very reserved when around people they don't know. These reservations increase with the degree of unfamiliarity. As Japan is for the most part very homogeneous, Japanese people can come very close to reading the minds of other Japanese. This is not true with people from overseas and foreigners are sometimes viewed with suspicion based on misconceptions, stereotypes and the ignorance of foreign culture.
As you may know, Japan was isolated from the rest of the world for more than two-hundred and fifty years during the Edo period. This plus the fact that most of Japan was long a feudal country whose economy was based on agriculture go a long way in explaining the Japanese the view of outsiders. Basically, Japanese will feel closest to their immediate family. After this comes their extended families, close freinds at school or work, members of their clubs, classes or sections, neighbors, students or employees of the same school or company, acquaintances and finally strangers in that order.
All of this does not mean that you will be treated rudely or not accepted. On the contrary, most people you come in contact with in Japan will treat you as an honored guest. Once you make freinds with the Japanese, they will cherish the relationship to a point that is sometimes uncomfortable for westerners.
For the most part, Japanese are shy and will treat strangers with indifference. This is sometimes not the case with nonnatives. Except for the largest of cities, curiosity will get the better of most people and they will want to look at you. As most commuting in Japan is done by public transportation such as trains and buses, you will sometimes be the object of staring and you shouldn't let this bother you. It is not a cultural taboo to stare and they are only curious.

2. Housing
Unless your company supplies you with housing you will be on your own in searching for and securing a place to live. And although Japanese housing is not the rabbit hutches that it is rumored to be, there are a few things you should know. First of all, if you are living in or near a big city, get ready for high prices. A much higher percentage of income is spent on housing in Japan. The cost of land is of course at the core of this problem as is the shortage of land.
One way to save a little money on accommodations is to look for a residents for foreigners, gaijin house. These are usually large apartments or houses in which separate rooms are rented out for a reasonable price. The kitchen and bathroom are usually shared by all members of the house, but the rent can be as little as half of regular accommodations. You can find out about these houses in magazines such as Kansai Time Out or Tokyo Journal mentioned later in this chapter.
If you want to rent an apartment, the cost will usually be above 100,000 yen per month and you will be required to pay approximately six to eight month's rent in fees and security deposit. Roughly sevently percent of this will be refunded to you when you give up the apartment.

3. Visa
To teach English in Japan you need to have a visa that allows the holder to participate in work. This should come as no surprise. The common resident status that native teachers of English will obtain are:

A. Instructor - You need to have the equivalent of a bachelor's degree for this working visa and the duration is six moths to one year, usually renewable.

B. Specialist in Humanities - Same as above.

C. Professor - This status of working visa is available if you are hired from outside Japan by a Japanese university. The duration is six months, one year or three years.

D. College Student - This is a general visa and allows visiting college students to work twenty hours per wee. The duration is six months or one year.

E. Working Holiday - This is also a general visa and allows the holder to work enough to comer expenses. Note though that this is only available for citizens of Australia, Canada, and New Zealand.

4. Prices
Prices in Japan are some of the highest in the world, especially with current exchange rates. As mentioned earlier, a good portion of your income will go towards rent and without proper budgeting, you may find yourself in a pinch toward the end of the month.
In some cases, eating out can be more economical than cooking at home. Still, restaurants are for the most part very expensive and eating in will be preferable. You do have to watch out though.
Knowing where to shop can make all the difference. Keep in mind that if you look hard enough, you can probably find what you want at a cheaper price. This is especially true with imported goods so don't just march into your nearest department store and empty your wallet.
Your money will go a lot further if you can do without those expensive imported goods and local supermarkets will carry products that can satisfy most needs at reasonable prices. Ask around to find the cheapest place to do your shopping and don't get sucked into buying anything you don't need.

5. Language
One of the best investments of time you will make is the serious study of the Japanese language. Not only will you be able to communicate with more people, but you will also gain a deeper understanding of what it is to be a language student.
In the beginning, you will want to find a good teacher and spend a lot of time and energy on the basics. After you have a good foundation, you can start to build upon it by experimenting in real life situations with your barber, the lady at the fish market, or your next door neighbor.
Because of the recent popularity of the Japanese language, there are a number of language schools all over the country. You should be aware that some are not that reputable and are only out to take your money. Ask other foreigners for their advice and use your instincts. There are also groups or organizations that offer cheap or free Japanese lessons and these can usually be found in English language magazines like Kansai Time Out and Tokyo Journal.
One other option is language exchange. The classified advertisements in the above mentioned magazines usually carry personal messages advertising for this kind of exchange. This is one of the cheapest ways to study, but remember that the other person will probably not be a professional teacher and it may be a hit-and-miss situation.

6. Medical
Full time teachers will have health insurance provided for them by their employers and will pay a monthly fee directly from their salary. If you get sick or are injured, this kind of private insurance will usually cover seventy to eighty percent of the medical bill.
Teachers who are not covered through their employers should check into the national health insurance program. You can apply at your nearest ward office, where you will have to go anyway for your alien registration, and it costs about four thousand yen per month. The coverage is not as good as private insurance, but usually covers about seventy percent of hospital costs.

7. Home Sickness
As mentioned before, Japan is quite distant from most western countries geographically and culturally. Most of the time you will be engaged in activities that will be new and exciting and you won't have time to be home sick. Still, you should prepare yourself for those times when you will really feel alone and isolated. Luckily, there are a number of safety valves in place in Japan to help you cope with this problem.
The publications mentioned in the next section usually carry information on support groups in Japan. Some of these are established for people from specific countries, others are more general in nature and cater the to the needs of all.
And while you will most likely make a number of Japanese friends, you will be wise not to cut yourself off from other fellow expatriates. They may become a source of solace when you begin to feel alienated or just long for an outlet for frustration.

8. English Publications
I have mentioned most of these publicatios in other chapters or sections of this paper, but I thought it would be helpful to group them all here in one place as well. I have divided the list into two categories, magazines and newspapers.

A. Magazines
Kansai Time Out, Tokyo Journal, Tokyo Business, and the Alien are the major magazines published in English in Japan. Kansai Time Out and Tokyo Journal are similar publications that present timely information on their respective regions, Kansai (which includes Osaka, Kobe, Kyoto, Nara and surrounding areas) and Kanto (Tokyo, Yokohama, Saitama and surrounding areas). Also, most major cities put out a visitors guide that can be found at most major hotels or train stations. These usually have useful local facts but are also limited in scope.

B. Newspapers
The Mainichi Daily News, Daily Yomiuri, Asahi Evening News and Japan Times are the daily newspapers. There are also a few weekly and bi-monthly newspapers of varying quality that can be found at most major book stores or the largest train stations.

In addition to those magazines and newspapers published locally, you can find major publications from around the world. The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Time and Newsweek are all here and can be found at the major bookstores. There are also a growing number of books available in English on most topics you can imagine.

Conclusion
The mere fact that you are bothering at all to study things in Japan will make a favorable impression on the Japanese who you have contact with. I have heard it said that employers in Japan prefer that you, as a native teacher of English, don't know or speak Japanese. While this may be true for temporary or part-time help with companies that really aren't interested in their teachers or students, most prospective employers appreciate the effort to understand their country and realize that a person who knows Japan will probably have a better relationship with management, native staff and students. Showing interest in the culture, language etc. will usually solidify in other people's minds that you are serious about your job and that you care for the people you teach. This is not to say that people who don't learn these things don't care, just that anybody is flattered when someone else shows a genuine interest in them and there culture, history, customs, etc.

Part Nine - Japanese History and Culture