Japan For The Non-Japanese

[boi de memoire]

in the other matter...., by the comments and stuff, I think I could survive, but... who could I comunicate with? I mean, if I go by myself I'd get like really depressed @_x

I guess it's just one of those things you'll have to experience.

hahaha, yeah!



@Kyuktsuki: but I'd never go like that, I think... I'll just go sometime in vacation... when I have a nice job and stuff

I'll be a fucking tourist



PS: I really wonder why do I ("we all") like japanese stuff and Japan so much =P

 

[Kyuketsuki]

PS: I really wonder why do I ("we all") like japanese stuff and Japan so much =P

I think it's human nature to always want to discover new things, and so this is just our way of doing that. For years and years and years I was obsessed with ancient egypt, and then thanks to xena (lol) it was ancient greece. This is the first modern culture I've had an interest in. For me, it's all about comparison. I like to compare what I've learned about all these places against each other to try and get a better idea of the world.

 

[Einherjer]

PS: I really wonder why do I ("we all") like japanese stuff and Japan so much =P

I think it's human nature to always want to discover new things, and so this is just our way of doing that. For years and years and years I was obsessed with ancient egypt, and then thanks to xena (lol) it was ancient greece. This is the first modern culture I've had an interest in. For me, it's all about comparison. I like to compare what I've learned about all these places against each other to try and get a better idea of the world.

It's hard to be content with the familiar. I think we all get bored with our native environments and crave new and exciting things. I mean, the reason I got into j-rock in the first place was by looking at pictures of malice mizer. I had never seen a band dress up in crazy costumes before and it put me on a mission to devour all sorts of sucky vk.

 

[Kyuketsuki]

PS: I really wonder why do I ("we all") like japanese stuff and Japan so much =P

I think it's human nature to always want to discover new things, and so this is just our way of doing that. For years and years and years I was obsessed with ancient egypt, and then thanks to xena (lol) it was ancient greece. This is the first modern culture I've had an interest in. For me, it's all about comparison. I like to compare what I've learned about all these places against each other to try and get a better idea of the world.

It's hard to be content with the familiar. I think we all get bored with our native environments and crave new and exciting things. I mean, the reason I got into j-rock in the first place was by looking at pictures of malice mizer. I had never seen a band dress up in crazy costumes before and it put me on a mission to devour all sorts of sucky vk.

I also think another quirk is that as we look and go to these new places, when we finally come back to where we came from (or our 'starting point'), we then sort of see that where we're from is just as exotic and strange and different as anywhere else in the world. I guess it also sort of cultures an appreciation for home as well.

PS: sorry for using 'culture' as a verb. XD

 

[Amatsu]

the problem for me with exchange student programs is that my mom wouldn't go for it (not only would i be in a foreign country without her, and she's paranoid, but the cost. we're not exactly wealthy.) and i'd feel awkward and intrusive living with some random people i've never met before.

 

[Kyuketsuki]

^ You don't have to live with a host family if you go in college. If I get accepted to the school I'm applying to in Tokyo I'll get my own apartment by myself.

Also, what's the big deal about being around new people anyway? Why would you go if you didn't want to do that? They're not going to kill you or anything, and it runs as much risk as walking down a crowded street. And I would think your mother would be more worried about you running of to Japan completely by yourself at 20 with no idea as to what to expect than in a program where you're cared for and watched over. I think you should pitch the idea to her differently or let her go on the ISEP website and let her read the information they have for parents there.

As for money, like I said earlier, if your school offers ISEP exchange, the cost would be the same as your tuition plus an application fee so it really wouldn't make a difference since you'd be paying it anyway to your school.

 

[DDRSENSEI]

http://gaijininjapan.com/summary.php

this is what i used for info on foreigners living in japan.
I to am planning the same roas...although im going to get an associates here first, transfer out and go to a language school in japan (preferebly in tokyo or wakayama), after 2 years and i pass th eprefficiency exam I will attend art college somewhere.
hopefully land a job stay there for a goood while


are you planning to live there permanently or for a long while...

 

[flowersofnight]

I will attend art college

hopefully land a job

No really, isn't it hard enough to land a job in your native country after getting an art degree? I'd think it would be a hundred times harder in Japan.

 

[DementedThingie]

I will attend art college

hopefully land a job

No really, isn't it hard enough to land a job in your native country after getting an art degree? I'd think it would be a hundred times harder in Japan.

Yeah its pretty hard at first unless you're extremely good/lucky or you have connections. Thankfully, all the professors at my art college has lots and lots of connections.

Plus, my friends and I have formed a small studio and already have projects underway. Our 'boss' friend who does most of the leading [she's very assertive ] has many connections right now as it is, so we're looking into an okay future.

 

[Amatsu]

are you planning to live there permanently or for a long while...

It depends on how i feel after a year or two. I hope to become a japanese citizen, if i like it there better than here [seattle].

edit: what year in college could I/should I apply to study in japan. Also... i dont get the fee thing... the application fee, then the deposit... and is that it? because if so thats absurdly cheap.

 

[DementedThingie]

are you planning to live there permanently or for a long while...

It depends on how i feel after a year or two. I hope to become a japanese citizen, if i like it there better than here [seattle].

edit: what year in college could I/should I apply to study in japan. Also... i dont get the fee thing... the application fee, then the deposit... and is that it? because if so thats absurdly cheap.

Actually I have a friend who is studying in engineering and he's planning to go study abroad in Japan as well pretty soon. I think he'll fare well though he has a very good grasp of the language/culture/ect. I think he's going next year which will be his senior year. Though I can ask him if you want the details on that.

 

[Elec]

I hope to become a japanese citizen, if i like it there better than here [seattle].

Have you read about Debito's reasons/journey in becoming a Japanese citizen? I consider myself out here for the long haul already and I don't think it would be wise for me (personally) to become a Japanese citizen. No matter how disappointed I am with America's current state I still feel that it's better for me to be an American than to give that up. (Things could change, of course, but this is considering things staying static.) I'd recommend just shooting for permanent residence status first, although keep in mind that's after a consecutive accumulation of work visas.

 

[Monophobia]

No really, isn't it hard enough to land a job in your native country after getting an art degree? I'd think it would be a hundred times harder in Japan.

I would imagine getting an art-related job would be very difficult in Japan, if one wasn't Japanese. There are a few people I know on Animation tracks who aspire to work in anime in Japan, which is completely bogus to me because even the Japanese animators working in the industry get paid peanuts and most have to quit because they just aren't making enough to survive.

Besides doing actual art, I know of a graduate in Animation where I go for Illustration (both are Applied Arts degrees), and she's teaching english in Japan now with Nova. So going that route doesn't seem too difficult.

Edit: This is assuming "art" is being referred to more fine-art related subjects. I realize Anthropology and other such things can also be referred to as "arts".

 

[boi de memoire]

yeah, I'd love to compose or record some music for a game, at least once in my life, but I know that's like impossible xD


of course... a Japanese game =P

 

[DDRSENSEI]

well cant say for sure if i get a job or not. its never a definite after graduating college,....but i am hoping to land an internship somewhere..

 

[Kyuketsuki]

are you planning to live there permanently or for a long while...

It depends on how i feel after a year or two. I hope to become a japanese citizen, if i like it there better than here [seattle].

edit: what year in college could I/should I apply to study in japan. Also... i dont get the fee thing... the application fee, then the deposit... and is that it? because if so thats absurdly cheap.

For the third time, dear. XD You pay your regular school tuition and then whatever application fees they want along the way. ISEP wants $315 for turning in the application, and then if they take you, they want more money as proof you'll do it. If they don't take you, they give you back all but $50 or so.

And I suggest going as a junior, since that's when your school will tell you to go anyway. That way you can become accustomed to being on your own for awhile before going and can get some of your required credits out of the way. Also, some schools that they offer may want you to have a certain number of semesters in japanese before taking you- doing it junior year makes sure you have those requirements out of the way.

And all this is just for ISEP's program, which is what you'll most likely find at your university since they're pretty much everywhere and they're the most reasonable in price, too, since you just pay your regular tuition for the most part.

 

[Amatsu]

You pay your regular school tuition

i don't get this part though.

I have to pay ISEP the ammount of my tuition, as well as the school i'm actually attending? i have to pay the ammount of tuition twice?

or when i pay it to ISEP, i don't have to pay tuition to my school? that doesnt seem to make sense.

 

[navate]

I will attend art college

hopefully land a job

No really, isn't it hard enough to land a job in your native country after getting an art degree? I'd think it would be a hundred times harder in Japan.

I can't speak for certain on how it works in Japan, but from my experience landing jobs in the art industry has nothing to do with your degree or your school. It's all your portfolio and who you know. Networking and contacts become extra important if you are a freelancer or just getting started. What I'm getting at here is the need for communication--if you're not proficient in Japanese, you won't be able to build contacts or communicate well with your peers. And that's not factoring in the cultural aspect--I have heard the Japanese are a little antsy towards gaijin who come in a take their jobs. I have no clue what the attitude really is, though.

 

[Lede]

You pay your regular school tuition

i don't get this part though.

I have to pay ISEP the ammount of my tuition, as well as the school i'm actually attending? i have to pay the ammount of tuition twice?

or when i pay it to ISEP, i don't have to pay tuition to my school? that doesnt seem to make sense.

You pay your school tuition like normal, and that covers your tuition in the university in Japan. You only pay once, because you are not going to both universities at once. The only extra fee is the application fee she is talking about.

EDIT: this is directly quoted from my university of choice's website:

You pay Willamette and Willamette pays the program.

Many programs have program fees which include room and board, excursions and onsite support. In some cases you will pay that fee directly to Willamette and in others you will pay the fee to the host university or program provider.

 

[Kyuketsuki]

You pay your regular school tuition

i don't get this part though.

I have to pay ISEP the ammount of my tuition, as well as the school i'm actually attending? i have to pay the ammount of tuition twice?

or when i pay it to ISEP, i don't have to pay tuition to my school? that doesnt seem to make sense.

You pay your school tuition like normal, and that covers your tuition in the university in Japan. You only pay once, because you are not going to both universities at once. The only extra fee is the application fee she is talking about.

EDIT: this is directly quoted from my university of choice's website:

You pay Willamette and Willamette pays the program.

Many programs have program fees which include room and board, excursions and onsite support. In some cases you will pay that fee directly to Willamette and in others you will pay the fee to the host university or program provider.

Yes, exactly- I didn't think the wording was complicated so sorry if I wasn't clear the first time.

You pay your school your regular tuition and then app fees. You'll need a passport as well, and some japanese schools may insist on traveler's insurance, but it differs for each school and program you use to exchange. The main thing is the first thing I mentioned. There's a few little things you have to deal with once you're actually accepted and they tell you how to take care of them.