Hi Autolycus! Eh, my thread’s dead and gone. No biggie. As long as ignorance is being fought, stereotypes, etc etc… mind if I contribute from time to time?
No worries! Contribute away! My GF is over so I prolly won’t have time to make any big posts tonight ^^
While there are islands north of Hokkaido that used to belong to Japan, they were ceded to Russia after WWII. As Manwich guessed, I meant in the north of Japan, specifically north of Tokyo.
Hmmmm… In my circle of teacher-friends, the girls outnumber the guys by about two to 1. Your second question is really great, but I’m afraid I haven’t been here long enough to even attempt to answer it. Maybe somebody else can chime in.
GEOS and NOVA are no more AFAIK, but AEON is still around. Other than that, a biggie is Interac. It’s a little different than Eikaiwa though. It’s a private ALT middleman organization. It’s kinda like the JET Program except not run by the government. In my city, outside of JET, I just see lots of private Eikaiwas. One has two or three locations and is owned by a local ex-pat.
Hahahaha. After calling me a weaboo over 9000 times, now you want my help and advice?[over-the-top-anime-laugh]Bwa-ha-ha-ha!![/Ottal]. OK sure, why not 
The simple answer is, yes. Foreign guys are popular here. Being foreign of the right ethnicity makes one sexy in the states too. With that said, a few factors to take into consideration:
It’s not all girls. And, the ones that really seem to like foreign men are often looking for free English practice. Some are just looking to add a notch onto their belt. It may or may not be worth it.
As for speaking Japanese, I have heard that if you are simply looking to get your weener waxed, then it actually hurts you. It makes you less foreign, or something. Obviously if you are looking for something more serious, it helps immensely.
Where I live, it’s a small world. 300K might seem like a big population, but for young people who like to go out, and there are only so many hot spots, word goes around. If you want to be a player, you better be committed because you will be known as that forever. Girls are also less likely to go out on a limb so to speak.
I certainly can’t complain though. I’ve been here 7 months, and the past 4 have been with my GF (who I adore). During the 3 months I was single, I had a few fun times. I could have done better numerically but honestly I often drank too much and pretty much lost any game/smoothenss I may have. I was fine with that though, as I am really not the player type and casual sex, while fun of course, leaves me feeling kinda empty and unfulfilled. I’m a relationship dude.
Oh, there’s also an American airbase nearby. Now, those guys get laid like it’s going out of style 
I’m often recruited at bars to help them facilitate some simple language exchanges such as “which hotel do you want to go to?” I should start charging commission.
God, I’ve written more about girls than I have about teaching. Looks mighty suspicious it does. Next question!
Yes, I actually arrived right smack-dab in the middle of Nebuta. God, what a festival! Never let it be said that the Japanese don’t know how to party. Four or more straight days of drinking in the streets with giant lit-up floats, chants, and music. In years past, there have even been roaming bands of hooligans causing fistfights.
This year I didn’t get to participate as planned because of jet-lag induced sickness exacerbated by welcome party festivities. Next year I will definitely ‘jump’ as it’s called. I will also go see some of the other festivals too, as this year I was busy seeing the local sights and trying not to get lost.
Oh, and yes I’m on JET. The JET Program is awesome. I highly recommend it. Apply now before the Japanese government abolishes it (as was threatened recently due to budget concerns).
Oh kancho. I seem to be fortunate. The middle-schoolers don’t do it, and in elementary school I almost always teach 5th and 6th graders. For the most part, they have grown out of it. If I do get kancho-ed, I will carefully and gently power-bomb the offending brat. Seriously. They think this is great fun and will stop kancho-ing me, instead asking for me to powerbomb them next. Kancho doesn’t bother me that much anymore, but getting punched in the dick is something I will never quite adapt to, nor do I want to. Oh the pain.
As for your second question, I am afraid to tell you it is still that bad. At one of my middle schools, in the morning in front of the main gate, all students are checked for make-up, skirt/pant length, hair gel, etc etc etc. In my office there is an ‘internet division’ who prowls the web searching for inappropriate internet behavior by students. I wouldn’t be surprised if they prowled the local hang-outs as well.
The teachers always speak standard Japanese. The kids mostly do, but sometimes a little Tsugaru-ben peaks through. Honestly the only people who I meet that speak in heavy dialect are the old folks. Still, I am learning the local flavor little by little. It’s fun to speak and has phonemes that aren’t in standard Japanese.
Yes. I absolutely adore my toilet. It’s heated, has an adjustable bidet and butt-sprayer, and there’s a little sink built into the top where I can wash my hands. The high-tech uber-toilets of Japanese homes are the light side of the Japanese anal-hygiene force. Older toilets are little more than a ceramic hole in the ground. Hope you have strong knees…
I have never even seen such a vending machine. I doubt if they ever existed.
I don’t have tattoos, so no. I want to get one eventually though, when I’m old, successful, and don’t need to give a fuck if I am deemed unsavory.
I have never met any such Yakuza, but I have been told that one dude who offered me pot outside a bar once was part of the local criminal organization. I declined. Weed is a major major no-no here, and I don’t want to risk my job, my visa, and the reputation of all my fellow teachers.
I dunno about Japan being hard to teach in, but I picked Japan because I’ve studied the language and culture since high school. By the time I got close to college graduation, I didn’t really know what to do with my life. I’m still working on that. Also, I had studied Japanese for so long that I felt like stopping before reaching fluency would be a waste. I’m getting there 
I am a teacher’s assistant. Sometimes I am delegated to be the main teacher for a lesson, but it’s rare. As for qualifications, I have a 4-year bachelors degree and a 150-hour TEFL certificate from an accredited TEFL school.
I will do this job for at least another year or two. Teaching is a possible option for a long-term career, but I would not stay at this job forever. In fact, it’s impossible.
I chose to teach kids because they represented to me a unique angle for cultural study. Kids are in transition, so it’s really fascinating to me how they are being molded into being a proper Japanese citizen and what the students’ reactions to that are in turn. I actually wanted high school kids originally because I thought I’d be able to have more in-depth discussions about various issues, but I was assigned middle and elementary. It’s all good.
One thing that gets me goat is that at many schools I’m discouraged from speaking Japanese…ever. Inside the classroom I understand, but even at lunchtime I am supposed to feign ignorance and stick to English. This results in silence most of the time, although sometimes I’ll be able to ask the perennial favorite “do you like this lunch?” or “What ____ do you like?” I understand their thinking behind it, but I really like being able to bond and converse freely with the students sometimes. In fact, one part of my job as a JET is to facilitate cultural exchange, but that very often gets overlooked completely.
From the grapevine, I hear teaching adults can often be extreeemely boring as they are too shy and/or culturally conditioned to ask interesting questions or otherwise speak up in class. Somebody else would have to chime in on this for more detail.
To Derleth, I meant ‘enryo’ not ‘enryou.’ My bad. I would not trust myself with financial advice, ever.
Ummm, I planned on staying here at least two years. While I’m here, I want to achieve fluency, get back into shape, learn how to cook, and otherwise be a more mature and responsible adult. I also want to figure out what my next step is.
And that’s a toughie. At this point, I feel like I’m always going to desire a connection with Japan somehow. After so many years of study and now living here, it just feels like part of me somehow. At the same time, I am definitely American through and through. I don’t have any desire to 100% Japanize any time soon.
As for careers, I have the crazy ideal dream and the attainable less-exciting yet still valid dream. My crazy dream is to become an entertainer, a talent, I guess being foreign I’d be a gaijin talent. Stop laughing! I wouldn’t just be a clown. From watching TV and talking to locals, there are really only two successful American gaijin talent I see on TV, Pakkun and Spector-san. That’s not very much. I feel like there’s a real dearth of foreign entertainers. I’d like to be a sort-of cultural bridge, while of course entertaining and doing all the crazy kool-aid-volcano game shows too. I think I’d like the talento lifestyle actually. I know they don’t make that much money.
To that end, while teaching, my goals are to get fluent and make connections. After teaching I’d hope to land a job with a local TV company or some other media project. If I managed to do that and was a hit, I’d aim to then transition to Tokyo and the big time so to speak. As an entertainer, I’d be expected to be able to sing, act, do comedy, speak well in public, and have style sense. Right now at least I can sing haha. We’ll see.
My much more realistic dream is to go back to grad school. I did psychology in undergrad, so I could see myself following up on it, perhaps with a focus on the hikikomori of Japan. I’m not sure if I’d study in the states or in Japan. From what I hear psychology is much more advanced and respected in the West.
Whatever happens, I’m looking forward to it. I feel like I’m in a great situation right now, and as long as I play my cards right I don’t see the need for that to change. Fortune is a fickle mistress… we shall see.
よし！I do believe I am now all caught up. Please let me know if I missed anything, aaaaand ask more questions! More more more! (Please :D)
What do the Japanese find weird about Westerners?
Aside from obscenity laws which forbid displaying genitals, why is Japanese pornography so peculiar?
The impression I get is that the Japanese have a tendency to seize something, take it to the furthest extent it can go and then keep going. E.g.: cuteness, bukkake, animation-that-hates-epileptics, gameshows designed for ADHD people. Is this an inaccurate impression? To the extend it’s not, what’s caused that?
Also, this: 5 Most Terrifyingly Homoerotic Japanese Music Videos | Cracked.com
This is as good a place as any to ask, as I know Autolycus likes the country as a whole:
I’m going on vacation to Tokyo this month. What are the obvious things I need to know that aren’t really covered in common knowledge? I know things like ‘don’t stick chopsticks straight up in the bowl’, but there’s gotta be more stuff. From what I understand, most shops don’t approve of taking pictures inside, correct? Is there any cultural things we do in America in stores that you wouldn’t do in Japan? Would having a purse and a camera bag invoke ‘hey too many bags leave them at the counter’?
Also, I know Japan is largely cash-only and low crime, but would, say, $500 worth of yen be something you carry in a purse or in a money belt? I dunno I’m trying to balance between new tourist anxiety and silly foreigner.
I am perfectly fine being a notch in a belt. In another thread someone had posted that their brother visited Japan he got laid a bunch but was upset because he felt that he was only desired because of a white American fetish thing. He felt like a piece of meat. Well, I’m OK with being seen as a piece of meat.
You’ve made me a happy guy.
Hey Auto. You were in japan before 6 months ago, ね, or am I mistaken?
I know a few people in the Jet program, and one guy who was an ALT for 5 years, which is a really long time for JET, before applying for, and getting, a teaching job at a university. As far as other non JET programs, I hear good things about Aeon and Amity, although they both can require you to work weekends which, if I’m not mistaken, JET doesn’t.
So, your dream is to be an entertainer in Japan? From what I understand, that’s a hard life. Maybe you can open an 英会話 to have something to fall back on in the lean times. 
Since you’ve been teaching, have you heard or read anything about the dissatisfaction older teens have with the current methodologies used to teach English, i.e., less emphasis on efficacy, retention, and understanding, and more on rules and structure?
宜しく
Thanks for your answers upthread!
You could end up being an American-Japanese version of Dashan (who is Canadian-Chinese).
Have you done any performing in front of an audience?
Good luck! And keep us updated! People want to live vicariously through you! (There, but for the fact that I’m twenty years older than you, and can’t speak Japanese, and don’t have a university degree, and would be an absolute disaster at teaching a classroom, and wouldn’t be caught dead having to be amusing in front of an audience… well, a lot of stuff actually… but I know a lot about passive-solar houses… there, but for the whims of fate, go I. 
)
Re-American comics in Japan: My copy of Antonia Levi’s Samurai from Outer Space (which seems to be a pretty good book in spite of the wretched title) mentions ‘amecomi’ clubs where Japanese fans of American-style comics meet. No idea whether they place French bandes dessinés under the same category, but it wouldn’t surprise me. I get the impression that these are high-school or university-level fans. The book was published in 1996, though, so I’m certain things have changed immensely since then. (We in Canada didn’t have Japanese channels on cable then for example.)
Well, do you mean stereotypes or reality? The stereotype is Americans are blonde, blue-eyed, aggressive, gun-toting (in the states), loud, playboyish, and friendly. In reality, not too many people have directly pointed out to me things they find weird. Too shy most likely. The kids love my current beard, and they sometimes say it’s a little strange. Oh, also the fact that I sometimes put sauce on my white rice at school lunch. It’s rude and very strange according to them. I tell them that in America we can eat food how we like it. Then they all start putting shit on their rice too, haha. I am so different that I am somewhat strange in everything I do I’m sure.
Well, to WAG, and I have a vague memory reading this, Japanese sexuality took a lean towards the prudish side (at least publically), due to the Meiji Revolution and exposure to Victorianism (Edwardianism?). I think the censorship laws were a result of the Occupation after WWII. The censorship laws are why we have tentacles, because they are technically not genitals.
Generally speaking, I can get on board with the first sentence. I find Japan to be a highly perfectionistic and quality-driven culture. Poorly-made anime not included, shoddy work or service is not tolerated. If something is not up to snuff , gambaru and fix it. Gambaru is an interesting word that is a combination of ‘do your best’ and ‘suffer through it.’ I am not sure why the average Japanese seems so driven. I read an essay once on this topic…but… my memory is not co-operating. Sorry.
Honestly Tokyo is so cosmopolitan, at most you’ll be Newbie-Tourist10034834b and nobody will bat an eye. But, I can give a few tips if you want to feel a cut above your average GaiJoe.
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Watch your feet. Shoes off is the norm in many places. Slippers will be provided. Also, bathrooms will often have special slippers to change in and out of.
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Sneezing is OK, but don’t blow your nose at a restaurant. I mean it’s not a big deal but it is considered rude. I did it once and a table full of ancient grandmothers bursted out into hysterical laughter…so yeah.
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Learn basic Japanese pronunciation. It’s easy. It’s almost identical to Spanish phonetics. With that, at least you’ll be able to read romaji (Japanese with English characters). It will be a big help with getting around.
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Watch the hands. If you are like me and you sometimes lightly touch the person you are talking to, then try not to do that over here. It will freak people out.
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No whistling, especially at night. It’s bad luck, unless you like snakes, ghosts, or burglars, which it’s considered to attract.
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Chopstick etiquette. Besides not sticking them straight up in rice, there are other rules. There are many but they are pretty basic and you can google them.
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Shrine etiquette. This is pretty advanced, but you will really impress any Japanese if when walking into a shrine, you do not walk as one typically would, through the center. The center road is reserved for the gods. Many Japanese ignore this, heh.
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When in doubt, apologize. Seriously, Japanese people apologize for everything. I once apologized when somebody bumped into ME.
Oh, and as for cash, I wouldn’t worry. As long as you use common sense, carry as much cash as you feel comfortable with. You can however use ATMs at post offices…they just close really early.
Hm. Who would have suspected that the Japanese are in fact… English? (Or perhaps vice versa!)
Woooooah. Sorry about the week delay guys. I was abducted by unidentifiably young-looking, time-travelling killer mecha space bunnie-girls with tentacles and FFF tatas. The story of my escape is umm… quite the story, let me tell you. Back to the thread!
Well, sorta. I’ve been to Japan now a total of 5 times. Two weeks in December 05, then 8 weeks in the summer of 06, two weeks in the summer of 07, a month in the summer of 08, and now I’ve been here since August of 2010. This time I’m here for work. The other 4 times were for romance. In the summer of 08 I also worked for two weeks at an English immersion camp. I did not enjoy the experience, although most of my fellow teachers were quite cool. Two of them are actually now JET participants a few towns over from me. Small world.
That makes one of us, because I haven’t heard much good about Aeon other than it’s a smidge better than the now-defunct Nova and Geos. I don’t know anything about Amity.
You are correct that JET does not usually require weekends, although really JET is a middleman only. The job itself highly depends on the contract with the school or board of education. Still, most JETs do not work weekends. We are expected to attend important school functions though, but those are rare and don’t go all day.
Yup. I hear it’s a hard life too. Most talents last a year or less. But yeah, eikaiwa. Opening my own eikaiwa would be a pretty big venture I imagine, although from what I hear private lessons can pay for a frugal living if you network well.
Oh, Hokkaido Brit ihas her own English school in Japan I believe, sooo I recommend asking her for more details on that.
I don’t teach older teens and thus don’t know much about it, but from what I see, English in Japan is like how Spanish was for me in high school. Stucture, rules, grammar, lots and lots of reading…some writing… boooooring. After 4 years I can speak what I call “survival Spanish” and I imagine that’s the level of the average high school student as well.
どういたしまして＾＾ｖ
Dude, that guy is like my new idol! That’s pretty much what I’d like to someday become. Wow, he was already famous when he was like 22…
I teach english in front of a buncha Japanese school children. Haha. I’m being half-serious. Other than that, I got nothing. Oh, I used to do karaoke in front of groups of like 100 people before in Orlando. Sometimes I managed to do quite well. As for like film or theater experience though, zip and zilch.
Knights vs. Samurai! That would actually make a cool “World’s Deadliest Warrior.”
I worked for AEON in 2003-2004, and it was fine. It had the reputation of being the least-bad of the “Big Four”, and I believe I had a better experience there than a lot of JETs do in their postings. I was teaching my own classes, not assisting someone else, and class sizes were limited to a maximum of 8-12 students. Many of my classes only had 3-5 students.
I was with the West Japan branch of AEON though, and I did hear that the East Japan branch was much harder on teachers. I never personally met anyone who worked for the East Japan branch, though.
Amity is the children’s school division of AEON. Some AEON schools (like mine) taught all ages, but others taught only high school age and older. Amity schools are for kids only.
Oh, and a typical AEON work week was Tuesday through Saturday, so we did have classes during the weekend but we never worked more than five days a week. Saturday was a pretty busy day as many students were unable to come to class during the work/school week.
You’re living my dream! I love Japan & the people, & have been lucky enough to visit several times. I’ve always held onto teaching in Japan as my escape hatch if everything went to shit, just never followed through & now have a semi-stable career that’s tough to just up & leave.
Anyway, my questions: I’ve been under the impression that it’s harder to do as a middle aged person say, over 35-40. Is that true? I’m 46 now so, oh well :mad:
What’s the visa situation? I thought at one point people from Commonwealth countries had an advantage because they could do the working holiday legally, whereas those from the US could not, is that (still) true?
Finally, is the *Charisma Man * comic somewhat on target, or not really?
Thanks & enjoy!
Yes, really! You can be Charisma man, and so can you, and even you! No need to buff up, or even clean up. Japanese girls love you just the way you are…are…are…are! They see the inner you western girls are too blind to see, and that’s too bad…for them, for you’re Charisma man, and you don’t need to put up with any drama from “Gaijina” anymore. She doesn’t deserve you, because you’re just so かっこいい, that’s right, so コオル Japanese girls can’t keep their hands off of you!! So, if you know what’s good for you, I mean really, really good for you, and you do because you’re Charisma man, you’ll hop on the next JAL flight and COME GET SOME!!!