Ok, well not me personally. But I have a twenty-something friend who has had a pretty hard life here. He’s looking to move and start anew, and has been practicing judo for several years now. What he really wants is to move to Japan and just do judo, living fairly humbly. Since he doesn’t have a lot of resources available, I’m trying to do some research for him, but I have no idea where to start. I imagine I can find Japanese citizenship info easily enough. I’m not sure though if there is something akin to my notion of the monk monasteries where you can get food and board there simply by working there. Do such things still exist? Is there hope there for an English-speaking person? Any advice or links to other resources would be greatly appreciated.
Also, please excuse my ignorance on the subjects of martial arts and Japan. As I said, this is for a friend, and not myself.
As far as visas go, he might be able to get a Cultural Activities visa, which covers more or less what your friend wants to do, albeit for a limited span of time (although they can be renewed). He would also need to find a Japanese citizen who would sponsor him and act as his guarantor. He could also find a Japanese citizen looking for a husband and go the spousal visa route. Full citizenship, on the other hand, is much more difficult to acquire. If he’s skilled enough to earn income as a judo instructor, he may possibly qualify as for an Artist visa (or if he’s not very skilled, an Entertainer visa ).
I have heard of Buddhist monasteries that let guests stay in exchange for working, but I don’t know if they allow people to stay indefinitely. In any case, they generally don’t have any connection with martial arts.
Also, this question would probably get more attention in the In My Humble Opinion forum. I’ll notify a moderator so they can move it over.
I live here on a work visa and can honestly say that I have no idea what sort of visa you would need to attain to be a ninja hobo. Or, as Vincent Vega would say, “You want to be a bum??” Not sure the Japanese government is really looking to import bums, honky or not.
I wouldn’t recommend citizenship. At least not until you had lived here enough years and decided it is where you want to spend the rest of your days. Among other things, I am relatively sure that you aren’t allowed dual-citizenship (by either the US or Japan, I don’t recall) so you would need to renounce your US citizenship.
'Neath the big Mount Fujiyama
There’s lots of chops and socks
You contemplate your navel
In a garden made of rocks
The trains go fast as bullets
And a handout’s worth your life
Oh, I’m bound to go
As a Ninja 'bo
Where Yakuza strut
And the bonsai grow
In the land of Fujiyama!
Not a specific net worth, but you have to:
[ul]
[li]demonstrate you have the means to support your family[/li][li]give an outline of livelihood[/li][li]give proof of employment[/li][li]give proof of earnings[/li][/ul]
Essentially, you have to show that you aren’t likely to become a drain on the state.
It’s tough deciding between MPSIMS or IMHO for placing this thread, but since I don’t want it to get lost in picture threads and odes to pet appreciation, I’ll move it to IMHO.
This thread made me think of Steven Seagal’s life – he moved to Japan not long after high school (circa 1970). His girlfriend (later to be his first wife) stateside was a Japanese citizen, and Seagal moved to Japan with her. They married shortly after, and Seagal taught in his father-in-law’s dojo.
Sounds like he had gainful employment waiting for him in Japan, as well as having a Japanese fiancee at the time of his move. Not sure if he ever became a citizen of Japan … doesn’t seem so.
).
You mean, Japan won’t extend naturalized citizenship to anyone belowe a specified net worth?!