I recalled seeing an American in front of Roppongi Station back in 2004 holding a tin cup and a sign stating, "Spare change." As Van Halen said in their 1991 video, Right Now, "Right now, somebody's got the wrong idea."
Japan, known for it's "hammer down the nail that stands out" basically takes foreigners and either conforms them to a degree to the Japanese way or sends the disillusioned home wondering if sleeping on a futon and reading manga was cracked up to what it was suppose to be. How relevant can a gaijin (foreigner) be if he is to be different by becoming more Japanese? Isn't their uniqueness in terms of culture why they are in Japan to start with?
So, are you thinking of going to Japan for work? Here's what you have to look forward to in terms of options:
English as Second Language Teacher- basically whoring out your native English tongue (you can speak English as second language as long as it is better than the Japanese nowadays having been replaced by a Filipina at my favorite JHS my third year in Japan.
Financial Sector- I knew a guy who worked for Goldman Sachs who was working 80 hours a week in Roppongi. By the way, this was before the financial meltdown of '08. Many companies like Goldman Sachs pulled the plug on their overseas' presence leaving many foreigners in this field up shit creek without a paddle.
Commission-only head hunter- I've seen too many former English teachers get fired/quit since they couldn't make the cut in this profession or show their asses as the resident know-it-all. Basically snake oil salesmen.
English-language journalist- is viable but considering how tight the market is (newspapers becoming more and more obsolete), it is safe to say that you better have a pretty darn good and extensive portfolio and connections.
One question that I raised before returning home was, "Is Japan that special of a place where a gaijin (foreigner) feels like they are relevant since if they go home they will have to be accountable, responsible and unable to float under the radar?" The sad thing is that too many Western expatriates living in Japan forget what defined them and will do anything to stay in Japan, even if it means flushing their education, trade or experiences down the toilet.
It was around the time that I left Japan in July '07, the eikaiwa (English conversation) sector was shaken when the largest English conversation company in Japan, Nova, basically stranded 4000 employees from abroad due to their shady business practices. Now, I've met some of these employees either at a local watering hole in Omiya, Saitama, The Hub, or at the local university where I studied Japanese in Koshigaya, Saitama. They were nice enough people but the main thing that came from our conversations was how they regretted not getting accepted onto JET like I did therefore made due with the next best alternative. Don't get me started on JET rejects who ended up in Japan as members of the OSET (Ohio-Saitama English Teacher Program).
A stepping stone is what a stepping stone is. See the Forest for the trees while living and working in Japan.
Today's picture is what a ESL teacher does when visiting an elementary school.
The Divine Wind Vault
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