Taking the plunge

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I've been wanting to travel and teach in Asia for years. But I've been having trouble finding opportunities. When I looked for jobs in Japan, what I found is that 90% of employers only consider people already residing in Japan. So what I'm thinking about is taking 5K or 6K USD and just go to Japan and look for a job and figure things out once I'm there. I know this sounds like a bad idea, but I realized that if I just sit around waiting for the perfect opportunity I'll never accomplish anything.

It's an interesting strategy. Just remember to update your visa status if you get a job - you definitely don't want to get caught working on a tourist visa here. No new tourist visas are issued currently, tho. You'll have to wait a little bit longer.

Unfortunately, I'm not sure how the teaching market is right now, but I imagine there might be a lack of teachers since a lot of them went home during the pandemic. As for money, I arrived in Tokyo in 2015 with about 11K USD. In the end I spent it all but earned it back (and much more) over the years.

It's never too late to pursue a dream.

There's a lot of lonely women in Japan...

That said, they have a complicated culture (complicated, rather than complex), they're extremely judgemental, fairly open racist/sexist/etc. They put up a friendly facade but think and say horrible things about outsiders.

(I have a Japanese lady of my age as a coworker, she's the sweetest thing but really thinks poorly of others.)

Hope for the best, but do plan for things to go horribly wrong.

An acquaintance mentioned that staying in hostels saved you a good bit of scratch if you're a tourist... I don't know how long you can stay.

Be prepared to be a fat person in a capsule hotel.

Then again, your ordeal might make for a fun story to tell later when you're back in the states. People like funny stories.

I remember reading about the need for english teachers in Asia. I've heard getting a work visa in Japan is very difficult. They want you to visit, spend lots of money, but then go away. They are very homogenous.

Not vouching for these websites but asia and japan

sometimes the best move is a change in scenery.

Seems more like something I should have done in my twenties. I've heard there's a lot of ageism in the ESL market.

I have a lot of anxiety about going somewhere I don't know the local language. I struggle with loneliness as it is, and I'm afraid of being all alone with no friends. I've also heard Asian countries aren't very understanding about mental health issues.

But I hate America. I can't afford healthcare. I'm constantly anxious some nut job will pop up with a gun anywhere I go. I'm tired of all the white Christian nationalism. I keep hearing rumors that they're planning to privatize schools and cut funding to public schools altogether. I desperately need out of here.

you have a useful college degree which is a big leg-up in terms of being allowed long-term residence in other nations. i have no useful skills [in addition to other red-flag deficits] that ban me from emigration. you are better off than me.

I don’t feel 5 or 6K would be enough. That’s maybe enough for a couple of months. Things are expensive in Japan.

I would read and follow Japan expat forums before I “make the plunge.” I would go on expat forums in general. They are useful for things like learning the bureaucracy of foreign countries. Or how to do business. And “social things.”

And….never ask for something like “accommodations” or whatever—not that you would…..

I would also consider other countries…like maybe Vietnam or the Philippines. Or maybe Thailand.

There’s an American who used to post frequently in WP--who now works in China.

I don't know much about Vietnam. But I've heard that its difficult for expat to find work in the Philippines. And I don't feel comfortable going to China given all the human rights issues there.

Have you joined an expat forum?

There are quite a few of them accessible via a Google search: "expat forums."

Interesting Idea.

One of the jobs in Japan that you might fit into is becoming a teacher, an English school teacher. In Japan they teach English from a very early age in school, and it is horrible. It doesn't even sound like English. They seem to bring in people to teach good English to their high school students. You almost have to teach from scratch.

But they generally have a system in place. They provide many things such as housing. Not much money. But if you do well, you can transition and make your own company teaching. It can be a good life.

There are several "ex-pat" communities from the US in Japan. Mostly around Tokyo. However Osaka would also be a good bet. Some publish an English newspaper. You might try contacting some of these people.