Tag: faqs

Why Blogging?

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Okay, okay, so you’re moving to Japan to live and work there! That’s cool… but why a BLOG?

Yes, it’s true. The blog format has fallen off in the last 5 or so years, possibly correlating with the rise of video platforms like Youtube. And I get it! Easily digestible, colorful, pleasantly-soundtracked videos are so rewarding to watch. You can learn how to do anything, travel anywhere, check out the latest fashion, make-up and technology and even relax before bed. Why not do videos?

Why not do videos?

I might do videos! But I think first, I’ll always do blog posts. You can share so much more information and organize it in more interactive ways on a website. I love details. Ask anyone at my work – I write the most detailed, specific instructions whenever I do documentation.

That is what I want to provide to everyone who comes here, looking for information on “How To [      ] Japan”

I don’t want to make vague, rambling videos about whatever comes to mind on a topic – if I’m going to talk about budgeting for everyday life in Japan then by god I’m going to have numbers. Yes, everything is specific to my circumstances, but it will be a concrete reference point. It’s frustrating to search through videos looking for “how expensive is Japan really” and get mostly “it’s sooooo expensive!” or “it’s not that bad compared to Australia/Singapore,” the latter of which is only really helpful if you already have a good idea of what “normal” costs are like in those countries.

You can do all that in a video, you know.

I know! It might be kind of a long video, though, or have a lot of graphics / text cluttering up the screen.

I do want to make those videos. But I also want to make blog posts.

There’s another reason to make blog posts – they are searchable.

You can look for any keyword you want! You can even skim the text to see if what you want is in there!

I don’t enjoy the idea of holding an audience captive to hear the answer to one question buried in a 20 minute video. I’m here to provide information in the most straightforward way possible.

If I do videos, I want them to be entertaining. I want to share something fun, or cool! Maybe sometimes it’ll be chill and relaxing.

I want viewers who are interested in the experiences I’m sharing. I feel like sometimes baiting people with informational titles that only comprise a small part of the video can breed some resentment in those who dropped by because of that title, instead of the usual audience. I don’t want to be famous that way – it’s debatable I want to be famous at all to be perfectly honest!

I just want to make the content I want to make, and share it with people who want to see it.

That’s all!

So….. no videos?

Not yet. But maybe in a month or so 🙂

First Step of 1000 Miles

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On Oct 17th, I will board a flight that starts my two month journey of pursuing a full time job in Japan.

During those two months, I will be working as an unpaid intern, applying to jobs, and attending every networking event I can find.

Oh, and writing a bit here and there, taking a bunch of photos, and maybe even some Youtube videos! You know, in my spare time.

So let’s start with the basics:

Who am I?
I’m a 33 year old female who is looking for work as a Software Developer in Tokyo.

Aren’t you a little old to be moving countries?
Absolutely not. /end

Okay, so why now?
It’s true, if I just wanted to move to Japan I probably could have just applied to become an English teacher when I was 22, right out of college. Unfortunately, I did a lot of research about that option, and the life it would give me, and that wasn’t what I wanted for myself. I also think I probably would have had a really hard time and might have just given up after a year.

I’m a very different person now, and I’m in a much better place to achieve my dream of living in Japan long-term.

Can you even understand Japanese?
The short answer is yes. I majored in Japanese language for my first degree (graduating in 2007) and I passed the N2 level of the Japanese Language Proficiency Test in 2010. My goal is to pass the N1 and maybe start seriously studying for the 日本漢字能力検定 (Japan Kanji Aptitude Test) once I’m settled in Japan.

2010 was 8 years ago, why haven’t you passed N1 yet?
Lack of dedication, mostly, but also because it’s difficult to reach that level of proficiency living outside the country. It’s certainly possible, but I didn’t put in the time.

If you pass the N1, will you be fluent? Are you fluent now?
No, I don’t consider myself fluent. My personal bar for “fluency” is quite high, including feeling comfortable in a variety of situations and conversations, and being able to read anything that’s put in front of me (unless of course it’s specialized literature like medical journals or similar).

I certainly can get by in most situations, and I would say I’m conversationally fluent. There’s still a lot I would need to learn in business situations, for example, to consider myself fluent.

Like most language aptitude tests, the JLPT is not a true measure of fluency. Just like having a 800+ TOIEC score does not indicate fluency for English, for example. Standardized tests are a singular measure, usually for passive understanding of a language – reading and listening only. Additionally, such tests are in a controlled environment and have clear patterns to them. You can be good at the test, but terrible in real life. This is one of the big reasons why I want to live in the country – to improve my comprehension and ability to express myself in the language.

Wait, HOW LONG have you been studying Japanese?
Approximately 15-16 years, depending on how I count it.

Isn’t Japan expensive?
Yes and no. Cost of living is relative – my frame of reference is a city outside Boston, Massachusetts, which, if you’re not familiar with the area, is a decently expensive place to live. Boston itself is quite expensive, and the areas around it are still pretty expensive. I plan to do a detailed comparison once I’ve completely moved, so watch out for that!

How can you afford to do this?
I’ve been working full time for 6 years, and started seriously saving up about a year ago. I certainly have enough to cover me for a few months, and my ultimate goal is to get a full-time offer with visa sponsorship starting by April 2019.

Additionally, although this internship is unpaid, it is reimbursed – the company is paying for my roundtrip flights and living expenses for those 7 weeks during the internship. I will still be covering my part of rent and utilities back in the US during this time, but all my day to day costs are covered by the internship.

Again, I plan to do a detailed accounting of all of this later, so look forward to that if you’re still wondering how this is possible.

I want to know what you’re doing real-time! What social media do you use??
You can follow me on Instagram here: berryaesthetic
and on Twitter here: berryaesthetic

Are you going to do Youtube?! I want to see life in Japan!
That’s my goal, but I’ve never made videos before so temper your expectations. I’ll promote that link once I have a video to show!

Do you play games? Will you do Twitch streams? What about IRL streams?
I do play games! I don’t yet know if Twitch streaming will work out for me – I’ve done some streaming in the past, but had to stop due to scheduling constraints. (And you know, needing to sleep sometimes!) I’d love to get back to it, but that probably won’t happen until I move next year. If you want lives, follow my Instagram above – I might do some Insta lives occasionally!