I want to move to Japan for year. I am in need of advice with regard to the best way for me to accomplish this. I am a man in my 20's. I have been working as a sushi chef in the LA aera for over 4 years. I also have a bachelors degree in philosophy. I have been to Japan twice already. Both visits were around two weeks long and my time was spent travelling/having fun. The trips were amazing and I really think I'd like spending a whole year or so out there. I want to put some miles on my soul, experience the world, and challenge myself. Before going into the options I was considering, I want to say that I very much understand travelling and LIVING are two very different things. I am up for the challenge of living there. (Side note, my understanding of the Japanese language is quite elementary/basic as it is currently. I was able to get around and interact with people really easily in my previous trips though.)
One of the options I was considering was the JET program. As I see it, the pros of the JET program would be that I would establish an income (albeit a lot less than I earn currently), and I would have a VISA allowing me to live there concurrently for a year. The main con of this option though seems to be the work hours. As far as I understand it, most people who teach English in Japan through the JET program work 8-4, Mon-Fri (any clarity on total time spent working with JET would be really appreciated). That seems to be a lot of hours to me. And as much as I understand travelling and living are different, I still would like to get a good amount of sight-seeing done during my visit. With those hours, I worry about not being able to see as many things as I would during my time there. I like Japan, but I don't want to go over there just to work a 9-5 for year. I want to be able to travel/explore to some degree. I don't know how much travelling is really possible with the JET program.
That leads me to the second option I was considering, which would be just taking advantage of the 90 day visits. The pros of this option seem to be 1) I would be able to travel freely and 2) I would have all the time in the world on my hands. The cons however would be 1) I wouldn't be able to make any money, 2) I think(?) it would make finding affordable housing a lot more difficult, and 3) I would be limited to two 90 day visits within one year. I have enough money in my savings to be able to make this happen most likely. But I don't know if I'd really want to burn through my entire savings just to spend 6 months abroad. That said, when I look at the JET program year 1 salary, it almost feels like working more hours over here and saving up for this excursion would be preferable.
Just looking for general advice on my situation. Anything is much appreciated. Some specific questions I have that might help you help me: 1)How many days out of the month do you work with JET? Can anyone attest to how hard or easy it is to sightsee while working with JET? 2) What would be the most affordable form of housing with the 90 day visits? It seems like bouncing around hotels for 3-6 months would be quite expensive… 3) Am I missing any third options where I might be able to put my degree or sushi chefs skills to use?
by Beneficial-Read2373