We have been pondering the idea the last two years about moving to Japan for various reasons and possibly having a child there in the future. We have been to Japan 5 times for about a month each time visiting most of Japan's prefectures. We are both renting in the USA now and are financially independent living off our investment portfolio (Generating about $75k per year) so we could always easily move back if after the "honeymoon period" we decided it was not for us. I'm 37(M, white) and my wife 35(F, asian/non Japanese).
My background:
- Bachelor's Degree English Language and Linguistics
- Master's Degree in TESOL
- TESOL Certificate
- Taught ESL abroad in China for 5 years
- Taught ESL in American Public Elementary School 5 years
- Languages: Fluent in French and Spanish…learning Japanese
Wife's background:
- Bachelor's Degree in International Economics and English
- Lived and worked…with me…in China 5 for years
- Languages: Fluent in Chinese….learning Japanese
I haven't taught for a couple years but I would be open to teaching ESL again in Japan in order to obtain a working visa and sponsor my wife for a dependent visa. I know English teaching in Japan is not the best…I can relate from my experiences in China… but I would only need to make enough income in Japan to satisfy my visa income requirements and the requirements for my wife's dependent visa…and possibly continue for 10 years before applying for permanent residency if we decided to stay long term. Also, Japan's child Allowance system would hopefully allow us to fulfill visa income requirements with only me working if we raised a child there. We would continue to use supplemental income from our US investment portfolio when needed…I'm aware Japan's taxation of worldwide income can be harsh.
I have thought about using the "Designated Activities" long-duration tourism visa for the first 6 months and rent a Leopalace apartment to sample what living would be like in Tokyo. We are however considering having a child earlier rather than later (within the next two years) so would obviously need to be on Japan's national health insurance system though my work. We feel that if we were to raise a child in Japan, it would be better if they were born there to get immediate exposure to the language rather than having a child in the US and later moving. We would both of course commit fully to becoming fluent in Japanese.
My main question is has anyone on this forum moved to Japan with a non-Japanese spouse and gave birth/raised a child? What were the pros and cons?
Would you recommend giving birth in Japan? I've heard good things about Aiiku Clinic, St. Luke's International Hospital, and the Japanese Red Cross Medical Center.
Was your child able to attend a public preschool/kindergarten (youchien) to better socialize and become fluent in Japanese?
How challenging was navigating the Japanese public school system? I don't think I could afford a private international school in Japan.
Would you consider moving back home after elementary or middle school? …I've read that like China, Japanese high school can be very rigorous with entrance exam prep. I'm also not too sure how valuable a Japanese university degree would be outside of Japan. Attending a Western University could possible open more doors.
Thank you for any advice or feedback you can give! I really want to consider everything before we start to make a decision.
by CodeAccomplished4626