Go ask a board that gives a fuck about Japan.

>I'm a bi female, have a girlfriend, and would love to have queer friends

>>296864
>>implying anon of /jp/ or /a/ lead functional lives amidst Japanese society (and thus know how it actually works)

>>296866
Oh, I'm under no impression that they'd have good advice.
They're just more likely to give half a fuck about the subject.

Japanese keel teh weeaboo

Things that will happen to you:
You will get hit on by creepy drunk salarymen who can't keep their hands to themselves.
You will make friends super easy because you're foreign.
You will get started at constantly (not necessarily mean looks, but the fact that you're foreign will draw curiosity everywhere you go)
You will get complemented on your Japanese, no matter how little you speak.
You will be able to get away with a lot of things that a Japanese wouldn't be able to (the Gaijin Smash effect)
You will get disapproval from many Japanese about your sexual orientation, if you are open about it.
You will get asked about The War (regardless of where you're actually from).
Since you're a student, it won't be as big a deal, but if you work in Japan you will be "highly encouraged" (read: required) to go out drinking with your co-workers. Refusal is considered rude.


Living in Tokyo will be a bit different from where I live, in Nagasaki, so my advice there is mostly supposition. I've found that in larger cities, people will speak to you more in English than in Japanese. Oftentimes I will order a meal in perfectly coherent Japanese, and the the waiter will still bring an English menu, or respond in English. At first I thought this was rude, but after a while, I realized that they were just genuinely trying to be friendly and helpful. This doesn't seem to happen in smaller cities though. Before I lived in Nagasaki, I lived in a small town of about 30,000 people, and in that case I would get shocked nervous looks if I went into a restaurant or bar. As soon as I showed them that I could speak Japanese, their demeanor changed and they became some of the friendliest people I've ever known. As for finding queer friends, that shouldn't be hard at all if you're in Tokyo, I wouldn't worry about that.

>>297074

Reading over this post, it makes it seem like I don't like living here, but in actuality, I love it, it's been the best 7 years of my life. The sorts of people who are successful in Japan are outgoing, friendly people that have a thick skin and are quickly able to get over minor slights and see past cultural differences.

>>297078
>>297074
So you live in Japan. How? Do you work in a multi-national company or something, or are you taking the traditional weaboo way of english teaching?

>>297086

I initially came with a small private english company, but after 5 years, a friend and I decided to open a bar, and I've been doing that ever since.

I hadn't lived in Japan as long as
>>297078
but I'd say they have a lot of good tips.

I'd say it's good to stay positive and try not to Gaijin Smash too much. Also, it's (too) easy to attribute bad experiences to cultural differences rather than, say, incompetency or someone having a bad day.

If you're going for school and not a job though, I'd definitely consider somewhere other than Tokyo, and staying with a family. I went to Tottori as a student, and at first I was like "oh fuck this countryside BS I wanna party in Tokyo". In the end, though, I feel like I got to experience a side of Japan that not a lot of people see (or care about).

Actually, if Nakasaki anon's there, what would you say for someone going to Japan to work on a WHV. Tokyo seems like a safe bet for jobs, but I'd love to live somewhere in Kansai or Kyushu. Are jobs harder/easier to get?

>>297103

People I know on working holiday visas haven't had many problems. I know that taxes are much much higher for WHV people than they are for other types of visas. And there's also the problem of them being nonrenewable, so I've known some people who become attached to their jobs or location, but have no choice but to leave. For people who are interested in trying out Japan on a temporary basis and/or haven't finished college yet, it's an excellent opportunity.

i've heard actually that people with WHVs get hired more often by companies, because it's cheaper for the company (at the place I worked, I got paid 250,000 a month, vs WHV 190,000). But for a single person living in a company apartment, even 190,000 is plenty to live on and even go out and party.

The farther away from urban centers you want to be, the easier it is to get placed, in my experience

>>297103

As a side note, when I first applied for my job, I requested a position "as close to Yokohama as possible". I ended up in Nagasaki. Go figure

>>297107
Wow, thanks for all the details! I'll have to look into the tax thing more...hadn't heard of that.
If you don't mind me bothering you more:
>The farther away from urban centers you want to be, the easier it is to get placed, in my experience
You're talking about teaching jobs, correct? Or do you know folks doing random work out in the country? Either way, that's sort of my vague plan right now...try getting a non-teaching job in Tokyo at first, then explore a bit and look for an English job out in the country.

>>297110

Ah, yeah, it's decently easy to get a teaching job in a rural area, but for a non-teaching job, you'll want to look in city centers.

ALTHOUGH, I did recently see an ad looking for foreigners to work on a farm for 6 months... It's like some sort of foreign exchange internship thing, I dunno, I didn't look into it cause... you know... farming.

>>297111
Yeah, as for farming, I thought about WWOOF too, but I'm watching that thread for any feedback. Something about the whole thing seems a little 'eurotrip hostel style in the country'...

Anyway, thanks again and good night.

Lived for a year in a little place called Utsunomiya, was fantastic.

At first I hated everything about where I was placed - location, school, family, the fact that it was a taco-fest... But eventually I learned to love it. The trick is, be thick skinned, let things roll off your back - if they're talking about you, it's probably more like, "ooh, she's foreign, look at the foreign-y things she does! wow!" rather than anything else.

I think Japan is one of the most difficult countries to assimilate into for foreigners - something that is more evident in the countryside as opposed to Tokyo. You have to go there with an open mind, thick skin and an attitude where you'll try everything at least once even if it's like, raw beef in fermented egg sauce (pretty good, actually).

>>Reading over this post, it makes it seem like I don't like living here, but in actuality, I love it, it's been the best 7 years of my life.

Pretty much same here, whenever I talk about living in Japan. People are like, "you must have hated it!" and I reply pretty much with "what, are you crazy? Best year of my life so far!"

>>297118

This is all totally true!

> would love to have queer friends.

Could be hard: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shinjuku_ni-chome#Scene_specialization

art student
wants to live in japan
pretending to be a lesbian

You have all the earmarks of a pretentious hipster - congratulations! You must work very hard at being unique.

>>297267
gb2/b/

>>296860
TROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!

>>297267
You read my mind.

C-C-C-C-COMBO MAKER!
my milkshake brings all the-ah fuck it, funnyjunk is home to me.

Stupd question, but I'm throwing it out:
I like shorts, they are comfy and easy to wear. I'm leaving in the middle of the month, and I plan to wear that shit.
Will people stare at me like I've got five dicks or something?

or will that just be because I'm a large white guy?

>>297322
What? Who the fuck cares?

>>297330
I just figured I may as well ask.

>Art student

Enjoy your no job

>>297267
My nutbladder!