Here I am, a week before leaving to Japan, and people are asking me why I’m doing this. Why am I living in Japan for a year? Why am I intent on spending a year on the Japanese minimum wage? Why a working holiday and not just sunbathing in Thailand?
The reasons are quite simple really. I want to write them here for you to consider and also for me to look back on during and after my year in Japan.
Learning Japanese
This is the main reason I’m going to Japan. I really enjoy learning languages and being able to talk to people. Because I’ll start studying another language at university, I want to get fluent in Japanese so I can forget about it and start learning those other languages.
Travel
I live to travel! When I think about my life up until now, the things I remember are moving to new countries and travelling to new countries. I want to look back on my life when I’m 85 and have great memories of living in different countries and seeing different places.
It’s the Right Time!
I’ve finished high school but I’ve not started university. I don’t have a mortgage, a family or a career so I have nothing tying me down. Before I step on the treadmill of life, I want to enjoy my freedom and just bum around for a year working silly jobs.
Culture
Japanese culture is so foreign. Such a cliche so please don’t kill me for writing it, but it’s true! Honestly, who wouldn’t want to spend a year surrounded by air sex, eyelash wigs, Pepsi Ice Cucumber and cute mascots for political parties?
Tags: Japan, personal, working holiday
It makes perfect sense to me! Not only is it great to travel, but you have picked one of the most fascinating cultures on Earth. Opportunties such as this do not come around often. Carpe diem! xx Scudder
Hey, thanks for giving me my first comment! And yes, this is definitely a once in a lifetime opportunity, if only for fact you can have the Japanese working holiday visa just once, lol.
Hey! Here is ur first subscriber ( though no vids yet) lool but, it will be a pleasure “traveling” with u. I think u made a great choice and when u have no ties it’s a perfect timing! Good fortune!
Thanks a lot, Lilith! I’ll try and make my year as fun for you as it will be for me. Hope to see you around here a lot. (You can subscribe using the tools in the right column.)
WOW! i took some time to read more from ur site and i was surprised 2 learn that there is an cucumber Pepsi and something as weird as air sex…wow! i thought i knew a lot of stuff about Japan already, but it seems i was mistaken..very interesting, in a wacky kinda way loool thx for the info
this is such an amazing opportunity!!! you say you’re going to be fluent at speaking japanese …but what was your level before going to japan?
In fact i’d like to go to japan too ..that’s why i’m asking.
Good luck! and thx for this site. I’ll follow you too…
Before Japan, my Japanese was about halfway between JLPT3 and JLPT2. (JLPT = Japanese Language Proficiency Test) So I could have everyday conversations but couldn’t read a book or magazine really. Best of luck if you come to Japan!
I watched your segment on top 10 half Japanese stars then hopped over to your website to see how your trip was going. Sounds like a fun trip. Quite envious actually, have a great time. Oh and as mentioned previously you really do have the flair for presentation and media or television seems like talent you could develop… Anyways have fun and ganbatte!
Wow, thanks a lot! It would be amazing to become a famous TV presenter or someting, hehe. I don’t know how likely that is but I’ll try when I move to Tokyo!
Nice that u write your story here. Cant find alot about WHV in Japan on the net. The most you´ll find is WHV in Australia (like my page). I havent been reading alot on your page till now, but im looking forward to, if i find some more free time. My reasons for going there are nearly similar, especially the TRAVEL Part :). Im learning a little bit Japanese now (next to working) and i hope it will be enough till next year around Juli. How long did it take you to come to a “fluent” smalltalk level? Have Fun
Dennis
Thanks for the comment. Yeah, there are very few pages on the web about working holiday visas but I imagine that’s because most WHers are out there enjoying their working holidays! Hehe.
Well, I’ve studied Japanese at wavering intensities for 4-5 years. If I compacted all my studying, it was probably like 3 years spread over a longer period of time. However, people like Khatzumoto at All Japanese All the Time learnt Japanese fluently in 18 months so I imagine he would’ve reached the ’small talk’ part at 7 months or so. It just depends on how much you put in and how much experience you have with foreign languages.
Hope that answers your question, and thanks again for your comment! =D
i was looking for sites about japan because i am very much interested in learning their language too and i came across ur site. i was quite amazed about air sex and eyelash wigs, kinda weird huh..
well its good for you that you have this kind of opportunity to travel..God bless