[capeAngedlelp]

I'm sure this has been asked a brazillian times (sorry, little joke I read the other day), but the little woman and I are looking to move to Japan, and I'm clueless as to what I'd do there job-wise.

My wife is Japanese, I think that means I can get a work visa of some kind. Her mother has ALS, aka Lou Gherig's Disease, and needs a lot of care on a daily basis. So she wants to move to Japan in about a year, specifically to Shizuoka City, so we can be closer to the 'rents and she can help take care of her mom.

Theoretically we could live with her parents, they have a really big house, they're pretty well off, we could sponge off them forever. But I'd rather have some distance, and not working sets my teeth on edge. Sad, yes, I know, that a grown man of my ability and creativity can't stand to loaf on a semi-professional basis, but there you go.

But I have no idea what to do there in terms of employment. I'm a computer programmer ("embedded software engineer"), BSEE, been working for the NASA InfraRed Telescope Facility (IRTF) for about 7 years now, as well as doing contract work on the side, all of it (including the day job) writing software to control big, expensive infrared cameras, as well as some image processing and telescope control.

Shoots, I live in Hawai'i and I have a great job that I like most of the time, if it wasn't a family thing, I wouldn't be interested in going anywhere.

Anyway, I have no clue as to what kind of work someone like me can get over there. I'm sure they already have plenty of Japanese folks to wash dishes. My father in law may be able to give me a job carrying heavy things (he owns a small construction company), but I'd kind of like to keep doing software development at least to some extent, so if/when we move back to the states I can be back in the field. I'm also interested in ag, subsistence/market gardening, farming, etc, which I think has potential in the Shizuoka area, as I noticed there are a lot of old people who are farming, but not many younger people replacing them.

Thanks in advance,

-Charles

[rikdpola]

Seems like astronomy in Japan is quite hot too. Perhaps there are telescopes there that can use your talents. Nagoya univ. for example, seems to have an astro group that collaborates with NASA on balloon lofted scopes. The big thing you're going to need are contacts and introductions... as getting a job in Japan is a lot about who you know and who knows you.. unless there's a specific search out for foreign employees.

Check out: http://www.gaijinpot.com/c_it.php

Ron.

[feeshyLew]

if you are a federal employee why not take some leave without pay, or work a ton of comp time for the next year?

[xiaoselangone]

You get a working visa with the help of a company that you work for, but since your spouse is Japanese, I would imagine that you would have a different kind of visa if you go. Just check with immigration and tell them you will be looking for work and make sure that you can work on whatever visa you get because of being married to a national. If not, you just put in an application to change over to a working visa or get whatever permission you need to work. It's quite easy if you have legitimate work.

We went to Japan so my wife could study Japanese there for a year. She had a cultural visa, and I had some form of spouse visa (ie, i was just tagging along) but I couldn't work. After half the year and money got tight, I just went to immigration, filled out a form and I had permission to work 25 hours per week. As I said, it's really easy with legitimate work.

As for what to do...

As a last resort, you can teach English. It fills time and gets some money. You could register with talent/model agencies. No joke! They like foreigners in shows and commercials so with no real talent, if you are punctual, and if they like your appearance, you go to auditions, get rejected a lot but get some jobs in and you can earn as much as $1000 for one days work just by walking around or saying one line in a commercial. It's kinda fun too.

Or if you want to stay in your current career, once you are there, get intensive Japanese lessons, build yourself to a certain level of fluency and then apply for jobs in your actual field. You can get real, non english teaching jobs there, but you need to have some fluency. A year is not unrealistic to learn enough language to be ready for job interviews if you put in the effort.

[selayeffethy]

You will be eligible for a spouse visa (haigusha visa). You will get it for one year initially, and then renew it for 3 years. After that, you will be able to get permanent residence (eijuken). There is plenty of work in Japan for people in IT! Try checking out job sites like gaijinpot.com.

[Orefsmisits]

Basic routes, It sector ie the field your in roughly. You might or might not find something close to you in that area.
The other basic route is teaching English and thats what 90% of foreigners in Japan from States and Europe do.
Or C, you could try checking into setting up your own business. Anyways good luck man and let us know how it goes!

[Espacamlisa]

You will be eligible for a spouse visa (haigusha visa). You will get it for one year initially, and then renew it for 3 years. After that, you will be able to get permanent residence (eijuken). There is plenty of work in Japan for people in IT! Try checking out job sites like gaijinpot.com.

Yeah there is (I recruit internally for an IT company) but with companies like Lehman going under and other biggies shedding jobs all the time, competition for those jobs is very stiff right now. I see a lot of profiles every day of people with little Japanese skill, high wage demands and investment bank careers who have been looking for work for, in some cases, upwards of 6 months.

The best way to get work in IT as a foreigner at the moment (from the other side of the fence!) is to make dam sure you are good at what you do, can speak the local lingo (we've all but stopped looking at people with JLPT 3kyu or lower unless specifically told J-ability isn't an issue) and don't aim as high as ex-securities/banking peeps on your salary.

Charles, if you want to go in in IT, you can try PMing me and I'll see what there is with us closer to the time...