This morning I went back to the Chinese Embassy in Roppongi to collect my Chinese tourist visa. For directions and other information on applying for Chinese visas in Tokyo, please see my previous post.
You can collect the visa 4 days after applying, or you can pay to collect it after two days, but I didn't do that.
I went up to Window 6, which is the first port of call when you enter, and showed the woman my receipt. She gave me a number and told me to pay Y4,000 at a machine in the corner. The machine looked like one of the machines you can buy meals from in restaurants like Matsuya.
I selected the Y4,000 button and inserted the money, and it gave me a receipt. I took that receipt, the receipt they gave me last week and my number up to one of the other windows, and the woman there gave me my passport, complete with Chinese visa! I was very happy to have it all sorted. This time I was only in the Embassy for ten minutes, including a trip to the toilet!
So now I'm really going to China! Woohoo!
Showing posts with label visa. Show all posts
Showing posts with label visa. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Applying for Chinese Visa in Tokyo
Today is the first day of the ICU Spring holiday, so I got up at 9am to go to Roppongi to apply for my Chinese tourist visa at the Chinese Embassy for my holiday.
There are lots of different types of visa for China, but I needed an L-visa, which is a tourist visa. Not all countries need a visa just to visit, for example Japanese citizens don't need one, but British people do. I was worried about whether I would be able to get a Chinese visa as I was living in Japan, but there was no problem.
To apply for an L-visa, you need:
- a valid passport, valid for six months after the date of application
- completed Application Form with recent passport-style photograph attached (Page One, Page Two, or you can fill it in at the Embassy)
- photocopy of your passport main page and alien registration card (can do it at the Embassy)
- proof of booked return flights
- hotel reservation (although I didn't need one)
The Chinese Embassy in Tokyo Consular Section (which handles visa applications) is very inconveniently open only from 9am until 12 noon. Luckily I only live about an hour away from Roppongi so I didn't have to get up too early.
I had copied a map onto paper from a website, but it turned out that the roadside maps were much more helpful, because the map's scale was a bit strange. It looked much closer to Roppongi station than it actually was!
Because I had a bit of difficulty finding the place (I overshot the turning at one point and had to backtrack) I took some photos that will hopefully help anyone going there!
This is the route I took, I marked the roads with red, and the Embassy is the red circle in the bottom left hand corner.
And here's a plain version of the map.
Coming from Roppongi station (there are only subway lines) you either take Exit 1a from the Hibiya line (日比谷線, Hibiya-sen) or Exit 3 from the Toei Oedo line (都営大江戸線, Toei Ooedo-sen). Both exits come out on the same main road, but the Oedo line one is slightly further away from the Embassy.
From either exit, you turn left along the main road with the elevated highway in the centre of it. You follow that road past the Roppongi Hills shopping centre, with its huge glass building. You need to turn left onto TV Asahi Road (TV朝日通り, TV Asahi doori), which is about seven minutes walk from the station. It's a very unimpressive road, which is why I missed it, I didn't think such a normal looking road could have such a grand name, and there were no roadsigns, as is often the case on smaller roads in Japan.
But this is what the road looks like at the turning from the main road. The construction work on the left won't be there forever though, so it might look drastically different in a few weeks!
You follow this road for the rest of the way (it's easy once you're on it). You can see the Roppongi Hills tower for most of the way, but you're heading away from it.
Along the wall there are nice bamboo trees, although this photo was taken looking back towards the main road, so they're actually on the left hand side heading towards the Embassy.
You pass the Grand Hyatt Tokyo on the left, which has this nice water feature outside.
After those landmarks, just keep following the road south.
And after around ten minutes, give or take a few minutes depending on your walking speed, you'll see this building, which houses the Consular Section.
It's opposite this bright green sauna, which you definitely won't miss! Even though I nearly missed the Embassy, because there's just a small sign outside the front door proclaiming what the building is.
I was really worried I'd be late and have to do the whole journey again the next day. But I arrived at 11.40, with 20 minutes to spare.
I had my bag checked and went through a metal detector at the front door, and then was left to my own devices. There were windows along the wall on the first floor (that's Japanese first floor, British ground floor) so I went up to one and said I wanted to apply for an L-visa. I wasn't sure if I should use Japanese or English, because I don't speak any Chinese! But I used English, and the woman directed me to the third floor (again, Japanese third floor). I took the stairs, and entered a hot, crowded and slightly chaotic room.
It was 17C outside, and yet they still had the heating on. Obviously going by the mentality of: "It's February, therefore we need the heating on."
I had no idea what I was meant to do. There was a crowd of people to my left, who seemed to be lining up and waiting for a small window. Then there was this waiting area to the right. That seemed more like what I wanted, but I couldn't find a ticket machine to get a number for it.
I asked a Japanese woman who was waiting (she was holding her passport so I knew she was Japanese) where I could get a ticket, and she told me I had to wait in the long queue and tell the people at the small window what I wanted, and then they would give me a ticket for the windows.
So I joined what I assumed was the back of the line, but it was very hard to tell. There were some tables for people to fill out visa application forms, but thankfully I'd printed one out from a website (here's Page One, and Page Two) and filled it in at home. Much easier!
As I was waiting, I realised that most people were photocopying the main page of their passports and alien registration cards at machines in the corner. I wasn't sure if I needed to, but I decided to do it anyway, to save lining up all over again. The woman in front of me was having a lot of trouble, but I had no difficulty. You put in a Y10 into the smaller machine to the left of the photocopier and then press 'start' (スタート, sutaato). It was very simple. After doing it I just rejoined the line.
It moved quite quickly, and I was standing behind a British guy, so I felt comforted knowing I wasn't alone in this endeavour!
When I got to the window I showed them my application form, passport and photocopy, and told them I wanted to apply for an L-visa. (This time I spoke in Japanese.) They checked the documents and said they were fine, then gave me a ticket number and asked me to take a seat and wait for the main windows.
It calmed down a lot while I was waiting, and they turned the air con on, so it was quite pleasant to sit down and watch some of the kids running round in circles. It was the most interesting thing going on in the room!
They had only one window for visa application, and then five others for other things, but I couldn't read the Chinese characters for what they were doing. I hope my limited knowledge of Japanese kanji gets me through a little bit while in China. China uses simplified characters, whereas Japan usually uses the older more traditional forms. A notable exception is 国 (country, kuni), which is the same in China and Japan, but in Taiwanese the original character, 國, is used. Much more complicated!
I had to wait for ten numbers to be called before mine but I was only waiting for about fifteen minutes.
There were no problems when I went up to the window. The website I used to check what I needed to apply for the visa said that I'd need a hotel reservation, but I'm staying with friends so I didn't have one. The woman didn't say anything about it, so hopefully there won't be a problem when I come to collect and pay for the visa.You can collect the visa 4 days after applying, or you can pay to collect it after two days, but I didn't do that.
She told me that I can pick it up on Tuesday morning with a receipt she gave me. They kept my passport so they could put the visa in it.
So I'll go back to collect the visa on Tuesday, and hopefully there won't be any problems!
There are lots of different types of visa for China, but I needed an L-visa, which is a tourist visa. Not all countries need a visa just to visit, for example Japanese citizens don't need one, but British people do. I was worried about whether I would be able to get a Chinese visa as I was living in Japan, but there was no problem.
To apply for an L-visa, you need:
- a valid passport, valid for six months after the date of application
- completed Application Form with recent passport-style photograph attached (Page One, Page Two, or you can fill it in at the Embassy)
- photocopy of your passport main page and alien registration card (can do it at the Embassy)
- proof of booked return flights
- hotel reservation (although I didn't need one)
The Chinese Embassy in Tokyo Consular Section (which handles visa applications) is very inconveniently open only from 9am until 12 noon. Luckily I only live about an hour away from Roppongi so I didn't have to get up too early.
I had copied a map onto paper from a website, but it turned out that the roadside maps were much more helpful, because the map's scale was a bit strange. It looked much closer to Roppongi station than it actually was!
Because I had a bit of difficulty finding the place (I overshot the turning at one point and had to backtrack) I took some photos that will hopefully help anyone going there!
This is the route I took, I marked the roads with red, and the Embassy is the red circle in the bottom left hand corner.
And here's a plain version of the map.
Coming from Roppongi station (there are only subway lines) you either take Exit 1a from the Hibiya line (日比谷線, Hibiya-sen) or Exit 3 from the Toei Oedo line (都営大江戸線, Toei Ooedo-sen). Both exits come out on the same main road, but the Oedo line one is slightly further away from the Embassy.
From either exit, you turn left along the main road with the elevated highway in the centre of it. You follow that road past the Roppongi Hills shopping centre, with its huge glass building. You need to turn left onto TV Asahi Road (TV朝日通り, TV Asahi doori), which is about seven minutes walk from the station. It's a very unimpressive road, which is why I missed it, I didn't think such a normal looking road could have such a grand name, and there were no roadsigns, as is often the case on smaller roads in Japan.
But this is what the road looks like at the turning from the main road. The construction work on the left won't be there forever though, so it might look drastically different in a few weeks!
You follow this road for the rest of the way (it's easy once you're on it). You can see the Roppongi Hills tower for most of the way, but you're heading away from it.
Along the wall there are nice bamboo trees, although this photo was taken looking back towards the main road, so they're actually on the left hand side heading towards the Embassy.
You pass the Grand Hyatt Tokyo on the left, which has this nice water feature outside.
After those landmarks, just keep following the road south.
And after around ten minutes, give or take a few minutes depending on your walking speed, you'll see this building, which houses the Consular Section.
It's opposite this bright green sauna, which you definitely won't miss! Even though I nearly missed the Embassy, because there's just a small sign outside the front door proclaiming what the building is.
I was really worried I'd be late and have to do the whole journey again the next day. But I arrived at 11.40, with 20 minutes to spare.
I had my bag checked and went through a metal detector at the front door, and then was left to my own devices. There were windows along the wall on the first floor (that's Japanese first floor, British ground floor) so I went up to one and said I wanted to apply for an L-visa. I wasn't sure if I should use Japanese or English, because I don't speak any Chinese! But I used English, and the woman directed me to the third floor (again, Japanese third floor). I took the stairs, and entered a hot, crowded and slightly chaotic room.
It was 17C outside, and yet they still had the heating on. Obviously going by the mentality of: "It's February, therefore we need the heating on."
I had no idea what I was meant to do. There was a crowd of people to my left, who seemed to be lining up and waiting for a small window. Then there was this waiting area to the right. That seemed more like what I wanted, but I couldn't find a ticket machine to get a number for it.
I asked a Japanese woman who was waiting (she was holding her passport so I knew she was Japanese) where I could get a ticket, and she told me I had to wait in the long queue and tell the people at the small window what I wanted, and then they would give me a ticket for the windows.
So I joined what I assumed was the back of the line, but it was very hard to tell. There were some tables for people to fill out visa application forms, but thankfully I'd printed one out from a website (here's Page One, and Page Two) and filled it in at home. Much easier!
As I was waiting, I realised that most people were photocopying the main page of their passports and alien registration cards at machines in the corner. I wasn't sure if I needed to, but I decided to do it anyway, to save lining up all over again. The woman in front of me was having a lot of trouble, but I had no difficulty. You put in a Y10 into the smaller machine to the left of the photocopier and then press 'start' (スタート, sutaato). It was very simple. After doing it I just rejoined the line.
It moved quite quickly, and I was standing behind a British guy, so I felt comforted knowing I wasn't alone in this endeavour!
When I got to the window I showed them my application form, passport and photocopy, and told them I wanted to apply for an L-visa. (This time I spoke in Japanese.) They checked the documents and said they were fine, then gave me a ticket number and asked me to take a seat and wait for the main windows.
It calmed down a lot while I was waiting, and they turned the air con on, so it was quite pleasant to sit down and watch some of the kids running round in circles. It was the most interesting thing going on in the room!
They had only one window for visa application, and then five others for other things, but I couldn't read the Chinese characters for what they were doing. I hope my limited knowledge of Japanese kanji gets me through a little bit while in China. China uses simplified characters, whereas Japan usually uses the older more traditional forms. A notable exception is 国 (country, kuni), which is the same in China and Japan, but in Taiwanese the original character, 國, is used. Much more complicated!
I had to wait for ten numbers to be called before mine but I was only waiting for about fifteen minutes.
There were no problems when I went up to the window. The website I used to check what I needed to apply for the visa said that I'd need a hotel reservation, but I'm staying with friends so I didn't have one. The woman didn't say anything about it, so hopefully there won't be a problem when I come to collect and pay for the visa.You can collect the visa 4 days after applying, or you can pay to collect it after two days, but I didn't do that.
She told me that I can pick it up on Tuesday morning with a receipt she gave me. They kept my passport so they could put the visa in it.
So I'll go back to collect the visa on Tuesday, and hopefully there won't be any problems!
Saturday, January 30, 2010
I'm Going To China!
I just booked my flights to China for the school holiday! I'm so excited about going! I'm planning to stay with some friends who are studying in Shanghai on their year abroad from Leeds Uni.
I'm going to be there for 12 days in March so I plan to go to Shanghai and Beijing. I can't believe I'm actually going to go!!
I need to get a tourist visa to visit China, so I'll go to the Chinese Embassy in Tokyo in the next week or so and sort that out.
The flights cost £380, which I thought was a bit expensive, but it looks like that price is about the cheapest it gets.
The only reason I can afford this trip is because I'm receiving the JASSO Scholarship from now until March. The first installment should come into my Japanese bank account on 5th February, and that's Y80,000 for January and an Y80,000 "settling-in" payment, which I get despite the fact that I settled in five months ago!
And it's probably the only opportunity I'll ever have to go to China and not to pay for accommodation, so I have to grab it while I can!
I can't wait!
I'm going to be there for 12 days in March so I plan to go to Shanghai and Beijing. I can't believe I'm actually going to go!!
I need to get a tourist visa to visit China, so I'll go to the Chinese Embassy in Tokyo in the next week or so and sort that out.
The flights cost £380, which I thought was a bit expensive, but it looks like that price is about the cheapest it gets.
The only reason I can afford this trip is because I'm receiving the JASSO Scholarship from now until March. The first installment should come into my Japanese bank account on 5th February, and that's Y80,000 for January and an Y80,000 "settling-in" payment, which I get despite the fact that I settled in five months ago!
And it's probably the only opportunity I'll ever have to go to China and not to pay for accommodation, so I have to grab it while I can!
I can't wait!
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Work Permit Application
Over the last two weeks, during the run-up to Christmas, I have been sorting out everything for my work permit, which I need to get a job in Japan as I'm here on a student visa.
ICU don't let their students who start in September apply for their work permits until November, and even then the process takes a long time. I understand the reasons behind this, as they don't want students to spread themselves too thinly, but my money situation is getting pretty dire, so I could have used a job at least a month ago! But there you go, you can't argue with the rules.
So I gave ICU my information and they made up a letter saying that they give permission for me to apply for a work permit. I then took that to the Immigration Bureau in Tachikawa with some friends, where I went to get my re-entry permit.
I took a number from the ticket machine by the desk as before, and it was twenty numbers away.
I filled out the form, but there were two that looked like the work permit application. The correct one has much more to fill in, with sections for your employer's information, and legal proxies etc. I filled out both of the forms just in case, but I didn't need the other, sparser one. Because I didn't know who my employer would be I left that section blank, and it wasn't a problem. I did have to write how many hours I can work down, and ICU say that I can work 32.5 hours a week based on the fact that I'm taking 9 credits this semester.
They were working much quicker than the last time I went and waited over two hours, and we were all done in under an hour. There was barely time for me to eat my lunch!
I gave them my:
- completed application form
- Alien Card
- letter from University (or other, allowing you to apply for the permit)
- passport.
Katy hadn't brought her passport, and was really annoyed that she had to go back the next day and do the whole process again. And all they need the passport for is to staple a date in there so you know when to return for the actual permit! Oh bureaucracy, how we love you...
The date we were given is 7th January, which is three weeks after we applied for it, but it might not usually take that long. Because New Year is in the middle of the period, it might have extended the time.
Anyway, now I'm eagerly awaiting the 7th, so I can find a job and start earning some money!
Monday, November 16, 2009
Japanese Re-Entry Permit
Because I'm leaving Japan but returning on the same visa, I need a re-entry permit (再入国許可, sainyuukoku kyoka) otherwise the visa would automatically be cancelled when I leave the country and when I come back it would only be on a tourist visa. This is true for student visas and working holiday visas, and probably work visas as well.
In order to get the re-entry permit, I had to go to my closest Regional Immigration Bureau (入国管理局, nyuukoku kanrikyoku), which thankfully wasn't too far away, in Tachikawa (立川). Last year I went to the other one in Tokyo, which was in the middle of nowhere in Shinagawa. Every area in Japan will have one of these Immigration Bureaus, but unfortunately if you live outside of the major cities, you may have to travel quite far to get to one. It's lucky that Tokyo has two!
To apply for a re-entry permit you need:
- an application form (available at the Immigration Bureau)
- passport with your Japanese visa inside
- Alien Card (外国人登録証明書, gaikokujin tourokushoumeisho, or just gaikokujin tourokusho)
- a special stamp (available at convenience stores)
- fee (Y3,000 for single re-entry, or Y6,000 for multiple)
So this morning I spoke to Wynne, an American girl who's in my class at ICU, and also lives in the same guesthouse as I do, because she went through the re-entry permit process a few weeks ago.
I went to my local city office (市役所, shiyakusho) to get a map and then took the train to Tachikawa. Following the instuctions on the map they gave me, I took the bus from stand #12 of the North exit of Tachikawa station bound for (北町, Kita-machi) and went to the 多摩車検場前 (Tama Shakenjou-mae) stop. The automatic announcements for this stop were in Japanese, English, Chinese and Korean, so obviously a lot of foreigners go there!
In order to get the re-entry permit you have to buy a special type of stamp from a convenience store. I found this very strange, but never mind, who am I to argue with the Japanese immigration laws! All the nearby shops seemed to sell the stamps, so I just went into one and asked for a 再入国許可のスタンプ (sainyuukoku kyoka no sutampu). I don't know if that was the correct way to ask in Japanese but they understood and asked if I wanted one for Y3,000 or Y6,000. The Y3,000 ones are for a single re-entry, which means you can leave Japan and come back once and continue using the same visa. The Y6,000 is for multiple re-entry, so you can leave and come back as many times as you want. This is the one I went for, because it's the same price as two singles, and I intend to go to China next year, and then if I go anywhere else I can do it without paying any extra money.
After buying the stamp, I asked the shop assistant where the Immigration Bureau was and she pointed me in the right direction. Once I was on that road it was clearly signed and only took about two minutes. It was quite a small building, with a foyer and a room to the right with a waiting area, a desk with three clerks serving people, and some tables with files of forms.
I took a form for re-entry permits and started to fill it in, when I realised that I should have taken a slip of paper from the ticket machine to lessen my waiting time. It took me a while to find the machine, but I knew there must be one because there was a screen with numbers being called. It turned out to be on the main desk, so I took one and I was 128, the number being served was 97. I finished filling out the form and sat down.
Two hours later I was served. I didn't mind the wait, because I know how frustrating bureaucracy can be, so I was patient.
The clerk asked to see my application form, passport, Alien Card and then asked me to affix the stamp to the form and sign it.
He then stuck a label in my passport, stapled a form into it and that was it. A whole two minutes! So it was quite an easy process, it just took a long time. I have to fill in the first section of the form stapled into my passport for when I leave Japan, and then the second section for when I return.
After getting the permit, I then walked back to the bus stop and waited for the bus back to Tachikawa station. Then a guy from Bangladesh started talking to me, because he said he recognised me from ICU! He was a graduate student and he had been in the Immigration Bureau getting a re-entry permit because he was returning home the same day as me! Our flights are 10 minutes apart and he's also getting a Limousine bus from Kichijoji on the same morning as me! We might be on the same bus, but I think I might be on the one before him. It was such a coincidence! Who knows, I might bump into him on Thursday!
When I got back I rang the Limousine bus company and officially reserved my ticket. It was my first phone conversation entirely in Japanese, and it was very scary! But I muddled through and, if I understood everything correctly, I have to go to Musashi Sakai before 2pm tomorrow and pick up the ticket. So I'll combine a trip to Higashi Koganei to pay my next month's rent tomorrow morning with picking it up.
And then on Wednesday I can check-in online in the morning, and then I'll cycle into ICU to use their printers and print my boarding pass. I'll also see if they have sorted out my work permit application so I can pick that up. Then in the afternoon I'll pack, and then get up at 5am on Thursday and fly back home!
It's all incredible! I really can't believe it's happening! I think the next post I write will be from Birmingham, probably when I wake up in my own bed, in my own room, in my own country! Wow, it's going to be amazing...
In order to get the re-entry permit, I had to go to my closest Regional Immigration Bureau (入国管理局, nyuukoku kanrikyoku), which thankfully wasn't too far away, in Tachikawa (立川). Last year I went to the other one in Tokyo, which was in the middle of nowhere in Shinagawa. Every area in Japan will have one of these Immigration Bureaus, but unfortunately if you live outside of the major cities, you may have to travel quite far to get to one. It's lucky that Tokyo has two!
To apply for a re-entry permit you need:
- an application form (available at the Immigration Bureau)
- passport with your Japanese visa inside
- Alien Card (外国人登録証明書, gaikokujin tourokushoumeisho, or just gaikokujin tourokusho)
- a special stamp (available at convenience stores)
- fee (Y3,000 for single re-entry, or Y6,000 for multiple)
So this morning I spoke to Wynne, an American girl who's in my class at ICU, and also lives in the same guesthouse as I do, because she went through the re-entry permit process a few weeks ago.
I went to my local city office (市役所, shiyakusho) to get a map and then took the train to Tachikawa. Following the instuctions on the map they gave me, I took the bus from stand #12 of the North exit of Tachikawa station bound for (北町, Kita-machi) and went to the 多摩車検場前 (Tama Shakenjou-mae) stop. The automatic announcements for this stop were in Japanese, English, Chinese and Korean, so obviously a lot of foreigners go there!
In order to get the re-entry permit you have to buy a special type of stamp from a convenience store. I found this very strange, but never mind, who am I to argue with the Japanese immigration laws! All the nearby shops seemed to sell the stamps, so I just went into one and asked for a 再入国許可のスタンプ (sainyuukoku kyoka no sutampu). I don't know if that was the correct way to ask in Japanese but they understood and asked if I wanted one for Y3,000 or Y6,000. The Y3,000 ones are for a single re-entry, which means you can leave Japan and come back once and continue using the same visa. The Y6,000 is for multiple re-entry, so you can leave and come back as many times as you want. This is the one I went for, because it's the same price as two singles, and I intend to go to China next year, and then if I go anywhere else I can do it without paying any extra money.
After buying the stamp, I asked the shop assistant where the Immigration Bureau was and she pointed me in the right direction. Once I was on that road it was clearly signed and only took about two minutes. It was quite a small building, with a foyer and a room to the right with a waiting area, a desk with three clerks serving people, and some tables with files of forms.
I took a form for re-entry permits and started to fill it in, when I realised that I should have taken a slip of paper from the ticket machine to lessen my waiting time. It took me a while to find the machine, but I knew there must be one because there was a screen with numbers being called. It turned out to be on the main desk, so I took one and I was 128, the number being served was 97. I finished filling out the form and sat down.
Two hours later I was served. I didn't mind the wait, because I know how frustrating bureaucracy can be, so I was patient.
The clerk asked to see my application form, passport, Alien Card and then asked me to affix the stamp to the form and sign it.
He then stuck a label in my passport, stapled a form into it and that was it. A whole two minutes! So it was quite an easy process, it just took a long time. I have to fill in the first section of the form stapled into my passport for when I leave Japan, and then the second section for when I return.
After getting the permit, I then walked back to the bus stop and waited for the bus back to Tachikawa station. Then a guy from Bangladesh started talking to me, because he said he recognised me from ICU! He was a graduate student and he had been in the Immigration Bureau getting a re-entry permit because he was returning home the same day as me! Our flights are 10 minutes apart and he's also getting a Limousine bus from Kichijoji on the same morning as me! We might be on the same bus, but I think I might be on the one before him. It was such a coincidence! Who knows, I might bump into him on Thursday!
When I got back I rang the Limousine bus company and officially reserved my ticket. It was my first phone conversation entirely in Japanese, and it was very scary! But I muddled through and, if I understood everything correctly, I have to go to Musashi Sakai before 2pm tomorrow and pick up the ticket. So I'll combine a trip to Higashi Koganei to pay my next month's rent tomorrow morning with picking it up.
And then on Wednesday I can check-in online in the morning, and then I'll cycle into ICU to use their printers and print my boarding pass. I'll also see if they have sorted out my work permit application so I can pick that up. Then in the afternoon I'll pack, and then get up at 5am on Thursday and fly back home!
It's all incredible! I really can't believe it's happening! I think the next post I write will be from Birmingham, probably when I wake up in my own bed, in my own room, in my own country! Wow, it's going to be amazing...
Friday, August 28, 2009
Arrival in Japan
First things first - wooo, I'm here!
It's lovely to be back in Tokyo! I hadn't realised how much I missed it until I got on the train and started seeing places I remembered. Especially when we passed the Shinjuku skyscraper district - I love those buildings!
But anyway, I should start at the beginning. My family and I drove down to London Heathrow airport on Wednesday morning. It took about an hour and a half, despite part of the motorway being closed due to a gas leak. We parked and walked up to Terminal 3, where I heard my name shouted by Rob, one of the other students going to ICU. Katy, the other one of the three of us, was already there, along with another student going to a different University we were flying out with. There was one other too, but we decided not to wait for him before we checked in. There was no queue at the JAL desk, and we all got in with no problems. I'm sure our bags were overweight, but the woman didn't say anything - maybe she took pity on us!
I met my family upstairs and we had lunch. My stomach was churning like crazy, with that bizarre mix of anxiety and excitement. I managed to eat a jacket potato and the hour passed very quickly. It was too quick! Suddenly I was saying goodbye to my family again, with tears in my eyes. We had done it before, and we knew what goodbyes are like. But of course that doesn't make them any easier!
I waved until I had passed into the security check with the other four. I was okay then, because I started focussing on the next section of the journey. I didn't beep at the metal detector, which was surprising! All my stuff was okay, despite being overweight, but of course they don't weigh hand luggage.
We made our way down to Gate 27 and had our boarding passes checked. I realised that I'd meant to ask if there were any aisle seats available, because my long legs are awful in cramped seats. I asked at the gate if there were any aisle seats available, and they said that a party hadn't turned up, and I could have their seats if they didn't arrive in time. I waited for about 15 minutes and the party didn't check in so I moved four rows back, so not too far from the rest of my group, who were spread across two rows, but where I could sit more comfortably. I'm very glad I asked!
The 11 hour 45 minute flight went much quicker than I thought it would. I watched one and a half films, and then tried, largely unsuccessfully, to sleep for the rest of the time. I think I got about 3 hours in the end, but it was very hard to tell because I kept waking up to readjust my position.
I wasn't nearly as worried or stressed as when I first arrived in Japan. I knew where everything was, and that I was with other people, and we were being met by locals. Everything felt much safer and more secure than last time!
We went through the swine flu check and immigration like a breeze. Narita Airport is so quiet and calm, it's the exact opposite of British airports. They took my fingerprints and photo at immigration, just like last time, and checked my visa. I think the inspector was a little perplexed at seeing two visa stamps in my passport, but he didn't ask any questions.
We left the customs check with no problems (you have to fill out two forms on the plane, one for immigration, and one for customs) because we weren't carrying any prohibited or restricted items. Then we met Rob's good friend and a couple of students from ICU who I'd been in contact with. They were all really really nice and helped us all with our heavy baggage. We bought tickets to 東小金井 (Higashi Koganei), which is where the head office of our guesthouse company is. From Narita Airport (outside Tokyo to the east) to the western suburbs where we're living, it took about two hours, and three trains. It was quite hot (around 30C) and humid, especially as we weren't used to it, but not as bad as I remembered it being. Maybe it was because it's the end of August, rather than the beginning, which is when I left last year. But Rob's friend said that Japan's summer this year had been cooler overall than average. That's not a problem with me!
Watching the scenery flash by as we made our way through central Tokyo was amazing. I recognised so many places, and just looking at the train map brought back fond memories of last time. We were all very tired, and everything seemed a bit like a dream, I think particularly for Katy, who has never been to Japan before. But we got to Higashi Koganei station with no problems, thanks to our local guides. We thanked them very much and were then picked up in a brightly coloured van and taken to the office. The office was right by a small wooded area, and there was a deafening roar of cicadas! I'd never heard anything like it. I really hoped I wouldn't be able to hear any from my room. We were talked through the contract and the rules of the guesthouse, and we paid our deposits and first month's rent.
That took just over an hour, and then they drove us to our guesthouse. I was glad we could go straight there even though it was late afternoon, because they had said that if we didn't arrive by 15:30, we might not be able to check in that day, and would have to stay in temporary rooms in the head office. We were shown to our rooms, and we sorted everything out, and then were left to it.
We were all a bit dazed and confused, but we knew we couldn't go to sleep, as it was only 6pm, so we met Rob's friend again in the town near the station, and went for some dinner in an izakaya (Japanese pub). We got back at about 21:30, and I was dead to the world by half past 10, and I slept dead through until 6:30am this morning, when I woken up, either by the bright sunlight (the curtains here are just as transparent as in Sakura House last year) or the gradual heat as the room warmed up.
Today we did some shopping and bought some food while exploring the local area, and I'm feeling quite comfortable here. We made our first group meal this evening, noodles with beef in a tomato sauce. I think that's a really good way to save money, as the meal split between the three of us was only Y380. We'll definitely be doing that a lot!
I'm fully unpacked now, and I'm feeling much more like it's a home now. Everything has its place and I'm getting used to the layout of the house. Tomorrow we're going to try to figure out the best route to ICU. Wish us luck!
It's lovely to be back in Tokyo! I hadn't realised how much I missed it until I got on the train and started seeing places I remembered. Especially when we passed the Shinjuku skyscraper district - I love those buildings!
But anyway, I should start at the beginning. My family and I drove down to London Heathrow airport on Wednesday morning. It took about an hour and a half, despite part of the motorway being closed due to a gas leak. We parked and walked up to Terminal 3, where I heard my name shouted by Rob, one of the other students going to ICU. Katy, the other one of the three of us, was already there, along with another student going to a different University we were flying out with. There was one other too, but we decided not to wait for him before we checked in. There was no queue at the JAL desk, and we all got in with no problems. I'm sure our bags were overweight, but the woman didn't say anything - maybe she took pity on us!
I met my family upstairs and we had lunch. My stomach was churning like crazy, with that bizarre mix of anxiety and excitement. I managed to eat a jacket potato and the hour passed very quickly. It was too quick! Suddenly I was saying goodbye to my family again, with tears in my eyes. We had done it before, and we knew what goodbyes are like. But of course that doesn't make them any easier!
I waved until I had passed into the security check with the other four. I was okay then, because I started focussing on the next section of the journey. I didn't beep at the metal detector, which was surprising! All my stuff was okay, despite being overweight, but of course they don't weigh hand luggage.
We made our way down to Gate 27 and had our boarding passes checked. I realised that I'd meant to ask if there were any aisle seats available, because my long legs are awful in cramped seats. I asked at the gate if there were any aisle seats available, and they said that a party hadn't turned up, and I could have their seats if they didn't arrive in time. I waited for about 15 minutes and the party didn't check in so I moved four rows back, so not too far from the rest of my group, who were spread across two rows, but where I could sit more comfortably. I'm very glad I asked!
The 11 hour 45 minute flight went much quicker than I thought it would. I watched one and a half films, and then tried, largely unsuccessfully, to sleep for the rest of the time. I think I got about 3 hours in the end, but it was very hard to tell because I kept waking up to readjust my position.
I wasn't nearly as worried or stressed as when I first arrived in Japan. I knew where everything was, and that I was with other people, and we were being met by locals. Everything felt much safer and more secure than last time!
We went through the swine flu check and immigration like a breeze. Narita Airport is so quiet and calm, it's the exact opposite of British airports. They took my fingerprints and photo at immigration, just like last time, and checked my visa. I think the inspector was a little perplexed at seeing two visa stamps in my passport, but he didn't ask any questions.
We left the customs check with no problems (you have to fill out two forms on the plane, one for immigration, and one for customs) because we weren't carrying any prohibited or restricted items. Then we met Rob's good friend and a couple of students from ICU who I'd been in contact with. They were all really really nice and helped us all with our heavy baggage. We bought tickets to 東小金井 (Higashi Koganei), which is where the head office of our guesthouse company is. From Narita Airport (outside Tokyo to the east) to the western suburbs where we're living, it took about two hours, and three trains. It was quite hot (around 30C) and humid, especially as we weren't used to it, but not as bad as I remembered it being. Maybe it was because it's the end of August, rather than the beginning, which is when I left last year. But Rob's friend said that Japan's summer this year had been cooler overall than average. That's not a problem with me!
Watching the scenery flash by as we made our way through central Tokyo was amazing. I recognised so many places, and just looking at the train map brought back fond memories of last time. We were all very tired, and everything seemed a bit like a dream, I think particularly for Katy, who has never been to Japan before. But we got to Higashi Koganei station with no problems, thanks to our local guides. We thanked them very much and were then picked up in a brightly coloured van and taken to the office. The office was right by a small wooded area, and there was a deafening roar of cicadas! I'd never heard anything like it. I really hoped I wouldn't be able to hear any from my room. We were talked through the contract and the rules of the guesthouse, and we paid our deposits and first month's rent.
That took just over an hour, and then they drove us to our guesthouse. I was glad we could go straight there even though it was late afternoon, because they had said that if we didn't arrive by 15:30, we might not be able to check in that day, and would have to stay in temporary rooms in the head office. We were shown to our rooms, and we sorted everything out, and then were left to it.
We were all a bit dazed and confused, but we knew we couldn't go to sleep, as it was only 6pm, so we met Rob's friend again in the town near the station, and went for some dinner in an izakaya (Japanese pub). We got back at about 21:30, and I was dead to the world by half past 10, and I slept dead through until 6:30am this morning, when I woken up, either by the bright sunlight (the curtains here are just as transparent as in Sakura House last year) or the gradual heat as the room warmed up.
Today we did some shopping and bought some food while exploring the local area, and I'm feeling quite comfortable here. We made our first group meal this evening, noodles with beef in a tomato sauce. I think that's a really good way to save money, as the meal split between the three of us was only Y380. We'll definitely be doing that a lot!
I'm fully unpacked now, and I'm feeling much more like it's a home now. Everything has its place and I'm getting used to the layout of the house. Tomorrow we're going to try to figure out the best route to ICU. Wish us luck!
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Student Visa!
My visa arrived in the post about five minutes ago. My brother signed for it at the door, apparently the postman was about to leave, so I'm very glad I asked Dom to go and answer the door!
At first I thought they hadn't sent me my Certificate of Eligibility, but it turned out they had stapled it into my passport. The visa stamp looks exactly the same as my Working Holiday one, but it says "As College Student" under Category instead of "Working Holiday".
I'm a bit confused because the length of stay says 15 months, but the visa expiry date says 30th July 2010, which is a year after the issue date. Hmm... Plus I thought the visa was valid for 15 months after the date of entry into Japan. Well, last time they stamped my passport and stuck a sticker in it which had different dates to my visa on them, so maybe that will happen again. We'll see. But the important thing is - I got my visa!
Flights done, accommodation done, insurance done, visa done... Now it's just all the random things that need doing! I'm off to the bank today so that'll be something else ticked off the list.
At first I thought they hadn't sent me my Certificate of Eligibility, but it turned out they had stapled it into my passport. The visa stamp looks exactly the same as my Working Holiday one, but it says "As College Student" under Category instead of "Working Holiday".
I'm a bit confused because the length of stay says 15 months, but the visa expiry date says 30th July 2010, which is a year after the issue date. Hmm... Plus I thought the visa was valid for 15 months after the date of entry into Japan. Well, last time they stamped my passport and stuck a sticker in it which had different dates to my visa on them, so maybe that will happen again. We'll see. But the important thing is - I got my visa!
Flights done, accommodation done, insurance done, visa done... Now it's just all the random things that need doing! I'm off to the bank today so that'll be something else ticked off the list.
Friday, July 31, 2009
Student Visa Application
Two days ago I went to London with my youngest brother Dominic to apply for my Japanese student visa. I followed the same procedure as when I got my Working Holiday visa last year. I went on a National Express coach, which is much cheaper than the train, for only £11 return.
We met up with someone else from my course, Rob, who is also going to ICU for the next academic year, at Green Park tube station and then walked down to the Japanese Embassy on Piccadilly.
Our IDs were checked at the door, although my brother didn't have any but they still let him in. I suppose he didn't look too dangerous! We went into the visa section after being airport-style checked with metal detectors. We took tickets from the machine, and we were 529 and 530 - the next two numbers to be called! We sat down for two minutes and then Rob was called through to the windows, laid out like a bank. He was in there for about three minutes and then he came out. He was so fast I thought there must have been something wrong, but that was it! I was called in next and was served by the same British man who gave me my last visa. I told him so when he checked my passport and saw the stamp. I gave him the documents I'd brought.
To get a student visa you need:
- passport valid for the period of stay;
- completed application form (available from the Embassy) with 2"x2" photo attached;
- Certificate of Eligibility (this is the certificate the host University sends), and a photocopy of it;
- pre-paid self-addressed Royal Mail envelope (only if you want your passport and Certificate of Eligibility returned to you by post);
- fee, which is £6 for UK citizens.
The Embassy's website said that I also had to bring my official acceptance letter from ICU, but the man gave it back to me, so I'm not sure if he just needed to see it or if it wasn't necessary at all. My University also said that I needed to take a spare passport photo, but he gave that back to me too.
It was much easier and quicker to apply for the student visa than the working holiday, mainly because the Certificate of Eligibility means that you already have a guarantor, which in my case is ICU.
The student visa allows you to study, work and live in Japan for 15 months. Apparently it's just changed from a year so students can travel either side of their academic year, which works very well for me!
I should get the visa back in the post early next week so I'll be looking forward to that!
We met up with someone else from my course, Rob, who is also going to ICU for the next academic year, at Green Park tube station and then walked down to the Japanese Embassy on Piccadilly.
Our IDs were checked at the door, although my brother didn't have any but they still let him in. I suppose he didn't look too dangerous! We went into the visa section after being airport-style checked with metal detectors. We took tickets from the machine, and we were 529 and 530 - the next two numbers to be called! We sat down for two minutes and then Rob was called through to the windows, laid out like a bank. He was in there for about three minutes and then he came out. He was so fast I thought there must have been something wrong, but that was it! I was called in next and was served by the same British man who gave me my last visa. I told him so when he checked my passport and saw the stamp. I gave him the documents I'd brought.
To get a student visa you need:
- passport valid for the period of stay;
- completed application form (available from the Embassy) with 2"x2" photo attached;
- Certificate of Eligibility (this is the certificate the host University sends), and a photocopy of it;
- pre-paid self-addressed Royal Mail envelope (only if you want your passport and Certificate of Eligibility returned to you by post);
- fee, which is £6 for UK citizens.
The Embassy's website said that I also had to bring my official acceptance letter from ICU, but the man gave it back to me, so I'm not sure if he just needed to see it or if it wasn't necessary at all. My University also said that I needed to take a spare passport photo, but he gave that back to me too.
It was much easier and quicker to apply for the student visa than the working holiday, mainly because the Certificate of Eligibility means that you already have a guarantor, which in my case is ICU.
The student visa allows you to study, work and live in Japan for 15 months. Apparently it's just changed from a year so students can travel either side of their academic year, which works very well for me!
I should get the visa back in the post early next week so I'll be looking forward to that!
Monday, April 14, 2008
Answers to David's Questions
As you probably know by now, one of the main reasons for me keeping this blog is to help other people do similar things to me, and to reassure them that it's not impossible!
I welcome any questions or thoughts you have that I may not have answered fully or just plain missed! Some more came through last week, so I will try to answer them as best I can!
1. Since I'm not living in England or another country that has a Working Holiday visa arrangement with Japan at this moment, I'm up the creek as far as getting a Working Holiday Visa is concerned. I know that you don't get issued a Work Visa unless you have proof that you have work, but schools (like Gaba, which I'm actually going to try and get a job with, thanks to you!) generally don't hire you on a tourist visa (which is the only way you can stay in Japan for an extended time (if you're not eligible for the Working Holiday visa) to look for work). It's a little confusing! Any advice?
In Gaba lessons, I teach from the textbooks, working through prescribed lessons and answering any questions that the student has. It's pretty self-explanatory, and sometimes the students would just prefer to chat to you and talk about things. They're the best type of lesson. With private students, I find current affairs and news topics work really well as a base for the lesson, and then let the flow of the conversation take you somewhere else, all the while correcting grammatical or pronunciation mistakes.
I never elaborate on things in Japanese (I wish my language ability was that good!), as Gaba prefers only English to be spoken. However, if I know a word in Japanese and can't describe it in English then I will just directly translate it, or write it in Japanese. Katakana (the phonetic alphabet used for foreign loan words) is extremely useful if a student is having difficulty remembering the pronunciation of a word too.
3. I'm well aware that foreigners get a lot of curious looks, but have you experienced any blatant racism? Or have you seen it? I would imagine not, but I'd also like to know for sure!
Personally, I have never seen or experienced racism (that I know of!) but there is discrimination towards Westerners in terms of finding apartments (landlords don't want the hassle of dealing with non-Japanese) and maybe being refused work because you don't look 'foreign' i.e. blonde hair and blue eyes. I have heard a couple of stories of non-violent moderate prejudice towards Chinese people here, but nothing major.
I welcome any questions or thoughts you have that I may not have answered fully or just plain missed! Some more came through last week, so I will try to answer them as best I can!
1. Since I'm not living in England or another country that has a Working Holiday visa arrangement with Japan at this moment, I'm up the creek as far as getting a Working Holiday Visa is concerned. I know that you don't get issued a Work Visa unless you have proof that you have work, but schools (like Gaba, which I'm actually going to try and get a job with, thanks to you!) generally don't hire you on a tourist visa (which is the only way you can stay in Japan for an extended time (if you're not eligible for the Working Holiday visa) to look for work). It's a little confusing! Any advice?
This is a very difficult question! One of the main reasons it's taken me so long to post a reply! As far as I'm aware, Gaba cannot sponsor people for Work Visas now, but they do not accept job applications from people on a Tourist Visa. I checked this again, and I was wrong, Gaba can sponsor you from abroad, but it's not as flexible as non-sponsored as you need to work a certain amount of lessons every month. I think it's at least 150 lessons per month. Other eikaiwa (English conversation schools) can sponsor you for a Work Visa too and you can work with them for a year, or extend it for up to 3 years. Some appropriate schools I can think of are Geos, ECC and Aeon (not Nova now!). To my knowledge, these schools can sponsor full Work Visas. There's more information in my post on Working Holiday Visas. If you find any information to the contrary, please tell me and I will change this post immediately, but that's all I know right now. Sorry I can't be of more use!
2. What kinds of things do you teach in your lessons? And how do you teach them? Do you introduce concepts in English, then elaborate on them in Japanese? That's something that has intrigued me a bit!In Gaba lessons, I teach from the textbooks, working through prescribed lessons and answering any questions that the student has. It's pretty self-explanatory, and sometimes the students would just prefer to chat to you and talk about things. They're the best type of lesson. With private students, I find current affairs and news topics work really well as a base for the lesson, and then let the flow of the conversation take you somewhere else, all the while correcting grammatical or pronunciation mistakes.
I never elaborate on things in Japanese (I wish my language ability was that good!), as Gaba prefers only English to be spoken. However, if I know a word in Japanese and can't describe it in English then I will just directly translate it, or write it in Japanese. Katakana (the phonetic alphabet used for foreign loan words) is extremely useful if a student is having difficulty remembering the pronunciation of a word too.
3. I'm well aware that foreigners get a lot of curious looks, but have you experienced any blatant racism? Or have you seen it? I would imagine not, but I'd also like to know for sure!
Personally, I have never seen or experienced racism (that I know of!) but there is discrimination towards Westerners in terms of finding apartments (landlords don't want the hassle of dealing with non-Japanese) and maybe being refused work because you don't look 'foreign' i.e. blonde hair and blue eyes. I have heard a couple of stories of non-violent moderate prejudice towards Chinese people here, but nothing major.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Some Questions Answered
I have been contacted by someone who wants to do the same thing as me, and will face the same obstacles as I did because of their age.
This post will hopefully answer their questions, and help anyone else in a similar position.
1. Is Gaba a weekend training course?
Gaba is a conversation school (eikaiwa) where I teach students. The training I was referring to in my previous posts was the school's training. It may be confusing as they refer to their teachers (like me) as 'instructors'. The busiest times at conversation schools are weekdays evenings and weekends, and you decide your own schedule at Gaba, so that's when I work.
2. How did you go about finding private students and then tutoring them? Is GABA essential to do this?
I found my private students through a company called the Foreign Instructor Centre (unfortunately I can't find their website). I found that company on GaijinPot.com and applied to them through it, and now they send me the details of prospective students usually around five times a day. When you reply to them saying you're interested in a student, you suggest a time and place for the lessons, they ask the student if they're interested too. Then they arrange an unpaid thirty-minute demo lesson between you and the student. If the student likes you, they arrange with both you and the company to meet a certain amount of times every week.
Gaba is not essential to do this. In effect, I have two jobs. I work at Gaba on weekends and weekday evenings, and meet private students at different times spread throughout weekdays.
3. Also, I did read on your blog about another job interview?
I have had several other job offers from other schools, I've lost count but it's probably close to fifteen. All of these schools found me via my 50-word advert on Jobs In Japan.com.
4. What other types of jobs would it be POSSIBLE for someone like me to get? The only one I'm aware of at the moment is working in a restaurant.
I think the best option for any native-English speaker coming to Japan is teaching English. I am 18 and started work a month after arriving, and, two weeks later I've earned around Y30,000 (£150). Gaijinpot.com advertises for all types of jobs, but the most common is definitely teaching.
5. I didn't find anything on your blog about homestays, so I'm guessing you completely scrapped it, or ignored it?
That's true, in my blog post on Accommodation I didn't mention homestays.
Honestly, this is because I had forgotten about it being a viable option. Personally, I wouldn't want to stay with a family for 10 months or so, because I would want more privacy and freedom than might be offered. However, it might be a good idea to organise one for the first few nights as they can meet you at the airport, and introduce you to the Japanese language and culture with less of a shock.
My recommendation is definitely a guesthouse, or gaijinhouse. This means you live with other foreigners and share your kitchen, bathroom and living room with them. You might have your own rooms (like me), or stay in a dormitory. I am staying with Sakura House. There is more information on how to organise monthly (it is minimum stay of one month) accommodation with them on an earlier post.
If your heart is set on a homestay, here are a few websites I've found that might be useful.
Go Japan's Homestay page (follow the links on the page)
Go Japan's Homestay advice page
Homestayweb.com (helpfully split up into area/city)
Homestay Program Index
6. I'm just wondering how you got your apartment? In terms of coming to Japan, and having that apartment already rented? (Or arranged?). Did you have that done through a website like Gaijinpot?
I arranged my guesthouse through Sakura's House website. There's more information about the best way to find what you want with them on my Accommodation post.
7. I do meet the requirements for the Working Holiday Visa, and I'm just wondering when I should apply for it?
Basically, you should apply for the visa somewhere between six months and three weeks before you want to enter Japan and enter Japan within six months of receiving the visa. It takes about one week for the visa to be issued after application. There's more information on my Visa post.
8. About the language. My Japanese is worse than shocking.
Don't worry about language ability. English is everywhere, and although I have knowledge of Japanese, none of it was practical experience, so think of what I have done so far as using English only. Ask for someone who speaks English at banks, or shops or wherever you need help, and 90% of the time, someone with be able to help you, at least in Tokyo. I have made improvements in my language ability, but have encountered difficulties and frustration, as I mentioned last week.
9. How should I set up a bank account? Is there a specific bank I can go to that will do it? (Being under 20 years old.)
The bank account was difficult, I must admit. Tokyo Mitsubishi UFJ Bank was recommended to me by Gaba, who said that I would be able to open an account there being under 20, because I would be working with them. If a company like Gaba asks you to open an account, they might be able to help you open one, like Gaba did for me. If you work with private students (not arranged through the Foreign Instructor Centre as they require a bank account) then you will be paid in cash so you don't need to worry. More information here.
10. Finally, about the mobile phone. I read on one of your blogs about needing a 20 year old to buy a mobile phone over there. Is this in every case?
As far as I know, this is in every case. Also, most phone companies are shutting down pre-paid (pay-as-you-go) services in the next few months because of crime. This is unfortunate, as the service is almost perfect for foreigners staying for a few months. I'm not sure exactly when they are being phased out totally, but they are no longer available at big-chain electronic stores or even the phone company branch shops. I had to buy mine from a convenience store.
With regard to finding someone over 20, I just asked a housemate if he knew anyone over 20 who could help me out, and I had a phone by the following evening! Sum0 (from Sum0's Japan Blog) found someone at Mickey House in Shinjuku (a language exchange cafe) who bought one for him, so maybe you could take a trip there when you arrive. Maybe my earlier post on Mobile Phones will be helpful too.
This post will hopefully answer their questions, and help anyone else in a similar position.
1. Is Gaba a weekend training course?
Gaba is a conversation school (eikaiwa) where I teach students. The training I was referring to in my previous posts was the school's training. It may be confusing as they refer to their teachers (like me) as 'instructors'. The busiest times at conversation schools are weekdays evenings and weekends, and you decide your own schedule at Gaba, so that's when I work.
2. How did you go about finding private students and then tutoring them? Is GABA essential to do this?
I found my private students through a company called the Foreign Instructor Centre (unfortunately I can't find their website). I found that company on GaijinPot.com and applied to them through it, and now they send me the details of prospective students usually around five times a day. When you reply to them saying you're interested in a student, you suggest a time and place for the lessons, they ask the student if they're interested too. Then they arrange an unpaid thirty-minute demo lesson between you and the student. If the student likes you, they arrange with both you and the company to meet a certain amount of times every week.
Gaba is not essential to do this. In effect, I have two jobs. I work at Gaba on weekends and weekday evenings, and meet private students at different times spread throughout weekdays.
3. Also, I did read on your blog about another job interview?
I have had several other job offers from other schools, I've lost count but it's probably close to fifteen. All of these schools found me via my 50-word advert on Jobs In Japan.com.
4. What other types of jobs would it be POSSIBLE for someone like me to get? The only one I'm aware of at the moment is working in a restaurant.
I think the best option for any native-English speaker coming to Japan is teaching English. I am 18 and started work a month after arriving, and, two weeks later I've earned around Y30,000 (£150). Gaijinpot.com advertises for all types of jobs, but the most common is definitely teaching.
5. I didn't find anything on your blog about homestays, so I'm guessing you completely scrapped it, or ignored it?
That's true, in my blog post on Accommodation I didn't mention homestays.
Honestly, this is because I had forgotten about it being a viable option. Personally, I wouldn't want to stay with a family for 10 months or so, because I would want more privacy and freedom than might be offered. However, it might be a good idea to organise one for the first few nights as they can meet you at the airport, and introduce you to the Japanese language and culture with less of a shock.
My recommendation is definitely a guesthouse, or gaijinhouse. This means you live with other foreigners and share your kitchen, bathroom and living room with them. You might have your own rooms (like me), or stay in a dormitory. I am staying with Sakura House. There is more information on how to organise monthly (it is minimum stay of one month) accommodation with them on an earlier post.
If your heart is set on a homestay, here are a few websites I've found that might be useful.
Go Japan's Homestay page (follow the links on the page)
Go Japan's Homestay advice page
Homestayweb.com (helpfully split up into area/city)
Homestay Program Index
6. I'm just wondering how you got your apartment? In terms of coming to Japan, and having that apartment already rented? (Or arranged?). Did you have that done through a website like Gaijinpot?
I arranged my guesthouse through Sakura's House website. There's more information about the best way to find what you want with them on my Accommodation post.
7. I do meet the requirements for the Working Holiday Visa, and I'm just wondering when I should apply for it?
Basically, you should apply for the visa somewhere between six months and three weeks before you want to enter Japan and enter Japan within six months of receiving the visa. It takes about one week for the visa to be issued after application. There's more information on my Visa post.
8. About the language. My Japanese is worse than shocking.
Don't worry about language ability. English is everywhere, and although I have knowledge of Japanese, none of it was practical experience, so think of what I have done so far as using English only. Ask for someone who speaks English at banks, or shops or wherever you need help, and 90% of the time, someone with be able to help you, at least in Tokyo. I have made improvements in my language ability, but have encountered difficulties and frustration, as I mentioned last week.
9. How should I set up a bank account? Is there a specific bank I can go to that will do it? (Being under 20 years old.)
The bank account was difficult, I must admit. Tokyo Mitsubishi UFJ Bank was recommended to me by Gaba, who said that I would be able to open an account there being under 20, because I would be working with them. If a company like Gaba asks you to open an account, they might be able to help you open one, like Gaba did for me. If you work with private students (not arranged through the Foreign Instructor Centre as they require a bank account) then you will be paid in cash so you don't need to worry. More information here.
10. Finally, about the mobile phone. I read on one of your blogs about needing a 20 year old to buy a mobile phone over there. Is this in every case?
As far as I know, this is in every case. Also, most phone companies are shutting down pre-paid (pay-as-you-go) services in the next few months because of crime. This is unfortunate, as the service is almost perfect for foreigners staying for a few months. I'm not sure exactly when they are being phased out totally, but they are no longer available at big-chain electronic stores or even the phone company branch shops. I had to buy mine from a convenience store.
With regard to finding someone over 20, I just asked a housemate if he knew anyone over 20 who could help me out, and I had a phone by the following evening! Sum0 (from Sum0's Japan Blog) found someone at Mickey House in Shinjuku (a language exchange cafe) who bought one for him, so maybe you could take a trip there when you arrive. Maybe my earlier post on Mobile Phones will be helpful too.
Books I recommend are 'Japan: A Working Holiday Guide', by Louise Southerden (this has been my bible for the last few years). In terms of teaching, I think 'How to Teach English', by Jeremy Harmer is very good.
I hope this has been helpful, and has answered any questions you have. If there are still some problems, let me know and I'll try to help you sort them out!
Some follow-up questions have been asked, so I will try to answer them as best I can.
1. I would want to stay by myself and rent my own apartment. I definitely want an apartment where I have my own kitchen etc, and not shared facilities. I checked the Sakura House website, and noticed they had apartments, as well as guesthouses and dorms. Do the apartments have shared bathroom, kitchen and living room? (I wasn't too sure from the website).
I have had a look at Sakura House's website and apartments do seem very appealing. I can't speak for all the apartment premises they offer, but the first one I checked was Nakano Heights. It includes a kitchen, bathroom and bedroom in a 17 sq metre space. The washing facilities are located outside the room so may be shared. The monthly rent is Y115,000 (£575) so it's more expensive than dormitories and guesthouses, but the cheapest apartment Sakura House offers is Y80,000 (£400). Some other apartments do have shared bathroom and kitchen facilities, and may be at the cheaper end.
2. I'll have a look on Google for other websites with apartments in Tokyo and see if I have any luck. I'll hope for finding one with no key money required and a small deposit. Any ideas?
I had a look online and found this website which offers apartments all over Tokyo. In most cases, you will need a guarantor, someone who lives in Japan and has a stable income, among other requirements, which is difficult to do! But they also offer 'Serviced Apartments', which sound easier to get into. You can choose a 'Long-stay apartment' and have a hunt through what you want. Prices seem to start at around Y80,000 (£400).
3. Also, about your answers to you teaching English. You stated you have two jobs. Gaba and private tutoring? Just wondering - how much money do you make through both of these, and how many students you have taken on / how many lessons you average out a week?
I have two private students, one I see once a week for a two hour lesson (Y2,000/hour) and the other I see three times a week for hour-long lessons (also Y2,000/hour). This comes out as Y10,000 (£50)/week from private students. On top of that, I work at Gaba for 1,400/40-minute lesson (soon to be 1,500/lesson). I aim to do 20 lessons a week at Gaba but at the moment it's more like 15. So, I suppose on average I aim to earn about Y30,000/week (£150).
For more information on money and living costs, see my post on Budgets.
A couple more questions:
1. Did you go to Gaba when you arrived in Japan for a 'certificate' ? ie. to get a job with them? Just wondering how it was, and what it involved?
Yes, what they call 'Certification' is actually just their in-house training. Once you complete the three 9-hour days of training and get at least 70% on the test at the end, you can start working for them. The test was very simple and you can use any textbooks or internet resources in the room to help you. I applied to Gaba through Gaijinpot.com and that's how I found the job.
The training basically involved sitting there for a hours on end taking notes, and then practising teaching each other, with one pretending to be a Japanese student, the other teaching them a lesson from the textbook. On the third day, we taught real Japanese people, which was more interesting.
2. I read that you do 15 lessons a week - do you get an email from Gaba with details of a student who wants lessons, then you just have to respond and confirm if you can or cannot do it? (I read something like that on one of your blog entries - was that with Gaba or your own private teaching?)
That system works for my private students. The way Gaba works is that I submit the schedule I want to work in, for example, March, on February 10th and then students book lessons online. The students do choose their teachers but I've already said that I'm okay to work that lesson, so no confirmation is needed.
3. Also, you said you aim to do 20 lessons a week. Does this mean that you get the opportunity to do more lessons? How many do you think on average you could do each week?
I can do as little or as much work as I want to. I could put myself down for every available lesson under the sun - although that would be stupid. I work the busiest times, weekday evenings and weekends, and that adds up to around 15 a week. If I worked longer hours at these times, or worked during weekdays (not much chance of getting booked here because everyone's at work!) then I could work 50-60 lessons a week. You would have to be pretty lucky to actually get booked for these times though, as you only get paid for the lessons you teach.
4. Is it completely random where a student contacts Gaba and is assigned to a random teacher, or can they choose? - can a student 'pick you' in the sense that once you teach them, they can decide if they want to have future lessons with you?
Most of the time they choose, but sometimes they are assigned to a particular teacher because the managers think they would work well together, and sometimes they say 'I don't mind' and they get put with whoever's available. And yes, in order to become popular with students at Gaba, you need to do good lessons so students come back and book your lessons!
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Alien Registration
If you are staying in Japan for more than 90 days, then you need to apply for an Alien Registration card at your current nearest city, town, village, or ward hall. If you change address, visa status or name in the time you have one you must notify your nearest visa office (it doesn't have to be the same one as you originally registered with) and they supply you with a new one. This seems crazy to me, as with the Working Holiday visa, you have to move around a lot and your address might change weekly! But never mind. I applied for mine today.
As I am residing in Chuo-ku, I had to find the Chuo ward office. I went to Tokyo's visa immigration office in Shinagawa last week in an effort to try to find the address, because I couldn't find it anywhere, and afterwards found a website with all of Tokyo's ward offices.
The visa immigration office was a real trial to find, and when I got there it was one Japanese man in an office above a convenience store, who didn't speak any English and I thought - "this doesn't seem as grand as the name suggested, this can't be the place I want" and it wasn't! But, through my garbled Japanese and frantic gesticulating, he printed me a Chuo-ku Living Guide, which not only has the ward office address inside, it has all the information about living there; including disaster procedures, education, health and transport information.
So today I took three metros (even though it's not that far away, there's no direct route) down to Tsukiji (where the famous fish market is), and found the ward office (it's right outside Exit 1). I went inside and started to fill in a yellow form on a table marked 'For foreigners', then realised it was a form for people wanting proof that they were an official alien, which I was not yet! So I sat down and waited until someone was free then went up to ask them where I should go. Turns out I was in the right place. I sat down and she talked me through it (she didn't speak much English so I used Japanese) and gave me an example of what a properly filled out form should look like. The form was quite simple, I made a couple of mistakes though. I said that 'Sakura House' was the head of the household, but it turned out that I was the head of the household. So the other people in my guesthouse need to bow down to me!! (No stereotypical pun intended there.)
She told me I needed to come back in a month to collect my Alien Registration Card, I think I may have just missed a period or something, because she kept saying "nyuu perioddo". So I have to wait a month! I have the number of the card I would be given, so maybe that will be enough for potential employers/ phone distributors but I have to say, I doubt it, as there is no guarantee that I will be granted the Alien Registration Card. Although I can't see why I wouldn't be, it's still not a definite.
So things are getting tough at the moment. I have job interviews, bank accounts and phones to sort out, and the biggest barrier at the moment is my age. No one said anything about problems with being under 20! But we shall see... time will tell. As will some phonecalls tomorrow...
As I am residing in Chuo-ku, I had to find the Chuo ward office. I went to Tokyo's visa immigration office in Shinagawa last week in an effort to try to find the address, because I couldn't find it anywhere, and afterwards found a website with all of Tokyo's ward offices.
The visa immigration office was a real trial to find, and when I got there it was one Japanese man in an office above a convenience store, who didn't speak any English and I thought - "this doesn't seem as grand as the name suggested, this can't be the place I want" and it wasn't! But, through my garbled Japanese and frantic gesticulating, he printed me a Chuo-ku Living Guide, which not only has the ward office address inside, it has all the information about living there; including disaster procedures, education, health and transport information.
So today I took three metros (even though it's not that far away, there's no direct route) down to Tsukiji (where the famous fish market is), and found the ward office (it's right outside Exit 1). I went inside and started to fill in a yellow form on a table marked 'For foreigners', then realised it was a form for people wanting proof that they were an official alien, which I was not yet! So I sat down and waited until someone was free then went up to ask them where I should go. Turns out I was in the right place. I sat down and she talked me through it (she didn't speak much English so I used Japanese) and gave me an example of what a properly filled out form should look like. The form was quite simple, I made a couple of mistakes though. I said that 'Sakura House' was the head of the household, but it turned out that I was the head of the household. So the other people in my guesthouse need to bow down to me!! (No stereotypical pun intended there.)
She told me I needed to come back in a month to collect my Alien Registration Card, I think I may have just missed a period or something, because she kept saying "nyuu perioddo". So I have to wait a month! I have the number of the card I would be given, so maybe that will be enough for potential employers/ phone distributors but I have to say, I doubt it, as there is no guarantee that I will be granted the Alien Registration Card. Although I can't see why I wouldn't be, it's still not a definite.
So things are getting tough at the moment. I have job interviews, bank accounts and phones to sort out, and the biggest barrier at the moment is my age. No one said anything about problems with being under 20! But we shall see... time will tell. As will some phonecalls tomorrow...
Thursday, November 1, 2007
Working Holiday visas
I decided that I wanted to go to Japan and teach English about three or four years ago, and slowly everything has fallen into place as the date got closer and closer.
Because I always knew I wanted to go in my gap year before University I had to find a visa that accommodated up to a year long stay but not longer.
The work visa is valid for up to three years (at the discretion of the Japanese issuing authorities) and is much more restrictive. The work visa ties you to an employer, who will probably also be your sponsor (this is very beneficial - you can get your transport costs paid and subsidised accommodation close to your workplace).
Or there was the JET (Japan Exchange Teaching) program where they will sort out your work visa for you and fly you out to Japan to work. But you have to have a Bachelor's degree in any subject or teaching qualifications, which I don't have being only 18.
By the way, most of my information here is coming from 'Japan: A Working Holiday Guide' by Louise Sutherland, which is an amazing book and I recommend it to anyone even remotely interested in Japan, but it's perfect for people wanting a Working Holiday visa like me.
So one of the last options for me was the Working Holiday visa, and I liked this idea. I've always been interested in travel, and the prospect of flying to a country I loved and travelling around and experiencing it first-hand was just incredible.
So I looked into it and found that it could actually happen!
To be eligible for a Working Holiday visa to Japan you need to be:
- from Australia, New Zealand, Canada, France, South Korea, Germany or Britain (and living in your home country when you apply for the visa)
- aged between 18 and 25 (or 30 in some cases)
- in possession of a valid passport
- in possession of a return flight ticket (or proof that you have sufficient funds to buy one)
- in possession of enough money to support you in Japan until you can find work (I am told this can take 2 months) - when I applied in September 2007 I needed to prove I had £2500
- in good health, and not have a criminal record.
So if you fit those criteria, go for it! Apply for a Working Holiday visa.
You can apply for the visa any time between six months and three weeks before you want to enter Japan. You must enter Japan in the six months after you receive the visa, otherwise it probably becomes void (although don't quote me on that) and you may not be able to get another - as you can only get one Working Holiday visa for Japan in your lifetime. Incidentally, if you leave Japan after entering on a Working Holiday visa without a re-entry permit (it will cost you ¥10,000, which is about £50 for a multiple re-entry permit but it's cheaper for single re-entry at ¥6,000).
You have to apply in person at your nearest Japanese Embassy or Consulate in your home country (see the bottom of this post for addresses and contact information).
You can call and ask for the visa application sheet to be sent to you or you can pop in and collect one in person (not convenient if you don't live anywhere near the Embassy).
I got contrasting information from several different sources about what I actually needed to include in my visa application but below is what I was actually asked for when I got to the Embassy.
- My valid passport
- One copy of my application form (collected from the Embassy - remember to specify what type of visa you want as the application form is the same for all visas) including a 2-inch x 2-inch photo that I attached to the sheet with a paperclip although they gave me glue there
- 1 CV including my Personal Information, Work Experience/Employment History and Hobbies and Interests (shockingly, my interests were very Japan orientated)
- 1 copy of an itinerary for your plans for the first 6 months of your trip (this scared me a bit because I really don't know but I wrote down where I planned to be each month, even if it was a move from Tokyo to Chiba over a month - the man at the Embassy said my application was good because I wanted to move around a lot and it is a Working Holiday visa. He also seemed impressed that I included a labelled map of my plans, although this isn't neccessary)
- 1 copy of a written reason for applying for this type of visa - I included all my interests in Japan, and my wish to travel around the country, meet the people, learn about the culture and learn the language. They seemed impressed that I had attempted to teach myself the language. He even asked me a question in Japanese - お勉強は？(O-benkyou wa?), to which I replied: "Er, something about studying?". He laughed and said, "I asked you how your studying was going." Put on the spot, the only thing I could think of saying was: いいです。(Ii desu, or 'It's good'.) Way to go Miles.
- Bank statements for each of the last three months previous to your application to prove you have at least £2,500. It doesn't matter if they are from different accounts, print-outs from Internet banking or official bank-sent ones as long as they add up to the required amount. He (I wish I knew his name, an English man at London's Japanese Embassy anyway) said it was good that he could see where my money was coming from, in my case Cadbury Schweppes.
- A special delivery pre-paid self-addressed envelope so they can return my passport to me. I weighed my passport and it was about 30g I think so that's what I paid for. My local post office was very helpful when I explained what I needed and it cost me about £3.
- £5 cash to buy the visa, very reasonable methinks (you get a receipt back with your passport).
Well, that's what I included in my application, although different Embassies may differ in requirements so it can't hurt to check their website or ring them up. Remember they probably won't be open on weekends or public holidays.
I was told I'd need duplicates of each form so I photocopied them - I didn't need them though. I didn't even need a passport photo despite the Embassy's website telling me I'd need two. They said it was easier to just use the 2-inch x 2-inch photo I supplied with my application form.
I took the coach from Birmingham (where I live) to London, luckily I don't live too far - only a 3-hour journey with National Express and it only cost me something like £15 for the day-trip down. It was very worrying as if I'd forgotten anything I needed I was pretty far from home and not really in a position to pop back and pick it up from my bed-side table. Thankfully, I hadn't forgotten anything and it all went smoothly.
I was told I'd receive my visa (it was much less like a competition than I expected, it seemed to operate on the idea that if someone met the criteria, they got the visa) a week later but it actually arrived three days early. It took me a while to find the visa inside my passport as they didn't use the first or last page inside, they seemed to choose a random one half-way through. But I got the visa, and it's very very pretty.
I was actually scared into applying earlier than I needed to (September, when I'm going in January) because I'd read they can only issue 400 visas per Japanese fiscal year (April-March) but I rang the Embassy and they said they rarely run out of visas so worry not.
Now, the rules of the Working Holiday visa.
- You can work full- or part-time but your trip must be 'deemed to be primarily a holiday'.
- You cannot work in nightclubs, bars, gambling parlours etc.
- You pay 20% income tax, although if you have private students, I don't see how they can take it from you
- The visa is single-entry, you must pay for a re-entry permit if you want to leave and come back during the period in which your visa is still valid (see above)
- The visa is valid for 6 months to start with, but you can extend it for another 6 months, to a total of 12 (or 18 if you're Australian). You have to visit your nearest Immigration office with your Alien Registration Card and ask them to extend it for you.
When I applied they also included these two rules:
- You cannot get a sponsor e.g. be employed for a year in one workplace
- You cannot organise work before you go to Japan
But it now (in 2010) seems as though they have retracted these rules, as you can apply for a year's work at companies such as Gaba from your home country.
So I hope this has been helpful if you are interested in applying for a Working Holiday visa, if you have questions you can either comment this post or email me at miles_davies@hotmail.co.uk
Embassy Addresses and Contact Information
United Kingdom:
Embassy of Japan
101-104 Piccadilly
London
W1V 9FN
Main Tel: (020) 465 6500
Visa Tel: (020) 465 6565
Website: http://www.uk.emb-japan.go.jp/
Consulate-General
2 Melville Crescent
Edinburgh
EH3 7HW
Tel: (0131) 225 4777
Ireland:
Embassy of Japan in Ireland
Nutley Building, Merrion Centre,
Nutley Lane, Dublin 4, Ireland
Tel: 01-202-8300
Canada:
Embassy of Japan in Canada
255 Sussex DriveOttawa, Ontario K1N 9E6
Tel: 613-241-8541
Website: http://www.ca.emb-japan.go.jp/
USA:
Embassy of Japan in the United States
2520 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20008
Main Tel: 202-238-6700
Visa Tel: 202-238-6800
New Zealand:
Embassy of Japan in New Zealand
Majestic Centre
100 Willis Street
Wellington
Tel: (09) 473 1540
Website: http://www.japan.org.nz/
Consulate General
ASB Bank Centre
135 Albert Street
Auckland
Tel: (09) 303 4106
Australia:
Embassy of Japan in Canberra
112 Empire Circuit, YARRALUMLA, ACT AUSTRALIA 2600
Tel: +61 2 6273 324
I am sure there are several more, particularly Consulate-Generals across the world but there are links to them from the above websites, or failing that google knows all!
Because I always knew I wanted to go in my gap year before University I had to find a visa that accommodated up to a year long stay but not longer.
The work visa is valid for up to three years (at the discretion of the Japanese issuing authorities) and is much more restrictive. The work visa ties you to an employer, who will probably also be your sponsor (this is very beneficial - you can get your transport costs paid and subsidised accommodation close to your workplace).
Or there was the JET (Japan Exchange Teaching) program where they will sort out your work visa for you and fly you out to Japan to work. But you have to have a Bachelor's degree in any subject or teaching qualifications, which I don't have being only 18.
By the way, most of my information here is coming from 'Japan: A Working Holiday Guide' by Louise Sutherland, which is an amazing book and I recommend it to anyone even remotely interested in Japan, but it's perfect for people wanting a Working Holiday visa like me.
So one of the last options for me was the Working Holiday visa, and I liked this idea. I've always been interested in travel, and the prospect of flying to a country I loved and travelling around and experiencing it first-hand was just incredible.
So I looked into it and found that it could actually happen!
To be eligible for a Working Holiday visa to Japan you need to be:
- from Australia, New Zealand, Canada, France, South Korea, Germany or Britain (and living in your home country when you apply for the visa)
- aged between 18 and 25 (or 30 in some cases)
- in possession of a valid passport
- in possession of a return flight ticket (or proof that you have sufficient funds to buy one)
- in possession of enough money to support you in Japan until you can find work (I am told this can take 2 months) - when I applied in September 2007 I needed to prove I had £2500
- in good health, and not have a criminal record.
So if you fit those criteria, go for it! Apply for a Working Holiday visa.
You can apply for the visa any time between six months and three weeks before you want to enter Japan. You must enter Japan in the six months after you receive the visa, otherwise it probably becomes void (although don't quote me on that) and you may not be able to get another - as you can only get one Working Holiday visa for Japan in your lifetime. Incidentally, if you leave Japan after entering on a Working Holiday visa without a re-entry permit (it will cost you ¥10,000, which is about £50 for a multiple re-entry permit but it's cheaper for single re-entry at ¥6,000).
You have to apply in person at your nearest Japanese Embassy or Consulate in your home country (see the bottom of this post for addresses and contact information).
You can call and ask for the visa application sheet to be sent to you or you can pop in and collect one in person (not convenient if you don't live anywhere near the Embassy).
I got contrasting information from several different sources about what I actually needed to include in my visa application but below is what I was actually asked for when I got to the Embassy.
- My valid passport
- One copy of my application form (collected from the Embassy - remember to specify what type of visa you want as the application form is the same for all visas) including a 2-inch x 2-inch photo that I attached to the sheet with a paperclip although they gave me glue there
- 1 CV including my Personal Information, Work Experience/Employment History and Hobbies and Interests (shockingly, my interests were very Japan orientated)
- 1 copy of an itinerary for your plans for the first 6 months of your trip (this scared me a bit because I really don't know but I wrote down where I planned to be each month, even if it was a move from Tokyo to Chiba over a month - the man at the Embassy said my application was good because I wanted to move around a lot and it is a Working Holiday visa. He also seemed impressed that I included a labelled map of my plans, although this isn't neccessary)
- 1 copy of a written reason for applying for this type of visa - I included all my interests in Japan, and my wish to travel around the country, meet the people, learn about the culture and learn the language. They seemed impressed that I had attempted to teach myself the language. He even asked me a question in Japanese - お勉強は？(O-benkyou wa?), to which I replied: "Er, something about studying?". He laughed and said, "I asked you how your studying was going." Put on the spot, the only thing I could think of saying was: いいです。(Ii desu, or 'It's good'.) Way to go Miles.
- Bank statements for each of the last three months previous to your application to prove you have at least £2,500. It doesn't matter if they are from different accounts, print-outs from Internet banking or official bank-sent ones as long as they add up to the required amount. He (I wish I knew his name, an English man at London's Japanese Embassy anyway) said it was good that he could see where my money was coming from, in my case Cadbury Schweppes.
- A special delivery pre-paid self-addressed envelope so they can return my passport to me. I weighed my passport and it was about 30g I think so that's what I paid for. My local post office was very helpful when I explained what I needed and it cost me about £3.
- £5 cash to buy the visa, very reasonable methinks (you get a receipt back with your passport).
Well, that's what I included in my application, although different Embassies may differ in requirements so it can't hurt to check their website or ring them up. Remember they probably won't be open on weekends or public holidays.
I was told I'd need duplicates of each form so I photocopied them - I didn't need them though. I didn't even need a passport photo despite the Embassy's website telling me I'd need two. They said it was easier to just use the 2-inch x 2-inch photo I supplied with my application form.
I took the coach from Birmingham (where I live) to London, luckily I don't live too far - only a 3-hour journey with National Express and it only cost me something like £15 for the day-trip down. It was very worrying as if I'd forgotten anything I needed I was pretty far from home and not really in a position to pop back and pick it up from my bed-side table. Thankfully, I hadn't forgotten anything and it all went smoothly.
I was told I'd receive my visa (it was much less like a competition than I expected, it seemed to operate on the idea that if someone met the criteria, they got the visa) a week later but it actually arrived three days early. It took me a while to find the visa inside my passport as they didn't use the first or last page inside, they seemed to choose a random one half-way through. But I got the visa, and it's very very pretty.
I was actually scared into applying earlier than I needed to (September, when I'm going in January) because I'd read they can only issue 400 visas per Japanese fiscal year (April-March) but I rang the Embassy and they said they rarely run out of visas so worry not.
Now, the rules of the Working Holiday visa.
- You can work full- or part-time but your trip must be 'deemed to be primarily a holiday'.
- You cannot work in nightclubs, bars, gambling parlours etc.
- You pay 20% income tax, although if you have private students, I don't see how they can take it from you
- The visa is single-entry, you must pay for a re-entry permit if you want to leave and come back during the period in which your visa is still valid (see above)
- The visa is valid for 6 months to start with, but you can extend it for another 6 months, to a total of 12 (or 18 if you're Australian). You have to visit your nearest Immigration office with your Alien Registration Card and ask them to extend it for you.
When I applied they also included these two rules:
- You cannot get a sponsor e.g. be employed for a year in one workplace
- You cannot organise work before you go to Japan
But it now (in 2010) seems as though they have retracted these rules, as you can apply for a year's work at companies such as Gaba from your home country.
So I hope this has been helpful if you are interested in applying for a Working Holiday visa, if you have questions you can either comment this post or email me at miles_davies@hotmail.co.uk
Embassy Addresses and Contact Information
United Kingdom:
Embassy of Japan
101-104 Piccadilly
London
W1V 9FN
Main Tel: (020) 465 6500
Visa Tel: (020) 465 6565
Website: http://www.uk.emb-japan.go.jp/
Consulate-General
2 Melville Crescent
Edinburgh
EH3 7HW
Tel: (0131) 225 4777
Ireland:
Embassy of Japan in Ireland
Nutley Building, Merrion Centre,
Nutley Lane, Dublin 4, Ireland
Tel: 01-202-8300
Canada:
Embassy of Japan in Canada
255 Sussex DriveOttawa, Ontario K1N 9E6
Tel: 613-241-8541
Website: http://www.ca.emb-japan.go.jp/
USA:
Embassy of Japan in the United States
2520 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20008
Main Tel: 202-238-6700
Visa Tel: 202-238-6800
New Zealand:
Embassy of Japan in New Zealand
Majestic Centre
100 Willis Street
Wellington
Tel: (09) 473 1540
Website: http://www.japan.org.nz/
Consulate General
ASB Bank Centre
135 Albert Street
Auckland
Tel: (09) 303 4106
Australia:
Embassy of Japan in Canberra
112 Empire Circuit, YARRALUMLA, ACT AUSTRALIA 2600
Tel: +61 2 6273 324
I am sure there are several more, particularly Consulate-Generals across the world but there are links to them from the above websites, or failing that google knows all!
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
Nice to meet you
Hello!
I have set up this blog to provide advice for others doing similar things to me, maybe receive advice from others and allow people to follow me on this crazy journey that I have started.
To fill you in, I am on my gap year now, I am 18 and I have been obsessed with Japan since 2003. I have been teaching myself Japanese and doing absolutely anything possible to prepare myself for going to Japan in January 2008. I can read and write hiragana, katakana and around 200 kanji. It's been difficult to teach myself around my GCSEs and A-levels but nowhere near impossible. It's proof that you can do anything if you put your mind to it and you're motivated enough to go through with something. And of course that Japanese is not as hard to learn as a lot of people make out!
My plan is to go to Japan on the 6th January 2008 and teach English on a working holiday visa (I will post some advice for anyone wanting to apply for this type of visa soon) while travelling around the country, getting to know the culture, people and language.
Then I will return to the UK on 7th August 2008 in time for University in Leeds, where I will study English and Japanese. And hopefully have a big head start!
So stick with me if you're interested and I'll keep you updated about everything I'm doing in preparation for the trip and then my experiences in Japan.
I have set up this blog to provide advice for others doing similar things to me, maybe receive advice from others and allow people to follow me on this crazy journey that I have started.
To fill you in, I am on my gap year now, I am 18 and I have been obsessed with Japan since 2003. I have been teaching myself Japanese and doing absolutely anything possible to prepare myself for going to Japan in January 2008. I can read and write hiragana, katakana and around 200 kanji. It's been difficult to teach myself around my GCSEs and A-levels but nowhere near impossible. It's proof that you can do anything if you put your mind to it and you're motivated enough to go through with something. And of course that Japanese is not as hard to learn as a lot of people make out!
My plan is to go to Japan on the 6th January 2008 and teach English on a working holiday visa (I will post some advice for anyone wanting to apply for this type of visa soon) while travelling around the country, getting to know the culture, people and language.
Then I will return to the UK on 7th August 2008 in time for University in Leeds, where I will study English and Japanese. And hopefully have a big head start!
So stick with me if you're interested and I'll keep you updated about everything I'm doing in preparation for the trip and then my experiences in Japan.
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