Hacking Japan

[mytimeisnow]

Anyone have any advice for living in japan for a mini retirement?
Tim said he was going to post a blog about it.
But it hasnt happened yet :(

Any advice?
preferable in Okinawa or Tokyo (rappongi or shinjuku)?

Cheers

[kamakiri]

I would be happy to answer any specific questions you have. It is an interesting choice of locations though. Tokyo is huge and expensive, while Okinawa is a backwater military town. Roppongi is also the
most expensive place on the earth to live, so if you are flush with cash that might be the place to be, but otherwise move right on by. It really is a good place to visit, but you don't want to live there. A 4 bedroom apartment in Roppongi 4 Chome is about $23,000 (2.3 million yen) a month in rent, just to give you an idea.

One thing about mini-retirements, it is not where you go, it is about what you do and how you fill the time. What kind of goals did you have for coming to Japan? Anything you wanted to see? (the Daibutsu of Nara, the golden shrine in Kyoto,...). What did you want to do? (Tim has studied kendo and archery).

[mytimeisnow]

I can speak japanese fluently. I did a home stay there.

I would like to spend a few months there.

I found some rental apartments for 120000 yen a month in roppangi.

Any advace for living in Japan cheap rentals ect.

My prevous stay was in tochigi ken the ashikaga area I would be looking to stay in the citiy for my mini retirement.

[dada]

Purpose is key here to determine where you want to hang. Your language abilities could certainly take you far if living on the cheap is essential. Room and board in exchange for your Gaijin bilingual abilities is an option. Ever taught Engrish?

[mytimeisnow]

I would like to study more of the language.
Reading (kanji ect).
I would also like to go out and enjoy the nightlife.

So maybe a Japanese language school.

any thoughts? ideas?

[rfantasy]

japan is amazing

people are nice, beautiful everything, great food,

i have been 5 times, will be going back, going to try to rev up my speaking skills

[TimW]

japan is amazing

people are nice, beautiful everything, great food,

i have been 5 times, will be going back, going to try to rev up my speaking skills

Try living there. Then it becomes just like everywhere else...full of things you like and hate, that are ugly and beautiful, people who are nice and buttheads.

I lived in Tokyo for about a year and a half, on a local salary teaching English, about a 30 minute walk from Shinjuku station. I do not regret for one second doing that, but if I go back, it will be as a tourist, doiing touristy things, and staying with friends or in real hotels.

:D