TL;DR:
I am a Greek man who studies in the UK for a Bachelor's in Criminology and I want to get a Master's degree in either International Relations or Politics. I decided to do it in Japan, because I have an interest and would like to see up close, the history, culture and language, as well as because my girlfriend is from there and it would satiate both my curiosity to see how Japan is as a country and also provide me with a more easy way of integrating, but I am worried if I will fit into the society and if there will be any way of, if I want to wok there with my degrees, to do so.
Intro:
Hello all. I am kinda new to writing reddit posts, so sorry in advance for any mistakes made here. In this post Ii will lay out my plans and reasons of why I want to move to Japan, in order to get some opinions on how realistic it would be for me to have this goal. Let me also preface, by saying that in this post, I will let everything bare, since I want honest answers and that I am not necessarily thinking of staying there forever, since I don't know if I will like the country and I am not going there expecting to find paradise on Earth, or anime-land.
Myself:
I am a 22M, currently studying Criminology in the UK (from where, I can't wait to get out of), which I finish this December. After that I am going to join the Greek military for 9 months, since I am Greek and service is mandatory, where I am also going to try and serve in the special forces (it's an option for your service and I am mentioning it, because it will be added to my CV as a certification if I succeed), since I am into these things and quite athletic as a person. After exiting the military, I was thinking of doing a Master's degree in International Relations, or Politics and post exploring my options, I concluded, that Japan might be a good place to do this, since unlike other countries that I was considering, like the UK, France and Belgium, I have more reasons than just education to want to go there. Also, from a discussion I had with a professor at my Uni, who has lived in Japan and Korea for a big part of her life, she told me that if I want to move there at any point in my life, it would be a good idea to do it as a student, since the assimilation into the culture, would be more stable and easy. Therefore, I would kinda be killing two birds with one stone (both getting to go to Japan and also getting my Master's). For those also wondering about my Japanese level, I am currently at an N5 level, trying to get the N4. By the time I go to Japan, I should be N4 or N3. My hobbies are going to the gym, skiing, reading books and scuba-diving.
Reasons on why Japan:
Firstly, I have been a huge Japanese history fan, and traditional culture admirer since my teens. I have read many books and done research on both the subjects, and the more I read about them, the more I enjoy it. Secondly, my girlfriend whom I met about a year ago, also happens to be from Japan, and is the sweetest person I have been in a relationship with. Unfortunately, she had to go back to Japan, since her exchange program ended, however, we decided to keep a long distance relationship and see how it goes (for those who might think that she was the catalyst and that all this is just because I am love-crazed, let me say that I was having these plans before I met her). Thirdly, I would like to experience a different culture and lifestyle, compared to what I have been exposed to, in order to learn more new viewpoints and gain a multitude of perspectives when it comes to life. In theory (and I say that because in practice, I don't know if I will actually like it), I really admire the disciplined and rule led societal way that Japanese people have. Lastly, some smaller reasons, why I want to go to Japan, have to do with the fact that from what I learned, its a great place for my hobbies, and I won't completely deny that popular culture depictions (movies, anime etc) have played a small role as well.
The Universities I am considering:
Kyushu
Waseda
Tohoku
Tsukuba
I am open to suggestions, if anyone here knows any better options for the degrees I mentioned, I am open to suggestions.
Expectations, Worries and Possibilities:
I have done some research and noticed a trend when it comes to people moving to Japan, which is that they go there with noting but romanticism and unrealistic expectations, as well as no plans, in regards to jobs etc. Now, I have thought that going there I would like to find a part time job as an English teacher, which combined with some passive income, I have managed to create for myself, would yield me a very good budget, in order to both pay for my University and life expenses, so money is not something I am worried about. My main worries are whether I will fit into the culture and society and whether I will get something worthwhile for this huge step. As I mentioned above, as a person, I will definitely satiate some inner goals, but the practicality of the degree and the cost of this move, is what makes me think twice. also, could I find a job with the degrees I have long term, or if I liked the country and wanted to stay there, I would have to be forced into the salaryman culture, which sounds harder than the military. Also people have told me that in Japan, drinking is a big part of the culture and since I don't dink I thought it might make my assimilation more difficult. These are my main concerns when it comes to this move and whether I should make it or not.
Thank you to all those who read through this long post and thanks in advance for the reply's. I am looking forward to reading them and hopefully, my goals don't sound too unrealistic. Have a great day everyone.
by No_Water_7283
2 comments
I am a native Japanese who started Reddit recently.
I am not familiar with the situation of migrants, but I will write down some of what I can say from my limited knowledge and experience. Please forgive me for my mistakes in English.
When it comes to choosing a university, all the candidates you mention are wonderful universities famous among Japanese people. I can see that you did a lot of research beforehand.
Kyushu University is one of the seven most prestigious national universities in Japan. Perhaps the biggest advantage of going to Kyushu University is its location. Fukuoka is one of the most well-established cities in Japan and has a rich international character because it has historically been a trading city with Korea and china. Kyushu is known as a conservative place, but I think living in fukuoka is a rather good choice if you are worried about integrating into the local culture.
Waseda University is one of the most famous private universities in Japan. It is famous for the brilliant work of its graduates and for its connection with journalism. My father and many of my friends are graduates here. It is also famous for its active research in international relations, so it is a good decision considering your master’s field. Needless to say, Tokyo is the largest city in Japan, and you will never get bored. However, Waseda University is notorious for its students’ drinking culture. The closer you get to Waseda University, the higher the percentage of restaurants that are closed to Waseda University students. It is a standard joke that when students from other universities have trouble drinking, they call themselves Waseda students. It is also common knowledge that private universities are more expensive than national universities. However, the tuition situation of foreign students may be different from that of Japanese students.
Along with Kyushu University, Tohoku University is one of the most prestigious national universities in Japan. It has a particularly strong reputation for its academia, and in recent years it has been selected by the Japanese government as a target for a university fund to strengthen its research capabilities. Sendai is the capital of the Date family, one of the most powerful clans of the Edo period, and is still the center of the entire Tohoku region today. It is a very attractive place, but in my opinion it is one step behind Tokyo and fukuoka.
The University of Tsukuba is also a national university with a reputation for academism. It is especially known for its unique students who do not fit into a fixed frame. I have the impression that people who are ridiculously smart but somewhat strange will go on to this university. It is probably easier to integrate into the University of Tsukuba than it is to integrate into Japanese culture. However, Tsukuba is a city with little entertainment, so it is not an attractive place to live. I have heard rumors before that the students at Tsukuba University are sexually because they have nothing else to do.
In my opinion, Kyushu or Waseda would be good.
I think your concerns can be summarized in two points, work and assimilation. My advice is to join a big company rather than a small one. Also, please avoid owner-operator companies at all costs. They are literally medieval feudal lords, they are horrible.
When it comes to assimilation, language skills are crucial. I am a Chinese-Japanese, and the Chinese are the most disliked foreigners in Japan. And although people can easily guess from my name that I am of Chinese descent, I have never been discriminated against before. I am probably lucky, but the main reason is that I speak fluent Japanese.
Also, if you are going to Kyusyu or Tohoku, a local accent can be a very powerful advantage. The local people use a common Japanese dialect when conversing with strangers, and a local dialect when conversing with locals, so if you can use a dialect at least a little, you can dramatically reduce your distance from the local Inner Circle.
Reading the text, I understand very well that you are an excellent person blessed with ability and will. It is an honor for us to receive someone like you. Good luck!
>… currently studying Criminology in the UK
Sorry, but a Criminology degree has almost no value in Japan except *maybe* to qualify you for a minimum wage job teaching English (non-native speakers of English have a harder time getting finding appropriate/non-exploitive teaching posts).
>My main worries are whether I will fit into the culture and society… I don’t drink I thought it might make my assimilation more difficult
You’re an alien. You don’t “fit”. You won’t be assimilated as much as Japanese people can accommodate you and can allow you a comfortable life—Or not.
>…I was thinking of doing a Master’s degree in International Relations, or Politics …as a person, I will definitely satiate some inner goals, but the practicality of the degree and the cost of this move
Right off the bat, a Master’s in Anything is not in Japan is not as good as Experience in Something in Demand. Master’s degrees are not particularly valued in Japanese business, and Japanese academia expects you to have Ph.D. (for the handful of beyond-rare posts hiring a gaijin).
When is the last time anyone has seen a Japanese job offer *looking for* a person with Master’s degree in International Relations, or Politics?
A Japanese Master’s in Int’l Relations might get you a hyper-rare position in your country’s embassy in Japan, but in Japan ????