So basically, I don’t do much of anything at home. I’m 23 and have been very much depressed and without motivation for a very long time. I’m writing this post to help change that though. I fell in love with Japan about 2 years ago, I’ve even been studying on and off again the language. I’m still only on Hiragana though. I have a high school diploma but never went to college. By way of skills, I don’t have many honestly.
I’m asking you guys, realistically, what can I do to help facilitate moving to Japan? What skills/educations can I learn or improve upon to help me make my dream come true? Like I said, I lack motivation to do anything but I do find myself being passionate about Japan and think I can I can finally do something for myself and my future if I chase after something I love. Any help is appreciated.
EDIT: A lot of people here think I’m idealizing Japan as a a cure for my depression which is wrong. If I in any way conveyed that, I’m sorry, it wasn’t my intention. I of course will deal with my problems while I’m in my current country. I only see Japan as my end goal and working hard to get myself there is my way to combat my mental issues. The journey/struggle to get to japan=help for my health. Japan=I’m here because I’m (at the very least) stable.
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Go to university. Get a degree. Study IT. Visit Japan in breaks. You might find that you hate the place when you actually get here.
Take your energy and passion that you have for Japan, and apply it to something that will allow you to come here. If you’re doing nothing right now, start community college and work towards at least a two year degree and work from there. Little steps. Be glad that you have a passion for something! Life is a lot more than your current temporary fleeting moment, so plan and take steps towards morphing your current direction into the life you want to pursue.
If you are “useless” and “depressed”, Japanese citizens will treat you with repulsion or confusion, at best. Fact.
This country is not big on mental health awareness and it might not be for you at this stage in your life. America, for example, is far more accommodating and open about mental health struggles. Maybe get help there then consider Japan. And be sure to read up on the realities of Japanese culture before making any sudden leaps.
1. Get your degree.
2. Deal with your depression.
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If you have studied for 2 years and are only on hiragana then forget about anything until you get yourself sorted out. Try some medication. Antidepressants, adderal, whatever. The culture of Japan demands contribution and performance, not half-assed wishywashyness. Stay in coddling America if that is who you want to be.
Hey listen, first don’t commit to to the idea of going to Japan. It is not as simple as learning Hira/a few Kanji and then you’ll succeed.
Second, the worst thing a person can do with depression is go abroad, because that is not going to fix anything. You’re going to be alone, with no skill in the language, in a culture that is so ridiculously romanticized by the internet that its a meme at this point. To fix depression is not an easy thing, you need to introspect your life and see what you can to improve it. Yes it is easier than done, but there are many different ways to tackle it. Meditation, own a pet, exercise, volunteering. If you don’t do much at home, then you have free time to make yourself marketable. Learn a skill, a hobby, if you try something and don’t like it its fine, do something else until you find something you like. That will help with the depression.
Visit Japan a couple of times with a friend, or even alone when you have time and money. There are things about Japan to love, and things to dislike and perhaps abhor, just like any other country.
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Don’t go IT in Japan though, trust me, its not as fun as it sounds.
The government has many resources available to make higher education available for you. You don’t have to go to a four year to begin with, try a two year which will be cheaper and more convenient. Try a trade school and learn something in demand.
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The world is an oyster but you have to do your own part to claim the pearl.
Ive got bad news for you, if its taken you two years and you still dont know hiragana you are already a lost cause.
Hiragana should take two days if you properly study them. Two weeks if you fuck around. Two years is ridiculous.
Unless you’re rich, or good looking enough white guy to marry a gaijin hunting Japanese woman, you’re pretty much out of luck. Fix yourself by seeing a counselor or doctor first. If you’re depressed now, Japan will drive you over the edge.
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What makes you think you can get cured in Japan? Here’s an advice, if you have an actual problem get help, go to college, get a degree and then think. Japan isn’t rainbows and unicorns, it’s expensive and if you want to be the typical English teacher who stays in Japan then do it. I highly advise to stay away from teaching English this country isn’t going to be kind to you in the long run.
When you move your internal problems move with you.
Seems you’re idealizing Japan as a cure to all your problems but it will not solve your problems, and being depressed in Japan is worse than being depressed in your own country. Others have given you good advice below.
Get a degree and fix yourself before coming to Japan.
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Get a degree, and get into JET. It’s the quickest path to japan.
But you? Don’t do that. You’re not in the right mind to do it. You need to sort yourself out first before even considering moving to a new nation far away without any contacts and things of the sort. You move to japan now? It’ll be a disaster.
Funny, I just watched this a few minutes ago. Not meant to be a dig, but it’s the truth. Take care of yourself first; mental issues in a country so far away from friends, family, comfort food, and any level of familiarity can multiply themselves.
https://youtu.be/TbwlC2B-BIg
OP, the same for me when I was you age. You should understand only one important thing: **it’s result of hormones**. It’s normal. You have not real depression but it’s a result of your internal chemistry.
What to do? This age is perfect to improve itself, to become very good in some profession. Second: find real friend, for friendship, for love, for sex. What about Japan: first you should go to Japan as tourist. Multiple times. As idea: find some person – for joint tour to Japan! You can use Internet for this, there are Web-sites where peoples are looking for friends for joint tours to some country. It can be experienced girl who has been to Japan. You can try to looking in some language learning centers, use Web.
Hey man, this honestly made me feel bad.
I know what place you’re at, maybe go save up and do language school and year or travel, anything to get your lust for life and motivation back.
After that, you’ll have a clearer head. Seriously, seek some help though and take simple steps that you can.
I know the people on here sound negative but they mean well and don’t want you to end up worse than you already are.
Take care yourself bro, I really wish you the best of luck.
Bye now.
Can’t realistically do anything here without a college degree. Get that
Otherwise you will need to spend quite a bit of money to live there, being a student etc.
If your family is well to do, you can even get your uni degree in Japan.
It depends.
You can go into IT and have a company hire you, but I think it would be incredibly hard while you are not in Japan.
If you pay for language classes in Japan, and then find a job while you are here then that could work.
But you would need to do a list of things in order to do so.
Also, if you can learn coding/programming you would be kinda set.
However, I don’t know enough about immigration laws to be certain, but this is only from what I’ve heard so far.
Post-edit post:
>Japan as my end goal
Again, why is this a thing for you? Even people with supposedly “normal” minds who get obsessed with Japan and move over here end up tearing themselves in half because they’ve built up this mystical wonderland in their heads beforehand, and when they get here they find, and brace yourself because this might shock you, a regular old country filled with regular old people going about their boring everyday lives in cities and towns just like everywhere else*. It is not like anime, it is not like manga, it sure as fuck is not like how every worthless vlogger is trying to make it out to be. It’s just a place, and if you are expecting some kind of oriental theme park then you’re going to relapse at the end of your first month.
* *but in Japan!!*
Save money, go on vacation. And take care of that depression. You don’t need to move, you may hate it
1. For most visas except student you would need a college degree. Either get one here or get one there.
2. Japan doesn’t accommodate mental illness very well. Care would not be covered by insurance and you won’t be able to expect the people around you to understand what depression really means.
3. Be sure you go just to visit first.
Okay, I have lived and worked there, and I have good and bad news for you.
The bad news is, the Japan you see through media isn’t the Japan you will live in at all, look at it that way, is the US anything like Hollywood movies show it?
The other bad news is, with no real skills you won’t be able to do much right off the bat, especially that it seems you don’t speak Japanese either.
Now for the somewhat good news, you are only 23, you can apply for scholarships to study in Japan, look for options, see what you want to do there (other than working in anime, that’s a dead end) going to Japan as a student may be a good beginning.
As for your depression, I think that needs professional help.
I’m not sure where people get this idea living in japan will cure their depression. I live in a city that isn’t Tokyo and it’s fucking lonely. Luckily I have a wife and my sister lives not too far away. Otherwise shits gonna make your depression worse.
I don’t think you can handle it bro. But, my advice to you as some career direction if you want to really give it a try, get a TOFEL or a TESOL which is that stupid bullshit teaching license people get as an alternative to a 4 year college degree which basically certifies you as a teaching English as a second language instructor. You can use it to get a job with shitty companies like Interac where you can become a dancing monkey English teacher who works for peanuts and will be placed in rural bumble fuck Japan which is just depressing in itself. However, you are still really young man so it may be a good stepping stone for you just to get some experience if you really wanna be an English teacher in Japan 10 years from now still making shit pay. Good luck man, I really mean that and just do your best
As someone who studied abroad in Japan for a year while having [at the time] undiagnosed depression and anxiety, take care of yourself first.
I had an amazing time and would love to return to visit or stay, but I missed out on so much because I was in such a sorry state. Also, getting help for that in Japan is not recommended as their mental health sector is straight garbo.
Anyways, seriously try to study the language. If you’re that interested, take some language classes or even consider looking into research/anthropology degrees since you seem to be interested in the culture. No matter what you do, to be in Japan, or any country, as a working adult, you must bring something of value and use to that country first.
A change of scenery is always good, but a good state of mind and a change of self is what makes it truly effective.
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While “leaving your home country won’t fix your mental issues” is good advice it doesn’t mean it won’t do anything for you. When I was 25 I went on a 1 year Working Holiday Visa to Japan after having had to put my studies on hold due to depression and lack of motivation, and it was by far one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. While it didn’t completely resolve my mental issues they didn’t resurface for a long time, and not until after I returned home. My own depression is caused (probably) by classic millennial feelings of dissatisfaction with society mixed with loneliness. At this moment I am myself looking for a way to go back to Japan, more permanently. In Japan (at least in and around Osaka) I already have a great social network that helped me not feel lonely last time I was there. For some reason I don’t have an as good social network in my home country, but being unemployed and yet again unable to finish my studies I think I know the reason for why. As for society, living in a country where you have no real say in society was a big relief for me (not to say I gave up on my values).
So it’s not impossible to escape some of your issues by moving. And if your Japanese skills aren’t great, there are plenty foreigners that hang out in places that other foreigners frequent. My own social network in Osaka consists mainly of other foreigners with a few good Japanese friends. Keep in mind that I got incredibly lucky with a series of things and there are no guarantees that Japan will become for you what it has for me, or that you will be as lucky as I was with meeting the right people and getting the right job. All this being said, I am not accrediting my positive experience to Japan itself because it could have happened anywhere in the world, but my initial interest in the country, the culture and the language is why I chose to go there. The moral just is that a change of scenery can be part of the solution to your issues. But again, I want to emphasize that it is far from guaranteed.
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if youre useless where you are youre gonna be useless in japan too