New ALT coming in, in about six weeks. Really excited, but have a question about how difficult it is to… do… things. I’m starting to wonder if my company is exaggerating the difficulty level, or if I’m being massively overconfident.
I can understand them saying it’s too difficult to rent an apartment on my own, as I don’t have a guarantor and there’s likely a lot of legalese to deal with.
But, is it really too difficult to buy a phone, or furniture, or a futon, or sign up for internet, or open a bank account?
These are all things the company is heavily suggesting I can’t do on my own, and should do through them only (for which they’ll take a cut, of course). Is this valid, or can I politely tell them I’ll be fine on my own for these things?
6 comments
Some threads from r/teachinginjapan:
[https://www.reddit.com/r/teachinginjapan/comments/10et4es/should_i_take_interacs_leopalace_arrangement/](https://www.reddit.com/r/teachinginjapan/comments/10et4es/should_i_take_interacs_leopalace_arrangement/)
[https://www.reddit.com/r/teachinginjapan/comments/x352f0/a_few_questions_about_interac_help_please_and/](https://www.reddit.com/r/teachinginjapan/comments/x352f0/a_few_questions_about_interac_help_please_and/)
[https://www.reddit.com/r/teachinginjapan/comments/tnl6hj/interac_teaching_as_of_2022/](https://www.reddit.com/r/teachinginjapan/comments/tnl6hj/interac_teaching_as_of_2022/)
[https://www.reddit.com/r/teachinginjapan/comments/tch42f/question_for_those_who_have_left_interac_and/](https://www.reddit.com/r/teachinginjapan/comments/tch42f/question_for_those_who_have_left_interac_and/)
Phone and Bank account could be tricky. Phone companies may be hesitant to let you get a new phone and pay in monthly installments, although if you have your own phone and you only need a Sim card, then it shouldnt be an issue.
Bank accounts, may also be difficult in that some banks require you to stay a certain time before letting you open an account.
Furniture, internet service is pretty much no issue.
It all depends. When I first moved here, I got a bank account, a phone number + internet, and my own place relatively hassle free (the bank + phone number were the hardest to get because you have to have a bank account to get a phone number BUT you need to have a phone number to register your bank account!) I just ended up using a Google Voice number until I got my real phone. My company gave me the same spiel about how difficult it was to get and how I should go into a share house but honestly, I’m glad I did it my way. Just my two cents
The difficultly level depends on lots of different things including how much Japanese you can speak.
The lower your Japanese level, the more time it will take you to do things on your own. Looking up things in advanced will make things easier. Make notes of words in Japanese for what you want to do, and make sure that you have all of the required documents. The more you prepare, the easier it will be for staff to help you. Try to prepare before you move, print out stuff, organize it and have it all ready to go.
I think it helps to be self aware of your abilities in general. Moving to a new country can be a big change for some depending on their past experiences. For some, it might be fun to challenge themselves while saving money. For others, just paying more to have the company help will cut down on some of the stresses of adjusting to a new environment.
Besides the apartment, you most likely can do everything on your own… but is it worth it while adjusting to a new country while working full time with work hours that make it possible difficult to go to like a bank during opening hours? Just something to think about.
I assume you’ll be asking more of these type of questions when you get here. You need to include more information. Where will you be placed? What’s your Japanese level? There are so many unknowns that it is pretty pointless to try and help. The simple answer is yes, it is difficult.
Probably not as difficult as they say. Interac is all about entrapment. Get you to pay massive fees for things that you could have done otherwise. Really depends on your area as well. First time in Japan and deep in the countryside then yeah you pretty much will need their help with everything. A major city on the other hand is much easier.