Hello everyone, it’s my first time writing here on Reddit and if i make any mistakes, forgive me.
I’m 33 years old, i haven’t graduated, i specialized through training courses in advertising/editorial graphics and 3D graphics. I have been working as a freelancer for several years as job opportunities in my country are close to zero and my type of work is not even remotely appreciated or valued.
So, within 1-2 years i would like to learn the Japanese language with an intensive 2-year course at a language school (i have several in mind) however my goal is to work and live in Japan, get out of my country natal, Italy, and possibly never go back there.
I will have as Gogonihon who will act as a third person between me and the language school/senmon gakko but of course I will be 90% alone and im absolutely totally okay with that.
I’ve already been learning the basics of the language for a few months (i’ve finished hiragana and katakana and i’m starting kanji and grammar) however many doubts have come to my mind.
**The doubts in question essentially concern the effective possibility of working and living in dignity and independently in Japan.** The senmon gakko prepare for a myriad of different job roles and allow (in theory) almost immediate entry into the world of work, but only for the specific job for which one has studied.Therefore, if i managed to find employment in a company and then it went bankrupt or fired me for some absurd reason, i would immediately have to return to my country with no possibility of finding employment elsewhere in Japan, right?
I’ve done my math and the costs are high, still i’ve put enough money aside to afford 4 years between language school and senmon gakko (and all living expenses) but i’m terrified that this could become a gigantic gamble with no guarantees.
In all honesty i am willing to carry out work even outside the graphic field (my field of work) in order to leave my country and live my life in Japan, i am ready to make the necessary sacrifices but i am sincerely scared, not to go far away (indeed that’s the good part) but not being able to stay and wasting time and money set aside for years.
I’ve searched everywhere on the web for info on my own doubts but the opinions are terribly conflicting… one person says one thing and the other says the opposite. I read of people who don’t even know the Japanese language yet live in Japan peacefully (how they do it I have no idea), people who despite qualifications and work skills are forced to leave for unexplained reasons… in short, i haven’t been able to find valid references.
Some say that a degree (even generic) is essential to have a work visa but there are also many people who have obtained a work visa without particular work skills or degrees… obviously i cannot give the details of these people and perhaps there is something else behind them, i dont know.
What i know is that i no longer want to stay in my country, for a series of personal reasons that i won’t list here (and i’m sure you’re not in the slightest interested). And in any case there is no work, corruption is rampant and taxes exceed salaries.
\*Why Japan? I have always been fascinated by that country and I got to study its culture and travel there twice in 2018 and 2019 for three weeks each.
\*Why do you want to leave Italy? As already mentioned, these are personal problems and the family sphere is also involved in them, so it is not a question devoted solely to the working sphere. Also if you believe that Italy is as you see it on postcards, you are greatly mistaken, greatly (no country its perfect of course but Italy… well you get it).
\*Why not a university instead of a senmon gakko? A university would require 4 years minimum and i am already old now for the modern society and i will be even more old once all my studies have been completed. Furthermore, a university would not allow immediate entry into the world of work since it would still be a more generic and less specific type of education than that of a senmon gakko. Furthermore, i no longer have the mental capacity to apply myself to a series of courses and exams of which i will need, in the working sphere, yes and no 40% (im a pratical person).
\*Why didn’t you make this life choice earlier when you were younger? I didn’t have the money, the time possibilities, i didn’t have much freedom due to very old-fashioned mentality parents who still want me to stay close to them (to be their servant). Now im tired to be a slave of this life and i want to make a change, a real one.
Im sorry for the wall of text and some grammar mistake i could have done for sure inside the thread, i just hope somebody could help me clarify my doubts or giving me some useful info. Thanks in advance.
11 comments
This is a copy of your post for archive/search purposes.
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**Senmon Gakko, life change and doubts**
Hello everyone, it’s my first time writing here on Reddit and if i make any mistakes, forgive me.
I’m 33 years old, i haven’t graduated, i specialized through training courses in advertising/editorial graphics and 3D graphics. I have been working as a freelancer for several years as job opportunities in my country are close to zero and my type of work is not even remotely appreciated or valued.
So, within 1-2 years i would like to learn the Japanese language with an intensive 2-year course at a language school (i have several in mind) however my goal is to work and live in Japan, get out of my country natal, Italy, and possibly never go back there.
I will have as Gogonihon who will act as a third person between me and the language school/senmon gakko but of course I will be 90% alone and im absolutely totally okay with that.
I’ve already been learning the basics of the language for a few months (i’ve finished hiragana and katakana and i’m starting kanji and grammar) however many doubts have come to my mind.
**The doubts in question essentially concern the effective possibility of working and living in dignity and independently in Japan.** The senmon gakko prepare for a myriad of different job roles and allow (in theory) almost immediate entry into the world of work, but only for the specific job for which one has studied.Therefore, if i managed to find employment in a company and then it went bankrupt or fired me for some absurd reason, i would immediately have to return to my country with no possibility of finding employment elsewhere in Japan, right?
I’ve done my math and the costs are high, still i’ve put enough money aside to afford 4 years between language school and senmon gakko (and all living expenses) but i’m terrified that this could become a gigantic gamble with no guarantees.
In all honesty i am willing to carry out work even outside the graphic field (my field of work) in order to leave my country and live my life in Japan, i am ready to make the necessary sacrifices but i am sincerely scared, not to go far away (indeed that’s the good part) but not being able to stay and wasting time and money set aside for years.
I’ve searched everywhere on the web for info on my own doubts but the opinions are terribly conflicting… one person says one thing and the other says the opposite. I read of people who don’t even know the Japanese language yet live in Japan peacefully (how they do it I have no idea), people who despite qualifications and work skills are forced to leave for unexplained reasons… in short, i haven’t been able to find valid references.
Some say that a degree (even generic) is essential to have a work visa but there are also many people who have obtained a work visa without particular work skills or degrees… obviously i cannot give the details of these people and perhaps there is something else behind them, i dont know.
What i know is that i no longer want to stay in my country, for a series of personal reasons that i won’t list here (and i’m sure you’re not in the slightest interested). And in any case there is no work, corruption is rampant and taxes exceed salaries.
*Why Japan? I have always been fascinated by that country and I got to study its culture and travel there twice in 2018 and 2019 for three weeks each.
*Why do you want to leave Italy? As already mentioned, these are personal problems and the family sphere is also involved in them, so it is not a question devoted solely to the working sphere. Also if you believe that Italy is as you see it on postcards, you are greatly mistaken, greatly (no country its perfect of course but Italy… well you get it).
*Why not a university instead of a senmon gakko? A university would require 4 years minimum and i am already old now for the modern society and i will be even more old once all my studies have been completed. Furthermore, a university would not allow immediate entry into the world of work since it would still be a more generic and less specific type of education than that of a senmon gakko. Furthermore, i no longer have the mental capacity to apply myself to a series of courses and exams of which i will need, in the working sphere, yes and no 40% (im a pratical person).
*Why didn’t you make this life choice earlier when you were younger? I didn’t have the money, the time possibilities, i didn’t have much freedom due to very old-fashioned mentality parents who still want me to stay close to them (to be their servant). Now im tired to be a slave of this life and i want to make a change, a real one.
Im sorry for the wall of text and some grammar mistake i could have done for sure inside the thread, i just hope somebody could help me clarify my doubts or giving me some useful info. Thanks in advance.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/movingtojapan) if you have any questions or concerns.*
>if i managed to find employment in a company and then it went bankrupt or fired me for some absurd reason, i would immediately have to return to my country with no possibility of finding employment elsewhere in Japan, right?
That’s not how it works. The senmon gakko “exception” doesn’t mean you’re limited to one employer. It means you are limited to working in your field of study. So if you can find another job in the same field you can stay in Japan.
The caveat is that immigration is ***very*** strict about what counts as your field of study. So if you study 3D graphics, you would not be allowed to work as a video editor.
>but i’m terrified that this could become a gigantic gamble with no guarantees.
It ***is*** a gigantic gamble with no guarantees. Life is a series of giant gambles that may or may not pay off.
>I read of people who don’t even know the Japanese language yet live in Japan peacefully (how they do it I have no idea), people who despite qualifications and work skills are forced to leave for unexplained reasons.
Everyone’s situation is different. Some people find jobs that don’t require Japanese. Some people don’t.
Some people are forced to leave if they can’t find a new job, or if they don’t have the required qualifications for their visa.
>What i know is that i no longer want to stay in my country
Your *first* step should be looking at moving somewhere else in the EU. If you’re concerned about Japan being a gigantic gamble (which, again: It is) why not move to another country in Europe?
Being a citizen of an EU country means you’ve got “moving abroad” available on easy mode.
>A university would require 4 years minimum and i am already old now for the modern society and i will be even more old once all my studies have been completed.
You’re 33 now. You’ll be 40ish by the time you complete this plan (“within 1-2 years” + ” 2-year course” + 2-3 years worth of senmon gakko), so regardless of the path you choose your age is going to be a significant handicap.
>Furthermore, a university would not allow immediate entry into the world of work since it would still be a more generic and less specific type of education than that of a senmon gakko.
That’s not true at all. If you study a marketable skill you can get a job with a university degree.
Well… ***maybe*** you can get a job. See “You’re going to be 40 by the time you graduate”
>Furthermore, i no longer have the mental capacity to apply myself to a series of courses and exams of which i will need, in the working sphere, yes and no 40%
You’re aware that a senmon gakko is also going to have courses that you feel like you don’t need, right? A trade school isn’t a magical series of awesome practical classes. There are going to be math classes, business classes, and theory classes.
>Now im tired to be a slave of this life and i want to make a change, a real one.
You’re planning dumping a fairly large amount of money into a project that, quite frankly, doesn’t have a very high chance of success due to your age.
As I mentioned before: Look into other EU countries. Get some solid work experience under your belt. Get a university degree online. Once you’ve done that, maybe *then* start looking at Japan. If you’ve got work experience your age will be less of an issue.
>Therefore, if i managed to find employment in a company and then it went bankrupt or fired me for some absurd reason, i would immediately have to return to my country with no possibility of finding employment elsewhere in Japan, right?
Your status of residence belongs to you and not your employer. Your status of residence allows you to stay in Japan as long as you’re performing the activities that it gives you permission to perform. One of these activities is good faith job hunting for work.
So no, you don’t have to leave immediately, assuming your status of residence is still valid.
>Some say that a degree (even generic) is essential to have a work visa but there are also many people who have obtained a work visa without particular work skills or degrees
Different statuses have different requirements. Some require a degree. Some require experience. Some require relations in or from Japan.
> Furthermore, a university would not allow immediate entry into the world of work since it would still be a more generic and less specific type of education than that of a senmon gakko.
Where do you think university graduates go after school?
Hello, i currently study at a senmongakkou, and before that did a 2 year course at a language school.
So first thing, if you plan on studying 3d graphics at a senmongakkou after having so much experience then don’t, it’s a waste of time and money. Senmongakkou start from absolute 0, so the first few lessons (perhaps weeks) you’ll be learning the basics of software for example, they’re meant for beginners (or people who’ve only dabbled in the topic). If you worked, especially professionally, it’ll be a waste of time and money. If you want to study something new then i think it’s a great idea. That being said, 2 years is a short time and it’ll be pretty intensive, especially as a second speaker of the language (Japanese).
I would recommend not using some service like gogonihon to apply to a senmongakkou, and just do it directly with the senmongakkou. Likewise i would recommend applying directly to a language school instead of bothering with a 3rd party service unless you have an actual reason, like you can’t decide on a school etc.
Also when it comes to senmongakkou, you can work only in your field of study (i don’t know if that changes when you get permanent residency), whereas if you have a university degree you can work in whatever field you want essentially, even if it has nothing to do with what you studied. Also you can’t really be fired like that in Japan (they have to have an actual reason to) so i wouldn’t worry about that. If the company goes bankrupt you can just apply to a new one i guess? If you work here for 10 years (theres a point system involved too, but) you can apply for permanent residency and no reason to return to your home country.
(People who live in Japan “peacefully” without knowing Japanese)
Those people probably work in an English speaking (international) company or are YouTubers. Fitting into Japanese society properly and being like that are very different experiences here. You would probably be fitting into Japanese society if you go down the route you’re planning to, so you might have a more stressful life here.
Also the way job hunting works in Japan is that you do job hunting on the 3rd and 4th years (2nd year if you attend a 2 year senmongakkou) and you have a job already by the time you graduate.
So it doesn’t mean that it’s harder to get a job if you graduate uni, if anything it’s much easier because unis are seen as more respectable here.
Also last thing to add, you’re tired of being a “slave” to old fashioned parents, well i have news for you lol. You’ll be a slave to old fashioned old Japanese people here. Of course if you get lucky you’ll find a young not old fashioned company and have a great time, but those are very hard to come by.
Anyway good luck 👍
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I think if you have done specialized training courses it might be worth looking into a university in your home country and seeing if you can count towards some credits? A bachelors will help your options greatly, especially related to Japan your life will be much easier with a degree. It will also be MUCH better if you do not like Japan and wish to go somewhere else.
If you just want to get out of italy and have money for years worth of school, other countries might be good too – bachelors in Australia are only 3 years long, for example.
I think you COULD do your original plan maybe. But in my honest opinion, i dont think you will be setting yourself up very well. I think putting all of your eggs in the Japan basket is not worth it, when you could just as easily do the degree elsewhere and have a much easier time in Japan later, or anywhere else in the world.
I think most of the commenter here already give you some insight about your question and worry about the reality if you decided to come to japan via language school+senmongakkou
>I’ve done my math and the costs are high, still i’ve put enough money aside to afford 4 years between language school and senmon gakko (and all living expenses) but i’m terrified that this could become a gigantic gamble with no guarantees.
UNLESS you urgently need to be in japan ASAP.
Why not consider self/online studying Japanese until you reach N3/2 level? During this time, you could also pursue an online bachelor’s degree while continuing to work and save money.
I believe by doing this you will save A LOT of money and make yourself more presentable to companies. If somehow your japanese level is still lacking, you could do 6 months course at language school and look for jobs while doing that. not only you’re going to save money by only doing 6 months course. This is less gamble than to do 2 years language school + 2-3 years senmongakko which doesn’t guarantee any job offer by the time you graduate.
If you have work experience in the field but not a university degree then best is to at least starting to get in touch with recruiters to understand the job market situation. Ideally you can study the language and work part time within your industry as a start but again its better to contact recruiters to know more about those opportunities. I don’t think senmongaku is a good option for your situation
Get a degree and work on Japanese, don’t waste your time on other nonsense. You are wasting your time far more than you realize doing anything else and are setting yourself up for personal failure. BTW even though you will be a new graduate, the business world still TOTALLY gets that you are not a 22 year old fresh graduate and respectively treats you as a 33 year old.
This is from the EE side of things, but time and time again I’ve seen 26-28 year old EEs with a degree and 4-6 years of experience immediately get eclipsed by older graduates with no experience because life experience is worth a lot for the other aspects of work beyond the work experience.
(99.9% of people who severely lack Japanese and live here long term are married to Japanese people. Probably any other exceptions are older business people who work for foreign branch offices and probably have co-workers who handle their Japanese stuff for them.
Okay man, you give of a pretty miserable and demotivated vibe so you need to get our mental state in order before you do anything else. Without it you’re going to crash really fucking hard and you might not get a chance to get back up if you make the wrong decision.
If you want to make it in Japan with your current circumstances, I think the minimum requirement is for you to get at least N1 level of Japanese by self studying in your home country. If you can’t do that by yourself you will not be able to push through harder challenges you’ll face here.
After learning Japanese you should do a bachelors degree in Japan. You’re going to be near forty when you graduate – Japan is very ageist but you can get around it if you leverage your work experience and have a high level of Japanese and English. To get a higher level of Japanese, there is no better option than university. This is *essential*. Of course a bachelor’s will help you pass through HR screenings as well.
Like that other guy said, 1 or 2 years is hardly a difference so just do a bachelors. You won’t learn any high level Japanese nor any advanced graphic skills from a senmon gakko. They exist for Japanese students who were rejected by every university they applied to or adults looking to get into a different career they have zero experience in. You will learn nothing if you have graphic design experience and you go a graphic design senmon gakko. It also restricts you to jobs in the field you graduated from. A bachelors degree will allow you to get into any industry you choose.
You can’t afford to run from reality anymore. Stakes get higher as you get older. Moving to Japan could be the right path for you, but it will always be the wrong path if you only see it as an escape from reality; an escape route from your current situation.
I just want to chime in OP, your plan seems to be too rushed. Moving to a different place, especially to new and more difficult culture is quite hard. I think you need to reconsider this plan, if you’re thinking that you’ll be there by the time you’re 35-36 then you are sorely mistaken. If you’re planning to stay there for the long term (permanently) then I believe you need to plan for the long term. Being freelance with no degrees is gonna be difficult and even with the help of senmon gakko, it’s not a guarantee that you will get in. Also it is a HUGE gamble, there is a saying “don’t put all your eggs in one basket” and I think you should really try to look at it like that. If you plan to stay long term there then I suggest a PhD will help in the long run as it allows you to be more flexible in terms of career and opportunity wise. Don’t worry about your age, everyone has their own pace, you might be 40 or 41 by the time you’re gonna get that PhD but it’s a great leverage to have because it means you’re well versed in your field and you can be a contributing citizen once you get there.
Although… The way I see it is that you want to leave and run away from your problems. I get that but running from a problem will only lead you to another. I think you need to really think this through, if you want a decent job, why not work within the EU? There’s no perfect country but there are certainly better countries that you are in right now and you would have an easier time moving into the EU rather than Japan.
Alternatively you can work until retirement age and just focus on hyper saving money and moving to any asian countries. That way you’re away from italy and you can settle down into an Asian country and live a very comfortable life.
All I can say is that you need to reflect and think about your plans more OP.