Hey guys, I'm debating with myself as to whether I should (or even can feasibly) move to Japan. Part of this is, of course, how I can find employment ideally using the skills I already have. Can I please ask this subreddit if any of my plans to move and work in Japan are reasonable/viable?
For context, I'm single, male, early 30s, in a good professional field (lawyer, qualified for around a year). Native English speaker, extremely rudimentary Japanese which I would aim to improve if my thoughts crystallise and I want to move. I'm privileged enough to own an apartment which I could probably rent out for roughly $2k a month if I moved out. Lowballing it would probably be rent of $1.5k a month.
My first and preferred plan would be to keep practicing law, both for the income and to maintain my qualifications. But, there are two problems that immediately occur to me aside from not being fluent in Japanese: (1) I'm qualified in a relatively obscure jurisdiction, and I expect I'd need to cross qualify to make myself more marketable in Japan, and (2) my understanding of Japanese corporate culture is that it's soul annihilating for many typical office workers, which will no doubt be even worse for bengoshi. I sincerely doubt I could cope as a Tokyo lawyer at a Japanese firm. My understanding is also that it's very difficult for a westerner to qualify in Japanese law.
My approach would therefore be to cross qualify in something like English or New York law which are used pretty often in an international context, during which time I develop my Japanese language skills too, and either seek work in a Western law firm with a Japanese office I could be seconded to, or try to find an in-house position at a Western company in an attempt to avoid the worst of Japanese work culture. Would either of these be a viable/achievable goal? Failing that, I could probably apply for general 'corporate' positions in Western companies since 'lawyer' is a good title on one's resume. It's cliché but I also wonder if learning to code is a feasible approach, which might let me find remote work for a company where I can set my hours to work in the daytime in Japan?
If plan #1 is ill advised, my second plan would be to follow the more standard route westerners take to Japan, and search for jobs teaching English. I don't have any qualifications in this beyond my native language, and understand where I end up in the country is basically up to chance (I'd ideally be in a metropolitan area). It seems sensible to seek a TEFL qualification to increase my earning potential and give me more leverage when applying for work, would this be worth the time/money investment? Bearing in mind the extra income from renting my western apartment out, could I live relatively comfortably and save for retirement somewhere like Tokyo with this job? Is the usual Japanese corporate grindset reflected in this industry? What are the possibilities of turning this into a full-on career if a yearlong stint goes well?
If for some reason that approach also didn't work but I want to be stupid and still try to move to Japan, my final approach would be just getting in the country and working backwards from there to find a way to live. I haven't done the research and it's probably a bad idea, but if all else fails would a monthly income of at least $1,500 from renting my apartment here be enough to guarantee food in my belly and (crappy) one person apartment near a major station in a big city for at least a time?
by b-i-gzap