Planning to go to Japan. Could anyone give me advice?

[Your Taken Username]

In a little over a year, when I can afford to, I plan to go to Japan to attend a language school. I'd like to stay for at least a year.

Here's my problem.

My boyfriend would like to go with me. I want him to go, very badly in fact, and I could pay for him to be there just as easily.

However, he knows no Japanese, and he doesn't want to go to school with me. I have already lectured him about how he might not have the best time when he doesn't know the language at all, and he understands this. He's smart so I figure that's his prerogative, and anyway he'd probably pick it up some while he's there even if he doesn't take classes.

Assuming we were able to find an apartment or I could live in one of the dorms at the school, would he be allowed to stay with me, even without going to school? I doubt he'd be able to work without language ability. He would love to teach English but wouldn't you need to speak Japanese even for that?

I'd appreciate any advice you could give.

[TinaSays]

well, he wont be able to stay in japan for more than 6 months without a student visa. and he cant work without a work visa either... if you stay at a student dorm, he will not be able to stay with you since he is not a student.

[Chase Hetterz]

TinaSays

well, he wont be able to stay in japan for more than 6 months without a student visa. and he cant work without a work visa either... if you stay at a student dorm, he will not be able to stay with you since he is not a student.

Was it 6 months? I thought if you didn't have a work/student visa, the cap was 3 months? Could be wrong though. Doesn't change the point that the boyfriend couldn't stay really.

[TinaSays]

Chase Hetterz

TinaSays

well, he wont be able to stay in japan for more than 6 months without a student visa. and he cant work without a work visa either... if you stay at a student dorm, he will not be able to stay with you since he is not a student.

Was it 6 months? I thought if you didn't have a work/student visa, the cap was 3 months? Could be wrong though. Doesn't change the point that the boyfriend couldn't stay really.

You are right, it's actually 90 days for US citizens. Sorry about that

[Your Taken Username]

Thank you both for the quick feedback.

One other question then: would it be at all humanly possible for him to be able to teach English in Tokyo without knowing Japanese?

It's something he wants to do anyway, and I can't really go without him as I have extreme anxiety issues and need to go with someone very close to me. My family can't/won't.

[Chase Hetterz]

I'm not familiar with the process, but I know there is the JET program. However, I have heard it's hard to get into, and they assign you a location, so the chances of Tokyo specifically would be slim to none.

As for showing up and convincing people to hire him? I don't know.. Tokyo is a bigger city, so they may have ample resources already. But again, I am unsure.

[Darth AssClap]

Don't let your BF go anywhere without you. Lest he gets lost and can't find his way home. Only chance then is if you can contact him and get him to work a Japanese cell phone. Or for him to run into someone who knows english enough to tell him what to do.

[Lunatic Magpie]

Your Taken Username

This channel has useful info.

Some of it is just vlogs and fun stuff, but a lot of it is really useful information for what you need/want to know for Japan, coming from the perspective of an American woman with a Japanese husband (she's actually moving there to be with him now that she's been released from her work contract).

It has info like what you need to take, what's sold in some stores, the "Unicorn Effect" that foreigners might face outside Tokyo (and other cities where foreigners aren't uncommon), how Japanese citizens see foreigners, and a lot of other stuff.

You might find a lot of it useful. It's also worth taking a look at other videos for what you want to find out as a lot of American and British students have posted videos about their experiences in Japan and what they've found odd.