Originally Posted July 16 2006
-Where were you born?
I was born in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. However, my family’s home is in Winfield, West Virginia.
-Are you living alone or with your family?
I currently live alone.
-In which country and city are you living now?
I live in Toyama City, Toyama Prefecture in Japan.
-How long have you been living in Japan?
I’ve lived in Toyama for a year now. I lived in Tokyo for a year prior to that.
-What is your age?
I am 23 years old.
-When did you come up with the idea of living in Japan?
I always knew that I wanted to leave the U.S. and see more of the world. My family hosted a Japanese exchange student for a month during my sophomore year of high school, which solidified my interest in Japan. I started taking Japanese Language courses at a local university during my senior year of high school and continued through my education at Guilford College in Greensboro, NC. During my freshman year of college, I ran across the JET Programme booth at the local job fair and knew that I wanted to do that after I graduated. Toward that end, I continued my studies about Japan, spent a year as an exchange student in Tokyo and even designed my own “Integrative Studies” major in “Japanese Language, Society and Culture” to encompass everything I’d learned.
-Was it hard to get a visa or a working permit?
Not at all. After my acceptance into the JET Programme, all of that was taken care of for me. Getting into the program, however, was much more difficult!
-How do you make your living in Japan? Do you have any type of income generated?
I am an Assistant Language Teacher (ALT) at Toyama Minami High School. As such, I am a salaried worker. I was randomly assigned to this school by the JET Programme (http://www.jetprogramme.org) before I arrived in Japan.
-Do you speak Japanese and do you think it’s important to speak the local language?
I can speak enough Japanese to get by in daily life and more, but I am by no means fluent. One of my goals during my stay in Japan is to become proficient at the very least. I strongly advocate learning the local language if you do not already speak it. Living abroad can be a very lonely experience, more so if you cannot communicate with the people around you. Part of the benefit of living in a foreign country is cultural exchange, which is made that much easier if there is an effort on both sides to communicate verbally.
It is definitely important for expats to at least attempt to observe local customs as long as it doesn’t interfere with their personal customs (religious and/or customs, for example) and it doesn’t make them unhappy. People definitely notice and appreciate our attempts to fit in and learn about the culture through observance. There are so many customs and it seems that I learn a new one every day by failing to observe it!
-Do you miss home and family sometimes?
I do miss home and my family occasionally. Fortunately, I have a solid group of expat friends (also ALTs) who are more than willing to lend an ear when I’m feeling particularly low. However, one of the things I’ve learned while living abroad is that the world is actually very small. Before leaving the U.S., the world seemed to be this incomprehensibly huge place. I now know that I can be back in the U.S. in ten hours. Knowing this, and remembering just how crazy my family drives me when I hang around them for too long, helps battle homesickness!
I do a lot of things here. I’ve got a gym membership, I’ll soon be part of a soccer team, and I go out drinking/dancing/singing karaoke with friends almost every weekend. From January to June I was a part of a charity play produced entirely by JETs. I soon hope to join a Japanese class so I can continue with my studies. A lot of people take part in more traditional activities such as ikebana (flower arrangement), kyudo (archery), shodou (calligraphy), etc.
-Do you have other plans for the future?
Hopefully next month I’ll be able to go to South Korea, or if that falls through, Vladivostok. I have plans to go home for Christmas but spend New Year’s in Thailand. I’d like to visit Vietnam, Cambodia, India, Malaysia and China while I’m here as well.
-What about housing, have you bought, or are you renting a home? How much do you pay for it?
I am currently renting an apartment found for me by my Contracting Organization (essentially the school I work for). The ALT before me lived there, as did the ALT before her, so I never really had a choice in housing when I first got here. Of course, I always have the option to move, but Japan has this annoying custom of paying “key money,” which is essentially paying the landlord the equivalent of two or three months’ rent just for finding a place for you to live. This is NOT a deposit and it is NOT refundable. This makes moving awfully difficult. I currently pay 50,000 yen for my apartment (about $450 USD), but I am also given a rent subsidy of 15,000 yen per month every three months.
-What is the cost of living in Japan?
I don’t live in a huge city (my apartment is surrounded by rice fields), so the cost of living, excluding rent (land is always at a premium) and gasoline (anywhere you go it is going to cost more than in the U.S.), is only slightly higher than that of the U.S. Obviously, imported things are going to be very expensive. Clothing tends to be much more expensive as well, as Japanese people seem to cherish the “designer” look. Other than that, though, it is not all that bad in comparison to Tokyo, which is known as one of the most expensive city in the world!
-What do you think about the Japanese people?
What you have to keep in mind is that the locals form opinions of other countries just like any other. Whereas some people in the U.S. still think that people here totter around in kimono and that geishas are nothing more than exotic prostitutes, Japanese people think that all Americans eat hamburgers every day and carry guns around everywhere they go. Many people in Toyama have not left the country (or even left that particular region of Japan!), so their ideas are a bit skewed. I still get stared at when I walk or ride my bike down the street. People at the grocery store at which I shop finally seem to have gotten used to me, but still choke up when one of my friends joins me in shopping. This tends to grate on my nerves every once in a while. However, I understand that there are not many foreigners in this part of Japan, so the people who stare are just curious, not trying to be rude.
-What are the positive and negative aspects of living in Japan?
Every day I learn something new about this country. Whether it’s a new local custom or simply discovering how the rice plants smell after a rain storm, I am bombarded from every side by new experiences and opportunities. That is a truly fantastic feeling.
As for the bad points…well, to be completely honest, I really dislike the blanket opinions many Japanese people tend to hold about every other country. On the flip side of that coin, many people seem to struggle to find any aspect of their country that would elevate it above all others. I realize that this is just pride in their country and that the U.S. and probably every other country in the world is also guilty of it, but it is really irritating when you have to hear it over and over again. There are also the “Questions” (note the capital “Q” there). Just about every foreigner in Japan gets asked these questions at least a hundred times. These include, but are not limited to, variations of “Can you use chopsticks?” “Do you like natto (fermented soybeans that smell, in my opinion, like unwashed feet)?” “Are you an American?” etc. ad nauseam. I could go on, but this is not a Japan Hatefest and I am a jaded expat. I’ll let y’all see for yourselves!
-Do you have any tips for our readers about living in Japan?
Anything you’ve heard, forget it. Come with a completely open mind because Japan will surprise you time and time again if you come with any preconceived notions. Hell, it’ll surprise you even then.
-Do you have any favorite Web sites or blogs about Japan?
Then for information specifically about Toyama, check out the Toyama JETs Web site (http://www.toyamajets.net). For more information about the JET Programme itself, again check out their Web site (http://www.jetprogramme.org). If you have any questions or would like to know more, feel free to e-mail me at rchaffin at gmail.com!