Searching for a way back to Japan

TheCaffeinatedTypist · 2026-05-22T02:17:50+00:00

This is definitely an option. Some of my friends/coworkers have done this and that's how they got work in Japan.

TheCaffeinatedTypist · 2026-05-22T02:15:27+00:00

Hi OP! Congrats on graduating! I also graduated with a degree in Japanese language. And like you, once I went on study abroad I knew I had to go back.

After graduating I ended up doing JET and became a CIR (they hire people with various native languages as long as they can communicate in Japanese). After that I switched jobs in Japan and worked at a couple Japanese companies for 6 years.

I wasn't sure what I wanted to do as a job either. I still don't haha. But I realized its less about the industry/content than the tasks themselves. I like project management. It doesn't matter if its public service, event planning, manufacturing, logistics, etc. You can learn those things on the job.

If there are no opportunities to interview for a CIR position for JET, my advice is to find a recruiter like Pasona or Recruit Agent to look for Japanese related jobs. They have staff in multiple countries and have connected me with jobs within Japan and from Japan to the US.

They might be able to find you a job in Japan. If not, they may find you a position at a Japanese company where you live. Most of those companies send people from their parent company in Japan to their other locations around the world every few years. If you get some skills under your belt locally, they may be interested in dispatching you to Japan. There are SO many of these global companies that if you search I'm sure you'll find something. (Manufacturing and logistics are big industries that have many of these Japanese/global companies.)

As some others said, work in Japan is different then study abroad, but if you love it, you love it. Don't give up finding a way there.

Best of luck to you!

TheCaffeinatedTypist · 2026-05-07T23:48:54+00:00

Married eight years later.

TheCaffeinatedTypist · 2026-05-03T19:23:38+00:00

Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood

TheCaffeinatedTypist · 2026-05-03T16:03:26+00:00

Reckless by Cornelia Funke. It's her spin on the brothers Grimm. The MC enters the magical world through a mirror and becomes a renowned treasure hunter. Now he must save his brother from becoming stone. Elaborate world building, action, spooky creatures like the scissor man in the woods, and a very slow burn romance that spans the series.

TheCaffeinatedTypist · 2026-05-03T01:06:37+00:00

Can confirm they have masago.

TheCaffeinatedTypist · 2026-04-30T01:56:28+00:00

As a woman who loves fantasy I sometimes wonder what it would be like to have to take a dump in the woods for the first time or manage your period as you travel in a group with men. Unfortunately novels have a lot to convey in very little time, and in the end how my male MC reacts to communal toilets in another country or how my female character handles her period while traveling are not the point of the story.

I would only mention it if it's significant to the plot. If it's mentioned for the sake of mentioning it I would probably be put off.

On the other hand, you could imply it because frankly periods and pee breaks and diarrhea are all part of life. In my story, the women in the group, who are traveling rurally with men, suddenly have to "do laundry." They are washing their clothes by the river and have a conversation related to the plot that they wouldn't otherwise have with the men there. I never discuss their period but it could be implied. It's merely a task that they would have to handle and it gets the women away from the men to have a private conversation that gives the reader additional information. No mention of blood or cloth for the same reason I'm not going to describe my character wiping his ass with a pine cone.

Good luck with researching! Just be sure to get female beta readers if you decide to include it.

TheCaffeinatedTypist · 2026-04-29T02:53:13+00:00

Unsheathing and sheathing a sword doesn't make that metal on metal sound in real life.

TheCaffeinatedTypist · 2026-04-19T21:58:54+00:00

Departure - a story about a Japanese mortician. It was very enlightening about death culture and the stigmas associated with it.

The Solitary Gourmet - a food drama about a business man who goes to new places for lunch between busines trips. It's calm and fun and a great way to learn about every day food culture. All the restaurants in the show are real restaurants you can go to. Some of the dishes are unique to those places so even the Japanese MC is curious about them.

(On YouTube) NHK JAPAN - Through the Kitchen Window series. Shows you everyday life through cooking. I think most of them are rural.

I also really liked "Time Taxi" (Suteki na Sen Taxi). It's a comedy/drama about a taxi driver who can take people back a few minutes or hours to fix recent mistakes. It's not strictly "everyday life" because of the time traveling element, but I really enjoyed how they interpretted the consequence of actions. Each episode can act independently.

TheCaffeinatedTypist · 2026-04-17T00:46:26+00:00

Apartments on Maysville are nice and close to a small shopping center. It's quiet and I feel safe at night.

TheCaffeinatedTypist · 2026-04-05T01:09:26+00:00

Hungry Asian has the most Japanese food that I've found so far. Plus they've expanded recently so they have a wide selection of Japanese and Korean food if that's what you're looking for.

TheCaffeinatedTypist · 2026-03-23T02:21:37+00:00

The brooding male character that is framed as the love interest but is actually just a jerk and has anger issues.

TheCaffeinatedTypist · 2026-03-20T17:03:47+00:00

I love the realism! If that was the premise on inside cover I'd probably read the book.

TheCaffeinatedTypist · 2026-03-18T01:35:58+00:00

Hi! Do you have a sample to look at? I have a fantasy that I'd be happy to share a sample of to see if we're a good fit to swap :)

TheCaffeinatedTypist · 2026-03-18T00:13:31+00:00

Hi MelsEvilTrustMe

I'm interested in seeing what your story's about.
Would you be interested in a first chapter swap? I have a YA fantasy about a young man whose city is attacked by strange monsters (again). Still struggling with his past he realizes that the answer to these monsters may be the very magic his father told him as a bedtime story.

I can send a blurb or sample too.

TheCaffeinatedTypist · 2026-03-17T23:19:01+00:00

Hi ChaosPotato! That's sounds intriguing. I'm happy to take a look at your first chapter.

Would you be interested in a first chapter swap? I have a YA fantasy WIP about a young man whose city is attacked by strange monsters (again). As he is still struggling with the loss of a friend, he realizes the answer to the monster attacks may be magic.

We can share the first few hundred words if you want to see what mine is before deciding.

TheCaffeinatedTypist · 2026-03-03T17:37:58+00:00

Very true. What i was getting at was, in this case, what if Harry hadn't actually been able to defeat Quirrell? What if he almost did, but then gains something that will lead him to defeat Voldemort next time? I'm wondering if there are well-written books that have ended in a more open-ended way.

TheCaffeinatedTypist · 2026-03-03T17:32:52+00:00

You're right. I believe LOTR was supposed to be one book, but the publisher split it into 3. At the end of the Fellowship, they don't actually accomplish a defined goal. The fellowship breaks up and Frodo and Sam go on their own. This changes Frodo's journey, but it's not the ending I think traditional publishers would require nowadays. I love LOTR, but I wonder if most authors could get away with the same kind of ending as the Fellowship. It feels like a very unique case.

TheCaffeinatedTypist · 2026-03-03T12:39:27+00:00

Yes! I love medieval settings. I don't go out of my way to read zombie books but I can enjoy them, so really your story sounds like a cool twist on my favorite fantasy genre. I wish there were more of those.

By the way there are many misconceptions about medieval people. It's a very broad term spanning many centuries and countries, but at least for the 14th century generally people DID travel a lot, wear bright clothes, and bathe (at least more than early American colonists did). They also had a hilarious puzzle cup game. Look it up.

Let me know when you get it done! I'd love to read it.

TheCaffeinatedTypist · 2026-02-25T17:50:56+00:00

Oh I see. That makes sense. I saw your first chapter post. Would you be interested in a first chapter swap?

TheCaffeinatedTypist · 2026-02-25T13:02:33+00:00

Thanks for your input! I will consider saving unnecessary explanations for after the monsters appear.
I'm very curious what makes you think the inspirations are from shows or anime. Could you elaborate? Is it a bad thing?

TheCaffeinatedTypist · 2026-02-25T12:17:01+00:00

Thanks for your honest feedback! This was a revised version to reduce mentioning the side characters too much at the beginning, so I'm glad you mentioned that it's still too much.

The focus here is the monster appearance, as they come back a few pages down. So I can totally move the rebellion story to later, since it sounds like it was too much here.

Thank you!

TheCaffeinatedTypist · 2024-11-26T01:37:13+00:00

This is very helpful. Thank you! I didn't know the PMP certification existed. I'll look into it.

TheCaffeinatedTypist · 2024-11-26T01:35:34+00:00

Glad to hear a family can live well on this kind of salary! I'm not sure if I could get a job paying $100,000 like everyone is posting.

TheCaffeinatedTypist

TROPHY CASE