Dear visitor, if you know the answer to this question, please post it. Thank you! Note that this thread has not been updated in a long time, and its content might not be up-to-date anymore. I'm 23 and feel a little hopeless. I have friends in the military moving to Japan this coming summer and have offered me a place to stay.
Only being able to speak survival japanese and the fact that I never went to university seems to limit my visa abilities. I'm a massage therapist and have my certification but that doesn't qualify me for much seeing as how I was informed that Japan doesn't require you to be licensed. I live in the U.
I'm ready to leave the U. Any information or comments are greatly welcomed. One is to become a full time student, but this takes a lot of money for the fees and living costs. Another is to be married to a Japanese national, obviously not something likely to happen soon in your case. Ten years experience in the field you wish to work in and the offer of a job can qualify you for a work visa if you don't have a degree- also not applicable in your case.
Most countries require that you have a certain level of education or have skills that are in demand before they will issue you a working visa, so it seems that your only option would be to go to college and get a degree. There is definitely no shortage of Japanese massage therapists here- I know lots. Also beware of thinking Japan is the ultimate destination- living here as a foreigner comes with quite a few difficulties and stresses of its own and might not be what you expected at all. If you have the chance do come over and spend a few weeks at least as a tourist, just see what it's like here on a day to day basis before you make any big decisions.
As mentioned by Sira, visit for a few weeks and see what it really is like here. In my own personal opinion, having lived in Japan for three years at around your age, Japan can be quite unforgiving to foreigners, especially with limited Japanese and little employment background. Canada is the only country that offers a masters program in massage.
