My husband and I are being relocated to Japan and I am wondering what to expect with the transition?

EJB: My husband and I are being relocated to Japan and I am wondering what to expect with the transition?
My husband is in the United States Navy and we have orders to relocate to Yokosuka (Yokohama/Tokyo area), Japan in January. Since he is going to be on a ship and I will be left alone for long stretches of time I’m just wondering what I should expect or be prepared for? He is planning on purchasing a house off base. I was wondering how strong the language barrier is in the Yokohama and Tokyo area, do most Japanese know fluent English? How hard is it to pick up the Japanese lanuage? Is it easy to meet and make friends in Japan or do the cultural/language differences make it difficult? How bad are the earthquakes and tsunamis in this area? What do they do to prepare for them, do they have a warning system, like a weather alert? How easy is it to get a good job when you don’t know Japanese (I am a Graphic Designer)? I have done a good deal of research on the country and the language I am just looking for some personal experience to help prepare. Any advice/info would be great!
I actually dated a Japanese Foreign exchange student when I was in high school. We lost touch when I went to college due to technology issues, time difference, and his crazy school schedule. So I know a good deal of the basics. I would love to get more information from someone who is Japanese, but what I really am seeking is what is it like to be an Non Japanese speaking American living in Japan for a prolonged period of time by yourself. Thanks so much for your advise and information! Please keep it coming ; )
I don’t have kids but I do have two small papillon dogs.
TWIKFAT if you read this post again, what is your email?

Answers and Views:

Answer by Mortdesuper
just don’t get lost in Translation

Answer by bentheguru
Get ready to feel real TALL

Answer by theazsurfer
Japan is a different country. Not many people speak English and everything is in Japanese… just everything. People is friendly but they need you speaking Japanese.
I know is a cultural shock but patience…

Answer by RJ
You might do better talking to someone from Japan who lives here now. They will be able to explain the differences better.

Try a local organization or university. You will find them to be more than helpful. Probably more helpful than most here.

Answer by Joseph
Congratulations I think its going to be a wonderful experience for you. I must admit I only visited there for 3 weeks but I was deeply impressed. The language barrier is quite a barrier. Many Japanese know English but are either shy or afraid to use it. I think picking up a new language is wonderful for those who have this gift, its great exercise for the brain :).

When we travelled on trains people smiled at us, even shared with us chocolate without a word spoken. Many tourist attractions have guides (volunteers) who speak English. The restaurants have a plastic menu i.e. most dishes are depicted by plastic images or pictures that show you what the dish contains, but you do not know the taste till you try it. Try it, you will slowly get to like it and in case of need, in Tokyo mainly,there are huge department stores that in their basement you will find a haven of “European” food. There is so much more to tell but all I can tell you is I loved Japan, the trains run on the dot, the people are very polite even if a bit stiff. Enjoy the time there, travel as much as you can, gather the sights and sounds, its something you will always cherish.

Answer by Mrsjvb
you can’t buy a home off base, you must be a Japanese citizen. There is a ceiling for OHA, based on pay grade. whatever your rent is, up to that ceiling, is what you will get, you may NOT pocket the difference like you can BAH. homes on the economy are vastly different than what we have in the States. most are MUCH smaller( a ‘mansion’ is a western style home that runs under 900 sq ft usually. )

Since he is going to sea duty, I stroingly recommend you consider base housing. Ikego and Negishi are off the base proper. ikego about 20 minutes away, and Negishi closer to Yokohama and about 45-60 minutes away. Both can be reached via train. Yokosuka proper is of course the most desirable, but the wait list is longer. they do stick to the rules with regard to children sharing rooms. (under 10 same sex, under 6 opposite sex). What you rate depends on pay grade and BR entitlement. Towers do not allow dogs, but do allow cats.

If you have kids, Ikego runs an excellent year round soccer program. Boy scouts and Girl scouts are very active on and off base. elementary schools on all three areas, but the middle school and HS are on Yoko. Mark Hamill(Luke Skywalker) Graduated from Kinnick HS. Many choose to send their preschoolers off base.

Most of Yokohama and Tokyo is bilingiual WRT signs, esp. in the train stations. Nearly everyone speaks at least some english. Restaurants have plastic replicas in their front windows, so in case the menu is ilegible, you can always point!

Working is hard. On base, many of the jobs are limited to Japanese nationals as part of the SOFA agreement. Spouses are generally limited to MWR, Commissary and NEX positions, although Nurses and teachers can usually get jobs easily. you can however,make a butt ton of money teaching conversational English, either privately, or through the local school systems. tehre is a dental college right off the back gate that is always hiring. Volunteer opportunties abound, on and off base. YOSC(the Officer’s spouses club) runs two shops in a buiding across from the lodge( or did when I was there)..Second Hand Rose, the thrift shop, and Takusan Treasures, the gift shop. Anyone may volunteer there, no need to be an O spouse.

I sucked at learning the language, but there are ample opportunties to take lessons, either through FFSC or privately.

As for making friends.. the key is to get off base and just get out. there are several things to do in Yokosuka city , no train necessary. Mikasa Park is a ten minute walk from the main gate and has turned the Mikasa into a floating museum. I highly recommend shopping on the ‘blue road” -you’ll see what that means when you get there, with lunch at KoKo Curry or the Yakitori stand. the stationary store is amazing, and the 100 yen store at the Prince Hotel is to die for, although not NEARLY as nice as the 5 story one in Michida. there are two main shipping centers within a ten minute walk of the front gate, plus the blue road.

take the AOB/ICR class. it was mandatory for SM, but only suggested for family members when I was there. its a wealth of information, they even teach you how to use the trains!.

When you get there, ask someone how to get to Garlic Jo’s in Yokohama’s Queen’s Landing. KILLER restaurant.

Now I am all missing Japan….we lived there from 2000-2003. DH was on shore duty but went TAD to MCCAIN a lot.

Answer by Kaonashi
To be honest, you’d be lucky if you found a Japanese person who knows any English, let alone be fluent at it. They learn English in Junior High and high school for 6 years, but since they never practice it after graduation, since the focus is on reading and rote memorization rather than conversation, and since many English teachers themselves can barely speak English, their knowledge of it just doesn’t stick. However, if you’re going to be in the Yokohama or Tokyo area, your chances of finding people who speak a little English are a little better.

As for learning Japanese, it all really depends on you. If you just pick up a book once a week to study, then forget it. If you don’t aim to be fluent, then at least learn the basics- in reading, grammar, and especially vocabulary. I’ve learned that even if you don’t quite know how to ask a question, knowing the vocabulary is a great help. Like if you want to find the post office but don’t know how to ask it…as long as you know the word for “post office”, someone can help you find it.

Making friends in Japan is pretty easy since the people are so friendly. Yes, there will be language barriers depending on the Japanese person’s level of English and your level of Japanese, but the cool thing is that you can learn each other’s language together when you speak.

As for natural disasters, there’d be small earthquakes every now and then, but nothing major. Then again, I live in California so feeling minor tremors is nothing to me. Don’t worry about tsunamis if you don’t live near the beach. Besides, they’re not very common.

As for getting jobs, as a foreigner that can be tough since they’d rather hire someone who can already speak the language fluently. They do sometimes make exceptions if you’re really fluent. A friend of mine works at a bank not as a teller, but some higher position. He’s lived there for a while now (6 years), and his Japanese is excellent. He was always hardcore in studying. He can read the newspaper in Japanese, which is no small feat. Can you imagine reading and talking about politics, finance, and science in Japanese? In short, if you’re an English speaking foreigner who isn’t fluent in Japanese and you want to work in Japan, your best bet is to be an English teacher.

Best of luck!

Answer by wuzaracer
Welcome to Japan. I am not military, but I am an American living in Tokyo. Tokyo and Yokosuka are two very different places. I can offer some advice from the langauge point of view. My wife and kids also came to Japan with me when my corporation transferred me. They did not speak and Japanese, yet over time they learned more and more. My wife took lessons and she started to learn more Japanese which helped out in daily life. After 3 years, she does quite well in communicating. With some help from other members of the base community, you can network and share information on where to go and how to get there.
Signs for trains and roads are in Japanese and English. Although not every street has a name. In Tokyo the city wards have good information on what to do in case of emergencies or disasters in Japanese, English, Korean, Chinese and Spanish. I am sure the base has a good plan in place to support all families on the base.

To answer your question, there are several minor quakes a year. So small and quick, are these quakes. No problem at all in 3 years for me. Typhoons could be more of a problem if the typhoon center hits land. It tends to stop the trains and businesses close. I have had this happen only once in the last 3 years. When typhoons are predicted to hit land, most companies encourage people to go home early. The cities have PA warning systems, but I have only heard these used in test mode. Every October is disaster preparedness month in Japan. Schools, businesses, and cities have drills or practice on what to do just in case. I am sure the base has something similar.

As for getting a job in Japan, I can answer only from the non military point of view, as I do not know the details of the SoFA agreement. My family was issued family visas, which do not allow work. If a company hires you, they can arrange a work visa for you. If you want to play the percentages, I suggest if you have a college degree to try for a job in English conversation.

When I was growing up in NorCal, one day a family moved in next door. They had just relocated from Yokosuka, Japan. Their dad was a Navy man, just like my dad. (USN Retired!). I am proud of familes and people like you. (former US Army myself)

Answer by Joriental
“Fear often exaggerates danger.”
“It’s always darkest before the dawn.”
“It’s easier than one thinks.”
There is same proverb in Japan.

Probably you will get cultural shock and feel language barrier first.
And Yokosuka is small town. However, the people living there loves Yokosuka very much.
If you try to learn the language, your life will be exciting.
And Costco is not far from the base.

Answer by twikfat
Hey there. many good questions. I just got back from japan, I lived in Hokkaido from 2004-2006. Im 22. I wasnt an excahnge student, english teacher or anything like that I was a volenteer missionary so I have a real view on the life and society. Our job was to teach deep stuff so it was our role to be fluent in the language and become part of the culture. If you dont know Japanese it will be very tough and you may feel quite iscolated from others around you, everyone will be very friendly towards you, japanese people have ‘masks’ which they put on for different people depending on their relationship with them. With people you first meet they will either ignore you or stare at you until you make eye contact in which they will look away. They are interested in you, but from afar. When you do meet them they will be very polite and nice towards you, this may not be their true feelings but they will be kin nevertheless. Just remember that because you are an American and have conection with the Army base some people, particuarly the older generation may resent you, but just let it go. Just remember that you are in their country, and trust me, in japan everything is Japanese. no multiculturalism that many other large cities enjoy. It is an entirely different world. No matter how long you are there you will always be the forigner, but it can be used as a positive, most forigners get all grumbly about everyone staring and pointing at them, but I reccomend to use it to your advantage and smile back, wave back, enjoy that you are the minority and you will find your experience in Japan very rewarding. Getting a job might be hard and they will be quite biast towards you in that regard, but dont feel bad, you will find something.
um, the language is hard, you will need to study hard, focus more on the speaking than the reading/writing at first, when you meet someone you dont write them a letter, you speak. Reading and writing will come as a natural after. Well I have a million things to say if you do have some more questions please email me and I will answer any question you have. Good luck!

Answer by M
My husband & I were stationed at Yokota. Check out this website: https://www.yosc.org/travelog/old_travelog/main-t.html This is the best “crash course” manual I can recommend for you. It’s geared toward Yokota Air Base but lots of stuff would apply for the Naval Base.
I strongly suggest living on base. Yokosuka has very nice housing. It’s really expensive to live off base and you don’t receive the amenities off base you are used to having living stateside. As far as weather warnings, living on base, you’re kept informed of situations right away. Getting a job? If you don’t speak Japanese, your chances are slim. There’s lots of jobs on base that you can get. It may not be in your career field but you can get employment if you are wanting to work. Learning the language- It’s hard but if you put your mind to it, you can learn enough to get by.
Good luck.