Hello there everyone, my name is Agnes (nickname is Annie) originally from Hungary but I am living and working in Japan. My husband is also Japanese. This blog is to share my experiences and impressions about Japan with you.
It has been my dream since high school to be able to live and work in Japan. To pursue my dreams, I enrolled a Japanese Language School in Tokyo after graduating university in Hungary. The language school called Manabi was recommended by one of my friend, who also attended this school before me. If anyone is interested in studying japanese, I highly recommend Manabi. You can check their website below:
http://www.manabi.co.jp/en/
Of course, my first shock came as soon as I saw the tuition fee. However, I knew I would regret for the rest of my life if I didn't give it a try. As I am able to speak German as well (but please spare me from math), after my graduation I decided to use that skill and work in Austria for one year in a hotel as a waitress and receptionist. I have to add, the wages in Austria are 3 or 4 times higher compared to Hungary.
When I finally got the money to pay for the tuition fees, I submitted my application to the school immediately. Words cannot describe how happy I was when the school confirmed my admission and sent me the necessary documents to apply for the student visa at the Embassy of Japan. And I will never forget the moment I booked my flight to Tokyo.
As the rents are pretty expensive in Japan, I decided to book a woman dormitory. This was the cheapest solution and at least I was not alone as I shared one room with five other girls. But trust me it was really fun! The agency I booked my room at is called Sakura House. They offer a variety of accommodations, including flat, share house, youth hostel or dormitory. And their rooms are really clean. If interested please check their website below:
http://www.sakura-house.com/en
Finally, the first school day came! I did not speak Japanese at all when coming to Japan and I was a little bit nervous whether I would find the address but it turned out the school was only 25 minutes away from my dormitory.
When I stepped in the teachers room, they welcomed me with a big smile and one of the teachers showed me the way up to the classroom. Every student gathered there for the opening ceremony and briefing. After that there was a little test aimed to assess every students' level so the teachers could decide which class is most appropriate. Not surprisingly I got to the beginners class as expected.
After finishing the test there were soft drinks and snacks prepared for us in a separate room. This was a great chance to talk to the teachers and students so we could get to know each other. I had 4 lessons every day, meaning 20 hours a week.
It takes 2 years to finish the school completely, but it is also possible to attend only a few semester. One semester takes 3 months. I attended 9 months in total.
Speaking to other foreign students studying here, they were surprised how fast and thoroughly they taught us at Manabi.
There were tests every week, still the lessons were fun! The teachers didn't teach just one way, but they encouraged us to use our Japanese abilities gathered so far in the classes as well. During the lessons they kept asking questions in Japanese and students needed to answer in Japanese. Also, the way they taught the grammar was pretty easily understandable.
I was also looking for some part-time job to do in the afternoon after the lessons and after 3 months of search I finally found an HR company to work for, although it was an internship only for a few months. Still, I was glad I finally found a way to earn some money.
As my internship finished in August 2013, I had to start job-hunting again but this time my goal was to get a full time contract. It was not easy at first and I worked in a restaurant part-time while attending interviews on my days off. After 6 months of job-hunting I got a full time job at an IT company as an interpreter and team assistant. Love my job!
The company I work for is one of the biggest in Japan and they have a very good working environment. They provide 3 weeks off a year. One week in May, one week in August and one week in December. Apart from that they also provide 10 days paid holiday in case of illness etc. We do overtime during the big "Christmas and End of Year rush", around November and December. But normally we leave at 6 o'clock p.m. And I have to add my superiors are all very friendly and generous.
However, there are so called Black Companies（ブラック企業）as well. These usually smaller companies need to fight more to be profitable compared to bigger, internationally well-known japanese companies. The employees of Black Companies go home with the last train everyday. If lucky! If not, they stay at a so called Manga Cafe, where there are seperate boxes with a mat so they could sleep a few hours and then continue working.
I would like to emphasize, that everything depends on what company you find to work for!
And finally I am going to add some pictures here:
I needed to change flight in Zurich as there is no direct flight from Hungary to Tokyo. It was so breath-taking flying closer and closer to Japan!
This lady is the school principal. I really owe her big time!
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Maybe we ordered a little bit too much XD
Asakusa, Senso-Ji Shrine
Cherry blossom!
School trip to a Shrine :)
Yokohama Bay with hubby :3
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Korakuen Park with hubby <3
I couldn't miss this chance to take a pic of mega Pikachu XD
Sky Tree <3
The elevator of the Sky Tree
And the amazing night view from the very top of the Sky Tree
This is called Cosplay purikura, but I was the only one crazy enough to actually change XD
Hot chocolate inside, yummy!
Sure, why not? If mega Pikachu, then giant Hello Kitty XD
Love Sushi!
Kamakura（鎌倉）
(=^0^=)
Yey, I am just OK to ride the roller-coster XD
Lunch with hubby <3
My birthday dinner with hubby :)
This year's Hanami（花見）in Ueno park :)
I am going to update this blog as fast as I can, however I also need to do my job, too ^_^ Please do check me on Twitter and Youtube! ;) Seeya soon :*
