Should I move to Japan?

Question:

I feel like theres more to offer over there, a job, a life, (a girlfriend...), and much more. I feel that after high school I should go there for two weeks tops and see what happens. any comments or advice?

Answer:

Yes, you should move to Japan, BUT, good luck getting the government to agree to let you.

TO QUALIFY FOR JAPANESE CITIZENSHIP, YOU MUST:

1) have lived continuously (hiki tsuzuki) at Japanese addresses for five years

2) be over twenty years of age "in terms of mental and legal capacity" (20 sai ijou de honkokuhou ni yotte nouryoku o yuusuru koto)

3) behave well (sokou ga zenryou de aru koto)--and they do check--my dictionary even has the word "sokou chousa" (personal conduct survey) in it

4) demonstrate the means to support yourself

5) be willing to relinquish the citizenship of your native country once Japanese citizenship is granted

6) respect the Japanese Constitution (i.e. don't plot against or advocate destroying it, or associate or join a group or political party which does)

7) Have a CLEAN criminal record

Those requirements can be ignored if you marry a Japanese person or if your mom or dad are from Japan. Getting permission to live in Japan is rather difficult. Of the many applications requesting citizenship, less than 25% are approved.