Japan Exchange Program?

Question:

My question isn't for school-related purposes. I would like to know if there are any programs out there that can help someone in America to get exchanged over to Japan - but not while in high school. As an adult, since... well, I'll be 18 in a few months.

What I meant was... exchanged to live with a host family? Unless no one can find anything on that...

There's also the possibility of me becoming an English teacher... so helping me with links/information on that would be helpful too.

I would love it if you could give me as much information as possible.

Thank you for your time.

Answer:

If you plan on going to college, you will probably want to choose a college that offers study abroad programs in Japan, since that will probably be the easiest way for you to go. If you have already chosen a school and it doesn't have such a program, you might be able to go with another school's program -- as someone in whatever office deals with study abroad at your school for more information on that. You could also wait until you finish your 4-year degree and apply for a teaching position with a program like the JET Program. However, note that you MUST have a four-year degree for these programs due to government regulations for granting work visas (there are a few ways around them but they involve being married to a Japanese citizen or someone else who already has a work visa or having 10 years of experience working in your field). In addition, teaching positions rarely (if ever) use homestays to house the teachers. You usually have your own place to live. Beyond that, your other major option would be to study Japanese through a program like the Yamasa Institute in Aichi prefecture.