I want to move to Japan?

Question:

こんにちは! I'm 16 years old, and I want to do somethin' that may sound a little crazy. I want to move to Japan. I've been doing my best to learn Japanese, I've gotten Hiragana and Katakana down and I'm in the process of learning Kanji. I am NOT wanting to go to Japan because of anime or manga, I want to go because I am interested in it's history and culture. I am planning on going to college before I move to Japan.

My questions now are: What am I going to need to do? and: what should I expect?


(Also, I didn't just copy and paste the symbols for "Kon'nichiwa"...)

Answer:

You usually need working or student visa to live in Japan.

For working visa, you have to get a job offer from a Japanese company. But you can't look for a job in Japan without a visa. So you need it before you enter Japan.

For student visa, you have to be admitted to a Japanese college. You need to pay tuition and living cost for 4 years. It could be about $80,000.

If you want to become a Japanese citizen, you have to keep living in Japan for more than 5 years without a pause. Then, you will be eligible to apply for citizenship. But you need more like stable income, sufficient reason, Japanese language skill and so on if you want your application to be accepted.

You can apply for Permanent Residence of Japan under the same condition. And this is relatively easier than citizenship.