Can you move to Japan at the age of 16?

Question:

This has been on my mind for a while. I'm currently 15 and reside in the UK, I've wanted to move there since I was 12 (by the way this dream was not inspired purely by anime). I've thought about trying to sell myself as a screen writer and maybe get a part-time job teaching English to pay for a crap apartment preferably in Shinjuku, Tokyo. Please tell me if there's any way I can move to Japan by myself at the age of 16. I don't care about the cost, I'm prepared to go through whatever it takes. (by the way, if your going to recommend I 'graduate' from university first, don't bother. I don't want to wait 'till I'm 21 or even 18. I want to go when I'm 16!!!). Thank you :)

Answer:

Ya sorry to break it to you but there's really no chance of you living on your own at 16 in Japan. Besides how will you teach English as a 16 year old? You need a college degree first to even be considered as a candidate for a teaching job not to even mention the whole visa issue. To live in Japan for longer than the usual 3 month limit with a normal tourist visa, you need to obtain either a working visa or student visa.Working visa means you have a degree and have a company that's willing to hire you in advance, and for a student visa you need to be admitted into a Japanese college and have the money to pay for it or be involved in a student exchange program.

Also I don't think anyone is going to be willing to rent out an apartment to someone underaged, and I highly doubt you will be able to come up with the money to cover your living expenses. You should care about the cost as that would be your major concern, and I highly doubt you have a few thousand dollars just laying around. Affordable apartment in Shinjuku, now that's laughable. An apartment in Shinjuku is going to run you a hefty price of at least 150,000 yen a month whether it's crappy or not. But once again no one will rent it to you since you're underaged.

So let's say you did miraculously get to Japan overlooking your visa problem. You would need at least $1,000 US for the flight there, considering you won't find an apartment you could stay at a youth hostel for $40 a night, not to mention food expense which will be about $25 a day if you like McDonalds, and oh ya no traveling for you by train because that would be $700 a month for a rail pass. So if you did somehow manage to stay there for 3 months you're looking at almost $7,000 USD by living on crap food, in a hostel, and this also doesn't include your laundry fees that you will have to do or if you have to buy things such as toiletries. You will be 16, you don't have a job, and more than likely you do not have this cash.

I think your best interest is to maybe see if you can qualify for a foreign exchange student program considering you know Japanese to begin with. First you need to talk to your parents and perhaps your high school guidance counselor to find out what the best program will be for you.
Even as a student, it would only be for a set amount of time.