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Hey guys, how's it going? My name is Micaela, and first of all, HAPPY NEW YEAR! Happy 2016!
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This year is going to be great.
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So today I kinda wanted to make an updated 2016 list of ways that you can get to Japan
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if that is something that is on your mind for this year, or maybe even the next year,
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and you want to start planning, or you want to just know what your options are, or what
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my personal opinion about these options are?
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Then this is the right video for you!
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Congratulations, good clicking judgement!
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Since we're gearing up to the 2020 Olympics here in Japan, Japan has been really focused
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on becoming more international, more accepting towards foreigners, more friendly towards
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foreigners, and I think it makes it a lot easier for first timers to visit the country.
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NOW IS YOUR CHANCE
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Nowadays, there are tons of options for foreigners looking to visit Japan, whether it be for
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a short term or long term period.
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And really, what it comes down to, is the kind of experience that you are looking for.
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First of all, if you are under the age of 18, or still a highschool student, you really
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only have a few choices:
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If you are a highschool student, the most challenging but also rewarding experience
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would be that of an exchange student in a Japanese highschool.
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If you are currently enrolled in highschool in your own country, you may qualify for a
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pre-college student visa.
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This is actually one of the hardest things that I've ever done in my life, being a highschool
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student in Japan.
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Although I had the preconception that I was going to come to Japan, come to a Japanese
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highschool, and go back to Canada having made lots of Japanese friends, it turns out that
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when you can't speak Japanese, you can't really express yourself, and people don't get to
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know you, and that can be really frustrating at first.
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It takes a while to get used to reading Kanji, it takes a while for you to relate to the
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highschool experience here.
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The other big thing to consider is that Japanese highschool students spend a lot of their time
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either at afterschool club activities, or studying in cram schools, because getting
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into college is the biggest hurdle of a highschool student's life.
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So, they're very busy, and they don't really have a lot of time to ~hang out~, they don't
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really ~hang out~ like we do in Canada, so.
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I think it's a very challenging experience, but it's also the most rewarding because you
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put yourself in these positions where you're experiencing a new culture and you're kind
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of forcing yourself to both accept and grow at the same time.
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And I think that when you're young, that's something that's a lot easier to do, like,
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I'm really really glad that I was a highschool student, but if anyone were to ask me to do
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it all over again, right NOW, I'd be like, "nah!!".
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Another option would be to come to Japan on a tourist visa. Some Japanese language schools
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offer short term classes for people who are visiting Japan on a tourist visa, and if you're
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on a tourist visa, some schools offer 12 week courses, and some schools also offer four-week
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courses. As long as you can afford a place to stay while you're here, and the school
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fees of course, this is a good way to to kind of experience what it's like to live in Japan
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without the actual commitment of living in Japan forever.
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Especially if you're a highschool student, and you don't really want to do the whole
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exchange student thing, you could try to come over maybe on summer vacation and take a 4-week
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language school course while you know, just getting a feel for the daily life here, and
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then, when you graduate, if Japan is where you really want to be, you can kind of work
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towards coming back.
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The most expensive but also most convenient and least stressful way of seeing as much
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of Japan as possible in a short period of time would be to join an all-inclusive tour
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such as Contiki or Intrepid. I think Intrepid actually has a lot of Japanese tours, ranging
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from 4 days to two weeks.
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Although the prices are quite high they do include everything; accommodation, and food,
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and attractions!
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A lot of people are like, "ew, the tourist experience, gross!" but I think that if you
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wanna just get a really comfortable, safe introduction to Japan without having to think
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about too much or plan too much yourself, this is actually a great way to see all of
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the really important beautiful sights, eat a lot of the most important delicious food,
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and you know, get the experience! Because you're with someone who knows the country.
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If you REALLY don't want the tourist experience, finally, you could always just come on a tourist
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visa, pay for accommodation, and plan your own travels and do everything yourself.
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but, you know, that's totally up to you.
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A Working Holiday Visa is another great option for those of you who have completed high school and are under 30 years old.
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However, it's always kind of hard to talk about this because Americans do NOT have access to Working Holiday Visas.
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And it kinda sucks for them.
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But a lot of Canadians, Australians and Europeans visit Japan on Working Holiday Visas.
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And each country has it's own rules, so I can only talk about it kind of "generally".
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Working Holiday allows you to visit Japan for a longer time than tourist visa does, plus you also get permission to work.
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so you can kind of support yourself and pay your way along as you're travelling or living in Japan.
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People who come visit on Working Holiday usually end up on short-term contracts teaching English, or
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they work at farms, farmwork is actually a lot of fun!
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I recommend that.
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Finally, if you're looking for more long-term options, you've decided that
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You've decided that "absolutely!" you want to spend as much time in Japan as possible.
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You have three options:
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Come as a post-secondary student
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You can come as an employee of a company,
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Or you can get married.