Opportunities to train in Japan

[weeping_demon]

Hi guys! I'm a newbie here on the forums, and a newbie to kendo as well. :D For those living in Japan, my question would be: are there any ways or opportunities that I can train in Japan (and hopefully live and work there too?)? What are the things I need to do to be able to get to Japan? :) (sorry for the confusing way of stating my question, I cant seem to explain myself very well... lol) :D I'd really love to go there as it has been a dream of mine for quite some time already hehe Thanks! Any information provided would be gretly appreciated :D

P.S.
I live in the Philippines and I'm having a very hard time looking for opportunities to work and live abroad especially in Japan. (chances for me going there are really slim) :p

[Darknails]

as a philipino I think you're fluent in English? You can work as an English teacher at language schools and get reasonably well paid. I'm sure some people here can share their experiences with you. Good luck!

[xvikingx]

If you are still a student, studying abroad in Japan would probably be your best option. Jobs are hard to come by and immigration is pretty strict, even more so for Filipinos. If you just want to train here why don’t you just take a long vacation and practice somewhere for a couple of weeks?

[Hakkaisan]

W_D,

If you do happen to make it to Japan, and you are interested in learning Kendo, please drop me an email. We have a very international and friendly Kendo dojo in Tokyo, and you are welcome to visit anytime and try Kendo with us.

Regards,

Jack Keane
International Director, Kyumeikan Kendo
jack@kyumeikan.com
kendo@kyumeikan.info:)

[Kagerou]

I agree with XVikingX. If you can come as a student that's your best bet for the momment. The english teaching business is having a bit of a rough time right now so I don't know if you'd have any luck getting a teaching position. Since Nova went under there are too many teachers floating around looking for jobs. Nova is supposed to reopen starting in January so maybe after a couple months you'd have better luck. I'm not sure when the deadline for applying for university is here but seeing as the school year ends in March I'd say you're probably too late for the 2008 school year. There are a couple universities with budo focused kinesiology degrees. I posted one of them somewhere in this forum. One's in Chiba and I think the other is in Tokyo somewhere. Can't remember where. Regardless of what degree or school you go to they will have a kendo club or there will be a dojo nearby where you can go. Do you speak any Japanese?

[Docile]

musta... :)

why not just go as a tourist for a few months?

FYI not all filipinos are fluent in english hehe...

me << filipino


woah !! I just noticed.. there are alot of foreigners living in japan.. you guys students?? if i manage to go there somehow LOL show me around guys !! LOL!!

[xvikingx]

show me around guys !! LOL!!

Will work for beer.

[Docile]

LOl sake will be falling down from the heavens like a waterfall LOL!! well if u want beer.. then yeh.. that goes for that too

[Kagerou]

LOl sake will be falling down from the heavens like a waterfall LOL!! well if u want beer.. then yeh.. that goes for that too

Be careful what you say or Kenshi might decide he likes that offer.

[Kenshi]

Kenshi does.

[Docile]

omg so much people here living in jap....

how much are sake/ beers there anywayz??

[Kagerou]

You see now you're in trouble Docile!

You've got XVikingX and Kenshi willing to show you around for beer.....I don't think you'll be able to afford a hotel after they're done drinking your vacation money.

[xvikingx]

how much are sake/ beers there anywayz??

You needn't worry about that until the bill comes.

[weeping_demon]

Wow! thanks so much guys for all your replies :) well, sad to say, I have already graduated and am working for IBM here (where there are very little opportunities to get sent abroad for work with this compnay; and as much as I'd like to attend graduate school there, I have no means of paying for the tuition) hehe I know how to speak basic japanese and I can read and write a little hiragana/katakana and some kanji too.. I can get by as a tourist there with what little Nihonggo I know but I am still learning the language and I have a Japanese friend who teaches me :) I was planning to join the JET Programme of the Japanese govt next year but when I called the embassy, it seems they were not sure whether they will be offering it next year :P

[Docile]

Tourist + homestay !!

[weeping_demon]

musta... :)

why not just go as a tourist for a few months?

FYI not all filipinos are fluent in english hehe...

me << filipino


woah !! I just noticed.. there are alot of foreigners living in japan.. you guys students?? if i manage to go there somehow LOL show me around guys !! LOL!!

Hey pare! wassap? hehe musta dyan? Glad to see a fellow Filipino in the forums! :D

[weeping_demon]

W_D,

If you do happen to make it to Japan, and you are interested in learning Kendo, please drop me an email. We have a very international and friendly Kendo dojo in Tokyo, and you are welcome to visit anytime and try Kendo with us.

Regards,

Jack Keane
International Director, Kyumeikan Kendo
jack@kyumeikan.com
kendo@kyumeikan.info:)

Thank you very much for the invitation! :D I'd really love to visit and train sometime :) I'll just drop you a line if ever I get the chance to go to Japan!

Domo arigato gozaimasu! :D

[weeping_demon]

I agree with XVikingX. If you can come as a student that's your best bet for the momment. The english teaching business is having a bit of a rough time right now so I don't know if you'd have any luck getting a teaching position. Since Nova went under there are too many teachers floating around looking for jobs. Nova is supposed to reopen starting in January so maybe after a couple months you'd have better luck. I'm not sure when the deadline for applying for university is here but seeing as the school year ends in March I'd say you're probably too late for the 2008 school year. There are a couple universities with budo focused kinesiology degrees. I posted one of them somewhere in this forum. One's in Chiba and I think the other is in Tokyo somewhere. Can't remember where. Regardless of what degree or school you go to they will have a kendo club or there will be a dojo nearby where you can go. Do you speak any Japanese?

Hi! whats "NOVA"? :) Is it some sort of language school where I can apply as a teacher? :) Yes, I can speak and understand a little Japanese (I'm having a Japanese friend teach me). :)

[Docile]

rami pinoy din d2... from manila kendo club...



anyone here living in kyoto??

[weeping_demon]

rami pinoy din d2... from manila kendo club...



anyone here living in kyoto??

Wow! talaga? :D hehe I'm joining the Manila Kendo Club this January! :) I'm already very excited! :D

[xvikingx]

anyone here living in kyoto??

I work in Kyto, don't live there however.

[Kagerou]

Hi! whats "NOVA"? :) Is it some sort of language school where I can apply as a teacher? :) Yes, I can speak and understand a little Japanese (I'm having a Japanese friend teach me). :)

Yeah it's "some sort" of language school all right.....there should be a thread all about it in this forum.

If you're learning Japanese it would make going to school easier here and it makes learning kendo easier too. Not too many english speaking sensei around as far as I've seen.

Kyoto is a really nice city. I love going there and just wandering around all the old temples. Lots of people there speak basic english as well. Most of the stores I went to had someone who could speak decently. But I have to say that I like Kamakura far better than Kyoto. It's also a really old area with some great places to see AND it has a beach....and real hamburgers....and dogs that don't fit into your purse (you'll understand if you make it here).

Good luck whatever you decide to do. Keep us posted.

[weeping_demon]

So sorry for being ignorant :p Yes, I hope one day I would arrive there. Someday... Thanks everyone! :D

[Soldier Blue]

FYI not all filipinos are fluent in english hehe...


Yeah, a lot of filos I know only speak American.

[ShinKenshi]

Sorry to practice a little bit of thread necromancy here but I figured better this than start a fresh thread. My brother and I are talking about planning a trip to Japan in early June and we have friends who live in Tokyo that we could stay with and I was wondering if there were any gaijin friendly dojo's within a reasonable travel distance/time from places like Hiro or Ebisu. We'd only be around for a few days so I'm not entirely sure I'd be willing to lug my bogu and shinai with me. With that in mind, I've been considering buying a set of hand-made bogu while I'm there as well as a couple new shinai and then have them shipped back. Any info would be most helpful. Thanks.

[always_learning]

Sorry to practice a little bit of thread necromancy here but I figured better this than start a fresh thread. My brother and I are talking about planning a trip to Japan in early June and we have friends who live in Tokyo that we could stay with and I was wondering if there were any gaijin friendly dojo's within a reasonable travel distance/time from places like Hiro or Ebisu. We'd only be around for a few days so I'm not entirely sure I'd be willing to lug my bogu and shinai with me. With that in mind, I've been considering buying a set of hand-made bogu while I'm there as well as a couple new shinai and then have them shipped back. Any info would be most helpful. Thanks.

There are many dojos in and around Central Tokyo Mito-ku, Noma dojo (http://www.kodansha.co.jp/dojo/noma_dojo_e.html) in Bunkyo-ku may be worth a try. It would be my general case but in general most dojos welcome forienger kendoka particular if you like a beer or 3 after keiko ;). There will be the occasional right wing racist nut-case...but they wont do keiko with you so dont worry about them, 99% of others will be ok!

BTW It would be normal for hand-made bogu to take at least 1 month to prepare (A1 (http://www.kanagawahakkodo.co.jp/)), Moribudo (http://www.moribudo.co.jp/english/index.html) would take 3 months...and some upto 3 years (Suzuki-bogu in Saitama). Of course good off the shelf machine type bogu is available.

[Kagerou]

We'd only be around for a few days so I'm not entirely sure I'd be willing to lug my bogu and shinai with me. With that in mind, I've been considering buying a set of hand-made bogu while I'm there as well as a couple new shinai and then have them shipped back. Any info would be most helpful. Thanks.

I don't know Mori's policy on shipping handmade bogu because I've never bought a set and they know I live in Japan, but other places like Yokohama bogu will not sell you a set of handstitched unless you have and address in Japan to ship it to. As previously mentioned it takes a while to make a set so you might have to go with a stock type of handstitched or find somewhere that will ship it to you. If you get it shipped get insurance on it. I can only imagine the heatbreak at finding your new bogu damaged on arrival.

[Fudo-Shin]

What is it with Japan?..when I visit, in some respects I can' wait to leave...but after I have left, I can't wait to get back. De koto wa, I miss Japan!

[Docile]

lol home sickness.. and the feeling that you just dont belong there....

[always_learning]

What is it with Japan?..when I visit, in some respects I can' wait to leave...but after I have left, I can't wait to get back. De koto wa, I miss Japan!

I have lived in Tokyo 12 years, I can even sing the BicCamera song...most of 12 years which I spend wishing I was not here! However certainly I think Tokyo and Japan is a great place to visit. Working for rather than with Japanese is something I cannot get used to. I miss "gods country", the sun-burnt land

[ShinKenshi]

Thanks for the tips guys. I had a feeling that would be the case with hand-stitched bogu. I was hoping that I could maybe get sized up for a set and hope that they'd be willing to ship to the states. If that doesn't work, I may convince myself to make a trip into Chiba to visit Chiba bogu. I used to live in Roppongi ('89 to '01) so I'm really hoping I'll be able to make it back for a while. What I really would like to do is see what's changed in my old neighborhood since I left. I really miss the place!

[mashu19]

I have lived in Tokyo 12 years, I can even sing the BicCamera song...most of 12 years which I spend wishing I was not here! However certainly I think Tokyo and Japan is a great place to visit. Working for rather than with Japanese is something I cannot get used to. I miss "gods country", the sun-burnt land

I know exactly what you mean. Ive only been here for a year and am going back home to Australia soon, but as much as I want to leave, I also want to stay. I wish i had enough money to sort of live between the two. For me, the lack of good beef and the rare cases of bloody expensive good beef is whats driving me crazy. I need some meat. So home ive got to go.

[Kagerou]

Thanks for the tips guys. I had a feeling that would be the case with hand-stitched bogu. I was hoping that I could maybe get sized up for a set and hope that they'd be willing to ship to the states. If that doesn't work, I may convince myself to make a trip into Chiba to visit Chiba bogu. I used to live in Roppongi ('89 to '01) so I'm really hoping I'll be able to make it back for a while. What I really would like to do is see what's changed in my old neighborhood since I left. I really miss the place!

You miss Roppongi? Which part?

[ShinKenshi]

You miss Roppongi? Which part?I used to live in an apartment building called Vanguard right next to the old SDF headquarters and the Bridgestone apartment buildings. I was a block away from Hotel Ibis and on the same street as the post office. So you're familiar with the area?