Hi Brett

Many thanks indeed for your feedback here. Looks like I have my work cut
out.
As for the language I already know 100 Kanji and the Kana as I have been
having lessons for 15 months now so I suppose it helps.
Im in an IT supporting role here near London in which I use IBM Iseries,
Windows 2K server  Xp  and 2k clients and Lotus Notes.
Im also doing my MCSE exams too.

I have told my girlfriend that I assumed things would be difficult in Japan
and I would do an EFL course before coming so I could teach English too  if
needed. She wasnt too happy about that mainly due to her perception of young
English teachers in Tokyo of which Im ignorant about.
In the meantime thanks again and I will just keep researching ways to work
there.

Nick
"Brett Robson" <jet_boy@deja.com> wrote in message
news:btedh40gpm@drn.newsguy.com...
> On Tue, 6 Jan 2004 10:16:31 -0000, Igirisujin  ...
> >
> >Hello NG and Happy New year to you all
> >
> >Im looking to move to Japan around August time this year to be with my
> >Japanese girlfriend.
>
> Learn to read hiragana and katakana. 12 kanji a week for 8 months is
around 400
> which is a useful amount. It is hard though to study kanji outside of
Japan
> because of the lack of reinforcement but 400 is a reasonable target.
>
>
> >Any help be it simple or complicated would be very gratefully received
and
> >many thanks in advance  to you all.
> >
>
>
> Firstly don't even bother looking before you get here unless you decide to
take
> a job with a language chain
> compare the serious english page with
> http://www.teachinjapan.com/
> the silly pink rabbit japanese version
> http://www.nova-group.com/
>
> Perhaps try but I guarrantee you will get sick of "great we look forward
to
> meeting you when you get here".
>
> 12 months ago I would have said don't bother there are no jobs. However I
have
> heard the market has picked up noticably recently, but I am neither on the
job
> market nor have I spoken to any agents recently so that might be total
crap.
> There are a lot of bilingual IT around who live here permanently so the
> competition is still high. You might have to teach English.
>
> The other point is there is practically no such thing as a foreign company
in
> Japan now. The expat is nearly extinct. Foreign company are actually
Japanese
> companies with funny names. They have Japanese management, employment
practices
> and Japanese conditions.
>
> What area are you in? Anything to do with Microscoft probably requires
near
> native level Japanese.
>
>
>
> Brett
>
>
>
>
> .
>
> ----
>
> someone who wants junk mail
> info@jpat.jp
>