Moving to Japan...

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Hi everybody!

Here's my "problem". I have AS, single and I am a physicist (maths and physics are a part of my special interests) and I live now in France with my family. In order to pursue in my special interests, I had an award for a 2-years position in an Institute for Theoretical Physics in... Kyoto, Japan!... Starting next October.

So as an aspie, I am very very scared!! !! !! I don't know if some of you can imagine that!
Nobody in my family can actually go in Japan with me.

If I don't go there, I will be unemployed and It will be impossible in any way to make my special interest for living.
If I go there, I will loose my "aspie references" with which I feel so safe and secure, in a country I don't even know... But you surely know about that.

So, I would like to have your opinion or any of your advice.
And in the best case, if you are an aspie living in Kyoto or somewhere else in Japan, I will be very very interested in counting you among my contacts!

Thank you very much for your participation.
Best

Hello Adam, I can understand this is a bit intimidating but it's a fantastic oppourtunity, I'm sure you realise that. You have to go, it will be a bit scary but many good things in life are a challenge. In Japan, I'm assuming you are western, you will not need to be concerned about your differences as they will be all too obvious. Your references will still be there when you return. Good luck with whatever you choose.

OH, go! Go and have a good time. The first month or two will have all kinds of frustrations for you. But the Japanese will help you as much as they can. Piece of advice DO NOT have public meltdowns. Japanese do not respect people who lose it in front of them.
I lived in Japan for four years. I would gladly go back for another year or two.
You will be amazed at how many of them speak some form of English.

Seize this opportunity, you will have fun once you get used to it!

<--- Wishes he was going to Japan - or any where in Asia.

I lived for 15 years in Jamaica. I was very shy and reserved, but the local people found me charming, and they also were smoked by how well I played games that they like to play... backgammon and dominoes. I suggest that you read up on their culture and social taboos... and give your self a chance over there. My daughter is an artist, and she went over on a teaching grant, and loved her time there... she's not the most social person in the world trust me.

I enjoyed this novel Red Sky, Red Dragonfly. It's about an American who goes to Japan to teach English. http://www.amazon.com/Red-Sky-Dragonfly ... +Dragonfly

GO!

You'd be shocked but travel and immersion in a new place could be the best thing for you, you'll meet people who will take you at face value more and will overlook your "odd" traits. It can be a very liberating experience.

I went to japan a couple of times and I will have to say that it is aspie friendly. If this is your first time over there. Things will be a little rough for the first week until you get settle in.

Just let me say I envy you so, so much... my dream is to move to Japan myself once I finish high school and university. Good luck over there! I hope you end up taking in some of the culture there, as it would be a waste to go just for the sake of a job.

aspie friendly setting? I thought japanese had strict social rules and looked negatively upon people that are socially odd. Well you might get the foreigner treatment where they excuse a lot of socially oddities. One thing, I've met a lot of japanese internationals that come over here and never really got along well with any of them. Idk if this has anything to do with being aspie.

People in Japan are usually really mature in every aspect, politics, spiritual, social behavior. I had never been there but I think its one of the best countries for aspies.

Do you speak Japanese at all, or are you interested in incorporating the Japanese language into your everyday life?

It's the fact that I am a foreigner that make it easy for me. If I where domestic Japanese. It would be more like hell to be AS. BTW: We get a lot of Japanese internationals over here to play golf on our golf courses and I have a very hard time getting along with them as foreigners.

as a foreigner you will get a lot of questions , iv'e seen other vids of ppl in japan complaining about it.
that some stranger in train will talk to you and ask questions.

With my experience, I haven't had any problems with the japanese americans in my area but the foreign japanese has varied.

In HS, I asked if I could sit down with some international girls, then they just got up and left laughing among themselves. Then there was a chemistry japanese prof I had in college that played favorites and blocked me from becoming a chem major. And he provided a research opportunity to a girl who struggled at chem and was not a chem major just because he liked her (and was probably a old pervert). Then recently Ive been working in this lab and have had major tension with this girl from japan. At this point we hate each other.

On the flip side, my bf is half japanese but he's american. And theres an excellent counseler who works in disability center whos from japan. One my best friends is half japanese (then again american). So no, not trying to be entirely racist here, thats just my experiances. shrug

If you watch videos by people who have been to Japan, or watch Japanese/English J-news you would know two or more things. Let me recommend gimmieaflakeman on you tube. He has lived in Japan for over 20 years, and knows a lot of things. He writes a J-news/blog on many things happening in Japan. I would suggest you refrain from even talking in a Subway train, or any public transport. It is actually against the law in Japan to use any electronic communications device on a train, and very rude to speak. Also do not go on the women's only car, or if you are a woman, stand in a spot where you will easily get boxed in. Just some tips, and this man has good reason to go, He has references and has people in Japan that want him there, and will be able to get more help with things. Make sure to do some research on customs, you may be a foreigner, but to get people to pay attention, you have to know the basic Japanese politeness levels. For example me saying Onegai (least polite please) to my business partner in Japan will get me in deep trouble, saying it to a friend is still disrespectful, but more appropriate. Learn how to shop in Japanese, you will be able to find wonderful things there, but you will find that money can be spent fast, especially in tokyo. I did a lot (I mean hour upon hour everyday for 3 months) of research on it because I wanted to teach in Japan soooo bad, but I needed a BA to do it, or I would have to teach at a school not worth the money (would have been extremely fulfilling to teach at a christian pre-school english class in Osaka, but sadly I can't right now). Take care to get to know how to get around before you go, it will certainly reward you to do so!