During the age of exploration, why did Japan remain closed to almost all contract? -

During the age of exploration, why did Japan remain closed to almost all contract?

To protect itself. It was a small nation, had no sea power and followed a different way of life than the western nations, who were intent on exploration, discovery and opening the world to trade.

I am leaving america to hopefully live in Japan for good. What do i have to do to get into Japan? -

Security and money wise and in general. I also do not really care where or how i live, i would be fine with a small single room apartment. I also am planning onto be a car mechanic, what are the educational requirements for that career in Japan?:)

One requirement is that you have to beable to speak japanese fluently. IF you dont they will deni you residency.. Guidelines for Permission for Permanent Residence Legal requirements (1) The person is of good conduct. The person observes Japanese laws and his/her daily living as a resident does not invite any social criticism. (2) The person has sufficient assets or ability to make an independent living. The person does not financially depend on someone in the society in his daily life, and his/her assets or ability, etc. are assumed to continue to provide him/her with a stable base of livelihood into the future. (3) The person’s permanent residence is regarded to be in accord with the interests of Japan. In principle, the person has stayed in Japan for more than 10 years consecutively. It is also required that during his/her stay in Japan the person has had work permit or the status of residence for more than 5 years consecutively. The person has been never sentenced to a fine or imprisonment. The person fulfills public duties such as tax payment. The maximum period of stay allowed for the person with his/her current status of residence under Annexed Table 2 of the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act is to be fully utilized. There is no possibility that the person could do harm from the viewpoint of protection of public health. ※ The requirements (1) and (2) above do not apply to spouses and children of Japanese nationals, special permanent residents or permanent residents, and requirement (2) does not apply for those who have been recognized as refugees Special requirements for 10-year residence in principle (1) The person is a spouse of a Japanese national, special permanent resident or permanent resident, and has been in a real marital relationship for more than 3 years consecutively and has stayed in Japan more than 1 year consecutively. Or, the person is a true child of a Japanese national, special permanent resident or permanent resident, and has stayed in Japan more than 1 year consecutively. (2) The person has stayed in Japan for more than 5 years consecutively with the status of long term resident. (3) The person has been recognized as a refugee, and has stayed in Japan for more than 5 years consecutively after recognition. (4) The person has been recognized to have made a contribution to Japan in diplomatic, social, economic, cultural or other fields, and has stayed in Japan for more than 5 years.

Thank you so much also all of you:)....and no...i am far to peaceful to join the military i find all forms of life sacred...id rather die then take away life..or join such a horrible orginization... I also know how strict everything is in Japan and how i will be hard to find a job and getting a visa Report Abuse

To get a work visa for Japan you need at minimum a Bachelor s degree from a real 4-year university, no matter what job you are applying for. You also need to be hired by a Japanese employer BEFORE you move to Japan, since they sponsor your visa. There is no shortage of auto mechanics in Japan, and thus no reason for a Japanese employer to choose you over the many Japanese applicants for the same job. Hiring a foreigner is very expensive and risky, so they only do it when absolutely necessary. Japan is not like the US where any illegal immigrant can easily find work. They are EXTREMELY strict about visas and employees. Sorry, but I think your only chance is to join the military (if you are American) as a mechanic and hope to be transferred to Japan, or marry a Japanese who is willing to move back to Japan with you.

I agree with jettoblack. There is no reason for Japanese employers to hire you. But I believe you still want to know how to be a car mechanic in Japan. I ll tell you. You need car mechanic license （自動車整備士） to work as a car mechanic in Japan. The license has level 1, 2 and 3. 1 is the most advanced. http://www.mlit.go.jp/kokkasiken/seibi/s... The above government site has information on the license. To take this exam, you need to graduate from junior high school and have at least 1 year experience in working in a car industry IN JAPAN. So you can t take it. But HONDA has a school for car mechanic. And they accept foreigners. If you really want to become car mechanic, you try it. https://www.hondacollege.ac.jp/honda_e/n...

How does Japan manage to be so wonderful? -

Having returned recently from a holiday in Japan, I can say I found the place breathtaking, little crime, fantastic transport. great politeness and kindness, amazing futuristic cities, beautiful temples and shrines. How have the Japanese managed to create such a society that, while it has its problems, seems to me so far ahead of everyone else? England seems third world when I compare it to Japan!

Are you currently OFF your medication?! You VISITED, but have never LIVED in japan, correct? Big difference! I highly recommend you move here and live here for a few years. Then let s see if your impression changes! Futuristic cities? Do you mean, tokyo? The city is possibly the WORST planned city in the world. It is SO ugly! They are called TREES people, plant some! And the politeness amp; kindness is fake! Anyone that has lived in japan even a short time realizes this. Even japanese people will admit THIS! It is for show. You fell for the show. Congratulations! Although I do agree with you about one thing - england is a 3rd world country!

The transportation is truly great. And I m refering only to the accuracy. The trains are 90% on time. Did you go on the train during rush hour? Because I can t agree with you on the woderfulness of the trains during rush hour. It s hell.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!! You just saw small part of a big ice burg. Why don t you go and live in Japan forever?

I know exactly what you mean!!! I have no idea how they do it but thank god they do!!!! a truly wonderful place

yep u r right then again come and live in japan for 2 years then your question will so............different.........

It s how the Japanese people respect not only other Japanese people, but also foreigners. They will treat everyone with respect as long as you show them the proper respect not only to them but their country, as well. Also, they love their country and keep it safe for everyone. Did you notice the little kids walking to school? Japanese parents have no fear that their children will be abducted.

What subject of social science best for postgraduation in japan? -

i am doing undergraduation in journalism from dhaka university, bangladesh. if i want to do post graduation from japan, what subject/courses should i chose to get good jobs there afterward. any body advise would be praised much.

you may pursue sociology or anthropology and teach in college or English language . There are lot of jobs in Japan.

How much Japanese do you need to know to study for a semester in Japan? -

I want to transfer to Japan for a semester, or would a year be better? How much Japanese do you need to know for both (real experience preferred) also, is there any programs other than or better than AFS? ( I live in Canada) If you have studied in Japan before, when you re around 15-18 years old, please tell me about how it went, what program you went with and most of all, you experience. Thanks!

Hi :) I also live in canada, and i leave in a month for a five-month stay in Tokyo. I took one class of japanese when i was 13, (im 14) and i am not very confident in the language. But from everyone i ve heard from, you pick up the language Really quickly. I ve only heard of AFS and Rotary, but im going through my schools independant system so im not sure. Honestly, i havent gone yet so i dont know alot, but go to www.cultures-shocked.org it is the best thing that will ever happen to you. It has info from people about to go, trying to go, in the country right now, and people who went a while back. They have country specific boards (Japan) AND thing-specific boards (Packing) and other stuff. I highly sugest it. good luck and dont worry too much about the language! Just enjoy the culture and make new friends. Even if you cant speak the language, it ll be the best time of your life.

None or it depends on the school sponsoring the program. They may require that you know some basic or a semester worth of japanese class.

People of Japan where is the best placees to visit in Japan? -

I have been really interested in Japan scince i was a Kid, i m thinking about visiting, what are the best places to go? what is it like to live there?

Im not Japanese but I went there once... I went to Kobe and I really liked the malls and especially the Kobe tower...

http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/ Do you love Japanese food? Many fresh seafood! Sushi, Sashimi, Ramen... Seafood market should be visited in very early morning where you can find seafood restaurants serving you with fresh seafood ccuisine at attractive prices. http://www.tsukiji-market.or.jp/ Do you fancy sleeping and eating on tatami? Start practising folding your legs behind your bottom. Do you love the natural hotsprings? Most hotsprings nowadays are separate into Males and Females. (a few are still mixed.) But you still have to bare all with other people there. Wash before submerging into the swimming-pool-size tub. Have you watched much Japanese animation? If yes, it would be nice to visit the various manga amp; animation places. Not the shop but the museums and the animation production company. Eg. In Kyoto, there is the Toei Eiga Mura (Toei Studio Village) http://www.eigamura30.com/english/index.... You can also change into Japanese period drama costume there as it is a period drama shooting scenes. $$$ An hour away from Osaka, in Takarazuka, there is the Museum of Tezuka Osamu where you can see the work of Atomic boy and many more. West of Tokyo, there is the Ghibli museum at Mitaka full of the works like Laputa, Nausicaa ,Totoro, Mononoke Hime... by Miyazaki Hayao http://www.ghibli-museum.jp/ If you like Japanese architectures, Himeji castlle and the many temples in Kyoto are nice. The zen feeling inside Japanese gardens amp; temples should not be missed. There are lots of World Heritage sites in Japan, too. Go to UN site to search. If you like to visit the Honda Robot: http://www.honda.co.jp/ASIMO/ Or, did you watch the Initial D animation/manga/film about the Trueno AE 86; visit those twisty roads and try to do your stun there? I think you must not miss the chance to see the hanami, during Spring, to enjoy the intensive blossom of Japanese cherry blossom and see the rain of pinky/white petals and people enjoying them. Kyoto s Philosophy s Path is great for that.

I m not Japanese but I ve lived here on and off for 10 years. I suggest Kyoto as the #1 place. There is lots of traditional Japanese culture to experience alongside the ultramodern, neon city. A totally Japanese thing to experience is the hot spring or onsen. They are geothermal spas that are so popular it is hard to believe. Japanese people flock to these places to bathe in big groups. But is an interesting glimpse on Japanese way of life (of which the bath is a big part, really.) Make sure to follow the rules (clean yourself BEFORE entering the communal bath) and leave your modesty at the door.

Tokyo--Shopping, Emperor s palace Kyoto--Temples, Nijo Castle, Emperor s Palace Nara--Deer and Temples Himeji--Himeji Castle Hiroshima--Peace park Miyajimi Island--Cool little Island. Has a temple and deer Fukuoka--Cool city on Kyusu Island. You can take ferries to small islands off the coast. Sapporo--Cool big city in the North. If you go int winter, it ll be cold. Mt. Fuji--July and August is hiking season. Nagano--Beautiful mountains. Okinawa--beaches

This is a copy and paste from answers I have gave before. I have been to Japan many times and I have found it s a wonderful place to be, stay, visit or live. My fiance is from Japan and has given me extra reason to love it so much. I hope you can have a great trip. Also, at the bottom are links to airlines in the order in which you have your best chance to get good deals. If you join their mailing lists (email) and watch them regularly (orbitz helps too), then you can find great flight prices. I have never paid over $900 to fly to Japan and that was during peak times (explained below). Have fun. Well, to enjoy Japan, you have to see more than Tokyo. Honestly, I have only been to the airports in Tokyo and spent the rest of my time in Central Japan. Japan is a wonderful and beautiful place, but has even more value to me because that s where my fiancé is from. If you don t have a passport, you will need one before you go. I don t think you are dumb, but it s simple thing that some people don t think about. The best season to visit is autumn, especially October and November. It s still a bit warm in September and the typhoon season may not be over. You can also try April, for the Cherry Blossom viewing, but things can be wicked busy then and it can give you a bad taste for Japan if you have to fight people to get to everything. It s very beautiful that time of year, but it s also beautiful in autumn. Whatever you do don t go during the holiday seasons (http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2062.html)... especially Golden Week, which is April 29 to May 3 and the end of the year to early January. Stuff is really busy at those times and it s just not good for foreign people. I have a really nasty memory of visiting Kaiyukan (Osaka Aquarium) during Golden Week. My information about Tokyo is limited. As for a total trip to Japan, you should take 3-4 weeks and love it. It s a great place. People in Japan love foreign people. They don t hate to speak English, but they are afraid to do so. Many people seek out foreigner so they can quot;practice.quot; I have been someone s home work for their conversation school several times. Things to understand. When you are in Tokyo and on an escalator, stand on the left and walk on the right. It s the opposite of the US (I don t know where you are from, sorry). The rest of the Japan is the same as here stand on the right and walk fast on the left. Be sure and follow that because people will try to bump you out of the way. quot;Sumimasenquot; means quot;Excuse mequot; so you may want to practice this. Also, they often say it after they have bumped you. Remember that Japan is a crowded country and people are used to bumping into one another. It may seem rude to you, but it s normal to them. A really good guide book for Japan is Lonely Planet Japan (link below), or you can go to Barnes and Noble, they have a really good group of books on Japan. Outside of Tokyo you should visit Kyoto, Nara, Osaka, Okayama/Kurashiki, Fukuoka (shopping), Beppu (stinky), Mt. Aso (beautiful Active volcano) and Shikoku Island (many volcanoes). Doing this should take the amount of time I said above. You can visit Hokkaido and the city Sapporo too, but I haven t been there nor studied the north island all that much. One thing you must do is visit at least one Onsen. Check the second link below. It s beautiful and wonderful. You will live in the lap of luxury, have a wonderful hot spring bath, some have massages and they serve your food in your room, give you a special room to eat in alone or some actually cook in your room for you. It s expensive, but it s really wonderful. Some have a buffet for breakfast or dinner. Breakfast buffets are nice, but having breakfast in your room is really, though most have buffet for breakfast. I would avoid any that have buffet for dinner. Normally it s crowded, hard to get your food and sometimes the food is bad. A good English language service is at the third link below. This is run by an American man and his Japanese wife s family. They live in Hyogo Prefecture (state) near Osaka. They are really nice and been very helpful. Make your Onsen reservations as far in advance as possible. The fourth link below is a Japanese site that has many great places, but most of the links are in Japanese only, but they have many more places than the one in the third link. You have to make your own reservations by contacting the Onsen (hotel) yourself. If this is your only trip to Japan, then visit as many as you can. Beppu is a volcanic town that has many Onsen and that s why people go there, but the town smells strong from the sulfur, so some people can t stand it. They have many special baths with great healing qualities. It s really worth it and you do feel really great after spending your time in the hot spring baths. If you find one with cedar baths, that s really great too. If you are shy, try to find a place with a Private or quot;Familyquot; bath since most of them have only public baths. The people will look at you since you are a foreigner and they aren t afraid to look at your quot;private partsquot; either. Don t be offended. Many of the really good onsen are in small towns and they don t see many foreigners. Just ignore them and enjoy yourself. The public baths have more to choose from, including outdoor baths, which are really great, especially in autumn or winter because you can have the cool air outside and the very hot water (normally around 41-44 degrees Celsius. Whatever that is in Fahrenheit). It s really a great experience, and don t worry, they have fences to block people from seeing you or something natural, like many trees or the side of a mountain. Regular hotels around Japan. I have stayed at Tokyu hotels several times while in Japan. They are always nice, clean and have great service. They are very reasonable, you can make reservations in English and you can join their frequent visitor club, but that would be only if you are going back to Japan, because it takes a while to earn enough points for a voucher. Link #10 below. Tokyo , I don t know allot about Tokyo since my fiancé is from Osaka and hates Tokyo , so other than a few flights with layovers in Haneda and Narita, I haven t spent much time there. It s a huge city with many tall buildings. It s had a very good, but convoluted train system. Japan has the best public transportation system in the world (I live in Silicon Valley, what we have here is a joke. Then, after spending much time in Japan, I say we don t even have public transportation, but that s another story for another day). I bought a book called Japan Three Cities Tokyo, Kyoto and Ancient Nara by Cadogan (ISBN 1860119174). This has some good info about Kyoto and Nara, but I didn t go through the Tokyo part. Seems there s some good stuff too, though it may be redundant compared to the Lonely Planet book. It was helpful for Kyoto and Nara though. Oh, the Lonely Planet books come out every year in October, so if you are going to Japan after that, then wait to get the new book as it will be updated. Even with that, sometimes the information is out of date for restaurant names and addresses or phone numbers or other things. It s not perfect, but it s the best guide I have used. I hope you can enjoy Tokyo and the whole metropolitan area. Kyoto. Places you need to visit are the Golden Temple (link 7), Gion (Geisha District, link 8), Kokedera (Saiho-ji, Moss Temple in English, you have to make a reservation in advance by post card. I can have my fiancé get one for you if needed. My email is my name here at Yahoo; link five below is this place. It s beautiful), Byoudou-in which is in Uji (near Kyoto, link 6) and Fushimi Inari-taisha (link 9), which is a temple full of torii, literally thousands, take your walking shoes for this one, it s quite a hike, but worth it. The city of Kyoto itself is ugly. It s just too compact, too much traffic, dirty and not that great, but the temples, as you can see, are great. Also, I suggest visiting Onsen in the area. There are some nice ones north of Kyoto and to the west. Nara, after visiting Kyoto, I suggest vesting Nara. This was the original capital of Japan a few thousand years ago and they have some of the original historical artifacts. You may want to find a tour guide, because some of the stuff doesn t have information in English. You should plan 1-2 days there. Maybe, leave Kyoto in the morning one day, spend the day there, stay in a Japanese style hotel in Nara and then spend the next half day or so there and then go to Osaka or a place with Onsen in Wakayama prefecture. Osaka has kind of become like a second home to me and it s hard to say a visitor will really like there. I think the best thing are Osaka-jo (Osaka Castle, 11), Den Den Town (shopping district, mostly for men like electronics and such, 12), Universal Studios Japan (everything s pretty much in Japanese, but it s fun and interesting to see an American amusement park in another country, 13), Kaiyukan (Osaka Aquarium, 14), Suntory Museum (right next to the aquarium, 15) and the Imax, which is right there too, but everything is in Japanese, so you may feel lost. While in Osaka, I suggest stay in Arima Onsen. This is one of the most famous and popular hot spring resorts in the world. The problem for me is that my fiancé grew up minutes from there, so it s not interesting to her, so I haven t been able to visit one of the hot springs there yet. :-( Please check link 3 or 4 (part of Kinki) for information about this area. Wakayama prefecture. There s a lot to do there, but it s not necessary. There is an amusement park in Wakayama city (16) that s okay, but there is an adventure park near Shirahama called Adventure World that s nice (17). That s where Mei Mei is, she s the best mother Panda around, or so they say. It was nice to see them. It s a nice place to visit. Shirahama has some great Onsen too. Also, Katsuura has a couple island onsen that are magnificent, but have buffet dinners, well; I know one has buffet dinners. Link 18 is one of them. You may want to visit Shirahama and Katsuura, if you are going to, before going to Osaka, since you will be headed back that way if you follow the order I say. There s not much to do in Kobe, but in Himeji they do just Himeji-jo (Himeji Castle), which is one of the most popular places people visit in Japan. It really is nice. There s also a nice garden next to the castle. It s quite nice. Link 19. There is a really nice onsen, with a really nice Private Onsen near there in the small town of Yumesaki. You have to take a taxi to get there (don t worry; they aren t as bad as that moron that s never been to Japan says. Oh, the houses are made of the same materials as they are here. The homeless people don t even live in cardboard). It s link 20 and try to navigate through the Japanese page to find the photos of the Onsen. It s quite beautiful and they are very nice. Be fair warned, though, the private onsen is very hot, like 51 degrees Celsius. If you are driving, then you should visit the Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge. This goes to Awaji Island. There are some nice Onsen on the island. The Akashi Bridge is famous for two reasons; one is that it s the longest suspension bridge in the world. The other is that the bridge was being built during the Great Kobe Earthquake (as they call it) in 1995. The bridge was almost unaffected. It s really beautiful, but it has tolls both ways that run 3200 yen ($29 US), I think. Link 23. I don t suggest driving in Japan on your trip there. It can be a bit nerve racking, but since I have been many times, I love driving in Japan and prefer driving there than here in California. Okayama/Kurashiki. There s not a lot here, but there is a great theme park in Kurashiki. Okayama is the bigger city and you will find better hotels there. The theme park in Kurashiki is called Tivoli. It s link 21. It s an old style European theme park. It s quite fun, but no great rides. Sorry. Okayama is famous for their noodles. Really great Soba noodles. Hiroshima. I haven t been here. Not sure what to see other than the Hiroshima Peace Memorial (also known as the A Bomb Dome, 22). I haven t been here because I feel guilty as an American with conscience. I am sure there are other things to see, but I am not sure I can be okay going there. Shikoku Island is the Island just sound of the main island of Japan (Honshu). There are some nice places to visit and I have only been once. There are so volcanoes on this island. I don t know how many are active, but it s neat to see them. There are also several onsen here. One highlight is the Kotohira Shrine. This is really a great place to visit, but, once again, bring your walking shoes. Its 1368 steps to the top, but the shrines are nice (there are two) and the view is magnificent. They have horses up there too. Must have been a nasty trek for them. One interesting thing is that they have people that will carry you up the steps if you can t make it. So, I saw some older folks being carried by these people up the steps, but I would have sworn the people carrying them were actually older. All the people doing the carrying were old. Interesting. Link 24. Also, there s shops all the way up to the top and some really great noodle shops. If you really want to experience Japanese Udon noodles, this is the place to do it. Fukuoka and Kyushu. Kyushu Island is the south Island of Japan (not including Okinawa). It s a very lush and vibrant area. Fukuoka is a decent sized city with nice shopping areas (most big cities have good shopping areas since the women in Japan are literally nuts about shopping. This isn t a man s complaint, it s reality). I haven t been to Fukuoka either, but it s one of the places I really want to go. Check the Lonely Planet book for hot spots. I can t remember off the top of my head. Two places you really need to see on Kyushu are Mt Aso and Beppu. Aso is a beautiful mountain, but it s also an active volcano. There are some interesting places to visit around there. There is a small town not too far away called Yufuin that has some amazing Onsen, but it s small and English isn t spoken much, though they do welcome foreigners. Check link 3 and 4 for information about Yufuin (Kyushu, Oita Prefecture). You can make the trek to Nagasaki. There s some history there other than being the other bomb dropped by US to quot;end the war,quot; it actually had nothing to do with ending the war, but that s another story. Almost done here, sorta. Beppu is a place I think all people in the world should visit. It s an amazing place, but one has to get past the smell of sulfur. If that will be impossible skip it. If it s possible, then you must go!! There are many great onsen and many great things to see, though it s just a small city. Links 25, 26 and 3 amp; 4. If you are only to visit two places other than Tokyo, go to Kyoto and Beppu. After here, it s a short train ride to Oita Airport and fly back to Tokyo. I think commuter plane tickets run around $170-210. It s much cheaper and faster than taking the train. Getting around Japan. Japan has a great train system. Really magnificent. One thing that you should experience is Shinkansen (bullet train). The fastest trains are called Nozomi (Hope) and run at over 160 MPH. Really, it s not that exciting after a while, because it s so smooth. It s kind of like riding in an airplane on the ground. You can t really look at things because you are going too fast. This is the way to get to Kyoto from Tokyo. A big city on the way is Nagoya, but there s not much to see there. Just blink and you ll miss it, well, on the Shinkansen anyway (links 27 and 28). You can get a Japan rail pass that will come in very handy and makes things so much easier for you if you are going to spend many days in Japan. The negative to the JR Rail Pass is that it doesn t cover Nozomi trains, but it does cover all other trains and it s only good for JR trains. Some local trains are owned by other companies, mainly Hanshin and Hankyu. Please go through link 29. If you have any questions, my email is hidden in this answer. Most of the stations have some signs in English a station/city names in Romaji (western characters). Also, don t be afraid to ask people. Japanese people are very friendly (except old people) and like to help foreigners, even if it s difficult for them. I have had many great experiences traveling in Japan, with my fiancé and her family and without, in a car and in a train. Sometimes trains are packed, but don t worry about that, it s not normally too bad. Avoid trains in the bid cities; especially the subways during commuter times (07:00-09:30 and 17:00-20:00) and you should be fine. Don t take any uncomfortable shoes and probably bring a small variety. You will be doing a lot of walking, no matter where you go. Japan is very beautiful. I hope you have a great time. If you have any questions or want to know about any other little hidden places (there are many), then let me know. I have only given you some of the highlights, but there is so much to do in Japan. I almost moved there, but she s coming here. Sorry for any typos. There s too much here for me to edit now. Please smile and have a great day.

Going to Japan soon and have a question about size conversion? -

Hi I m going to Japan soon and my pant size is a size 7 and my shirt size is a L due to large breasts. My shoe size is an eight. I wanted to know what my size would be in Japanese fashion while I go visit some friends that live there?

I think size 7 (clothes) would be size 9 or 11 and size 8 (shoes) would be 24 or 24.5 cm in Japan. Or you can ask shop attendants, they normaly have conversion charts for cloths or shoes.

I know I m 8 1/2 shoes, I m then a 38. So for shoes it s be like a 36 for you? The rest not sure about.