There is a woman who has decided to work in Japan. She came to Japan on her trip, so my wife and I met her in Osaka and had dinner with her.
It was a short meeting of just two hours. We ate okonomiyaki, took a walk, and then went to a coffee shop. The discussion lasted only two hours, but it was plenty of time for us.
There is a place called Sonezaki in the center of Osaka, and there is a famous shrine here. This place is so famous because it was the setting for a Bunraku play called “Sonezaki Shinju''. This bunraku play is based on a tragic true story that happened during the Edo period. It is a sad story about a young man and woman who fall in love and end up committing suicide. It can be said that it is the Japanese version of “Romeo and Juliet.''
The three of us took a walk around this shrine that evening.
She is still halfway through learning Japanese. However, her determination is strong and she will definitely achieve her goal. And she said she plans to come back to this place in two years.
My wife and I don't have any children. That's why interacting with foreigners like this is a purpose in life for us. I want to help people learning Japanese like her.
I only have about 20 years left, and I wonder how much I can accomplish in those 20 years. After meeting her and her decision to work in Japan, I too became strongly determined to reach my own goal.
This post is about the legal conditions related to foreigners working in Japan. If you are interested, please read on.
The Japanese government has decided to change the visa system for foreigners to work in Japan. Although the exact timing has not yet been decided, it is said that the transition to the new system will take place between 2025 and 2027.
The previous system was called the "technical intern training system." In the future, this will change to a ”developmental work system''. Under this new visa system, foreign workers will be able to permanently reside in Japan if they improve their Japanese language skills and specialized skills.
First, you need to learn Japanese at the JLPT N5 level. This is the name of the Japanese language proficiency test. Below is a website that has JLPT N5 exam questions. Please visit if you are interested.
Let me explain this new visa system in more detail. This "development work system" is based on a three-year period of stay. In the future, if your work ability improves to the level of "Specified Skilled Worker No. 1" and you pass the "Specified Skilled Worker No. 2" exam, which requires an even higher level of skill, you will not be required to bring your family with you and there will be no work restrictions. You will be able to stay in Japan.
The areas of work under this system are as follows:
1. Nursing care field
2. Building cleaning field
3. Materials, industrial machinery, electrical and electronic information related manufacturing fields
4. construction field
5. Shipbuilding/marine industry field
6. Automobile maintenance field
7. aviation field
8. Accommodation field
9. Agriculture field
10. Fisheries field
11. Food and beverage manufacturing industry
12. Restaurant industry field
There is an Italian restaurant near my house run by one chef, who is about the same generation as me. The pasta here is my favorite.
Of course, the pasta here is by no means microwave-cooked. As you probably know, there are a lot of foods in Japan that can be cooked in a microwave. If you come to Japan, please check it out at a convenience store or supermarket. In addition to pasta, we also have fried noodles, pilaf, fried rice, ramen, and even frozen bento boxes. These are relatively well-made products, but I don't really like them.
Well, the owner of the Italian restaurant is very particular about his cooking. It's even moving.
One day, I visited this restaurant with my wife. Then we ordered “Karasumi Peperoncino.''
Do you know Karasumi? If you are Taiwanese, you probably know Karasumi. This is salted and dried roe from a fish called mullet. This is very tasty and expensive.
The owner of this restaurant actually made the mullet roe himself to make the “Karasumi peperoncino.'' So he got an egg from a mullet somewhere, salted it, then dried it, and made mullet roe. After weeks of preparation, on the day I visited the restaurant, he used the mullet roe to make pasta.
amazing!
What's more, he doesn't charge a high price for the pasta dishes he takes so much time and effort to make. The price is such that anyone in Japan can easily eat it.
This chef is a person I respect and love.