I have been living on the mainland for about 2 years but I have always wanted to go to Okinawa. My first reason for going is that I'm planning to study Japanese there at JICE.

After that or hopefully during, I hope to find work to allow me to stay there. I have a visa and a B.A degree. Besides classifieds and the obvious strategy of sending my resume around what options do I have?

All I have is a BA in nothing specific, no special qualifications. I have little experience in anything except the ALT field. I have conversational japanese(close to JLPT 2), native French and English. What sort of work can I expect to find? Could I work part time during my time at the school? I would be off from 1pm and on weekends.

heading to Okinawa in April

I decided to study at JICE because the school has a great intensive study program and very flexible schedules. It is also the cheapest school of that I have come across. I attended a similar programme up here on the mainland and there was a huge difference. I wont go into detail unless you ask me later.

Anyway, I'm heading to Okinawa as soon as my working visa is renewed. So I will already have a visa. I figure it will save me and my potential employers the trouble of sponsoring me. I'm doing that because I hear few employers have the means to sponsor.

I'm aiming for a part time job at first but after my course is done I can go for full time. I will be staying in Naha mostly because that is where everything is for me.

I heard some stories from people while I was down there about how cheap appartments can be. How cheap is it really and what part of Naha has the cheapest rents? How would I find those dirt cheap(25000-40000yen/mth??!) appartments I heard about?

Thanks for the information about rents. While I was down there last summer , I heard some people talk about rents around 45K and even lower like 30K and the occasional 25-28K/month. I'm not sure if that if that is accurate and what those places might look like but with rents like that I expect at least Part of the necessities. They also mentioned an area of Naha called "Nishi" or "Nishi-something". Where rents are usually very cheap. Sound familiar??

As for the guarantor, I know how that works and I expect to need one at most places. Just like up here on mainland.I guess I'll have to spend most of my free time networking to try to find a guarantor. My only lead for appartments so far is Leopalace. They are all over Japan and the apartments are furnished. The only thing is that I wont be able to afford real apartment right away when I arrive. While doing my course at JICE I plan to live in the hostels at 30K/month. I can live there at least 6 months even if I have to change hostels from month to month.

Thanks again for your suggestions and advice. I'm really trying to find out as much as I can before I get there myself.

I really don't mind living in a seedy area as long as the place I live isn't litterally falling apart. All I really want and need are the basics such as running water, electricity and gas. A/C is optional for me. As for the rest, tell me if I'm wrong but I don't think there are any really "bad/rough" areas in Naha. I have been around Naha pretty much everywhere at any hour of the day or night and I never felt the least bit uneasy or worried. Even the worst part of Naha can't possibly compare to seedy areas I have been through. If thats what it takes to have cheap rent, I'm willing to go for it.

The thing I like about Leopalace is that they have furniture and other useful things. Everywhere else I would have to buy a lot of stuff. Anyway, the cheaper the better.

Another thing I want to ask you about is how to you find the local people? Every time I went to Okinawa I found that the locals were much more easy going and friendly than up here on the mainland. It may be a biased impression, but Okinawa is the only place in Japan where I felt that I could interact with people on the same level. People weren't so tense and aloof as they seem up here. I'm not sure what it is exactly, but whatever it is, people up here don't have it.

Well, unfortunatly things are not quite working out as I was hoping. I still have a few loose ends to tie up over here on the mainland, so I have to postpone my move to Okinawa for the end of this month or the first week of June at the very latest.

I did however, keep in touch with s few connections from Naha who i met last summer. If there is one thing I learned quick about life in Okinawa it's that you can't have too many connections. Connections can get you more and better results whatever you are looking for.