Flyertalker008483

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mrploddy

Umm this is covered by Google ?

https://jp.usembassy.gov/u-s-citizen...ters/marriage/

Are your friends Japanese or American ?

American friend - Dependant Visa
Japanese friend - Spouse Visa

Google again is your friend.

but before you go that far I would strongly recommend you focus on maybe a study abroad period here first ? Learn the language. You don't know Japan till you have lived here and learned the language. This I speak with some knowledge - I was fascinated by the pop culture aspects of Japan that are portrayed overseas but the reality of living and working here is very differen from the otaku / kawaii culture that can be focussed upon in foreign countries.

Pickles

Before you get too far ahead on your planning:

Must DOs and BUYs in Japan/Tokyo

abmj-jr

The first motivation I had to visit Japan came years ago from reading manga and viewing anime and action/adventure movies. I decided to learn Japanese and plan to visit for awhile. Once here, I found that it is nothing like what I saw in the anime. Fortunately, I found plenty to like and have returned many times. But I am an adult, with advanced degrees, who speaks the language, have my own health insurance and can pay my way without working in Japan. I love the country, food and people but would not want to move to Japan. I have health conditions that are better dealt with at home. And my issues are nowhere near as challenging as yours.

My point is this. You are getting some good advice here. Whatever ideas you have while in high school that cause you to want to move to Japan anytime soon are probably unrealistic. Finish school, learn the language, study the culture and after you finish college, you may know enough to make a rational decision. Just being a high school graduate who speaks English does not qualify you for any sort of employment. You couldn't get into the country on anything other than a tourist visa and that wouldn't allow you to work. To maintain your special health issues, you would have to have access to the health insurance system, which would require you to work. Catch-22.

Japan is a wonderful country and culture. By all means plan to visit. Just don't assume you will have a path to a life there without some sale-able skills. Get those skills first, then worry about all this other stuff.

evergrn

Well said!

LapLap

To put this particular dream into perspective:
​​​​​​​
Population of Japan: approx 125 million

Typical annual number of marriages in Japan between Japanese females and American males: approx 1,200
This is throughout Japan (not just Tokyo) and it's worth remembering that there are a number of U.S. military bases around the country that play their part in inflating this number.

Pureboy

This is great advice. I had a building obsession with Japan in high school and after through food, anime, manga and James Clavell novels.- I majored in Japanese studies in college and planned to spend a semester abroad. It didn't work out that way, but I worked at an anime publisher in the US and managed to get out to Japan a few times. Like most people that learn more about the country than what they see in anime, I learned that Japan is more complicated (especially as a foreigner) than you might see in popular culture. Also, most anime is crap. Just because it is different doesn't mean it is good. I'm still fascinated with Japan and it is one of my favorite places to visit, but the rose colored glasses are off.

I would say have near, medium, and long-term goals with Japan but be willing to re-evaluate along the way. For instance, near-term could be to begin learning Japanese. Medium-term could be to spend a summer/semester/year there. Long-term may be to live there, with the medium-term being a test run.

I found that, even as someone who is somewhat bilingual, Japanese was an extremely hard language to gain proficiency in, and it wasn't helpful in learning any other language, save for a few words in Korean and a tiny bit of Chinese script. I came very close to spending a year in Japan mid-career, but instead ended up in job that has a large focus on India. That looks to be fortuitous for my long-term career prospects because India's economy is booming and likely will for the next 10-20 years, and Japan is still trying to pull out of economic stagnation from the 90's with a shrinking/aging population.

TL;DR- don't put Japan on a pedestal, make short-term goals and re-evaluate as you move on.

codex57

Love isn't always rational, but I'm wondering if others know how Japanese view strangers with severe illnesses. Particularly from a female point of view for the sake of OP. That may be another hurdle for OP that limits his already very limited pool of prospects (Japan is still a much more closed society than even other Asian countries).

hailstorm

In the past, the thinking was to keep these people hidden away from general society. There's been a gradual loosening of that way of thinking over time, but it's still stronger than in your typical first world western country.

I imagine there will be a strong national push towards greater inclusiveness ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics.