"Coming to Japan was like being born again!" is what Isaac says about moving to the Land of the Rising Sun. This Australian expat has been living in Hakata for the past couple of years, where he teaches English. Isaac describes the ways in which he has been immersing himself in the local culture, from learning Japanese to keeping an open mind to playing hard and partying somewhat harder.	Isaac

-Where were you born?
Australia

-In which country and city are you living now?
Hakata, Japan

-Are you living alone or with your family?
Alone

-How long have you been living in Japan?
2 ½ years

-What is your age?
25

-When did you come up with the idea of living in Japan?
When I finished university I decided that I wanted to travel. Japan was only supposed to be the first stop on a larger trip. I chose Japan as my first stop because I came across a job advertisement for teaching English here and thought it would be a great way to save some money before continuing with my trip. I'd only planned to stay for six months, but I was enjoying myself so much that, as you can see, I decided to stay on. I haven't given up on my dream of traveling. In fact I find, compared to remote Australia, Japan is a great base to travel from. I recently went to South Korea, China, and Mongolia.

-Was it hard to get a visa or a working permit?
Not at all. It was all organized through the company I work for.

-Was it difficult for you to get medical insurance before you went there or when you first arrived?
Again, it was organized through my employer.

-How do you make your living in Japan? Do you have any type of income generated?
I "teach" conversational English. The company I work for is quite large. I applied for the job and was interviewed in Australia.

-Do you speak Japanese and do you think it's important to speak the local language?
I'm embarrassed to admit that after 2 ½ years I’m still pretty poor at speaking Nihongo. But that's not uncommon amongst English teachers here as we are required, as you'd expect, to speak English for long hours on a daily basis and therefore the time which we can dedicate to serious study is limited, especially since most foreigners who teach English spend their spare time socializing with other foreigners. I am however making an effort. I attend weekly Japanese lessons and I plan to sit a national Japanese proficiency test at the end of the year. While it is possible to get by with knowing little Japanese, I think it is important to make an effort with the language. The locals will appreciate it and it'll make life easier. I recommend taking a class too, rather than just trying to study from a textbook. It's more fun and you’ll probably learn more about the culture. It's cheap too. There are lots of little community centers that provide very good value language courses. I'm paying 5,000 yen (about US$50) for six months worth of lessons.

-Do you miss home and family sometimes?
Of course I miss my friends and family back home. But at the same time here is home for me now, for the time being. My view and experience of Japan really began to change about a year ago when a former student, knowing that I was into basketball, introduced me to a local team. Since then a thousand doors have opened up for me. I've made some close friends, and I've gone from being and feeling like a very conspicuous outsider to feeling like part of the community, though still very conspicuous. Now I play basketball every Wednesday night and afterwards, in accordance with our team's official motto of "Play hard, party somewhat harder" we go out and drink a shipload of sho chu (alcohol that's produced mainly in southern Japan).

-Do you have other plans for the future?
My future plans include continuing with my Nihongo study and more travel.

-What about housing, have you bought, or are you renting a home? How much do you pay for it?
I rent a rather small apartment, which consists of a bedroom/living room, a kitchen, and a bathroom. I pay between 60,000 and 70,000 yen a month (US$600 – 700) depending on the energy bill, but there are cheaper places available.

-What is the cost of living in Japan?
It's not too bad overall. Like others have said it tends to even out. Some random things, like a watermelon at the supermarket, will be exorbitantly expensive. Beef also can be frustratingly expensive. But unlike back home I can afford to eat out every night. I can eat a good, healthy, filling meal at one of the myriad local restaurants for between US$5-10, which is about the same or cheaper than cooking for myself, plus there's no waste.

-What do you think about the Japanese?
The stereotype is that they are shy, yet polite. And this is often the case but there are those who will be very open and friendly, especially if you catch them after a few drinks. And once you've made friends with them they will go out of their way to ensure you see and experience the best that Japan has to offer.

-What are the positive and negative aspects of living in Japan?
Coming to Japan was like being born again! Everything was new. Every day I had a million questions. What’s that? What’s this? Why are they doing that? Where am I? Where are we going? Who’s that? My curiosity had been piqued in a way it had not known for a long time. I had to learn to talk again, and sometimes, after one too many glasses of sake, I had to learn to walk again. Good times. The biggest baddest point about Japan, as far as I'm concerned, is that some of their attitudes and values are a trifle old-fashioned, and not always in a good way. For instance, women are still often treated as if they exist for no other reason than to feed, clean, dress, and clean up after the men. Consequently female foreigners tend not to stay on as long as their male counterparts. Also foreigners can sometimes be regarded as insensitive and uncultured novelties.

-Do you have any tips for our readers about living in Japan?
When in Japan, do as the Japanese do. Or at the very least keep an open mind. Try everything once (unless you’re vegetarian). Treasure and embrace every little thing that seems weird or backward. And when it comes to the persistent and breathtaking political scandals and corruption just remember that every country has its problems and its own skeletons in the closet.

-Do you have any favorite Web sites or blogs about Japan?
Clearly the best blog about Japan is my own: http://gaijin-memoirs.blogspot.com