New year, new you?
The new year in Japan starts in April. January to March is just the tail end of the previous year, so it doesn’t have to count.
How is 2024年度 shaping up for you? Any exciting projects on the horizon?
RetireJapan TV
The next episode of RJTV will be on April 15th from 20:00. We’ll be talking all things university work in Japan.
In many ways, a job at a university is the pinnacle of the English teaching world in Japan. Salaries and conditions can be (very) good, depending on the institution it can be a prestigious career, and it can be very fulfilling.
It can also be precarious, involve bullying and harassment, and expose you to illegal working conditions.
On April 15th we’ll be talking to Andy Boon about getting a job at university, working at university, academic and commercial publishing, and of course personal finance.
(university is not the only path to a decent job teaching in Japan -opening your own school and working for private or international schools can also work out well for people)
YouTube
Thank you for your support of the RetireJapan YouTube channel. We are growing quite strongly this year, and it is largely down to your help and support. We are currently at 4,427 subscribers, which is pretty incredible.
This week we published a video about whether you need to speak Japanese to live and retire in Japan.
Is speaking Japanese necessary to live in Japan?
The Forum
The Forum is doing well (34,405 posts so far). The forum rules are here. In essense, they are:
- Be nice
- Ask any question you like
- Only answer questions when you have relevant knowledge or experience
Here are the latest active threads:
This week’s books
Rereading Oversubscribed by Daniel Priestley AGAIN. Every time I read it I get something new from it. Really recommend if you are self-employed or run a business.
This week’s links
- We’re definitely holding more cash now that we are close to retirement: What About 60/30/10 Instead of 60/40?
- A nice write up. I might even upgrade to the Rakuten gold card: Credit card tsumitate is getting better!
- Soft power: The Oxford English Dictionary’s latest update adds 23 Japanese words
- Not planning to change anything, but a timely reminder: Harden up your assets!
- The amount of hidden poverty in Japan is pretty shocking. This is why I donate to Second Harvest Japan: Japanese Food Bank Users Struggling Amid Soaring Inflation
- I believe anyone can improve their financial situation if they focus on it: Record 63% of Japanese in financial stress, poll shows
- Not an expert, but this seems like a complete waste of money: Media watch: Local governments finance potential future mothers as marriages decline
- Is it just me, or does this sound very much like arson insurance? As millions sit empty, ‘vacant home insurance’ started by Tokyo nonprofit
What do you think? Anything interesting in there?
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