As of this week I officially start in my new job. Even though I’ve been working there once a week for the last month, this week is the proper beginning of my new job life in Japan. I’m leaving the ‘comfort’ of full-time teaching employment for the relative uncertainty of two part-time contracts which can be both be renewed or cancelled every three months. Thing is the ‘job security’ is actually not the biggest concern if I’m honest. What I’m more worried about, though putting it like that makes it sound worse than it is, is my new position as a copy-editor (aka sub-editor in the UK) at the Asahi Shimbun, one of Japan’s biggest English daily newspapers.

Why worried? Well cause it’s all turned out to be a bit of a blag. I applied for the job more as a ‘whatever’ moment than anything serious, considering I didn’t have the required qualification - that magical ‘previous newspaper experience’ requirement which you can never get until you find a job that will give you the job without the pre-requisite ‘experience’. A lovely catch-22 situation most university graduates only know too well about. Looks like I’ve managed to break it this time. Ok I’m not totally blagging it, considering I do have over 4 years of subbing experience, just not in a paper and while I guessed it would be a lot more different, I didn’t know how much.

Continue reading »

Popularity: 3%

written by Laurent \\ tags: Japan, motivation, office life, Teaching, writing

While I’ve been busy this last month with a change of jobs, impending flat move (the worst possible thing to do in this town at this time of the year) and other assorted pleasures, I’ve still managed to spend a few days around the city. In this case two days spent re-discovering two areas I’d already visited, but doing so in different conditions. The old and new together cliche of Tokyo is, well, a cliche but it’s also something that hasn’t bored me yet, and the two trips I made this month only made that clearer to me.

First up was Asakusa, home to the oldest temple in Tokyo and one of its most famous tourist spots. I’d been to Asakusa in the summer during rainy season, which gave the place a certain charm as people sheltered from the rain under the temple or in the shops. Going back on a crisp, sunny winter day totally changed the vibe and feel of the place, with bright colours grabbing your attention everywhere, and as was the case back in July, a throng of people to fight through.

Continue reading »

Popularity: 3%

written by Laurent \\ tags: Japan, pictures, Random, Tokyo