Re: work times & accommodation @tokyo, WAS: Re: [tlug] Embedded linux dev wanting to find work in Tokyo.. Seeking advice.

[Curt Sampson <cjs@example.com>]

On 2008-07-17 08:35 +0200 (Thu), Christian Horn wrote:

> Working times. The workplace i was at (branch of it-corporation) was
> expecting people to stay longer than agreed in the contract. Seems to be
> common japanese style....

Yup. And keep in mind, you can put yourself in a pretty bad position if
you get fired at the wrong time, since if it's around visa renewal time,
you won't be able to renew your visa until you find a new job.

The best option, of course, is to find a job you like so much that you
don't mind doing a lot of unpaid overtime. :-)

> Living/renting a flat. Since flats seem to be really expensive in Tokyo
> people live around, from what ive seen people had to travel 60-120minutes
> one way to get to/from work, sounds quite much.
> How well could you people manage to optimize ways to/from work?

It's not so expensive compared to San Francisco, New York or London.
(I'm not sure about London these days, but Tokyo is definitely cheaper
than SF or NYC if you don't mind living in a smaller apartment.)

There are gaijin houses about twenty minutes out from the Yamanote
line that will rent you a room for 40,000-80,000 yen per month, which
is probably close to as cheap as you're going to get if you're within
reasonable commuting distances at all. However, you have to keep in
mind where you work within Tokyo, as well. You can be ten minutes out
from Shibuya, but if you work near Tokyo Station, you might well spend
another 30-40 minutes getting there from Shibuya.

Personally, I just bike to work. I live in Shibuya and work in Shinjuku,
and it takes me less than fifteen minutes. (But I'm a fast rider.)

On 2008-07-17 03:31 -0400 (Thu), Joe Larabell wrote:

> The difference is that, on the train, you get to read the latest issue
> of Linux Journal instead of swearing at the driver in front of you....

I wouldn't count on it. I used to take the Ginza line at nine in the
morning, and I couldn't move my arms enough even to grope the girl
standing beside me, much less raise a magazine to my face.

But that's not all lines, of course, and if you can move your commute
out of rush hour, there will be very few times the trains are all *that*
crowded, by Tokyo standards, anyway.

cjs
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Curt Sampson       <cjs@example.com>        +81 90 7737 2974   
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