The job search began this month as scheduled, though it seems really early. But I can’t take any chances, because money is going to be a real problem after I leave my current job next summer. And timing couldn’t be worse! Japan is in a serious recession now, and the yen is really strong against the dollar (88 yen to the dollar earlier last week!) which means it’s going to get much, much worse. Of course the whole world is in a bad place right now… but as a foreigner here my prospects of work vanish the instant the economy turns.

Previously I had promised myself my next job would be an art job. I really hope I don’t have to break that promise. Hitomi and I are searching together, but we’ve got plenty of strikes working against us: my Japanese is good, but not good enough to do professional translation; we’re in a really rural part of Japan with few foreigners and few opportunities; and the recession, of course. It’s not all negative, though… but I need to look in the right places and also receive some serious luck.