Japan?????

Hey, I used to be stationed in Japan in the Navy, what base is she on. I was Atsugi and Yokosuka for 12 years.

For the dogs, you might want to have your daughter go to the vet clinic/kennel on Yokosuka base, it's by the seawall/fire dept. there. They would have info on the quarantine and may be even have to do it through the base this might be shorter time with updated shot records and stuff.

 Japan doesn't have rabies so they are a bit anal about things there.

Cultural...About 2 out of 100people speak halfway understandable english...they don't have to speak english it's Japan, they speak Japanese but it gives you a chance to learn Japanese. And no speaking louder and slower does not help them understand. (this goes for both parties actually) Thats how I learned to speak Japanese! (ex-wife also...) Honestly it's not as bad as it sounds, if you make an attempt people there will go head over heels to help you out. Japanese seem guarded and shy and maybe even rude to western standards, but guess what...you are in their country, their rules their way of life. DON'T compare to the states...its not the states!!! Yes you really can buy school girl underwear in a vending machine I've seen it! But you can also buy beer from a machine!!! Sex: well...they don't have the Anglo/Catholic/Christian outlook on things, it's kind of a good thing, not as many hang-ups about stuff. Kind of a "if it feels good, do it" sort of outlook... But yes waiting until you are married is a good thing there just as in western countries. Just be prepared to see boobies on public tv and men reading porn comics on the train.

Cell phones/computers: they are about 5 years ahead...enough said!

Houses: small, thin walls, cold in the winter...but the base (used to anyways) gave gas heaters to you on loan.  A must in the middle of a cold wet January. If she lives in Yokosuka,  she can try to move out to the Zushi, Kamakura area, I had a house 5 minutes away from the beach beautiful!! Japan is not one big city like you see on TV

Pets: a lot of rentals don't allow pets, but they do for the military, (the renters don't pay out of their own pocket so the landlords will take the deposit and look the US Govt. in the eye and try and find a way to take more) So if you dog eats the sideboards...cool!!!! you arent paying for it!

Food: it's not all raw fish and tempura, honestly: the sushi and sashimi you get in the states and anywhere else outside of Japan is C.R.A.P!!! My advice, eat everything and anything you can try! In my 12 years there I had everything from raw free range chicken sashimi (in kagoshima) horse sashimi (really good!!!) and yes I know its a bit deal...endangered and all, I even ate whale!!! Really good!!!

Wagyu beef...guess where it comes from? The fatty crap you get in the states...Not Japanese beef. These guys can do a steak!! Thin as hell but....Man oh Man!!!

Try it all, you will find food you thought was wrong/nasty and love it. Just stay away from Natto!!! (fermented soybeans...smells and tastes like rotten feet!)

Base: It's a base, little america, a bunch of 18-24 year old kids away from home for the first time. Any problems the ones in charge lock the place down for a week or two, punish the group not the person... Curfews, drinking limits, that sort of thing, the typical knee jerk reaction of any govt. agency. But really, get the hell away from the base!!! It's not Japan!!

Mt Fuji: Climb it for the sunrise, you won't regret it!! Going down is harder than going up....

Work: yes you can work on base, it's not that hard to get to do it if you are an american, but if you can find a way to be a local hire...do it, the pay is a bit more and japan has public holidays it seems like every other week this = more time off to explore!!

Any questions at all you may have please ask me, I will be more than happy to help you out and even talk to your daughter.

In the military in Japan there are two types, those that got sent there and hate it and want to go back to mommy and daddies t!itties and those with an open mind and want to try it all. Please if you go be the last one, it makes everything a lot easier.

I believe she is in Yokosuka. She is at sea right now, I just got off the phone with her. I'm really nervous to say the least, for so many reasons. One of my biggest concerns is the travel experience for my dogs. Will I have access to them during the flight at all....how do they relieve themselves....do I need to tranquilize them.....neither of them have flown before and Abbie is on meds already for anxiety. I've started my research regarding the length of quarantine and there is so much conflicting info online. Some info states that if all their paperwork is in order it may be as little as 12 hours. Is this correct? Also, I feed high quality food and homecook for them. They get Orijen and/or Evo Red meat, whcih I could probably purchase online. Most of their diet is home made by me though, so I guess that's not a huge concern. Ashley told me about the vet on base, so that makes me a little more comfortable. I'm guessing there are groomers in Japan, although probably expensive. I can't cut their hair myself.

She said pets are okay where she lives, although there will probably be a deposit. I think the gov pays her rent.

Ashley wanted to go and requested it. She loves it and is having the time of her life. The thought of giving up my car and having to take a train everywhere scares me a little. I'm used to my creature comforts, although the alternative (homeless) doesn't sound very good right now!!!! I guess I would ship over the essentials and sell pretty much everything else. She told me that one of her friend's mom's visited a couple of months ago and loved it so much she moved over there. I guess I should look at it as an adventure and an opportunity of a lifetime!

Thank you for the info.....I'm sure I will be in touch, if it's okay! :)

Most quarantines are serious -- and honestly?  Whether or not they get to potty on the way (they won't) is minor.  You won't SEE your dogs (usually) during the quarantine.  Depends on the individual situation and individual country but quarantine means they are kept separate (probably from each other too) for that whole six months.

When David and I were 'dating' (going together, beginning of our engagement) we **considered** moving to the UK.  But frankly the idea of quarantine scared ME silly.  At that time it was Foxy and Old Mike tha Dog.  Foxy wouldn't have survived it intact mentally -- Mike probably would have cared less.  but he was like 12 and Foxy was almost 10 and I just didn't want to do that. 

It came down to re-homing them or staying here.  We decided to live here. 

Have you *called* your lender and tried to work out any sort of a deal?  I was honestly SO in the same situation after my ex moved out.  he cost me my job, I owed around $30,000 to the IRS (courtesy of the ex -- part of the package was he had not filed ANY taxes in the past 8 years) and of course they didn't want to wait at all. 

I pawned everything I could get my hands on, borrowed every dime I could and we were STILL mega broke for about 5 years. 

Do you have a friend who would move in with you or let you move in with them? 

Know someone elderly who would allow you to live in and help them?  Man I did all of those things. 

Find out about the quarantine -- it all depends on how it is handled. 

We can do just about anything in this life if we have to -- these are life-changing times. 

 What an opportunity! Those types of opportunities do not come up every day. I would do it! Don't pass up the chance to see and experience another part of the world. You can only come out better for it imo.

 I know that the quarentine thing is really serious. And that would be very difficult, but still. It's a great opportunity. Your dogs will forgive you.

I, personally, don't think you should let the quarantine stop you from going. As long as, after some research, you deem it a *safe* thing to put the dogs through, then I say go for it.

This is absolutely an opportunity of a life time. I, for one, would consider living practically anywhere in the world!

Whatever you decide I wish you the best of luck. Keep us posted!

 http://www.maff.go.jp/aqs/english/animal/dog/import-other.html

If you have a certificate for the animal issued by the responsible government agency of the country of export containing necessary information such as the microchip number for individual identification, dates of rabies vaccinations and rabies antibody levels as well as stating that the animal underwent 180 days wait in the country of export, the quarantine period will be completed within12 hours. In all other cases the quarantine period will be up to 180 days.

My advice would be to find someone online who's gone through the process (I suggest online message boards, or seeing if your daughter knows anyone) and getting some first-hand accounts of the process. It would certainly make ME feel a lot better, at least!

Japan is a wonderful country, and San Diego is also a really fun place to live... if it were me, my head would be spinning too, but I would seriously consider moving. As for public transportation and such... you get used to it quickly, you really do. What I find takes the longest is the language and the culture, but for me at least, learning both is a really fun experience. Time abroad can be really exciting and really fun!!

 

I you can complete the quarantine early like that wow -- that would be great. 

Remember, I'm married to a Scotsman.  Getting to know David was ... honestly probably the biggest risk I ever took.  I'm just not your basic "go live in another country" kinda girl.  And I knew since he had a house there and I had a house HERE that at some point that "decision" would need to be made.

But I'll tell you -- I'd live in the UK in a heartbeat now -- and you find out pretty darned quick that we Americans tend to be pretty isolationist and fearful of other countries. 

The girls are right -- if you can work out the quarantine thing GO FOR IT.  It may be just the new lease on life you need.

On the GSD board there's a gal who moved to Ireland and had to do a long quarantine with her dog.  I think it was a really expensive process, basically the dog is in boarding for months and YOU pay for it.  She was allowed to visit the dog.  Different country, but...that's the only quarantine experience I know about.

http://www.misawajapan.com/pcs/petsin.htm

The above has info and phone numbers to the base vet clinics. no websites for the clinics though. Be prepared for a lot of paperwork but If you can get your daughter to go back to the states once you get this sorted out to pick up "her" dogs, it looks like you can do an "in home quarantine" for 14 days. If everything is in order you can go right through. If not they stay.

Home cooking: not a problem, you can buy all you need in the base. Dog food outside the base is a bit expensive for the good stuff. there is a really good pet shop in the mall outside of the base. Its right above the train station. Mores City I think it's on the 4th level.

Don't worry about the trains, they are the easiest system to use. You can go everywhere in Japan by train or bus. Yes you will get lost to the point of tears one or two times but it's still fun. Taxi's are a bit expensive. You can have a car ther! Your daughter can get her license and buy a car, I went through 4 in my 12 years there. Cheap to buy, insurance is pretty cheap, the road tax and weight tax is pretty reasonable.  

Also, if you can't work on base, you can always private tutor english. Japanese students will pay around $30-$50 US an hour to learn. Also I have a friend that runs a housing office outside the Base in Yokosuka, I can email him and see if he can help you out.

Honestly, you should go if you have the chance. There is much more to the world then the States!! Just be open minded and you will probably end up like me!! I am NEVER going back to the US!! I have 4 more years then I am a permanent resident in Hong Kong, the HKSAR passport is just as good as a US one. 90 day visa and all that for travel. The US aint as great as we like to make it up to be! The US is a very young country, an infant compared to Asian ones. China and Japan have been "civilized" about 4000 years longer than the US.

Go there and never look back!

 I second the advice to talk to your lender again.  I'm hearing this constantly on TV that because of the bailout, lenders are much more likely to negotiate a way out of foreclosure with you than they were even weeks ago, so it's worth trying again.

If that doesn't work, I say go to Japan and have an adventure.  I believe if your daughter claims you as a dependent, you're entitled to apply for the civil service jobs which would allow you to transfer within that system later on.  I haven't lived there but have lived and worked lots of other places overseas.  It's a blast.  Just open yourself up to the experience, be willing to feel out of place and uncomfortable for a while, sign up for classes to learn the language and stretch your wings.  I know a couple who worked for a civilian company in a small village in Japan and absolutely loved it.  They said the Japanese were the most lovely, welcoming, accepting people they'd met anywhere in the world, they took this family and their young son in as though they were family and taught them lots of things they needed to know.  It's a beautiful place, also busy and crowded in some areas, but SO worth the effort.

I would also find out about the quarantine.  I believe in some places, you can visit your dog.  When I lived in Australia, our dog's breeder kept him because the quarantine was 6 mos. and that's all the time we were going to be there, but we would have been able to visit him.  I think if you're facing homelessness, a quarantine might be tolerable.  You don't want to end up having to relinquish them completely because you have no place to live or the places you can find won't allow pets.  This might just be the answer to all your issues.

Good luck! 

I would go.  Like someone else mentioned, your dogs will forgive you.  DH and his family were transferred with GM and lived in Germany back in the 80's and they brought their beagle with them.  He remembers him being in away for awhile but couldn't remember how long.  He did say they were able to go see him while he was away.

All I know is that he is so glad they all went as it was an experience he will never forget.

I would go if I were in your position.  If the quarantine idea is just too much and I would be freaked out too, is there no friend or relative who would take your dogs?  I know it is a lot to ask someone but it might be a better solution for the dogs and for your peace of mind.  If not, then I would still go.  Dogs are so adaptable and they really do adjust well to conditions that we think are terrible.  When my brother was training hunting dogs people would always say "Oh, I know Fifi will be so unhappy to have to live in a kennel".  Fifi and all the other dogs usually made the adjustment in 3 to 7 days.  Dogs don't look back and wish life were different or how it used to be.  Dogs truly do live in the moment.  Personally, I think it is harder on dogs to be visited when they are going to be kept somewhere else for any length of time. But then, that could be me relating to how a human would feel and not how a dog would feel.  Definitely would be hard for me to visit my dogs and then have to leave again. 

I tried working with my mortgage company when I *was* working and, when I was finally able to get someone on the phone, they just didn't care. Now that I'm unemployed, even if they were receptive to it, I don't have the income to sustain a mortgage. So that option is out.

I don't have anyone that I can stay with. I've looked at all of my possible options and unless a miracle happens and I am able to find employment that will cover my car payment, insurance, rent, utilities, etc. moving to Japan is the only option for me. It just baffles my mind that things are so bad right now. I've had to start over again several times. When I got divorced and found myself a single mother of two babies.....when I decided to make the move to Florida from Michigan, just me and my girls who were 3 & 4 at the time.....when my boyfriend of 6 years sold our business without telling me and we broke up (I thought my life was over at that point). I've been thru a lot, but this has to be about the worst. Even places like Walmart and Home Depot aren't hiring in my area - that says a LOT. Fortunately, I do have an adventurous spirit, so while this is overwhelming, I'm thinking it could be a lot of fun and something a lot of people never have the opportunity to do. Plus I'll be with my daughter, who I miss terribly. Even though she will be at sea periodically for unspecified lengths of time, I'm thinking I will meet new people and build new friendships so I'm never completely alone. Plus there's so much to see and do.

Ashley knows someone who just brought their dog over so she is going to speak with him and see what the process was for him and she is checking with the vets office on base. My girls just had their rabies vacs about 3 weeks ago, so that's set. I am really concerned about the actual flight over and them being in cargo. I think we've all heard the stories about dogs dying during the process so I need reassurances on that. Not having access to them during the flight will make it pretty nerve wracking. They say dogs with short snouts have a harder time and Layla has a pretty smushed in face, so I'm concerned about that and, of course, Abbie's Anxiety. I would need to give them a sedative or something. Obviously I will speak with their vet and have them checked out really good before we depart. Leaving them here is not an option, I think I would live in my car with them before I did that.

I'm also trying to figure out if I should just get rid of everything (furnishings, etc.) with the exception of items I really need, like clothes and the obvious or put stuff in storage for 2.5 years. We're looking at getting me over there before Christmas, so there is a lot to do.

http://www.misawajapan.com/pcs/petsin.htm

Your dogs should be ok, you will be shipping them in the winter/spring time so it should be fine. A lot of airlines wont reccomend shipping animals in the summer as they get over heated. Look at the link above and there are some numbers that might be able to give you decent info.

Just a warning, the weather in Yokosuka in December is pretty cold, it does snow there. And its a bit damp. Summer is very hot and humid.

If you have to get rid of all your stuff, sell it off so you can have a bit of pocket money for while you are there to get settled in. Take only what you need and go.

What ship is your daughter on? Ships in Japan make frequent port calls in Hong Kong. If you want I can pm you my email and mobile. She can call or email if she needs any help or has any questions. Or even if she needs a Cantonese speaker to help her out.

Here is a question for you that might cheer you up a bit and make you smile.

Will your dogs be able to understand dogs in Japan or are they going to have to learn to bark in Japanese?

Any questions or help you may need just shoot me a message. I'm on the other side of the world and still have friends in Japan that can offer some help/advice.

  Cheers