Job or location first?
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This topic contains 3 replies, has 2 voices, and was last updated by 
Accessible Japan 2 months, 2 weeks ago.
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Hello,
I had planned to finish my degree and move to Japan using a working holiday visa but that didn’t go to plan. Mid way through my degree I received my injury and it has taken me a long time to get back on track. Due to my disability I use a manually propelled wheelchair. I am now in the process of finishing my degree but due to my age I am no longer eligible for a working holiday visa.
My field of study is Computer Science and I plan to work in this field. I was wondering if I should I be looking for any job within my field in Japan or should I only look for jobs in specific locations?
I love Tokyo but I feel that space is at a premium here, even more so than the rest of Japan. Given this I may not be well suited to this city. In addition to accommodation being smaller I recall (from when I travelled prior to my injury) that there are many small shops that would be too small to accommodate a wheelchair.
I like the island of Hokkaido but am not sure how I would go with the heavy snow. From my previous travel I also liked Shizuoka, Nagoya and Kobe. I am not sure on the state of IT jobs that foreigners could fill within any of these locations.
After watching a video on disabilities in Japan I have learnt that the supports offered to those living with a disability is determined by the city and not the nation. So perhaps some of these cities are better suited than others. For example, in one video I saw that rail travel for those with a Disability Certificate is free within Tokyo.
Any advise would be welcome to so that I can start to plan my future. Thanks!
1 user thanked author for this post.
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Hi
A lot to unpack!
In terms of transport, you will likely want to live in a big city – at least to start. Tokyo, Osaka, Sapporo and Nagoya all have excellent rail systems that can get you anywhere in the city. Smaller cities rely on buses, which are good, but not great. The streets in Sapporo (aside from the main ones) are too narrow for snow plows to be used and that can restrict movement / life quite a bit. There are small shops in the countryside too – and even the larger ones have steps.
Additionally, they are likely to have jobs in your field – which will be essential since you will need a company to sponsor your visa.
Yup, welfare support is based on the city, not country. If you need attendant/personal care help, you will need to be in a city as there is a huge shortage of caregivers and therefore likely not enough in the country.
Hope this helps!
1 user thanked author for this post.
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I think I would need very little help from a caregiver I am pretty much independent in my current house outside of mopping the floor and changing the bed sheets but I am sure I could learn to do both of these things by myself.
Thanks for your input.
1 user thanked author for this post.
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If that is the case, location options could open up for you then.
If you are in tech, I suggest focusing on large companies like Google, IBM, etc. Also, you could join them State-side and then transfer – that is by far the easiest in terms of practicalities.
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