NEED OPINION ON BIG DECISION TO MOVE TO JAPAN- please help

[aliza]

Hi,

I have been offered a chance to enter Japan in April 2008 as a student of Kyoto University. I have also been awarded a scholarship from the Japanese government, to pay for my studies. I would be a masters and eventually a PhD student in the school of Pharmacology, studying under my advisor who I have worked for the past year and a half at Johns Hopkins.
He would be my my teacher for most of the program however I would need to take certain courses and exams in Japanese.
I do not know Japanese at all and I am very willing and excited to learn, but I am not sure where or how to begin. I was thinking about taking a course at hopkins in the fall but that would probably not be even close to enough time to learn Japaese before April.
I have several major concerns about this decision:
First, is the fact of the language barrier in the beginning, is that a do-able challenge? Will I be able to study and learn at a good pace? Am I setting myself up for failure basically?
Second, Is my degree going to be well respected after my completion of the program, when I apply for a post-doc at an american or British University?
Third, I am recently married so I would be bringing my husband and I can't part with my cat, what is the easiest and realistic way of doing that? He has no college degree just lots of credits, we were thinking he could complete his degree at University of Phoenix or some online place, would he be able to get a teaching English job with that? If not what else could he do?

How much money do we need to be earning per month to be able to live there, not looking for comfort but something reasonable?

Also it would be for six to eight years depeding on my degree progress and that is a really long time to be away from all of our family?

I guess this is a huge risk that I would be taking and affecting a lot of people I care about, I want to know what you think you would do?

[rssol0420]

There are actully a number posts that talk about teaching English in Japan and there is also a podcast channel that people share experience about that. Please check the posts for more details.

Japanese language and English language are very different from many aspects. If you are to do our tests and exams in Japanese, not only to read and listen, you would have to master the writing of Japanese too (including the Kanji - Chinese characters) I think you better listen to some lessons here and first get a sense what this language is like to determine if you could learn at a good pace.

you decision is really big, I hope someone here could give you some useful opinions.

[CoryInJapan]

i have yet to go myself,but i do know a lot from reading up on it.

well what i can give you advice on is your pet.i was reading something about that yesturday that it will have to be quarantined and it can take a long time if you dont fill out the right papers and procedures and what not.if worst comes to worst on the pet thing i herd they will acually do it in your home.they do have facilitys for this though so thats not very likely.

money,in kyoto.i have a buddy over there that does fine off around 140,000 yen which is around 1300 in usd.

language-i think its a little tuff to understand how it works when you first try and learn it but once you have the concept in your mind on how the language works and some basic's in speaking it pritty easy from there.writing and reading for me is the hardest part at first.



hope that helps and sorry for no capitalization and stuff.my shift keys dont work anymore