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While places like tour bus guides will probly make an okay wage, you'd have to learn the island pretty fast, and the pay isn't great. (my dad was one for years). If you'd like to get better compensation, I'd say check in with hotel concierge, or a retail sales position. The insurance benefits from working at the hotels beats the crappy tour guide benefits anyday. Can you read/write as well or just speak?
As for local Japanese speaking people its more common on Oahu I feel. I'm full Japanese, and born/raised here on Maui, and speak Japanese fluently as well. However I haven't met anyone in my generation that speaks it as well as I do. The newer crop of families that came over have a really good fluency however, and they are just starting to leave high school. Here on Maui though, there isn't much occasion to speak to others in Japanese so we get rusty fairly fast, if one is not in the industry.
While places like tour bus guides will probly make an okay wage, you'd have to learn the island pretty fast, and the pay isn't great. (my dad was one for years). If you'd like to get better compensation, I'd say check in with hotel concierge, or a retail sales position. The insurance benefits from working at the hotels beats the crappy tour guide benefits anyday. Can you read/write as well or just speak?
As for local Japanese speaking people its more common on Oahu I feel. I'm full Japanese, and born/raised here on Maui, and speak Japanese fluently as well. However I haven't met anyone in my generation that speaks it as well as I do. The newer crop of families that came over have a really good fluency however, and they are just starting to leave high school. Here on Maui though, there isn't much occasion to speak to others in Japanese so we get rusty fairly fast, if one is not in the industry.
Thanks for the insight, I suppose I will just try and snag any job I can from when I first get there. After I become pretty secure in staying on the island then I can see looking for something in hotels or retail. Yes I read and write Japanese as well, but when writing out by hand I maybe cap out at 500 - 600 Kanji. Typing of course is fine, I'm guessing most jobs would have me type rather than write anything by hand Anyway.
I wonder if the OP made it? I've been in Japan for 8 years, and I'm fluent in Japanese (JLPT 1, highest level, anf even higher than OP). I'm starting to look at job listings to see if I've got a chance.
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