The employment office

I just made it to my 9:00am appointment with Hello Work with less than two minutes to spare. Hello Work is a government-run employment agency frequented by Japanese, but occasionally used by non-Japanese. One mistake I made was expecting that just because they had English language translation that they would deal with foreigners in a less Japanese manner. Having lived here for two years, I should have known that the bahavioural responsibility was on me. Of course a government agency is going to act Japanese, regardless of who you are! 外人は本当に馬鹿だね｡｡｡*
* Foreigners are such idiots...

The representative I spoke with was very helpful, in a blunt, uncompromising way. Because the agency deals almost exclusively with Japanese companies and not multi-national ones, there were very few positions for which I was qualified due to language. The fellow printed off a few job ads (in Japanese) which I could sort of guess my way through. I think this was so he could show me what opportunities were awaiting me if I could just get my language skills up and running (one of which being a job in accident and illness insurance - the very field I have the most experience in!). He said something that was very obvious but which I had to hear: "You might think it's stupid to take a year off and study language, but if you think of your life in the long term it will help you a lot." The fact that a Japanese person - a bureaucrat no less - would be so forthcoming is in itself amazing.

So I'm not too sure what to make of this. I'll have to digest the experience before I even consider doing any kind of full-time language study. Another interview is coming up next week so I'd best digest fast. More on that later.