What kind of work do you do? 1. Freelance/retained translator and interpreter. 2. Get up at 700, check surf, go for a surf/swim/walk, hang out with kids, walk kids part way to school, come home translate all day (3,000 to 10,000 characters), play with kids/read to kids, drink a few beers, watch something with the trouble and strife, go to an onsen, crash out. 3. Sometimes work all night if I have a deadline to meet. Not cool at all. 4. Here's how I see it. I can simultaneously interpret conferences both ways and translate books on my own into English, and get paid a decent wage for it, all on my own time and with no commute or shitty colleagues and as much holiday as I like. However, I don't get to meet a whole lot of people, and I basically just sit here typing all day. Interpreting jobs are harder to come by, pay great (up to 100,000 yens per day) but involve quite a lot of pressure to get it right. you are only as good as your last interpreting job ! I also do note taking so I'll sit in a conference and basically write down a lot of what they say so they have a record after. The fun jobs are spending a week with a foreign group of executives or academics and going round with them to meetings with different organisations/companies, and then going out together in the evenings. If you end up interpreting a speech or an event (like live TV or a massive conference party) there is a real buzz and you become the star of the show. 5. Yes. I've proved to myself I can learn a language bloody well and now it's time for me to be the one making decisions about something and steering the operations or the business instead of being a go-between. I wanted to be at home for the kids when they were young to help them speak English and also I hate Japanese organizations with a passion (undokai-mentality for life) so this is my way of surviving here, but typing away on your own at home all day is no way to live. I'd like a physical job actually like chopping wood or hunting or something that tires me out physically as basically I live in my head. I'm actually calling it quits after 10 years of freelance (with a few 1 year contracts thrown in here and there at banks) and taking up an academic position to try and gain some expertise in a field that will then take me out of Japan for good. At the end of the day there is too much I don't agree with here on a fundamental level and I've had misgivings for years about being here (14 years) and I owe it to myself to get out. 6. I make enough to live and save and have some nice little treats here and there but I don't bank 20 million or owt like that. More like half of that and a bit less. Mind you I don't really have any stress at all, no commute and be in the surf in 10 minutes from the front door and that is pretty much priceless. 7. Yes I suppose so as there is a lot of variety and using a language to get your bread means you do have to be sharp and keep studying all the time (I have ongoing lists of Kanji to absorb) plus your Japanese gets shit hot and translating all the time is good for the old grey matter and keeps it lively I think. I think translation could be a difficult market for many people as it is full of chancers wanting to make a living off it but in reality unless you have a specialization (think patents, medical, banking etc.) and more importantly a good network of people to get work from, it will be a hard struggle. Having said that, being freelance with no big provider to look after you means you can never be given the sack or suddenly lose your income. Takes a bit of a leap of faith to make it through the months when work is slow ! 8. No bosses to deal with but do have clients that can be demanding and that can cause a bit of anguish at times. 9. Very good. I can fit in pretty much anything I want to do, surfing, running, playing music etc.