I rarely post on this forum but feel the necessity to comment. I have been informed by a reliable source that successful applicants will be required to arrive in Kansai on a tourist visa to then operate the next day on the Gen Dec. This is being done by **** so as to negate the requirement for a work visa which in turn saves them having to pay the payroll tax under Japanese law. This ploy has been used before and it is easily caught on by any half decent immigration system, of which the Japanese is state of the art. You can bet your last pair of jocks that the immigration and taxation computers are cross referenced so where does that leave you? Check the wording of the contract- reads something akin to "any tax will be the sole concern of the employee". So when the Japanese authorities meet you at immigration in Kansai after you have spent a wonderful 8 days at home, what questions do you think will be running through your head?How about the issue of avoidance of Japanese tax? Is it against the law in Japan? What do you think? Guess who is going to wash their hands of you - go back to the fine print in the contract.
Make you stop and think - or do you need more?
Commuting arrangements ( ie read lack there of) are a joke, there is no other way to describe such other than has been adequately explained in previous posts.
Accomodation arrangements are a joke, and you will be spending 22 days of every month in a box.
Money is good, but for what? Is this how you want to live in a standard hotel room ( usually 25-28 sq mtrs in Japan)with your laundry hanging from the lamp shades to dry because you sure as hell won't want to be paying $28 for every shirt laundered.
I know the allure of a big a/c has a hypnotic effect - helps you to gloss over the little imperfections in the contract like the 12 month notice requirement should you decide to leave (MINUS your 500/month that they have taken from your stash) so you now have a JAA ATPL but no one wants to hire you because you have not honoured your 5 year term with your previous employer.Japanese are funny like that. Even if you do your 5 years there are few jobs for non Japanese JAA ATPL holders. Don't beleive me then ask the 5 guys who were just let go by Skymark about 4 months ago, none of them are working in Japan - 767 type rated, route endorsed, Jap medical, ATPL etc all in the bag. Guess it isn't as sort after commodity that all say it is.
Let's not forget the fate of WAC. Does history repeat?
Compare it to the Skymark contract. Raise any questions?
Finally, it is only a 767 - a great truck but old and slowly getting antiquated and, more importantly, difficult to transition from to newer types - just check the lack of ads for type qualified 767 guys.
I know what I am talking about. I am a 767 Captain on his 11th year of contracts and this one has worms.
Good luck !