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Celeste Heiter
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Ganbatte Means Go for It!: Or How to Become an English Teacher in Japan Paperback – January 1, 2005

by Celeste Heiter (Author)
4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 15 ratings
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A step by step guide to researching the market, getting a job, moving to Japan and succeeding as an English teacher abroad. Includes the popular ODo You Have What It TakesO questionnaire.
Previous page
  1. Print length
    158 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Global Directions/Things Asian Press
  4. Publication date
    January 1, 2005
  5. Dimensions
    6.02 x 0.32 x 8.44 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0971594007
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0971594005
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Celeste Heiter, writer and graphic artist, spent two years living, working and traveling in Japan. Among her many treasured experiences in this paradoxically modern-yet-mystical culture was the birth of her son Will. Celeste and Will, now 13 years old, live in California's Napa Valley.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Global Directions/Things Asian Press (January 1, 2005)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 158 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0971594007
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0971594005
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 9.6 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.02 x 0.32 x 8.44 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 15 ratings

About the author

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Celeste Heiter

Celeste Heiter

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With her lifelong love of Japan, its people, and its culture, Celeste Heiter believes that she may have been Japanese in a previous incarnation. In this lifetime however, Celeste was born in Mobile, Alabama, where she earned a Bachelor's degree in Art and English from the University of South Alabama.

Inspired by a lifelong dream to visit the Great Buddha at Kamakura, she moved to Tokyo in 1988, where she spent two years teaching English conversation. Celeste now makes her home in California's beautiful Napa Valley, with the most treasured souvenir of her life in Japan: her son Will, who was born during her stay in Tokyo. Her books are inspired by the time she spent in Japan, and by her culinary creativity as a cookbook author, food writer, and photographer.

Celeste is the creator of the LoveBites cookbook series for Kindle Fire. Each LoveBites cookbook is a collection of recipes to create a romantic dinner for two, with color photos of each dish, plus a shopping list, wine selections, movie recommendations, suggestions for setting the mood, and tips for culinary success. LoveBites are published as Kindle Books, which are available for purchase on Amazon.com.

Celeste is also the author of ten books published by ThingsAsian Press, and spent eight years posting her recipes, food photographs, and film reviews on ChopstickCinema.com, an Asian food and film blog hosted by ThingsAsian.com.

Visit her website at www.CelesteHeiter.com.

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
4.3 out of 5
15 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Scott E. Rowenczak
5.0 out of 5 stars A Must Have
Reviewed in the United States on February 12, 2011
Verified Purchase
I just got this book today and I have already read through 100 pages of it. It is so helpful and so easy to read you can't help from being immersed in it. If you are someone who really wants to teach English in Japan then this is the book for you. This book spells out every step that you need to take to get there. If you follow what this book says then you will definitely get there. This book takes all of the frustration and aggravation of getting a teaching job in Japan and makes it concise and easy to understand. This book is a must have.

Also, if you are worried about the age of the book. DON'T. It is almost as if it was written yesterday. Almost every website and source mentioned in the book is still in use today and still extremely helpful. There are a couple things that are outdated in this book but in comparison with the vast amount of helpful knowledge you won't care about whether or not 1 out of 100 websites listed isn't working anymore.
One person found this helpful
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kooritsuki
3.0 out of 5 stars Great for the novice, not too too useful for people who knows Japan
Reviewed in the United States on August 29, 2008
Verified Purchase
I bought this book because I want to, eventually, go and teach English in Japan. I have been to Japan multiple times in the past and needed some extra information on how to find jobs and settle down in the country when I, eventually, move there. I read through this book and found that it's a great book for the novice, who knows nothing at all about Japan, but lacks the useful information for people who have been or knows about the Japanese culture.

The author addressed the culture shock part quite well, talking about how different the culture of Japan is from the United States. I especially like it when she said that you'll have to be prepared to eat whatever that is presented to you without knowing what exactly is the content inside. This is so true, because the Asian culture is just not used to telling you every small ingredient in a dish (or your medication).

However, the book seemed to have focused way too much on the culture shock issue that many important points of how to settle down and such have been missed. For example, the author did talk about finding apartments, provided a list of documents that one should bring when looking at apartments, and the questions one should ask the landlord. But she fails to mention what one should do when they like the apartment. Should they present the landlord with the key money right away? Are there anything that is done differently in the process of securing the apartment in Japan than in the US?

The author did provide a list of websites that could be very useful to the reader in finding more information about the move to Japan on the varies subjects though.

I would recommend this book to the complete novice, who knows nothing whatsoever about Japan and the Japanese culture (although it beats me why one would want to go to a country where they know absolutely nothing about). However, to those who have been exposed to the culture, I'd say, save your money and search for information on the web.
4 people found this helpful
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Sunshine S.
5.0 out of 5 stars Not just for future English teachers, the little book with a LOT!
Reviewed in the United States on March 21, 2010
Verified Purchase
Ganbatte is an amazing book that went above and beyond my expectations. I thought "This book looks so thin, there's no way it can cover what I need to know" but it absolutely does!

It has a lot resources and information, including:
Tons of websites
Hotels
ESL/Teaching ideas and resources
Preparing mentally, physically, and emotionally 1 year to 1 day ahead
Japan's culture, weather, attractions, ups and downs by area
Different work opportunities and how to find them
How to do well with your resume and interview
How to prepare yourself for living in Japan
Tidbits of information on etiquette, tradition, language, history, geography, etc.

This book is well-organized, well-written, includes sections for your notes, has a glossary of Japanese-romaji terms, and has a webliography/bibliography at the bank.

This book is PACKED. Definitely a great buy and well worth the price!
I recommend it to anyone considering working to Japan long or short term, or anyone planning on living there long term for any other reason.
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