Why You'll HATE living in JAPAN
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- čas přidán 27. 10. 2021
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Hello everyone! I know many of you are interested in living in Japan! But are you sure that you will still love Japan after you move here? Today, we will talk all about the challenges you will face when you move here!
mrs eats,why you shouldn't move to japan,why you'll hate living in japan,culture shock in japan,how to deal with culture shock
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Has this video given you some ideas on how to make your dream of living in Japan come true? Let me know!
hello! :)
Great video! I experienced the same ups and downs when I moved from the US to Greece, and I'm Greek by heritage and knew the language fairly well when I went there. That 2/3 of unseen aspect of local culture really throws people for a loop. I even felt some of the same when I moved back to the US, because much of the Greek culture stuck with me. Moral of the story, prepare and have realistic expectations with any new country you go to.
Does bokksu have nuts I'm allergic?
@@tylerhampton376 I facepalmed at your question and was almost kinda rude / honest with you lol. but I only just woken up.
No, Japan is not a country in which I could live permanently. I think the saying explains it aptly: "You can get a Swabian to leave his homeland temporarily, but you can't get his home region out of his heart." After spending 3 weeks in Japan once in my life, it felt like something was calling me home. Even if those 3 weeks are among the most relaxed of my life, I know that my place is next to the descendants of the Alemanni.
My niece was always dreaming living in Japan. She learned Japanese and then moved to Osaka for her MB. After graduation she moved back to Europe and never talked about Japan again.
😂
oop-
😂 can TOTALLY get that ! hope shes living a great life in EU
@@laur-unstagenameactuallyca1587 that’s exactly what I said lmfao
Danggg 🤣
You can hate anything after a while. People shouldn't romanticize places.
how do you romanticize a place the main reason people want to move to japan is because how good it looks in anime
@@noodle7515 I think that’s why people romanticize Japan
@@noodle7515 Exactly, people are romanticizing Japan because of what they see in Anime.
Too much anime if you ask me
@@sexturnsmeoff3401 no i’m pretty sure they meant romanticize. regardless the two words are nearly synonymous in this case
I'm an American who has lived many years in Japan. The problem many newcomers have with Japan is that they thought the grass was greener on the other side of the fence. They came here looking for something better or different than what the were experiencing in their home countries. Then they find out that Japanese, like everyone else, have to work for a living.
Those who come to Japan go through stages. First is the "honeymoon" stage, were everything is fun and interesting because it is so new and different. Second is the "reality" stage, in which you begin to realize that small housing, commuting on crowded trains, and spending 10 to 12 hours a day at work really isn't that fun. Then, there is the "regret" stage, when you miss the things you took for granted in your home country. If you are less lucky, you find yourself in the "trapped" stage, having lived and worked in Japan for long enough that you have grown roots (wife, kids, etc) and couldn't leave even if you wanted to.
For myself, I still love it here. I enjoy the cleanliness, the lack of crime. As I have children, I am glad they go to school in Japan, were standards are still high, and where they can't get into drugs. I like the harmony and order of things in Japan, and how everything simply just works.
I started my life in Japan as a salaryman working for a mid-size Japanese company. The company apartment was small, I had to commute from Chiba to Tokyo every day, arriving in the office at 7:30 in the morning, and leaving work at 9:30 every night. It sounds rough, but the work wasn't that hard, Japan has lots of national holidays, Golden Week, Silver Week, and the winter holidays. I enjoyed drinking with friends and customers in the evenings, and occasionally getting together on the weekends, life wasn't so bad.
I do other things now. I started my own business several years ago, and can work from home, or anywhere else. I enjoy traveling around the country, cycling, skiing, swimming, and sightseeing. Japan can be a great place to live if you find your place in it.
was nice to read thank you for sharing your story :D
Great hsitory! Its very encouraging :-) Thanks for share your wisdom
I love your honest view about life in Japan! But can you tell me how to find “a place in Japan” to live or i just simply have to work it out myself? I love to live in Japan but im afraid of work culture here
@@MiracleNikki The work culture isn't as bad as people make it out. For people who come from outside Japan, they are unlikely to be hired as full-time, permanent workers. Most foreigners are part-time workers. If your part time work is in a profession, like teaching, you will earn around 250,000 yen per month, plus a housing and transportation allowance, which is enough to live comfortably in most of Japan. For those who come to Japan with a student visa and work part time, they'll generally earn minimum wage, which is around 1100 yen per hour. This isn't enough to live independently in most of Japan. If you are inventive and work hard, you can start your own business. Japanese are not very entrepreneurial compared to other nationalities, and it is not that hard to find a niche where you can work for yourself and earn a decent, or even very nice living.
What a great story thank you for sharing it with us
This is actually a very complicated topic - but it does have recognizable patterns. In my case, I moved to Japan in 1991 and ended up living there for 6 years. At first I was homesick, then I LOVED Japan, then I started not to like some things, then eventually I couldn't wait to go home.....but then....I started to miss Japan, I started to reflect and understand Japan better, I started to see the things in my own country more clearly and discovered that things were different than I used to think. I could see what things were actually the same as in Japan (because people are the same - yes they are) and the things that were different (because every country has its uniqueness based on history, geography, climate, etc). Then, after 8 years I went back to Japan - and as a tourist, I loved it again, while also feeling nostalgia for my first experiences there. Yes - I developed a lot as a person and Japan really helped with that reflection. I am now in Japan again and I really appreciate this country and my friends here all these decades later. Of course, Japan has changed a lot as well in 30 years. For example, it is far more open to foreigners now and that is a good thing.
That was beautiful 🥲
Wow, I can relate to your experience very well. I lived in Japan for 3 years and also experienced a similar cycle. Last month I returned as a tourist after 8 years since I left the country and initially felt nostalgic about my past days in Japan until I saw those drunk office men on the night train...
Look at that and you still look like Harrison Ford, awesome comment family. 😁👍
@@cococake0315because in Europe would never be drunk an office man on a train?
There's a reason why most anime's are all high school students, because once they go college or enter the work force they became robots, tied to a rat race and the never ending work-home-work lifestyle.
Like Americans I guess
Jesus Christ
@@BFFR223 at least Americans enjoy their holidays and they can travel abroad. Japanese are secluded people and only few do travel abroad.
Yes it definitely happens there. Trust me japan is 98 %ethnic population and its very difficult for foreigners to live there.
Even in India its similar 🙂
I have a Japanese friend that moved from Japan to Sydney and he described Japan like a theater play. It’s good and entertaining when you’re the audience (tourist), but if you’re one of the workers at the backstage (locals and residents), it’s stressful.
After a decade in Japan, I concur with this view. Spot on
My Thai friend who lives and works in Japan also says the same thing. Japanese friendliness is superficial, you can't really trust anyone if don't know them since childhood.
@@khanitthanank7982 having spent 10 years in Japan and 15 years in Thailand, I would trust a Japanese person long before I would a Thai. Sorry, sad but true especially as I am currently married to a Thai and have Thai family.
@@jerry72 I agree and that's definitely sad ):
@@khanitthanank7982 it is mate. But at least my wife is the most honest person I have ever met and she's Thai, there are good and bad in all races.
Learning the language really does help. It decreases the depressing culture shock
I'm always surprised to hear people move to Japan, or any country for that matter, and don't even attempt to learn the language.
@@felixavenier9659 To Japan from say, USA, or Europe, it doesn't make much sense. Coming from somewhere more third world, probably just for the opportunity, language be damned. Still, the latter would likely learn the language as best they can to get by.
@@felixavenier9659 I just mean people moving to a different country in general, not specifically the west to Japan
I guess the "frustration phase" might happen with anyone that decides to move to a new country, especially if the spoken language is different, in my case, my family decided to move to Switzerland and I loved the Idea, we moved to Switzerland from Italy, but since I've had too much struggle with learning and speaking German, I've reached this "frustration phase" very quickly, but I never gave up and kept on learning the language, and now It feels like I'm still in Italy, but with German Speaking people...it's so funny 😁
Um...Switzerland has 4 official languages, with Italian being one of them.
A little different when moving to a country where the writing, alphabet, and dialect are completely foreign. Then add in the diet, what is and isn't considered proper etiquette, the people, the architecture.
An Italian going to Switzerland isn't that big of a shellshock. A Westerner going to Japan, though, is a different animal.
How about learning French next?😂
Switzerland is split into 3 areas and in German area they don't speak Italian.@@johnkowalski2055
@@johnkowalski2055 It's still the same process of frustration and adjusment, all Asian countries will be much harder for Europeans to adjust too. I find it interesting that not many Japanese living here go back after a few years. Many of them seem to prefer to stay, although I'm sure there are many things they find annoying, too. Maybe Western people are too demanding and not so good at integrating themselves, Japanese people are more likely raised to be humble, obedient and not make any kind of trouble?
@@johnkowalski2055italian is only spoken in southern switzerland, and even then italy’s italian alone has 20 different dialects, it wouldn’t be surprising if swiss italian had another dialect. this is made worse if op is from center or southern italy.
Japan is amazing for holidays. But not for living
I'm here before someone said "you are everywhere"
yea pretty much
Oh hi, Mak. Why am I not surprised?
Exactly
Same for Italy 🙃
So important to be realistic while one has this love/infatuation of Japan. Not everything is sunny and roses, no matter where you are. Thanks for the reality check!
Hi Langa! Long time no see! Yes, always good to have balanced view!
@@MrsEats I'll always come back to this channel! 😊
@@MrsEats the part where your husband had to sleep in the living room for saying the wrong thing was so funny 🤣🤣🤣
Exactly. No matter where you are
This reflects every country. There is no utopia...
Guessing the speaker moved to Japan in his early twenties. From my perspective as a 40 year(s) old guy, his presentation of cultural adjustment phases describes what each person goes through when they leave secondary school and transition to working adulthood. He just happened to grow up through that period of living in another country. Welcome to planet earth.
I was thinking the same thing. This guy was just young and learning what it is like to be an adult. He really didn't mention anything that was specific to Japan. Many people have long commute. You have less friends the older you get. When you start a family money will be tighter and you might have to work more. Every boss expects you to work harder and go above and beyond. I learned nothing about what living in Japan is.
It's just like everything in life: stay grounded, don't idealize anything, experience what you can, know that whatever the place: the people you meet usually make the difference in good or bad.
When I moved to another country, I’ll never forget what they told us “Once you move out of your country or culture bubble, you will feel like you don’t fit in the new country because it’s not your people and the way of thinking and feeling will be different. But WHEN you come back home, you will feel like you don’t fit there anymore because your horizons have expanded, your way of thinking is gonna be WAY different from the one you used to have back home and now you will end up with your OWN bubble. Once you move away from your people, you will no longer have “people”, you’re now on your own.”
That really hit hard with me and saw it everywhere. Even internally in my country with those moving from the countryside into the city and then going back. Those expat phases are no joke and you need to be really mentally and emotionally strong if you’re ever gonna move to another country.
As a professional sailor this really hits home...
also apply to when you have new group of friends but it's more subtle
this is where family is important
Why do you want to make me want to cry
well summarised, growing up, I spent a fair amount of time in Europe while I'm from Hong Kong. I feel like I am an in-betweener now and home doesn't feel like home , and I dunno where that homey feeling is
Yeah I'm more than happy to keep Japan as a travel destination.
Even Disneyland's magic would wear off if you started living there.
Disneyland's magic wore off the third time I went lol
honestly anyone who isn’t serious about studying the language and getting fluent is bound to have a bad time living in japan long term. those who are serious though, could have the time of their lives.
@@trapsenpai Yes they can have the time of their lives if only they have the money to do so lol
@@Dorimefasolatedo living in Japan since 10 years without having a lot of money. And I m loving it.
Legoland magic?
I lived in Japan for a year, and I loved it. I think about it every day and have been trying to get back for over 15 years.
I've been doing the same for about 14 years after a year-long exchange in college in 2011, and this video made me wonder just how far along I got in these phases of culture shock they talked about.
I don't recall too much friction despite the adjustments I made, but I wonder if I simply stayed in the honeymoon phase for the whole year. Maybe I progressed through all of them; I don't remember much about the year anymore, my memory is terrible.
I'm on both sides of this coin. Besides my obsession with the country since I was a kid (anime), I came here for a 5 month exchange which ended in February 2023. Of course it was a dream and I made sure to come back. Just arrived this March (2024) with work. I don't know how long this supposed honeymoon phase lasts but I think it's more than a year.
And it's definitely true that some things suck, but as someone who really digs deep into anime, I wasn't expecting a fantasy world. It has troubled people and aspects to it, just like any other country. That's what a lot of people forget.
clown
Japan is a beautiful country. Spring is warm and cities are filled with green nature. In autumn, the leaves turn bright red, and in winter, they turn white with snow. When you are in Japan, you experience a sense of wonder. For example, when I walk down a quiet street and see birds singing and small children playing, I know peace. And then I stop crying involuntarily. I don't know why. I love that moment.
Ah that's really sweet of you
So the cons are: Loneliness, Depression and Lack of Money.
Well, I have these three since the day I was born, so I guess I'm prepared lol
Lol the answer is be Rich and you'll be fine.
Same...
Same
🤣
@@psyck448 not in 3rd world countries.
I moved to Germany close to 6 years ago, and I went through that whole process you mentioned in the video. I don't think it's really about Japan, the cultural shock can hit you anywhere you go. But I imagine the expectations are going to be way higher when someone is a big fan anything and everything Japanese.
I'm currently living in Germany and moved here 3 years ago. Hadn't made any high hopes here but for me Germany is boring.
@@luigi2837 I completely get what you mean 😁. But regardless of that, moving to a different country with a different culture and ways of doing things is always a shock. At the point in life I am, I only care about having a good satisfying job that allows me to live a comfy life, so I can enjoy my hobbies. I might not ever move to Japan, but I can go on holidays as often as I want 😎
@@luigi2837 Well, two years of the time you've lived here was under lockdown or semi-lockdown. That sucks. :(
Been born in germany lived here for 20 years and i still hate it.
So japan would be the same or better. How can rock bottom be below rock bottom
@@dageta7742 According to what I've heard from a few Japanese people I know, working conditions are really not so good. I've been working here since 2016 and never had a problem. Nobody came to bother me, or treat me any different because I'm not German. Salary is enough to live very comfy and I get 28 days of holidays a year. One of my friends works in IT and has like 8 days a year. And then there's the transportation issue, having to get into those packed trains and everything. I would love to live there, but not work.
I lived in Japan for just over three years. I was stationed at Fuchu Air Station, a JASDF base. Every day I had off or vacation time I had was exploring the Tokyo area. There were days I would get off the train at a station I did not know and just explored the area just to see what is there. I would come back at the end of the day and tell my Japanese friends what I saw/found. I found things they did not know were there and they took notes to go see for themselves. I wish I could have spent more time there.
You had a good time in Tokyo. The Tama area, including Fuchu, is a nice place rich in nature. .I also liked just wandering around Tokyo without a purpose and seeing different cities.
That sounds amazing
That sounds like a great plan! I still remember that "environmental" work camp in Spain I once went to. You could get to central Madrid by bus, it took about 45 minutes. Still, no-one else went, they just stayed in that dull compound in that small village for the entire weekend. I couldn't understand that.
This is such a helpful video, thank you! While I don’t have plans to move to Japan, this information is universal for anywhere you might move. It especially makes me even more empathetic and appreciative of people who move from other countries to the US, and the culture shock they experience when they do. I’ve always been amazed by people who move from one country to another, especially when there is a language barrier, but sometimes we forget it’s not just the difference in languages that can be difficult. This video is really helpful for understanding what to expect, as well as learning how to be a better friend to those who have moved from their home country to yours. Very well done video!
Most people really underestimate just how different different cultures are.
"The cultural iceberg" is a good representation of this.
true
Precisely. People should learn those unspoken social norms instead of grammar when learning a new (culture and) language. It's far more useful.
I'm for instance learning many languages just for the hell of it, including Japanese, but I ain't going to pretend that I know anything about living in the country, because, yeah, the language is 80% of the way, but without the other 20% that is the culture, you are basically lost.
Goddamn truth son!
been here 12 years. have made lots of friends and even got married. my advice is find a hobby and pursue it, you will meet a lot of friends that way. my hobby was attending underground punk and metal gigs every weekend. people are more likely to attempt to talk to you if they already know something specific about you. I didn't feel much culture shock. i went in assuming everything would be different, and ended up being happy when it wasn't as different as I thought. I've been invited to go along on tours with bands in their van and have been able to travel all over Japan; from rural areas to big cities. It's been an amazing adventure.
Hell yeah 🤘
People at these shows are usually the more westernized types. Happy for you man :)
Damn they have underground punk in japaaan? Where were these shows? And did the japanese there speak good english?
As someone else who has lived here for a decade dude is 100% right. Especially in Tokyo its so easy to feel super disconnected
Sounds great men
The language part is what most people should master. I would say learn and study Japanese mannerisms as well.. They are so different and unique like most cultures.
I think it’s also worth noting that culture shock isn’t a one-and-done, it can come in waves.
This actually applies to moving to any new place. The novelty wears off and the honeymoon ends. Then everything is negative, irritating, or dull. Eventually the balance is reached and we get to accept things the way they are.
What makes the biggest difference is the people you may have around.
And the hobbies/things you do in your daily life, because real life actions have a huge impact on how you feel and think about the world.
I feel Japan is worse though. Most people just think of polite, food, anime, cool stuffs when come to Japan. A lot of people move to Japan have no intention to actually settle in with Japanese culture - outside of the food and pop culture, but expect this perfect place where they will be different.
Yep! And not just moves either.. New jobs, relationships, and anything new. Honeymoons don’t last forever. It’s about managing your expectations. Location doesn’t make you happy (it can supplement and help); what you choose to do with your time determines your happiness!
That’s why learning about the reality of the country you want to move to is extremely important. For example, I want to migrate to the US in a few years time and I’ve spent countless hours learning about the culture and rules that go on over there so I won’t be caught with my pants down just because I don’t understand the general stuff that goes on over there
@@KelRobbins Eventually we all have to take our own initiatives to find our own happiness
My biggest tip for avoiding culture shock is to throw yourself into studying Japanese in an ENJOYABLE way during the honeymoon phase. The frustration phase will be a lot easier if you have Japanese friends who you can spend time with, adopt the culture from and not worry about them leaving the country in the next few months.
I struggle with talking to people. Making friends is very difficult for some reason.
@@d.o.p.d.o.p.1775 As someone who used to struggle with talking to strangers, I would suggest frequenting bars (you don't have to drink alcohol, but it helps) or partaking in hobbies. This helped me while I was in Okinawa and I went from zero Japanese friends to having more Japanese friends than American friends. I even learned a small bit of Japanese language and culture this way.
I never experienced culture shock, my trick is that I'm anti-social and not a tourist.
@@h2t26 You do sound miserable though.
Agreed. Hanging out with people who like what you like would help. From what I hear they like to have parades. So find some people to go with you.
Thank you so much for this sweet video and the explanation of each phrase. I’m not living in Japan but same as an expat living in a country where the culture is completely different from my home country. It’s the 4th year and I’m still in the frustration phrase. Sometimes I believe I hate here so much, I doubt my decisions, I became hard to deal with. But also I realize I‘ve got used to the benefits this place gave to me. This video is a light and let me know I’m not alone to have these feelings. A big bug to you guys ❤
I lived in Japan from 1991 to 2006. I went through all the phases of culture shock, though I feel like the frustration phase didn't last too long for me. At any rate, I reached acceptance after about 4 or 5 years. Definitely, having good friends, both foreign and Japanese, helped me a lot. So did speaking Japanese, which I'd majored in in university. For the people I knew who didn't speak Japanese, it was a harder struggle. Most of them didn't last longer than a year or two. Eventually, I returned to my home country after many years, and went through reverse-culture shock. That's a thing too!
“So. I went to Japan for some Good old Japanese Fakkin “
- abe Lincoln, 1796
He probably hasn't been catched off guard - unlike.. others... ..
*Except it was* waaay less old back then. Also he wasn't born yet.
I rewind it multiple time just to make sure my ears doesn't decieve me
you mean grandpa *_ape lincoln_*
Stupid meme comment
A lot of good advice in this video. My own advice is this: early on, when you're in the "honeymoon phase", make as many Japanese friends as possible, join activities and clubs, and just immerse yourself in Japanese society as much as you can. (Do *not spend all your time with overseas friends at this point.) This will all be exhausting, but exciting as well, and your language and cultural skills will grow a lot because of it. Then later, when the initial excitement wears off, your will already have the skills and perspective, and local network to help you cope. At this point, also feel free to seek out a community of 'like-minded' ex-pats if you wish. Anyway, this is how I did it, and my experience living in this country has overall been fantastic. Oh, I've been here 20 years now, in case you were wondering.
While I ended up moving home after 3 years, I completely agree with your strategy. I'd recommend everyone to utilise that honeymoon energy. In the first month of being in Japan, I did exactly the same thing as you did and made great friends that helped me throughout my entire stay. Having semi-decent familiarity with the language and gaining the rest via total immersion early on was the way to go. Were it not my plan to marry my non-Japanese fiancé, I would have stayed much longer.
@@Curious-traveler That’s what I said. 😈
(evil laugh)
I would add that the “befriend as many people as possible while in the honeymoon phase” advice is applicable to any foreign country you are living in, whether it’s France, Mexico, Vietnam, etc...because in the end, we would find ourselves missing our home country more (unless you are a refugee from a war-torn country, of course)
Thank you so much for that great advice. If I ever get the chance to move to Japan someday I’ll definitely remember to do as much of this as possible.
Damn I can't even make friend in my own country
I also did the English teacher thing for a private company. Loved it. Met some very nice people that became good friends. I probably learned more about Japan from them, than they learned about English from me.
Its is one of the most interesting video I saw lately. Thank you!
Japan in expectations: rich, animes, cool places
Japan in reality: living in your small apartment and work 72 hours per day and very depressed
work 72 hours per day?
@@art_ryan52 i mean per week
Sounds like the life in the New York
That's why they have suicide forest.
No waifus?🥺
i guess this is why anime character are so persistent and determined
Anime fans in Japan need to cope
🤣🤣🤣🤣
and depressed lol
Isn't that same with every hero in the world?
LMAO😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
i lived in japan for several years in my 20s because after i graduated i didn't know what to do with my life and it sounded cool.
i count it as one of the definitive experiences of my life and i even got married and had the chance to become fluent in a second language. we came back to the UK because my earnings potential is much higher here, but i would happily live there again.
the main things I missed were my home culture (constantly being an outsider really starts to grate after about 2 years) and the architecture and greenery of the UK.
there are two things that stood out to me as positives, even if you are an english teacher earning about 350,000 yen a month, you can have a good quality of life, save a decent amount, eat out all the time, you would really struggle to do that on an entry-level salary in the UK, and that everything is very convenient and runs smoothly as a general rule.
now outside of the problems associated with different cultures and being an immigrant, most of these issues just sound like normal 20s experiences. it's totally normal to be questioning your career path, be striving to work on your goals (and often being frustrated), not feeling secure or sure of your purpose throughout your 20s, no matter where you live. this lack of security is compounded by still being at the beginning of your economic journey.
This is so on point. I actually am an American immigrant to Korea and have been here for 8 years with only 1 short month long visit back to America. I watched this video because at some point in the future I would love for our family to live in Japan for a year or so mainly so that all our Japanese can improve (my husband is fluent and we are teaching our 3 year old son). What you said here is exactly what I have gone through myself but here in Korea. Since I lived in several other countries for under a year at a time I thought that I would never experience the culture shock phase. After all, that was my job was studying culture and moving from country to country for 5 years before moving to Korea. I couldn't have been more wrong. I found that the honeymoon phase was short lived for me and there was something between the frustration phase. Almost like a stale 3 years for me until after we got married. Marriage to a Korean threw me MUCH deeper into the culture and I felt overwhelmed. The first 4 years of our marriage I was spiraling into intense anger for the first time in my life. Our marriage was on the verge of ending and we both regretted this cross cultural family that we barely were keeping together. And then, without much explanation I just started to adjust to my life in Korea. I took the idea of running away to travel the world again out of my mind and convinced myself that staying was best for not only our son but our extended family here. I had fallen in love with my husband's family and couldn't imagine leaving them. Over the next year and a half my happiness has grown, we moved to a tiny town, and now I am pursuing my love for languages and cultures again by studying Japanese language and culture. It was a LOOOONG and hard road but one that I hope our son can experience for himself one day because once getting through the other end life is so much more rewarding. I don't say that I love or hate Korea anymore, I say that I understand and respect it. Someday I hope to feel the same for Japan and to connect with more people in their own language and ways.
Have zero expectations, you will never be disappointed. Best way to live.
I still get disappointed with that mindset
A.K.A the Stoic lifestyle?
These people are so soft
My country manages to dissapoint even when having zero expectations. We never reach the bottom rock.
I tried that with the USA. After 16 years the US cannot even reach that standard. I will be moving back to England at the beginning of 2022.
I always dreamed about living in Japan - as a kid. But as I got older I started to reconsider. Today, I don't think I'd just move to another country without doing a) proper research on living conditions and b) truly reflect on why I'm drawn to this country. Because moving to a country because of pop culture of probably not working out ...
Cool
I think of moving to Japan. Not because of anime or anything related to entertainment, I just think it's a better place to live than fucking Brazil. I will not be rich, but I'll certainly not be poor. I'll be able to live a economically comfortable life and buy some things I want as long as I'm single, and if I eventually decide to build a family, it'll be not as hard as it is in Brazil. Sure, that requires dedication to learning their language, culture and actually knowing what to do there, which job to choose for example. But that's an effort I'm willing to make.
@@pardolagames8994 you need to do quite a bit of research on discrimination and tacking advantage of foreigners. You may infact be worse off.
@@bethanydavis9023 Rewrite the last phrase please. What is "You may infected be worse off" supposed to mean?
@@pardolagames8994 I think they meant the discrimination you may face while in Japan may affect you. Some countries may discriminate against someone of a different skin color or race and try to get over on you when it comes to buying and doing something's. Hopefully that made some sense
Tbh i am currently away from home
the guy explained it so well regarding the culture shock that I can relate and surprisingly analyse myself and where my frustration comes from and how I can deal with that so thanks 😊
This was a good, informative video.
Thank You 4 Making This. 👍✌
I mean, as someone who doesn’t want kids, doesn’t need “close” friends, and is ok with being single, it doesn’t seem so bad.
I see comments like this a lot, but you also shouldn't underestimate the difficulties that you could potentially face just from being a foreigner, and not speaking the language 100%. A lot of people also don't really realize how good they actually have it where they live, until they leave. Though I also realize this is probably just a joke comment, I also feel like you're half serious 😶.
@@bubblegumxo I think they are serious
@@bubblegumxo Whats wrong with that being a serious comment. I feel the same way
And here’s the thing, if it turns out you REALLY don’t like it in the end, at least you can go home/somewhere else without feeling that ‘what if’, surely having learned allot in the process.
No is not japan is racist lul
I'm from India married to an Australian, he's caring and understanding. We got married and had two children within 15 months. I went through a big culture shock and loneliness, gradually I adjusted, it took few years though. This year we celebrated our 15th wedding Anniversary and 15 years in Perth, absolutely wonderful
Us Aussies are too bloody good lookin' not to stay 🤣
Hey my friends from Perth, that's cool
@@Immortal_Mentor cringe
How this relates to the video? lol
Oh tell me how difficult is it to adjust to a first world country, it's rather a privelage.
Thanks for beeing honest, i think the phases can be adjusted to any other country you move to, thank you this helps a lot
finally a credible review.... I've been thinking about moving to Japan for a long time :) and I'm glad to finally hear a meaningful critique !!
Its all about perspective.
A lot of people don’t know what they’re getting into when they decide to move to japan.
Romanticizing about a place and having unrealistic expectations is only gonna end up in disappointment.
As long as you understand that the culture is fundamentally different and are willing to adjust, then thats all that matters.
erm but according to anime they already know what to expect cause anime is life and life is anime.
@@rjacks3284 lmao
Yes!
Adjust. Pffft, that's not in a weebs vocabulary. They expect everything handed to them.
@@rjacks3284 your life is a lie then.
Im a Japanese that lived in both Japan and in the U.S. and personally know many foreigners living or wanting to go to Japan.
This may sound a bit insensitive and judgmental, but if you’re the introverted and the anti-social type, you’ll eventually start hating living in Japan. I often come across some youtube videos or instagram posts portraying Japan as an “introvert paradise”, but thats simply based on the surface aspect of Japanese society without understanding any of the daily lives in Japan. Japanese society/culture puts ALOT of emphasis on group mentality, communication, and having to interact with others all the time. It is nowhere near an “introvert paradise” as some foreigners want to portray it. You have to understand that being alone in your private time is almost like a reward in Japan. This is more true if you live in the big cities like Tokyo, where you’ll often see restaurants and other services where they specifically cater towards single customers. Social phenomenon like the hikikomori(shut-ins) happen because they mentally “burned out” from having to deal with this daily life. I would even say that being anti-social and introverted is alot more easier and accepted in western countries than Japan.
I think we can agree that alot of the younger foreigners wanting to live in Japan are the weeaboo types. I know Im being judgmental, but alot of them tend to lean towards the introverted side. Not every foreigner or weeaboo are this way, but it will be a huge hindrance for them to learn about the Japanese language, the cultural norms, and Japanese people’s behavior if you are an introvert. Alot of them simply cannot get out of their comfort zone(the gaijin bubble) and miss out on the opportunity to integrate themselves into the country. You HAVE to go through the embarrassing and awkward moments with people at the beginning if you want to enjoy living in a foreign country. Alot of introverted people avoid this without realizing that its part of the process.
And if you’re struggling with anxiety, depression, or any type of mental health, moving to Japan isnt going to help. You’re going to be going through tremendous amount of language and cultural barriers in a completely foreign environment from your own home, while struggling with mental health. I seriously dont know why some foreigners think that moving to Japan will magically make their depression go away. It wont. And Japan isnt responsible for taking care of you. Theres a difference between being polite and being friendly, something you have to understand if you want to survive in Japan.
Btw, the exact same thing could be said for Japanese people wanting to live overseas. I used to teach English communication as a part time job back in college, and you can already tell whos going to have a good time and whos going to struggle in foreign countries. Its usually not their language skills that matter, its their personality and having the right mindset that really determines whether they can adapt to a foreign environment or not.
Wow, very informative! 😁But what's a weeaboo? I was interested in Japan, to possibly move there one day. But they have winter. And some of the things you described would probably keep me from living there. Everyone thinks the grass is always greener on the other side. It seems to be at 1st, when you move somewhere. But societies issues are everywhere. 😟 And missing food from your former state, or country IS a problem!! 😳 When I moved from the N.E. of the USA down to Florida. It WAS like a different country. For several reasons. It literally took me 3 yrs to get used to it. North & South living is vastly different. By laws, living, people, work, foods, and the chaos is on another level in FL. 😳
Thx for the info
@@wendysavvy4351 a weeaboo/weeb is someone one (usually western) who is *really* into japanese culture/anime/manga. I use to be in that stage but as for late I haven't touched anime in quite a while.
This post is pretty good, it's a great reminder that at the end of the day life is life, and Japan isn't just some fantastical place where these problems will magically disappear.
@@patrickstar8132 Thank you, for letting me know! 😀 I was always interested in Japan, and anime is definitely creative. I will probably visit Japan. My friend used to live there. He was on a base there for the military.
I found this video really helpful. I need to see a shrink, but I found this idea of frustration, adjustment and acceptance pretty in sync with my moment about my hometown, job and life in general. Getting old is as tough as cultural shock.
I lived in Japan nearly 10 years and was a permanent foreign resident. I repatriated only because of the economic bubble burst in 1993. I would go back to live in Japan now that I am retired. I agree about a majority of foreigners are short term residents. I have lived abroad and follow the proverb, “When in Rome, do is the Romans.
At least thanks to strict society they'll most likely never experience any foreign culture taking over
@@dean_l33 : I totally agree with you on that.
@@dean_l33 thankfully
@@dean_l33 In Japan’s case, why would you want to take over them? The pros about them are definitely their ethos but that’s what makes them fascinating. We like that about them. They definitely add a different flavor of what it means to be human. If anything we just wish they’d visit everyone else more. It’s like counting on Americans to always bring the party or Latinos to bring on the sex appeal, the Japanese bring an unexpected elegance and control to the party that is humanity. They’re not perfect but don’t try to be. I think one of the pros about the Internet now is that it’s facilitating the need to respect and appreciate our differences. I like to think that’s how they view the rest of us, they can appreciate us without muddying the water. I always say the land people live in is what makes them. With Japan being so isolated from the world for the most part, plus their natural disasters (plus willingness to isolate themselves based on history), most people wouldn’t want to live there and certainly not if they knew there’s other options. No, I don’t mean this in an offensive manner as I’ve lived there and loved it. Japan is a bit daunting but not unmanageable if you have the right temperament. Again, introverts will adapt to it faster and come to love it. It’s a very introverted culture that places a high value on dignity so it’s a huge shock for Americans usually especially if they’re the golden retriever but human kind. The biggest threat would probably the sex appeal of foreigners if the Japanese were ever interested and most Japanese really have no interest in dating foreigners unless they find you particular exceptional and see you can handle temporary fun (if you’re extremely attractive anywhere the same rule applies there. Now if you’re obese, that’s where they draw the line). Beauty is beauty pretty much everywhere with few exceptions and every place has it’s overtly flirtatious horn dogs that are game if opportunities show. Japan’s no different. I think the biggest shock with them is that you expect them to be saintly and “cold”; they’re respectful, disciplined and aloof but asexual they’re not. Like everyone anywhere, they just size you up and see if you’re worth the effort/risk. If they decide to play, they’re blunt about letting you know that’s as far as it’s ever going to go. If anything, the Japanese are unique in that they’re likely the ones more interested in taking over other places or even going back to the mainland than the other way around, for good reason (I think the island is fine for now but in the long scheme of things it could put them in a precarious position if certain things don’t pan out, like rising sea levels).
@@AB-sm1qf Some other country in the area like China or maybe even korea would want to take over their culture. But here in the west it is besiged on multipule fronts already
I just moved to a new country and hit the frustration phase immediately. Every little interaction was so high stress and difficult, from grocery shopping to buying a train ticket. The more I get used to it, now that I’ve learned a bit more, I’m finally starting to feel ok. Now that I can somewhat function I’m working on making friends. Absolutely right that learning the language is the key.
Good luck and despite everything keep going forward 💪🏻
I also moved and it was quite hard in the beginning, but it’s a nice experience, I will c where my path Leads next :)
Yes the language barrier is probably the number 1 problem because I lived in the Uk wasn’t to bad since I spoke English since I’m from the U.S. but I would sometimes get confused because they called things differently but overall I understand everything I’m learning Japanese and I’m starting to understand I will watch anime now and I will understand what they are actually saying which encouraged me even more to learn I’m still not sure if I’m gonna move to Japan I think I’m gonna sign a contract to work as an alt for a year and if I like it I’ll extend it for longer
I’ve been living in Japan for many years, I felt all alone at first cuz I didn’t know any Japanese word. So I studied the language and work hard, and no regrets at all. Now having many Japanese friends and I enjoy living here
Unfortunately, I observed that many of the foreigners who come to Japan were expecting to be treated like “prince” and “princesses”, look down on Japanese people just because they are English speakers.
yeah honestly this isn’t to brag or anything but learning a ton of japanese before coming here (about 500 hours of reading raw manga, studying new words and sentences with anki, shadowing japanese youtubers) is what has made these past 4 years living in japan amazing for me. not only do i always get compliments on my japanese but being able to actually communicate with japanese people without struggling just opens the world for sooo many friendships, not to mention makes daily life so much easier.
Thank you so much for sharing these thoughts! I am *new* to the channel and I can already see your appeal.
Your channel and you as a couple are beyond adorable. Thanks for this enormously helpful, informative video. 💖💖😊😊
It all depends how you make of it. When you move to Japan you cannot have a “tourist” mindset. You almost need to have a “business” mindset. Sooner rather than later, you need to make friends and acquaint yourself with Japanese locals and day to day activities. I think the longer the honeymoon phase, the harder it’ll be down the road.
+If you find a job that you absolutely love you're probably going to want to work on it more and more
probably still going to Japan, just more prepared than others
@@jacobfredman9442 if you find a workplace or a department that already have a couple of foreign employee, it will make your experience better there, because the rest of the japanese employee already used to or expect to have a relationship with a foreigner so its easier to have a circle of friend there
@@skyh3r0es Thanks! definetly going to help me in finding an Ideal Job there :))
Well if you wanna Live in an ant Society japan is perfect. Prepare to find out how would a robot Society be like.
Good thing that I life in the west.
I was born with no natural interest in relationships with other people so a place in which you need to make friends wouldn’t work for me.
I've been living in Japan for almost 4 years. There is a lot of struggle, but I still love this country. It's not about making friends as much as possible or tolerate everything only because you are a foreigner. Very important thing is self-awareness, to know, who you are, what you want and your motivation. And then all difficulties become weaker.
That’s a very good advice. Thanks for that. Definitely feels like you need to have self-awareness of what you yourself are doing, what you want to do and what your motivation is to keep you in that country or whether it’s best for you for your lifestyle or career to live somewhere else. I would definitely want to give it a try living in Japan someday, but I worry that I wouldn’t have the motivation or strength to stay there long enough past any sort of honeymoon phase to actually maintain a career there for long enough and be able to get over that hump and start loving the country I was in again, but I still want to give it a try. It’s better to try and fail then to have never tried at all.
I love how you said this. Pretty strong mental perspective you got there. 👌✨
Kira, give it another 10 years.
@@earlysda and that is, the receipt of unhappiness no matter where you are, which is being a pessimist.
@@earlysda I've been in Japan over 10 years and I have similar perspective to Kira Vi as do most of the expats that I know.
I have been living in Japan for almost 10 years but I'm most likely going to move soon. I don't hate Japan, but I get why so many do. Personally, I've reached acceptance. I can honestly say I love Japan whilst being fully aware of its flaws... and I love it anyway. Yes, it's hard here, it's lonely (it's sometimes even racist) and it's stressful, but it's also the most beautiful place in the world for me. If I wasn't sick and unable to work full time with the intensity and consistency that is demanded and necessary here, I'd stay.
Honestly sounds like a story of growing up and maturing, more so then culture shock
For everyone who got really demotivated after watching this video. A friendly reminder that this sort of feelings described in here can be observed while moving to almost every other country you live in. I admit that I've never been in Japan, but as someone who emigrated from one country to another (with quite different culture and a different language), I can tell you from my experience that that's just how it always is when you drastically change your environment. First you're amazed by all of the new experiences, than you began to get use to all of those "new things" and begin to see all the problems, and than you either quit by that point or stay and accept things how they are. That's just the reality. Does that means that we shouldn't move to a different places in the world? In my opinion: no. But it really just depends on your personality and your attitude. Again, from experience I can tell you that you are able to overcome obstacles you'll ran into, as every problem has it's solution, and once you do that you can enjoy living in the place you dreamed of for such a long time.
Mah man spitting FACTS!!
me living in puerto rico. The stays of tourist, the land of scammers.
Exactly the correct take.
Yes, but Japan is also excessively xenophobic. For example, alot of landlords will refuse to rent an apartment or whatever out to foreigners and it is fully within their rights to do so. Japan is definitely one of the more difficult places to move to
lot of words but 0quality
I am a Japanese who left Japan to live permanently in Australia. It is really difficult to live in a foreign country, not only in Japan. Australia is a very nice country and I love Australia. I think it is a better country to live in permanently than Japan. However, it is still a foreign country to me, so I have had some very difficult times in Australia, and I still miss Japan.
In Japan, the culture is quite unique and the society is very stressful, so it is quite difficult to live in Japan even if you are Japanese. Therefore, I think the best way to enjoy Japan is not to live there permanently, but only to travel there.
Australia is a dictatorship right now lmao.
You god damn right
@@noirrain6005 I think you arę joking now
I'm thinking to go study to Japan for a year, can I ask you some advices?
@@feikschteizman5025 don’t fight with the images.
So interesting to learn about the phases of culture shock. My experiences of living abroad suddenly make so much more sense. Thank you!
That was really interesting, thanks
When you said "Water doesn't conduct electricity at all" with such confidence, I questioned my whole 3 years of me studying a science major🤣
Unless it is distilled water
Distilled water doesn't conduce current, as it's actually the minerals contained within water that can conduct current! The more you know^^
She blinked
I mean pure water shouldn't conduct electricity.
Same 😂
One reason I would not move to Japan, their "overwork" culture. I have a strong work ethic but I'm also a firm believer of not working more than what you're paid to do and not to work for the sake of working. I could easily imagine myself clashing with a typical Japanese workplace.
Karoushi has always been a problem in Japan. Murdering employees by overworking and underpaying them never helped the people in any way. Workers need to do strikes or sue the companies. Even then, some companies in Japan almost got shut down for tax evading to help workers.
" I have a strong work ethic"
I'm sorry, but that's just another way of phrasing "I believe in helping capitalists exploit me".
@@wawawuu1514 Strong work ethic simply means you do at least what you're supposed to, show up when you're supposed to, and that you don't waver from that. It doesn't mean you go above and beyond, it's very important to make that distinction and it's what corporate tends to try to make you do despite not compensating you for that extra effort.
@@bubbag02 "do at least what you're supposed to, show up when you're supposed to"
But why? Why should I do that? Barring jobs where to performed labour is actually useful or even necessary for society (like doctors, garbage collection, health services in general, etc etc), why should I lift even a single finger at work, assuming it can be avoided? I'd happily scam my way through flipping burgers at McExploitation and nobody would be off worse, except for the exploiters. I've called in sick at work before, despite not having been sick, why shouldn't I do that?
@@wawawuu1514 Ok, so you're what people call "a lazy bum". That's fine, knock yourself out. Keep working that low wage job because doesn't look like you'll be graduating from that any time soon.
I've been watching and reading eveything a can about japan. Amd I still want to live there.
I feel like japanese culture resonates with my identity and nature more than American culture.
I've even tried talking my self out of it by watching videos that talk about why people hate it there. And I don't think I'll hate it because of the reasons people say I would.
I'm learning Japanese, kanji and katakana before I go for my first visit. Hopefully I can visit Japan in the next years or so❤
I agree with you. It really comes down to who you are as a person and what you enjoy doing. I know lots of people living here long term that barely speak Japanese, but it really does help to be able to function with a daily japanese level. Good luck with your dream!
This video is so well done!
Key: adapt, immerse, have support system.
Mistakes: not learning the language, not making local friends, living day to day life like when you're back home (where everything is established, support system exists, different habits and custom). You need to make extra efforts when you move to a new culture as an adult.
Learn from kids how they can learn and adapt in new environment better.
Weak people can't cope or adapt, so they go back to what they are used to.
@@jinz0 congratulations, this is one of the most useless comment on the internet! 😊😄
@@manyamanhas5938 your one of them
Just like animals. If things difficult to live in. Just adapt.
@@manyamanhas5938 useless based on uninformative and untruthfull sources to considered it as useless. But this comment is making you realise what you lack in to live in different country. You need to adapt to the country you live in, or else you will get to the bottom and suffer.
The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.
I can respect and love Japan just fine from a computer.
Yes for some people, Japan is good through video and food! For others, Japan is good for visiting! For Mr. Eats, Japan is good for living!
You can get much Japanese food and media locally on import stores or delivered online, even supermarkets offer some, much easier today than in years past. In many ways it filters a lot of cultural junk out for you that you simply have to deal with when living in a different country.
I think this happens everywhere and even places you don’t expect. I lived in Puerto Rico all my live and then I jumped to the United States, thinking it was going to be more of the same because we have a lot of their culture and we are part of it. I *smite* you not, I didn’t expected so many things and so many changes. It really looked and felt like a whole new world (no reference intended). Now, two years later, I know that I am in this last phase, but it was really painful. Loneliness, Depression, Struggles, No Support, and this is all in a Country that was suppose to be similar to my island. I wouldn’t imagine myself moving to Japan alone, even thought I would love to visit it (I do love my anime!).
People do not realize the US has different cultural regions. I am originally from the South and I have spent time staying in the North and Midwest. Yes, the language and overall culture is the same but the little differences show up. For example, the food. Southerns enjoy cold sweet tea. I went to a “Southern” restaurant in NYC and they did not serve it. The food is also not flavored the same way, it looked the same but wasn’t 😂. Language: saying buggy vs cart or soda vs pop. The little things can get you.
Plus the mainland is English speaking.
I wanted to move to Japan in some day of my life, but after watching this video i made my decision, i will definitely move to Japan, what all they said were problems, that we also face here in India, so i am fully used to it, and i will definitely move to Japan one day ❤.
hope you enjoy it
Cum here to Moscow Russia 🇷🇺
Best of luck to you!
India to Japan, kind of a no-brainer.
@@jimmylight4866Atleast India has everything from deserts, rainforests, Islands, Snowy tall mountains unlike most of the countries in the world… Natural diversity of India is unmatched 😀😀
I moved to Japan over a year ago, as soon as I got there had to admit it was amazing.
Over time it got a little less exciting, but I still find it supper fun.
Where I used to live.. (aka. America) my life was extremely bland. I lived deep in the country. So life now is still much better then where I was before hand.
If you want to move to Japan make sure you know everything you need to know, research deep into everything and make sure you don’t get too excited.
I was tempted to buy a house in Japan after seeing those cheap ones in the countryside where there are very few young people and the locals consiser it isolated even though there is a train station nearby and in less than an hpur you can be in a major metropolis. Beautiful place with bamboo clad steep hills overlooking rice paddies like you alluded to though not so simple for a foreigner. If it was I would live there for half a year and enrol my kids in a local school.
@@fatwombat2611 With that you'd have to deal with a loot of racism. Most small towns in Japan are not very accepting of foreigners and you'll probably never feel like you belong. Unless you make a really good impression and have an Asian personality. (Not saying that out of racism Asian and Western personalities are very different)
I'll be ruining your 69 likes :) yw
I'm sorry, but gotta ask, why didn't you just move to one of the big cities in America instead of totally moving out of the country?? We have many.. New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Seattle, Miami, San Francisco, etc
Hi I'm Rita I love you I hope you love and support meplease follow me🥰🥰
I lived in Japan for seven years. Once the honeymoon period is up, it really comes down to how well the culture nuances suit your daily habits and social needs. It's also really hard to live somewhere that doesn't understand your native language. There's something to be said of being able to express yourself and be understood.
HELLO SIR COME TO MY CLEAN INDIA ITS BETTER 🤗🇮🇳 THIS WHY I AM VERY LUCKY AND PROUD TO LIVE IN INDIA 🤗🇮🇳 THE SUPERPOWER RICHEST AND CLEANEST COUNTRY, I CAN'T IMAGINE IF I WAS NOT BORN IN INDIA , WE ALWAYS RESPECT FOR WOMEN AND WE HAVE TOILETS ANYWHERE , INDIA IS ROLE MODEL COUNTRY TRUST ME 🤗🇮🇳 I KNOW MANY PEOPLE JEALOUS CANT LIVE IN INDIA 🇮🇳🤗🇮🇳🤗🇮🇳🤗🇮🇳
@@indiasuperclean6969 Get a life my guy
I lived in India for two years. Talk about the "have and not haves". Incredible wealth - abject poverty. Scamming and violence everywhere ... I was extremely lucky as I was in an enclosed estate which had private security, and I had a driver who took me anywhere I needed to go. I also got sick and tired of hearing that every problem India had was caused by the British .... Nothing to do with the caste system, the original ruling families, the modern government .... We Brits, only left a hundred years ago. Sigh. But, in reality, the upper class Indians have homes in the UK and US and so have a wider attitude. Did I hate Indian? No. There was wonderful history, architecture, food ... But you need money.
"It's also really hard to live somewhere that doesn't understand your native language."
Well my friend, unless you're a native english speaker, that's most likely ALWAYS the case, so welcome to the reality of the world, really. Truth is that native english speakers are just really lucky that that's not always the case.
@@ccrriissttiiaannoo I don't know why you're talking down to me. I speak two languages and have traveled to more than 15 countries and lived in three.
I'm not your enemy. I don't know what you think you're teaching me.
Such a weird comment.
Thanks for sharing this.
Hello, well explained, thank you. ❤❤❤.
Living in Japan for 8 years now, and the friends coming and going is definitely the biggest thing. I’m pretty fluent in Japanese, but that don’t make making friends that much easier, especially during a global pandemic
Friends are already like that for me, so it's already something I'm used to.
After college, this is just the reality of friendships in general: people only befriend you for benefits or common interests, and then distance themselves once those interests change. It's why they say those who have one-two best friends for life are the most fortunate.
@@punkgrl325 Sorry to hear you've had problems finding friends in your life, butterstix.
@@punkgrl325 oh how fortunate we are if we can a true friend who will see the goodness in us just as we do for them. 😩
Same in california. I have no friends here all my friends are through the phone / online. Don’t idealize any place.
My son (14) has talked about moving to Japan since he was 6 or 7 years old. He's actually taking private lessons to learn the language. I think watching something like this could be of great benefit to him. I don't want to crush dreams, I just want him to realize it's not all novelty foods and anime books. 😅
Don't!!! I am 18 now with German as my first language, just a teeny bit better than my japanese, i am half german half japanese and always dreamed of going to Germany, Made online friends for 5 years before i came and now i met them irl and its awesome ive been here a while now not depressed yet. Of course, you'll miss your family, but if he genuinely likes it, and especially at that age, he will surely like it and see the reality for himself. Believe me, Germany had its own good share of surprises to me coming from Japan. My mum and dad always hyped me up to go to Germany that got me good grades and i got here and im doing well now :) Sure it's important to show your kid that its not all novelty foods and anime books but i believe he will learn that own his own, builds character. it did for me.
dreaming is one thing , 14 years old isnt a mature age to make decisions (dont get me wrong) , no person will hate : jdm drift cars , japanese food , feminine women , fancy holidays , bright colorful streets , anime...etc , but reality is something else , a proven fact that is really bad from my view about japan is working a full time job isnt sufficient for a small family , no one want a hard life and little time , my advice is go on a vacation with ur son to japan , search and ask while u spending time in it to see how life it is , my point is try to guide ur son , i love japan so much but i dont think it is an easy place to live in.
I think your kid was born in 2008, 6 years after was 2014, 7 years old was 2015, 2014 was the year when Big Hero 6 was released, I do believe your kid watched it and get hyped and wanted to move there, yes, I encouraged him to do so, I personally dont really care but good luck.
How about you talk to your damn kid instead and help him develop a healthy life framework from early on that he will be able to utilize and lead a fullfilling life in any part of this god forsaken world.
@@johnlake2545 you're absolutely right
This is excellent advice for lands well beyond Japan. I spent about 1 week in Japan, but over a decade in 3 other Asian countries where this advice would apply. Very well done.
You described stages that almost every expat in every country faces, especially if the culture and language of a new place are different. Usually, the first year is the most difficult. You miss home, friends, family, food, and so on. I agree that close friends and language knowledge will help to feel at home. It needs time.
4 years in and I'm still loving living in Japan. Stuff still frustrates but it's manageable. I'm lonely mostly because of the current world wide situation, not because of Japan itself. I hope to move to Osaka soon so I can live somewhere more friendly....and waaaaay less snowy than Aomori.
♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️
Yup, I like it too and just 20 minutes from Osaka.
Yeah, anywhere in Kansai is good. I visited Kyoto a few days and had to use the taxi. Super friendly driver. We talked and he slowed down the meter so I got a discount for the ride.
Taxi in Tokyo: *cricket sounds*
@@danielrebel1396 .....Not sure who you are asking, but I for one am not an English teacher.
OSAKA SUCKS, ITS AMERICANIZED AND VERY DANGEROUS
In short, being in Japan doesn't mean you got transferred to the anime world! Reality check
My life was a lie 😂😭
Well that's obvious. Why do you think there's so many isekai anime out there where a Japanese transported to ANOTHER world?
Even the Japan in tokusastsu is not relastic mostly
Wait there will be no Zero Two there? Stop lying bro
@@DarkGamerA bruh easy,just go to a comicon convention
Informative yet in any country, it’s universal
This is very interesting to me, as I'm planning to retire in Mexico. I know I'll be homesick. It's great to have the stages broken down for you. It gives me hope that i will adapt after 4 or 5 years.
Mexico is not Japan.
Japan is good for social introverts. Every country and society has their own pros and cons. If one likes to enjoy freedom of doing whatever you want to do without thinking of social discipline, you should never think of Japan.
I am from third world country and for me Japan is a piece of heaven on Earth.
But isn’t social intervert literally most people who want to go there that would hate it. It’s more for business ppl
You will be forced into parties and social engagement by job
Brazilian?
@@TilleGaertner Probably Nepal or India
@@umapreciadordemacacos1001 macacos me mordam! Huahuahauhauahuahauahua.
bad paid job, overworking, loneliness, frustrating everyday life...wow I'm experiencing culture shock in my home country :o
@ROR MACHINE In Japan, X1000 times more as you feel now in your country.
@Rasta Fonz bro down atrocious 😭
Welcome to the club.
Was thinking the same thing....
Same. I'm a transplant to NYC . Five years and still no true friends....concrete jungle indeed.
I lived in Japan from 1990-2005 and I loved every bit of it. I miss my Japanese friends too.
Why'd you leave?
I loved it too
Japan is geographically and spiritually so isolated from everywhere else. When you go there you will truly learn this sense of detachment the longer you stay. Long live Japan!
I am Japanese who were born and raised in Japan. If it weren't for American base near my home town, I wouldn't have known how restricting our culture were. It's as if we are being programmed to act the same and be expected to act certain way. I found Western world to be liberating and this is why I moved out.
same with me but I'm from India
Too much freedom can be a bad thing. Because people in England dont hold themselves accountable for how they act, we now have hookup culture, gangs and extremists.
Yup, what Stuart Leslie said - liberation can be its own prison, really. That’s not to say that I’d rather not have it, just that it isn’t magic and won’t fix everything.
I'm still shocked at the 25k Max per year. My friends made 27k last year in America on unemployment not working.
@@fanily4072 What suprises you ? Is "English teacher" a real job in your country ? I mean they almost all don't have the neccecary degree to become a "real" teacher. You wouldn't earn that much here either, we don't even have something like ALT.
Whilst I'm not interested in living in Japan, I do appreciate your honest take on living there. I feel like a lot of CZcams videos paint Japan as a utopia when it can be just as difficult as any other country you move too.
Is just like that, also, some of those Positive people that tell too many positive things about live there, may it is because they want show a lot that they are please to be there as they are in love with the culture; or they are just promotional videos, haha.
@@DarenKajiWolf or they are in their honeymoon phase..
*to not too
YOU SPELLED IT WRONG NOW ANYTHING YOU SAY IS INVALID
I WIN eeeeeeeeee
I lived in Osaka for many years loved it, Not sure this is a honest take on anything just someone trying to earn a buck, Being happy is a choice not something that a fad or fetish is going to bring long term.
Who paints this picture? All the major Japanese channels give brutally honest opinions about living there... The only youtube channels that would do this are probably people who have never been to Japan and actually lived there. Maybe these people are just happy with their life? Maybe they dont feel weighed down by unpleasant culture propaganda??? I have lived in the US for 26 years, and I hate sooooooo many things about this stupid fucking country, but I am still happy, and can sure as hell make positive videos about my life (if I wanted to make videos)
I find this video very useful regarding of the country - I've moved to Jamaica last year and have hit very similar roadblocks and stages Mr. Eats is mentioning here. Thank you for this amazing content, gonna go get a stash of my fav foods to keep on hand - i think that's what I've been missing to dive into the acceptance stage!
Why did you move to Jamaica? What’s it like
Thank you for the great show!
As a kid we were taught to be disciplined just like japanese people. This culture shock thing is mostly for Western people and not for Asians.
The part of the iceberg that we don't see is pretty similar in most Asian countries.
Yea whole asian continent have lot of cultural rules we are not like western people
I have been living in Fukuoka with my Japanese wife for 3 years. Can't get enough of it. We both agree that the kind of people who end up disliking Japan, are the extroverts.
how it's your work life?
Dang this gonna be perfect for me then!
say the weeb who speak perfectly japanese.
I’ve heard a lot about introverts and extroverts, but how well do you think an ambivert would do in Japan?
@@kyky2185 I don’t live in Japan but I’ve been scrolling and I found someone who does live in Japan somewhat talk about this. So I think they would do really well in Japan because Japan has a lot of introvert aspects when it comes to physical things however they are mentally extroverted. (Sorry if this is confusing again I don’t live in Japan but I found someone who does talk and they discussed this. But take this with a grain of salt just in case)
Very well said. When I lived in Japan I was young and naïve and see the same things repeating among young first timers to Japan
I lived in Japan for three years and it was hell. It's a "kiss you on the cheek but knife you in the back" kind of place. In other words, people are polite, but in reality most of them don't want to have anything to do with you, at least that was my experience in Western Japan. It might be different in big cities where people are used to interacting with visitors from other countries.
nice CZcams page dude.
I think it's the Tatemae vs Honne dilemma. Japanese people will not be themselves in public and will never say no because not causing trouble is essential in Japanese culture.
It looks like they're hypocritical to us because we might not have that in our own culture.
But once you accept it and understand it, you can find similarities with your own culture. For example, we are not the same with strangers or with coworkers than with our family or with our close friends.
The main difference is think, is that we are not afraid to say no when we don't want to do something, even if it means that we might disappoint the other person.
In Japan, however, I understood it's impossible for them due to Tatemae.
So they really think they're doing the right thing to never say no openly to be polite, without realising that we don't have the subtext and don't understand that it is disappointing to us 😔
How is this any different from the West though? In Canada most will be nice to you but don't actually want to be your friend. Are there actually places where people just truly want something to do with you on a regular basis? About 99.9% of people I'm nice to will never actually try and create any significant friendship with. That's pretty typical here.
You can make a friend in Canada in a few days. In Japan, it can take 2+ years just for someone to invite you for coffee.@@lunawense6288
I lived for seven years in Japan, I’m on my way back next summer. Japan is not an easy country but it changed my life. I am happily married, we have two amazing boys. I never had a dull day, people were extremely friendly. Of course I had to work very hard to learn the language, the people, the cultural differences. I had to fight my way up to become something else than an English teacher. What an amazing journey. I love Japan, the people, the culture … but it’s not for everyone.
Oh well, wish you a happy life
what do you do now if you dont mind me asking
@@habib3059 I’m an interpreter and a translator. :)
Good luck to you
Are you from India?
I moved to Japan 20 years ago after marrying my Japanese husband. . after he sadly died I starting feeling the frustrations especially having to fill in important documents by myself. . it has been tough but I always gambarimasu ❤
So sorry for you loss. Stay strong!
I’m so sorry to hear that…;( 頑張って！！！❤️❤️
My condolences, keep that chin raised high, don't beat yourself up. 🙏💕
So what you're saying is that you never had to work a day in your life by yourself? Spoiled brat
Sorry for your loss.
Lived there for 10 years courtesy of the USAF. 5 1/2 years at Yokota AB just outside of Tokyo and 4 1/2 years at Kadena AB on Okinawa. We had Status Of Forces Agreement (SOFA status) that allowed certain liberties if you will. Also spent a lot of time in Korea, Philippines, Thailand, couple trips to Australia, Guam, Hawaii, Hong Kong (British period), Singapore, Malaysia as we operated out of Japan. This was some 20 years ago lol. Anyway loved being in Japan. Spent probably some of the best years of my life there! 😊
Good thing japanese people try to be polite hosts - and also being 20 years ago. More recently, American soldiers and the bases are generally viewed as annoyances who are making the situation with China and NK much worse, and are generally unwelcome. You were only tolerated for your money. They prefer non-military visitors. It's possible you may have been treated slightly better for being Air Force, as the japanese have favorable views of air force and navy personnel. They don't care much for low-IQ army and marine grunts, given how many crimes against local young girls by those types have been documented throughout the history of the occupation.
From my experience, it takes living in Japan for at least a year and a half to get used to how everything works. And that's a year and a half already being pretty fluent in Japanese. If you don't learn the language before you move there, things will be very difficult for a while.
Basically:
Japan is so good that you get spoiled and expect more, then you get let down. but you'll accept it in the end and live a normal life later
Agreed mate
As someone who's lived in Japan for 16 years (and still here) this is extremely false. Set your expectations accordingly as your personal experience may differ.
@@Aphesia In which ways is this extremely false?
@@Aphesia ummm sorry? i was just making a summary according to the video? didnt mean to be taken seriously
@@kidheeee I kind of get that there was some sarcasm involved, but I just had to throw it out there that, these phases are real. I've been through them all and that people should be careful. Even in jest. Sorry if I came across too serious XD.
I’ve lived in Japan for 7 years now. I’m still in the isolation phase, but I’d say I’m at the acceptance stage. There are some things that really irritate me about this culture, but a lot of the people I’ve met here and know always convince me I’m on the right path, even when I’m frustrated that I haven’t made any local friends and a lot of my friends who are only here for a few years make so many more friends than I have so far. Lol I’m still trying, and I’m definitely not ready to go back yet.
I’ve got to say where you work makes a HUGE difference - finding a company that really works with your personality and work ethic is so crucial. I’ve been to both sides - the schools that are glorified play centers and schools that are so obsessed with the being the best their staff become monochrome in terms of personality and interests. (I settled happily at a school in between the two spectrums). Staying in Japan got a lot easier when I found a place I felt supported me and sincerely wanted me to stay.
Yes work life is really big factor of Japanese experience!
There are absolutely things about the culture that are simply wrong compared to cultures of other countries, but you cannot fight the current. You will become angry and exhausted trying. No culture is perfect, but the things that are worse stand out the most to you. Try to only worry about things you can change, and accept those which you cannot.
Yeah I really struggled working in Japan. Work life balance there was so toxic. Meanwhile back in the states we are all working from home and the job market strongly favors skilled labor. I gave up on Japan but I may try it when I retire or something lol
Yeah me too I'm too shy to talk stranger, even on the univ, I can't seemingly make any friends :'(
Especially when you know that they take some distances from me just because I'm foreigner lmao
It doesn’t always get better with time. I haven’t lived in Japan but I’ve been in Korea for 15 years, as soon as I came to Korea, I learned the language and the culture super quick to advanced (C1 level). I understand the culture really well, so well that Koreans don’t perceive me as a foreigner any more. But! There is still this kind of a wall between people. For years I used to think it was my problem, but then I noticed that Koreans themselves have the same problem. It’s such a lonely society. I used to practice marshal arts for 2 years in the same place with the same people meeting twice a week and we are still not real friends. It’s ridiculous. At home I would have really close friends there in a fraction of the time. But here it just doesn’t happen. And people don’t make time for each other. I’ve been trying for so long, but I’m just done now. I’m waiting for the time I can go back home and make some real friends.
Thank you. This is my life currently. I moved from Germany to USA a year ago.
Excitement, Depression, Anger, Adaptation & Acceptance. It is a wild ride. I finally have my Workpermit now.
Awesome Video !
I'm sorry, America isn't all that great, I'm from America and I wanna leave and go to Canada
Where are you in America if you don’t mind me asking
@Ash_NuggTato dont go to canada if your sick,canadian hospitals will most likely end up killing you than the american bill,just a warning
@@Ash_NuggTatoCanada and America have very similar cultures so it probably is similar to living in merica
my grandma immigrated from germany too, I'm thinking about leaving though ngl
13:07 this... hits my soul and heart. I will use it for life. Thanks!!