Use my code EATS10 and link: bit.ly/3mWhwas to get 10% off (save up to $47!) your own authentic Japanese subscription box from Bokksu! Don't miss out on this amazing snack-journey through Japan! WATCH PART 2! ukposts.info/have/v-deo/q5qIoo-mpmx0pps.html Has this video given you some ideas on how to make your dream of living in Japan come true? Let me know!

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.

You can hate anything after a while. People shouldn't romanticize places.

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.

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.

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

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.

Learning the language really does help. It decreases the depressing culture shock

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 😁

Japan in expectations: rich, animes, cool places Japan in reality: living in your small apartment and work 72 hours per day and very depressed

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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!

i guess this is why anime character are so persistent and determined

Most people really underestimate just how different different cultures are. "The cultural iceberg" is a good representation of this.

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!

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.

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.

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.

I think it’s also worth noting that culture shock isn’t a one-and-done, it can come in waves.

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.

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.

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.

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 ❤

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 😊

“So. I went to Japan for some Good old Japanese Fakkin “ - abe Lincoln, 1796

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.

Honestly sounds like a story of growing up and maturing, more so then culture shock

Its is one of the most interesting video I saw lately. Thank you!

Japan is amazing for holidays. But not for living

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 ...

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.

Thanks for beeing honest, i think the phases can be adjusted to any other country you move to, thank you this helps a lot

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.

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

So interesting to learn about the phases of culture shock. My experiences of living abroad suddenly make so much more sense. Thank you!

I lived in Japan from 1990-2005 and I loved every bit of it. I miss my Japanese friends too.

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🤣

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.

This was a good, informative video. Thank You 4 Making This. 👍✌

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 !!

Have zero expectations, you will never be disappointed. Best way to live.

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.

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 ❤.

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.

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.

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.

Thank you so much for sharing these thoughts! I am *new* to the channel and I can already see your appeal.

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.

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.

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.

I lived in Japan for 3 years and loved it (Okinawa), trying to move back asap

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.

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.

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!

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.

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. 😅

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.

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!).

I was stationed in Japan for a total of over 8 years and loved it.

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.

The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence. I can respect and love Japan just fine from a computer.

I lived in Japan for 2 years and it was awesome!!

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.

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.

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

Informative yet in any country, it’s universal

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.

Whilst I'm not interested in living in Japan, I do appreciate your honest take on living there. I feel like a lot of UKposts videos paint Japan as a utopia when it can be just as difficult as any other country you move too.

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.

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❤

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 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.

4:11 god tier transition

I lived in Tokyo for 3 months last year. I felt pretty invisible there, though I’ve heard places like Osaka are much more open and friendly. I’d say that Japan is an amazing place to visit, and great to live if you’re old (because of all the facilities provided). But I was sooo glad to be back to Vietnam where the vibes are wayyy different, much warmer and friendlier. But I’ll def visit Japan again, it’s a gorgeous country.

I think that I need to say something about it. I’m Nisei (二世) where I was born and raised in Venezuela but I finished my middle school (中学生) in Japanese school where everything was in Japanese. The books, the teachers, the habit everything was as Japanese way. Even in my home. But when I went to Japan to start living, man that was hard. The working habitat was really hard because of the discrimination at any where working as a salary man, doing arubaito (アルバイト) as operator at construction, moving company etc. I started to feel that I could adjust myself like in the 4th year in Japan. Find friends was difficult but once you find them it’s worth because they’re very loyal. It’s my culture but I’m still surprised that how it was hard for me to live in Japan and adjust myself into it.

She got me on “fakkin” couldn’t stop laughing.

In short, being in Japan doesn't mean you got transferred to the anime world! Reality check

13:07 this... hits my soul and heart. I will use it for life. Thanks!!

Great video. Yep, I lived in China 2001-2006, and pretty much the same thing happens there as well to English teachers. The transient friends groups, low pay, work culture, etc. I kind of just powered through it and accepted it as the cross to carry.

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.

bad paid job, overworking, loneliness, frustrating everyday life...wow I'm experiencing culture shock in my home country :o

This applies to any country, I went through same period after arriving in New York, USA from Russia. School I went to explained us this ahead of time so we don’t all run away after a few weeks of 1 year English language lessons.

Hello, well explained, thank you. ❤❤❤.

I am so impressed, this is not only a video about living in Japan, but ANYWHERE when living abroad in a different culture. I really appreciate the understanding of mental health and thank you for the insights!

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 ❤

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!

Thanks for sharing this.

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.

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

I think that applies for everything mostly. Can be a new relationship, a new job or anything else. First you romanticize that idea, then reality kicks in, you get frustrated and have to either adjust and accept - or let go.