Hi, I am considering trying out life in Japan. I lived 6 1/2 years in the Philippines until COVID (got stuck abroad), then kind of out of desperation after two years stuck, I flew to Indonesia. Been there for 1 1/2 years but it was just a bandaid solution tbh. I’m currently in Vietnam and I’m giving Indonesia a 2nd chance in 2 months from now, but I’ve been doing some thinking.
I am kind of at a point where I think I need to re-assess life in Asia for me. My time in PH is over, something I had to come to terms with, and I have a hunch that at the age of 34, South East Asia may no longer be the right fit for me, especially the bad parts, such as many things being disorganized, messy, poor public transportation, rarely very walkable, bad implementation of laws, everything inefficient… If you have been to or lived in SEA, you probably get what I mean. It’s very lively, a bit chaotic, and for a while, you enjoy that as a young impressionable adult who wants to experience an exciting life.
I’m German but I don’t see myself in Germany anymore. Most of my adult life has been in Asia. Ironically, I left Germany because as a young adult I was quite annoyed/bored with the sterility of our cities, got definitely lured a bit by the hustle & bustle of the big city of Metro Manila, and somewhat got lucky because I got into the Philippine startup/tech scene by coincidence.
Now, I see myself wanting some of that German cleanliness, reliability, good healthcare/social security system that works better. Stereotypically, my assumption of Japan is that it is similar to Germany in that sense, with the hope, that it still has some of the Asian charm/warmth and opportunity for beautiful nature, and great human encounters.
I know that especially the “Asian warmth” heavily depends on the region in Japan it seems. But certainly, whenever I watch YouTube street interviews, I feel like I really enjoy the vibe of the environment. Even the side streets in Tokyo give me a feeling of calm. But of course, it’s just a shot on a YouTube channel. Real life experiences could be extremely stressful.
Generally, I want something more grounded and simple. The city life is no longer for me in the long-run, more a means to an end in terms of career/business opportunities, e. g. if I’d ever get a job in Japan, it surely would be in Tokyo to get started. But overall, I prefer the countryside. But then if you are outside of the city, yes, surf beaches like La Union, Siargao, Bali, and so on are great for the vibe, and especially if you enjoy partying (which I don’t anymore and never have much)!
But the quality of life there is bad in terms of hospitals, and access to infrastructure (not in Bali, but still, it’s messy, not many sidewalks, you get the idea, typical SEA). Even a “big” city like Yogyakarta in Indonesia is… It’s OK, but the older you get, it probably doesn’t offer everything you need.
I feel like in terms of what the country of Japan has to offer for life, travel, quality of food, healthcare, etc… It seems to be among the best in Asia. **My main concern is mental health / socializing / making friends.** I think the best part about SEA is how easy it is to make friends. E. g. in the Philippines, I had a huge social network. In Indonesia not as much, but that was more due to my life circumstances, still, Indonesians are always up for a conversation.
I know that Japan’s culture is very reserved/conservative and talking to a stranger supposedly makes you look like you’re crazy (is this true or over-exaggerated?), and I guess generally not so open towards foreigners. **I don’t know how much that has to do with a foreigner speaking Japanese or not?** I have no issue with learning languages, I already speak very good Indonesian, which helped a lot over there where most people don’t speak English. I’m already in the process of learning Japanese but right now it’s just on the backburner compared to my regular Indonesian practice.
**Would you say that if you want to live in the province, maybe at a surf beach like Okinawa or Miyazaki, life is good for a foreigner?** And not just because the environment is great. Any place can be great in Asia if you pump enough money into your daily experiences. In the end, what matters most are the people you are surrounded by and whether they see you as part of the community. What’s your thoughts on that? **Living in Japan as a foreigner, especially outside of Tokyo, is it a great experience or not for making life-long friends?**
**Thanks!**
PS: I am definitely a fan of beach life / surfing, so I know Japan is a bit of an outlier for that compared to beach/surfing heavens like Indonesia and especially the Philippines, but I think there’s more to life, of course, and I probably won’t care about that forever.
by AndiGalster