My husband and I are considering moving to Japan, specifically Tokyo, in the next 5 years and we’re wondering about people’s experiences with moving with a child. We love the country, feel a lot more comfortable, safe and at home than we do in our city in the US, and feel like it would be a better place to raise a kid but want to really gather more information before we decide to commit. We are a little worried about possible issues with integration for a child. If we don’t move in the next 5, we will wait til retirement/after any kids are out of college. We would love any insight folks have on living here with kids and on international school.
Some background:
we are studying Japanese and taking classes and will not move unless and until we become fluent.
We both make six figures and will move to Tokyo after we’re able to afford to pay for a house in cash and pay for international school if that seems the best fit for a kid ($1-2M in cash savings).
We do not currently have a child. We are planning to have one in the next 2-3 years. We would only move with a child if they were very young. Both of us were moved as teens and know that’s very hard on kids.
My husband and I are mixed black/white (white passing) and Jewish. We have some concerns about diversity in Japan and are wondering how diverse International schools/expat communities are. We don’t want our kid to be constantly alienated.
My work has an office in Japan and while I would take a partial paycut, cost of living may balance some of this out. We live in SF currently so while Tokyo is pricy, it’s still quite a bit less. My husband has advanced degrees and works in finance.
Much of our family lives on the east coast of the US so visiting family will be difficult and expensive.
Ultimately, we’re looking for if anyone has advice on whether this makes sense and advice on this generally or considerations we should keep in mind. Thanks!
by throwra_passinggirl