Hey everyone,
I’m a 31-year-old American Chinese male, currently working as a Principal UX Designer at one of the world's Fortune 100 companies. I travel quite a bit, but no place has ever moved me as deeply as Japan. Every time I leave, I find myself crying on the way back home. After recently returning from a trip to Tokyo, I’m seriously considering living in Japan, either part-time or full-time. During my stay, I made some local and expat friends and got a taste of the local life, which only strengthened my desire to make this move.
I don’t want to live there full-time immediately since I have family and friends in the US, unless it becomes necessary. I’m thinking of finding a remote job or a position that would allow me to split my time between both countries. I’ve also considered options like the Japan Digital Nomad Visa. Before making any big decisions, I have a few questions and would appreciate your insights:
- Is it too late for me to make this transition? I’m not planning on applying for the JET Program because I don’t want to take a huge pay cut. While I expect some decrease in salary, I’m currently making six figures and wouldn’t want to drop down to something like $20k. What are realistic salary expectations in Japan, especially in my field? Would you recommend starting over and applying for JET, or are there better alternatives?
- Which companies should I look into? I’ve heard there’s demand for workers in Japan, but I’m curious if there are any companies that primarily use English. My Japanese is very basic—enough to get by, but I’m not fluent. I’m planning to take a trial Japanese class with the NY Japan Society soon and study for the N5 JLPT to improve.
- What would you recommend? How difficult is this journey likely to be? If I go all-in, how quickly could I realistically land something decent in Japan?
- Anything else I should consider? I’m open to trading part of my income for a less stressful life and potential happiness in Japan, if the opportunity is right. Any additional advice or experiences would be greatly appreciated! Feel free to drop a comment.
Thanks in advance for your help!
by ureshine