Hi! A lot of times when I’m online, I get ridiculed and hated for saying “When I graduate, I want to live in Japan.” I also get told sometimes that “I should change my username because I’m not east Asian.” I get a lot of American teens my age (14) are really annoying weeaboos who think Japan is some fantasy land full of anime girls, but I generally just want to go to HIGHER EDUCATIONAL FACILITY and become a teacher. Hopefully, in my Junior or Senior year (11th or 12th grade) I can be a person who goes to an educational facility outside their home country. (weird phrasing so I don’t get clocked by the “if you want to be an \[forbidden text\] go to [r/movingtojapan](https://www.reddit.com/r/movingtojapan/)” auto lock and deletion).
It’s true that my interest in Japan was sparked by anime, but saying I want to live in Japan because of anime would be a lie. Honestly, the anime community has ruined anime for me and I hardly watch it anymore.
I’m not sure exactly what kind of teacher I want to be (Heck, I may change my mind about wanting to be a teenager, I’m not even in A HIGHER EDUCATIONAL FACILITY yet) So basically, I just want to know, am I just another annoying kid with a weeb dream or not? And if I am, how can I stop being cringey?
My [r/movingtojapan](https://www.reddit.com/r/movingtojapan/) got removed because it was not about me moving directly, but I also got told to go there by the auto deletion bot, so yeah. Even if this post is reacted to negatively, I still want to try and live in Japan, I won’t just “Oh, welp! Guess I’m going to stay in America!” I just want to know what I can do to make people stop hating me as much.
Before my [r/movingtojapan](https://www.reddit.com/r/movingtojapan/) post was deleted, someone asked me why I wanted to live there, so I’ll add that here:
\-Low crime rates, I don’t have to have the fear that I might walk into A BUILDING FOR LEARNING THAT ONE MUST GO TO one day and get shot.
\-Better educational system (opinion based.)
\-Great zoning laws (Mixed use my beloved)
\-Good public transport.
\-The language is honestly really cool and nice to hear/speak.
\-Rich history/culture. I honestly like learning about history (not the hahahaha war kind of history).
\-Food there is good (small but ya know its something)
\-More organized (opinion based)
\-More opportunities for me (opinion based, but being a native English speaker is probably good on a resume. Though I understand that companies are hesitant to hire foreigners.)
Please correct me on any of these if they aren’t true.
**In all:**
1. **How can I get people to stop hating me, am I just another weeaboo?**
2. **Are my reasons good enough?**
3. **If yes to the first and no to the second, what can I do better?**
Sorry for long post that is all over the place, I can’t really keep my thoughts straight sometimes.
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4th time trying to post this, please don’t auto lock and delete Mx. Bot, I beg you.
https://www.reddit.com/r/japan/comments/xti8nv/am_i_just_an_annoying_weeb/
9 comments
omg it went through, thank goodness
Edit: Weird things in caps so I don’t get auto locked by the “going to school in Japan” bot that tells you to go to r/movingtojapan
Tbh you are still very young…. Have you ever come here? Its very different living here to being on holiday or movies. To be honest you arent going to be able to access a lot of universities here unless you have a very high level of Japanese. Especially if you want to do a teaching course… Youre going to need to be near a native level.
As someone that was educated here… the education is good… but its a system meant for passing exams and doesnt leave much for creativity.
1. Stop looking for validation. What do you want people to say? “Oh yes you’re right and your plans are perfect!”
2. They’re your reasons, stop looking for external validation.
3. Stop looking for external validation. You’re clearly a child, so just be a kid and figure it out later. Japan isn’t going anywhere.
1: don’t don’t engage in anything that is destructive, manipulative, or anti social. If you don’t then what people think of you ( a literal child) doesn’t matter, regardless of what your hobby is
2: your reasons are irrelevant, you’re a child, you will not live here for at least another four years. At least you understand that most of them are arbitrary. Caring about zoning laws is pretty fucking dorky though
3: be a good person, live a mindful and healthy life, and understand that japan will not make you happy if you are not happy where you are now.
Who cares a lot of people on the internet have shit lives so they rather put down others. As long as you don’t expect Japan to be an anime land, and understand there are tons of awful parts about Japan, then at end of the day who cares. The main reason why I am moving to Japan is because of the walkable cities, no gun violence, and amazing public transportation.
Why are you worried about being called a weeb? If you’re that insecure about being called an ‘annoying weeb’ in the states, then chances are you’ll be insecure about being called the ‘annoying foreigner’ when you get here.
Do you want to be a teacher in Japan? How well do you know Japanese? If your answer is little to none, then focus on learning the language and stop worrying about what other people think of you.
At 14, you have plenty of time to figure out what exactly you want. Don’t fret too much about trying to get validation from others. Also, sometimes the best plans are those made quietly without including too many people. After all, plans do change. IF you really want to come here eventually later, start laying the groundwork now and research about life in Japan as an Expat and as you grow older see if it’s something you still might be interested in. There are upsides to being here and also downsides. Japan like any country has it’s pros and cons, beyond what’s depicted in entertainment. This will help you make an informed decision. **MOST** **IMPORTANTLY**, *focus on your current studies for now.* After completion you can see if you are still up for moving to a foreign country, out of your comfort zone and also mentally prepared for that experience. You still have time, don’t overthink it for now.
After looking at other similar posts like this, most have 0 upvotes and are getting heavily downvoted, is there a reason or like “welp another teen :|”
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As well as rip my useless internet points
Similar to you, my interest in Japan was sparked through manga / anime, first watching it dubbed on German tv, later watching it with subtitles on the Internet. I did a lot of cosplay and, though this, played an active part in the local fan community. Later, I got into J-drama and also music.
I went to Japan after I finished my A-levels, went to a language school and lived with a host family. Everyone has a certain idea of a place they haven‘t been to, influenced by various components. Japan aligned with some of my expectations, in other parts it was really different.
It‘s great you have a vision and goal in mind. For some people this can be very motivational (speaking from personal experience here). I ended up finishing a PhD in Japanese studies and am currently looking to contribute my knowledge on Japanese culture / society outside of academia.
Just keep going, you don‘t need to know everything by now, I‘m sure you’ll figure things out as time goes on 🙂