Like the title says, how long will I be living here before I start to feel like I actually just live here. I’ve only been in Japan for a month or so, but I still feel like this is just one big vacation. I’m working, I have an apartment, I’ve had to deal with Japanese buracracy, but it still doesn’t feel like real life. I’m having a hard time getting myself motivated to do the things I need to do (like wash dishes, etc) because of it. How long did it take you guys to adjust to that feeling?
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I can’t relate. Nothing feels like a vacation when I’m working.
Maybe a week? Once I’ve settled down in my apartment.
Not sure I get your feeling. As for me, Japan stopped to feel like a big vacation when I actually started to understand enough Japanese. But I never felt like I didn’t wanna do house chores cause I like it clean.
Oooh it’s been 3 years for me and it still feels vacation-y and sometimes my job doesn’t feel like it’s my real job. It’s just a state of mind I think, give yourself time and you’ll settle in just fine.
My first time in Japan was in the mid-90s for one year and it felt like a long vacation. But then again, I was young, single, recently-graduated, had a decent gig, lived near Shinjuku and used to go to Roppongi or Shibuya every weekend.
My second time here was just fine years later. But that time I had a real career, fiancée and much more responsibility. That was definitely not a vacation.
When you have in-laws here.
When you’re working.
Been here 9 years and still feels like a vacation to me hehe
It’ll be different for everyone. For me about a year.
Maybe after going back to your own country for some vacations to experience what a real vacation is.
Been here 10 years and it feels like a vacation. Or like, I still have a tiny bit of disassociation from everything and it doesn’t feel quite as real or as “at home”, since I’m working it’s more like the feeling of living out a hotel on a long business trip than a vacay though.
Not feeling motivated for daily life could be a sign of depression though.
Once you have to pay bills.
Everyone are different, but a couple of weeks up to a year or so.
My first round i was here a year as a student, and most of it felt like a vacation.
Second time it was perhaps a week or two.
Can confirm with others, basically around the time you start working.
When your finances take a hit like when your company doesn’t pay you.
It goes from vacation to ouch, reality.
I think it depends on what your life is outside of the fact that you live in Japan.
For me, the goal was to live here.
It’s wasn’t for play-play. I wasn’t doing it for fun. So outside of the year I spent as a study abroad student it never felt like like a vacation.
Bills are bills. Taxes are taxes. Relationships are relationships. Work is work. No matter where you live at.
Once you’re conducting life outside of your immediate self, like SO, kid, marriage, employees if you’re running your own shit, probably won’t feel like a vacation then.
More than 30 years for me and it still feels like a holiday, even though it also feels like home. I’ve a family, friends, a neighborhood I like, work I like, and I don’t have to be wary of every unknown person I see.
When you get a full time job.
I’m in my 4th year, and I still feel like I’m on vacation.
OP, please don’t neglect your house chores and work because if those pile up, you’ll end up working more and have less time traveling on your days off.
Once you’ understand Japanese and how toxic the work/social culture is, that seems to be what makes or breaks. You either join the herd with the rest sheep (as a foreigner you’ll be a black sheep, but still a sheep) or you say f that and leave.
When you are working. I guess more so if you are working at an office job than say an Alt or something.
What you’re talking about is that you’re having your J-gasm right now.
It’ll go away after you’ve been here for about a year give or take
When you cannot live without the automatic butthole washer.
Which should have been about three (3) weeks ago.
Get some hobbies and a routine.