I have been accepted to move to Japan and work there for a year and throughout most of this process I was quite excited. One of the main reasons I want to go to Japan is because I feel like the culture/perspectives are generally quite different from where I’m from (Canada) and I felt that I could learn a lot from trying to be apart of a community there.
I was extremely disheartened a couple days ago when I began reading threads on how COVID has changed life in Japan. I knew that masks were being worn almost at all times which didn’t bother me, but it seemed as if a majority of people said that their social life went out the window and that it became near impossible to meet new people as everyone was trying to keep their bubbles small.
This has pushed me to the point of heavily considering pulling the plug. I feel as if I will go to work, come home and keep to myself, and that I won’t be able to become close with the community and become close with different people. Maybe my expectations were unrealistic and I should’ve known, but it has left me feeling very uneasy.
The most recent posts I’ve seen were from 4 months ago, so I’m wondering if anyone can give me insight into what the experience is like now? Is everyone still mainly keeping to themselves? Not people going out to restaurants, bars or parks open to meeting new people?
Sincerely,
An Extrovert
15 comments
There’s a lot of meetup.com groups, take a scroll through them and see if there’s anything you like.
The fact you will only be here a year is a bigger hurdle.
Many people will see very little point in making close connections with someone who is leaving in a year.
Meeting people in Japan is no different from meeting people anywhere. Join a club, become a regular at a bar, volunteer etc. How do you meet people in Canada?
From my experience living in Niigata prefecture and making the odd trip to Tokyo. People are going out to restaurants, parks, cafes etc Especially when the weather is good. Even from April Hanami was busy and many people in groups.
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Can you speak Japanese?
Can you speak Japanese well?
If the answer is no, any other worries you have may be moot.
If you can’t speak the language and are only going to be here for one year, it’s going to be hard to make *close* friends, emphasis on close. This is not unique to Japan.
Japan makes it even harder, though, because people keep their circles tight. There are people I’ve hung out with for years and still have never invited me to anything. Also, people work shitty hours here so they have very little time outside work to hang out in the western sense.
If you’re undecided, I would personally choose a different country. Try Taiwan or Korea.
While it’s true that making close relationships with Japanese people is typically a marathon and not as simple in western cultures, don’t talk yourself out of something based on your perceived fears.
Moving to another country is a wonderful experience that’s both extremely difficult and rewarding. Too many negative comments here. Go for it and try something new. Life is short. Don’t worry so much. You’ll find your place, and even if you don’t accomplish exactly what you wanted, you’ll still learn a lot about life and yourself.
Your biggest hurdle is you. People who complain about COVID hindering them are usually people who complained about some other thing before that also hindered them socially. They were bad at socializing from the start.
Came just before covid. Made friends through work and hobbies no problem. I’ve also lived in Canada and the US before Japan (I’m German) and found it pretty similar. If you sit at home you won’t meet people. Do your hobbies, travel and you’ll make friends that share the same interests etc.
Just got here, and it’s fucking awesome. Unless you already have family or friends here, the most important factor is who you’ll be working with. I happen to have awesome coworkers, so my experience reflects that.
It’s not healthy to treat your workplace as your only social venue, so branching out is very important (this is generally true, not just in Japan, of course). Your coworkers will be your starting social network.
Be kind and considerate, and don’t worry about being awkward. Sincerity, kindness and generosity are more likely to be reciprocated than in the USA, that is for sure.
Bring lots of small gifts! Remember that people will often feel obligated to reciprocate, though, so keep that in mind. Five bucks is a good threshold.
I live in Yokohama and bars, restaurants, shopping areas are all packed with people, so it’s not like people aren’t going out. However, I work at a university and a lot of our events are still hybrid or reduced. We’re not doing the normal “let’s go for drinks!” But then again, my students are still regularly talking about going clubbing, trips, etc. So some people are cautious, and others aren’t.
That said, you may want to reevaluate what your goal of “becoming close to a community” means. Do you want to feel super close-knit with a lot of people? That would be tough, even during the “before times”— you’re only here for a year and you don’t speak the language.
I wouldn’t let that dissuade you though. As long as you look at it as an interesting experience, you’ll probably still have plenty of moments where locals chat with you at the bar, or you’ll be on “nodding” terms with your neighborhood conbini.
If you really want to try and make connections, you’ll have to work a lot harder, which can be tough. Find volunteer events like trash pickup or park beautification through your local ward office— some of these are geared towards foreign residents and may have language support or at least attract people who want to interact with foreigners. Or (more likely) you’ll meet other foreigners, but that’s a community too! Take a class— hobby, exercise, whatever. Go to an izakaya regularly to try and get to know people. Again, really tough without the language, so try to learn all you can.
As long as you approach it with a “let’s see what we can figure out” mentality as opposed to “I must become one with the Japanese local populace” mentality, then you’ll likely have a good time.
Moving there for 1 year to be part of the community. Doesn’t make sense to me. Very contrarian to Japanese culture. I would pull the plug. If anything, you will just make friends with other ex pats.
Things are better than they were 4 months ago. Most places are open for regular hours and events are finally making a return.
If you are only looking to live in Japan a year then come out and enjoy the experience. You can always socialize with people online if you have a hard time finding people to talk to in person.
Since you’ll be in Fukuoka I can’t really say what your experience will be like. There will be less foreigners to talk with so if your Japanese isn’t good then this could be a challenge. Not being in Tokyo you will find more Japanese people that might talk with you. I think outside of Tokyo it’s easier to get more involved in cultural things.
Like I said, it’s only a year so I would come and make the best of it.
Compared to Canada, yeah, people keep to themselves, but it was like that before the pandemic too. If you’re coming for work, I assume you’ll have coworkers to show you a good time. I wouldn’t expect to meet any Japanese people outside of work if you’re only here for a year and don’t speak much Japanese. And that’s not because of the pandemic. But a lot of short term foreign residents get to know each other here and have good social lives, albeit in a sort of English language bubble. But even without a lot of socializing I think you’ll have a good time. I wouldn’t turn it down.