I’m really burned out with Japan. My current company is relatively small but owned by a foreigner who’s a general asshole. (We can be fired for discussing our salaries with other co workers yet we’re told we have the same pay).
I’m paid very poorly and when I look for other opportunities all there’s really left are major foreign companies with long and tiresome applications or joining a company that wants native Japanese ability which I’ll honestly never reach.
Whilst my Japanese is decent it’s nowhere near native and probably will never be. I nearly landed some major jobs but was sadly rejected likely due to that reason.
And it seems every damn job is 10-7 here. When I would leave around 7:05 and not stay back like everyone pretending to do nothing, my boss eventually would lose it at me. Which shocked me because he’s not even Japanese and thought would understand a more healthy life balance.
I would get home by 8:00pm or later and do some chores, study and hit the gym. It would be time for bed and work the next day. I would be okay with this lifestyle if I earned a decent income or had career progression. Yet there’s none of that.
But from reading people’s comments it seems foreigners will always be stuck in an endless cycles of contracts and restarting. If you marry you’re at an even higher risk for being screwed over. So in my 20s I want to prepare for my future and I can’t see one here.
My friends in Australia, one works in insurance law and the other in accounting work 9am to 3pm and however they like. They’re getting married, buying a house and a nice car. I’m living in a box.
Their workplace values them and treats them well. They have worker employment laws protecting them. When I got harassed by my supervisor and complained to the Japanese employment bureau, “shouganai” basically. If I would return, I have the potential to land a $80k-$120k job due to employee shortages in Australia now.
Meanwhile in Tokyo it’s so competitive to get any decent work. I moved to Japan to have a more interesting life but in all honesty, I can’t even enjoy it. Weekends fly by and I can’t enjoy a more expensive lifestyle after all that work.
Right now I’m applying to major western companies hoping to land at least a ¥6m+ job even if the hours suck just to improve my standard of living. It seems impossible to even get into these major companies and I have no idea how some foreigners do. I assume they are hired in their home country and move.
But I’m also applying for jobs in Australia soon and if a high paying opportunity arises I’ve considered Australia which is wild as I thought I would never go back.. Japan is just no fun with no free time and money not to mention the general coldness and loneliness.
Btw I realized in winter how early the sun goes down and due to work I get maybe an hour of sun in the morning included with my lunch break because most of my commute is the subway
14 comments
Quit bitching and leave.
Life is too short to spend it miserable.
If you can get a better work life balance in Australia go for it. No point wasting your life.
You definitely sold me on how much Japan sucks for you.
If you do end up staying, change jobs every 3 years for a nice pay bump. This means constantly interviewing and studying the market.
Your friends in Oz work 9am-3pm? They’re in rare company. 9am-5pm is about as good as it gets here in the office.
If you’re not happy, what’s the point?
Well, you said you have those options:
1. Stay in Japan, live in a box, stay in a miserable job.
2. Go to Australia and potentially land an 80k~120k job, buy a nice house & car.
Just choose one.
This is along the lines of something I’ve been feeling for a while. Perhaps not as intense? But in any case I’m quitting in March and going back to Aus around July.
There are counterpoints I guess (more like risks) but if you’re not happy here, you know what to do.
It’s pretty clear that you already know the answer to your question: move back to Aus. Would do the same if was in your position. Life is too short to feel shitty.
Unless I missed something, you stated no pros to living in Japan. The answer seems obvious.
I wish you good luck!
What’s keeping you here? Australia is a dream for most people. Just move back, the standard of living is awful here.
I know how hard the decision is but moving back might be the better option for you. If you can‘t find happiness, it‘s perfectly fine to look for it somewhere else.
And now that the border is open again you can always visit Japan if you feel like.
Don’t forget the difference in living costs between the two countries… sure you can have a high paying salary (by Japan standards) in Aus, but is that enough to afford the quality of life you want there?
I was burned out, had a kid, and have been back in Aus for 1.5years after living in Japan 10+ years. I’m moving back to Japan next month and intend to stay long term again. It was hard not to compare myself to my friends in Aus, but I realised I don’t actually want what they have (a starter home out in the suburbs, and jobs that require hustling just to afford it).
If you want shorter work hours, more green space, to enjoy gyms etc and to take a break to evaluate things it might be worth going to Aus for a year or two for a different perspective.
EDIT: I just reread your post again and you said you don’t see a future for yourself in Japan. Definitely head back to Aus and see what you make of it 🙂 Good luck!
What kind of job do you do? If you’re accounting/it related it’s honestly not hard to find a job that pays 6 mil + with a decent work life balance
I hope you remember the downsides of living in Australia.
1. The cost of living is significantly higher in Australia especially with inflation.
2. Houses are expensive and are in soulless suburban hell scapes. This problem is getting exponentially worse.
3. Australia has two cities actually worth visiting Melbourne or Sydney. Even with these cities there is nothing special about them.
4. Public transport is a joke in Australia.
5. Internet too.
6. Customer service and quality is so shit in comparison.
7. I could list hundred things more.
I just want to highlight things in Australia that are not as good as you might remember them. I am also in the same position as you man but, these are some of things that remind me why I will never go back. I hope op you can find a Job from Australia and still live in Japan. At least you can do the best of both worlds.
I was in the same position as you a few years ago. Decided to move back to Aus as well. It was tough at first because I only had work experience in Japan, and it wasn’t the best. But I’ve worked my way up here in 3 years and now working for a large company with a branch in Japan. All my work is on the computer and I’ve got pretty generous pay so I’ve requested to be able to move back to Japan while still working for them.
They’ve given the Ok. So now I can move back to Japan while working from home and earning a hell of a lot more.
So there’s still possibilities to come back to Japan if you really want it after moving back to Aus.