I fell in love with Japanese culture and its language two years ago. I’m currently self-studying Japanese and even though it’s pretty hard, I enjoy it. I think Japan is beautiful.
But, of course, I am aware of its cons. I try to not romanticize Japan. A lot of people tend to do that, mainly because of anime. So, like I said, I’m aware of Japan’s bad side. But still, is it really that horrible place to live? I was searching for things like “living in Japan” on Quora, YouTube, etc. and was surprised to see that nearly everyone had a bad experience. Reading all this stuff suddenly made me REALLY unmotivated which is something I struggle with a lot. Learning Japanese and dreaming about going to Japan has become something like my life goal, I finally got motivated to do something after a long time. (I’m just a regular depressed teen lol) But now after looking up all these things about Japan I’m starting to feel like shit again haha.
I live in the Czech Republic. It is a good place to live, I suppose, but still, I never really liked my country. I’ve never been amazed by a country that much like by Japan. I understand that it is not a “paradise” and that it is way much romanticised. But is it really that horrible place to live?
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It’s just a normal place, much like any other. Lots of people come to Japan expecting it to be special in some way – even when they’re not massively romanticising it – and are disappointed when they realise that fundamentally it’s just a regular place with regular people living regular lives. It’s also a place where the language is quite complicated, where foreigners sometimes feel excluded or rejected by locals, and with its own socio-political issues. Just like everywhere else, really.
You say you don’t romanticise Japan, but you also literally say that you have fallen in love with Japanese culture and language. That you are amazed by it. That you think it’s beautiful. That you dream about it. You have *clearly* romanticised it, even though you’ve tried not to. It’s this that leads people to disappointment. This impulse to fall into a tunnel visioned love of Japan despite the fact that it’s a very normal place to live in once you get used to it.
Also remember that all the people that like their lives in Japan are not spending much time on Quora or making YouTube videos. You said that Czechia is a good place to live – have you ever made a YouTube video about the fact that Czechia is a good place to live? How would you feel if someone who had never been there said that they loved Czechia, that they dreamed of it, that they are amazed by it? Would you think that they might be disappointed if they moved there?
It does sound like you’re romanticizing it a bit. However, just go with your gut. You want to live there, so try finding a way to live there and see how it goes. You’re young and you have your whole life ahead of you. If you find out that it’s not what you imagined it would be, just go back (or to another country). Don’t let other people gatekeep stuff like this. I’m moving to Japan 3 days from now for a new job (never lived there before) and I’ve heard the same kind of stuff from other people too but at this point I just am not letting any of that get to me. Let your own life experiences define what you think of a place.
Keep in mind that when people have a bad experience, they tend to talk about it more than when they have a good experience.
I moved to Japan a decade ago and one of the main reasons was anime/manga/JRPG. That was the best decision in my life, Japan has been everything I imagine it to be and more. I don’t see myself living anywhere else and I plan to stay here for good.
Japan is definitely not a horrible place to live in. It might fit some people more than others, but I’ve really enjoyed most of my 13 years so far here.
The thing is *you won’t know if you’ll like it before you’ve come here*. So yes, it might not be for you and you might want to move back to Czech again. But, so what? You have a place to go return to and try something else. On the other hand it might be a really great decision for you. Give it a try, you’re young, you don’t have any responsibilities. 🙂
Too many view Japan as some paradise or some escape route to whatever is troubling them back at home (mental, financial, familial, etc).
In the grand scheme of things… Japan is just any other country. You reside there, you work, pay taxes, deal with friends/family/coworkers, go grocery shopping, etc. 80-90% of everyday life is the same with any first world country, just the remaining percentages are the nuances that differentiate one place from the next.
As for good pros and cons… Let’s just say that bad events makes the daily news, whereas good (or neutral) events are not memorable.
The problem is that especially for Japan, people imagine that its paradise on earth. Its not.
It isnt bad to live in, but its special and has its own culture.
There are a lot of people who think moving to Japan is going to solve their problems. Most of the time it will not. Listen to the negative things, but take them with a grain of salt. If you’re antisocial anywhere else in the world, don’t expect to be making friends just because you like anime, Jpop or Japanese history. If you don’t look Japanese and speak Japanese, you are going to stand out and you are going to have difficulties with things. It can still be a great place to live or visit.
I know a lot of people talk about the negatives to try and coerce people to think deeply about it before they go. Too many people only see the bright lights and rainbows and not the negative things that go along with it. I know that I got tired of the countless mentally unstable, antisocial, and overall unadaptable foreigners when I lived in Japan, and I think that some people could have heard those negative things before they moved.
Regardless, get in where you fit in. Every country has it’s good and bad qualities. There is no perfect country.
All those people had a bad time because their expectations of living in Japan were unrealistic. They either thought it was everything like the anime, thought it would solve all the things they disliked about their home country, or thought it was an easy place to live in.
It’s a normal country, with it’s own problems and way of life. If you’re looking at it as a place of escape.. you’re only trading in one set of issues for another. People are completely caught off guard when it comes to that, but overall yes- Japan is a pretty good place to live. It’s not for everyone, but no place is.
Those of us who have lived here several decades talk about the negatives to scare off other foreigners who might move here and make us less unique and special.
Haha no really; it’s to scare off other foreigners who have weirdly romanticised ideas of what Japan is like and aren’t prepared for life away from friends and familiarly as a minority in a country where they aren’t native speakers of the language and have few support resources. It’s a difficult thing, immigrating to another country, and the sort of people who want to do it because they hate their current life but are adult fans of teenage cartoons and imagine that they “get along better” in a culture which they actually know nothing about other than media portrayals made by people who grew up in it, tend to burn out, turn cynical, and start posting about how much life sucks here.
Japan’s a great place to live, but people who come here for stupid reasons and imaginary ideals, tend to adapt poorly.
So we point out all of the hard and difficult and annoying and 面倒臭い bits hoping people will properly think out their plans before coming and consider their long-term career and life plan through to retirement, and don’t just take the first dead-end poverty-wage “English teacher” job that comes along.
Get proper career skills first, then come here to work in that field; you’ll get along far better.
I’ve only been here about a year now but moving here was the best decision I’ve ever made. I have no plan or expectation to retire here or anything, and that’s fine.
From both my experience and my foreigner friends’ as well, your best bet is to treat your time here more like a side quest and just make the most of your time while you’re here.
Its a different experience for everyone. As for me, I was in the same position as you, I started falling in love with the culture the language, even decided to do a university degree in linguistics and learn Japanese. From then on my goal was to live in Japan even though I had never been. I then had the chance to go there for an exchange year (only did half because of covid and almost gave up on Japan for their entry restrictions). But I managed to come and I quickly decided I wanted to live here. Fast forward (only 10 months here lol), I love living here! Yes its pretty much like living in other countries but there are a few things that make it different, even just small (for me at least)😄 Just go for it, the experience is always worth it! Some people don’t like it, some people love it, you won’t know unless you try😆 Good luck👍
The absolute brutal truth.
For good or bad, Japan does not want foreigners.
I made an honest chart of positives and negatives of the move to Japan. Try it yourself and see how it applies to you. Could be good, could be bad.
Use that as your baseline and decide if you are happy with that reality.
If so, go for it.
Keep in mind the Czech Republic is tipped to become a leading economy in the decades ahead. Japan not so much.
Notice that these people have not made any videos in which they express their grievances in Japanese against people living in Japan.
I am Japanese and have seen very few such videos.
Unfortunately, Japan is a rather closed country when it comes to language. You need to learn enough Japanese to enjoy this country. However, many of them brought their common sense that “English must be the universal language” to Japan and then tried to receive only the good cultures of Japan. And when that did not work, they were disappointed in Japan. They decided to vent their frustration by making videos in English.
I’ve been here almost 15 years now and I wholeheartedly agree with the top 2 comments on here, so I won’t repeat things that they’ve said. What I WILL say is this:
Have no expectations.
That makes it the most manageable situation for yourself. I’ve seen so many people leave, get jaded, get confrontational, and even those who ridicule people for not having as bad an experience as they do/did.
Stay off the internet on this one. Don’t listen to other people and make your own experiences. Then decide for yourself what type of place this is.
I’m American and I see the same exact thing from Japanese people who come back from America disillusioned. It wasn’t what they saw in music videos or movies, or what celebs and influencers on Instagram portray it as so they come back with all sorts of opinions, which is fine. It’s so easy to fall into that trap if you have big expectations for how you think it’s supposed to go. Just come with an open mind and open heart, willing to try your best to deal with whatever happens or may not happen.
I’m pretty sure you’ll have a more fulfilling experience that way.
Well just like any other place in the world, it depends on the combination of your personality, where you are coming from for comparison, where you would live in Japan, your work situation, your financial situation and the people you meet.
I came to Japan originally to stay for one year, but I’ve been here for over 30 years now and will live here for the rest of my life. I have absolutely zero desire to live in San Francisco where I came from. Tokyo is so much better for me, but I am sure there are people who must have exactly the opposite feeling.
Come to Japan for a short term visit or stay if possible. Check it out first. You are still so young, so you have plenty of time to try things out and change direction several times in your life
Japan is fine. Don’t believe the haters. To be fair though, the easiest way to fall out of love with Japan is to move here since you’ll be exposed to the negatives much more regularly than in your comfortable perch in Czechia (LOVE your country btw).
But who cares? You’re a regular depressed teen like you say. Try Japan out and if it’s not for you go back to Czechia with pretty much no repercussion to taking a gap year or two. Living here even for even a little while will be an experience you take with you the rest of your life. Just remember Pivo Prosim = Nama Biru Kudasai. Cheers!
I can understand and appreciate the desire to move there, I shared the same dream and it’s a great place! I think it’s good to be informed of and have realistic expectations of what day to day life would be like given your unique circumstances, and how it might compare to what you’re used to. It’s a great place with pros and cons just like any other. It has its comforts as well as inconveniences. Depending on what you’re accustomed to, those inconveniences can range from minor to extreme. Here are just a few from my experience that you might ponder:
Medical care and practices are different. It’s cheap but not free at point of access, which may be different from where you’re from. Eastern medicine along with western medicine is practiced. Medications aren’t necessarily the same. Some medications aren’t accessible at all. Treatments and medical standards are different. Mental health care is seen as a very different thing from the west. Womens healthcare is different from the west and may surprise you. Consider your language ability particularly if you are in a rural area and cannot access a doctor that speaks your native tongue. If you have anything that requires treatment or medication, this may be something to think about.
The change in environment is something to consider. There is more smog in the air at times than other places, the pollens are different, and mold grows quickly and requires management. If you have allergies or other conditions, these can really exacerbate them. Important to know and consider along with the medical care piece.
Cost of living can be lower than in other places but standard of living is also quite different. Homes are small and not well insulated, so it can get very hot and very cold. You will very likely not have a full sized oven, clothes dryer, or centralized air. Consider your tolerance for this if you’re not used to it. Balconies are not used as a place to relax but a place to hang clothes, so they are designed accordingly (just adding this bc it’s a small comfort I missed! I tried my best but sat squished into the narrow space with a cup of tea staring at a concrete wall, haha)
Cuisine may be different, things you love may not be accessible. Know that you may go a long time before eating a comfort from home. Japanese cuisine contains a lot of what I’m allergic to. I had to be prepared and be extremely careful. Definitely possible, but difficult. Going back to the medical considerations, getting an epi-pen was not a smooth or straight forward process. For some this can be a really big, expensive, or even life threatening challenge. This may or may not apply to you but wanted to let you know just in case!
Discrimination exists against those who are different, unfortunately. Not everywhere and certainly not all the time or even most of the time. But it’s good to ponder how you might handle it if you encounter it.
Conveniences are different. Not everything is online, which you may be used to depending on where you’re from. Old school ways of doing things are common, which may require strong grasp of the language.
Work culture can be extreme, depending on where you work. There can be a lot of expectations on an employee and limited work-life balance if working for a Japanese company run in a traditional way, not always but is the case for many. Workplace harassment and intimidation exists and is viewed/handled differently than in the west.
All this to say, if you have realistic expectations and are prepared and comfortable dealing with things potentially out of your comfort zone (an asset to relocating anywhere, honestly) then you’ll be just fine! I could probably make a long list of these considerations for my home country, and could probably make an even LONGER list of all the wonderful things of living in Japan. These are topics that a resident of any country would be dealing with, which is so different from being a tourist somewhere.
All the best in your decisions 🙂 feel free to DM me I’m happy to share more specifics about any of the above!
Japan is great and I certainly don’t regret moving here. There will always be negative people critical of your thinking or those who are just jealous and wanna make themselves feel better about their situation. you shouldn’t be concerned with them as long as you have a plan.
With that being said I’ve been to Czechia and while it was a nice place and I enjoyed it I certainly wouldn’t like to live there. So before moving to Japan I encourage you to come here yourself and see what it’s like especially that you seem to have high expectations. I havent really had any expectations when I came here and was incredibly positively surprised and wouldn’t want to live anywhere else in the world. Oh and those who are happy with their life in Japan usually don’t take to the internet to write about their difficulties so that’s why youre probably seeing more negative posts than positive
Tell me a country that is perfect?
I really like nashx90’s response! Very well put!
As for your love for Japan, I totally understand. I was hooked on anime, manga, JRPGs, AND Nintendo from very young and self studied Japanese for years before finally majoring in it in college and uni. It also didn’t help that my adoptive Japanese grandfather and his side of the family spoiled me 😅 But I’d heard lots of sad and awful stories about foreigners’ experiences in Japan both online and from irl friends. My obsession has mellowed out as I’ve gotten older, but I still wanna see the beautiful nature sights and try the food.
The most complicated aspect (from what’s been explained to me by native Japanese like language teachers) is getting close to Japanese people. They have very strict social circles, inner and outer. The inner circle consists of family, childhood friends (generally), and boyfriend/girlfriend. Outer circle consists of everyone else. Bc of this, foreigners end up feeling isolated or even used when they think they’ve made a friend, but the Japanese person just wants a language exchange partner. Of course, not every Japanese person functions this way! But it seems to be the norm.
I don’t want to dissuade you from loving and wanting to explore Japan for yourself, though! It’s a beautiful place with a rich and fascinating culture! And people are usually very considerate and kind! Maybe you can try living there for a few months to a year and see how you feel if possible?
Living in Japan is nice, what’s bad is working in Japan and that’s unfortunately a huge part of our lives. Long hours + nonsense rules + shitty pay = killer combination.
So unless you are like the TrashTaste guys or Pewdiepie who don’t have to work, or you get a job at Google with a White boss, it’s best to just visit the country from time to time.
There is many opinions, as there are people in the world, and not all of them are good. Come here yourself and find out.
I’m sure you’ll have a great time !
Go to Japan and experience it. Do not let anyone hold u back
It’s just because they wouldn’t live their themselves for those reasons. You should be proud to talk about your stance that you would be willing to move there despite the downsides.
These are bitter people who want to bring others down with them. Misery enjoys company. Keep an open mind. Dont romanticize, but dont think that everything will be negative either, otherwise you will fall into a self-fulfilling prophecy.
If you were genuinely aware of the bad side, you’d never say “I fell in love with their culture”.
I’d advise you to come, though. There’s only two possible outcomes: facing reality, or being lucky enough to stay in the bubble of ignorance and be happy here for a few years.