What is all this criticism about those who dream to move to Japan?

8 comments

1. If a person gets a reply of life is not anime they’ve probably made a pretty misinformed post that sounds like they’ve watched too much anime. Basically anyone who has lived in Japan will have met foreigners who clearly moved to Japan having watched too much anime, this is a thing that exists, and usually they don’t have the best time of it.

   As to why people do it…Why do people post on reddit at all?

   Some take pleasure in upsetting others. Some just want to be genuinely helpful. All sorts of reasons.

2. Did you maybe mean to post this in /r/movingtojapan? That’s usually where people to go to have their dreams destroyed.

3. I see those types of comments, and in principle, there is nothing wrong with it. I do think some people, mostly younger people, hold an idealized version of Japan that has been influenced by the media that they consume. These people who are not yet mature in life experience are sometimes under the impression that moving will solve all of their problems. They may not understand that those same types of problems exist in Japan, or even entirely new problems that they were unprepared to deal with and now they no longer have a support system like they had in their prior country. Therefore, it can be helpful to gain insight and learn from someone who has been in that situation.

   I do agree that a fair amount of those comments are not made in a way that is constructive and can be discouraging and unhelpful. But a decision to move to Japan (or any country) and build a life there, should be made after extensive research and preparation from many resources, not just Reddit comments. If someone is influenced so much by a few people who are disillusioned with their own life situations, internet trolls, or even people who are trying to be realistic but in a blunt way, then maybe that person does lack the maturity to emigrate. After all, relocation can be very unforgiving and takes preparation, perseverance, and probably most importantly, tempered expectations.

   I myself would love to have a go at living in Japan, but given my current life situation, I recognize that it’s probably not realistic for me any longer and will have to be content as the occasional tourist.

4. Because so many people interested in Japan have unreal or delusional expectations/ goals, at times in defiance of logic and or bordering mental illness.

   Case and point, one prospective sexpat I unfortunately know of in a Discord server is deadset on moving to Japan and getting married with an idol-tier Japanese woman and then dying here. Can’t speak Japanese, never met a Japanese person before, never stepped foot in Japan and cultural knowledge? Zilch. Doesn’t help that he’s an unattractive, balding 36yr old with archaic racial views on Japanese people yet wants to get married and retire here with a 10/10 idol, very realistic…

   …and this is but one example.

   Conversely, people that are thorough with their preparation and research whilst being grounded in reality tend to be received well and get help from expat communities.

5. Because you are dreaming instead of being pragmatic.
   Simple as

6. Their posts don’t show any signs that they have done any research about the requirements of moving to Japan.

   The poster is still in highschool and wants to move after graduation. Usually these posts don’t provide more information than this, just asking how it can be done.

   They treat the move like they’re moving across their own country. Example, I’m an electrician, how easy would it be for me to be an electrician in Japan?

   They’re escaping a crappy home life.

   The post displays a clear lack of maturity and unpreparedness. They’ve never lived on their own in their own county, let alone one that doesn’t speak English.

   They’ve never even tried visiting Japan.

   These are just the examples I see. None of these are indicators that it can’t be done, but you probably won’t have an easy time. Also, stop asking people to validate your dreams. Just put in the work to make the move.

7. I feel like if you lost the desire to pursue your dream based on what random redditors are commenting then you were never serious about your dream to begin with. As with anything online, take things with a grain of salt. It’s also important to know the negative aspects of living in a new country, so those type of comments can be helpful in that way.

   I’m constantly making plans to move to and live in Japan for a few years and my wife is constantly criticizing said plans. She’s from Japan and doesn’t want to move back there, so you’d think I’d just agree with her and move on. But I can’t, I believe Japan is a safer country for my family and also want my children to know their mother country and culture while they’re young. I also would really like to get away from the US for a few years anyway, so once I find gainful employment that’ll allow us to make the move I’m going to move forward with it.

   If it’s really your dream you’ll find a way to make it work but you should be aware of the pros and cons.

8. Lots of jaded people who feel like sharing advice with the sorta best of intentions. Although it can come across harsh. I remember asking some questions that I couldn’t find easily online since it was a very specific situation but I got hit with, *ignorant* , *learn Japanese*, *idiot*, even though I had been taking language classes…I *had* been studying, but unless I had lived there previously, I wouldn’t have known