What career/job change in Japan did you make to finally find happiness?

26 comments

1. On weekends I work at ski resorts during the winter time. I Wouldn’t mind trying to get full time into that but that requires much better Japanese then I currently have.

2. Lol I’m waiting to see the reactions you gonna get. In fairness though, I don’t think happiness and this subreddit have much to do with each other.

3. >Anyone who has quit a boring job to do something they love

   I love my boring corporate job though. Great pay, low hours, work from home. I only got to this point because I busted my ass working crazy hours in my 20s, but it was well worth it.

4. I don’t think my job gave me happiness. I did get a job in software engineering that gave me work life balance like flex hours and 50% WFH and I could find other sources of happiness. While I am by no means rich, at least I feel financially secure enough that fulfilling my simple non lavish life is by no means a draining the life out of me.

   As for people on Jlife not being happy…..

   The only thing that is hurtful is that my marriage is in jeopardy and I am trying my best to hold it together and save it. But I also promised that no matter what, I would never blame others or get upset at the world for my own problems. Truth is though, as hard as it is for me now, I know I had a decent life with many people supporting me and I have no right to complain.

   I only post on J life trying to be as helpful as I can. I guess maybe it is all part of my irrational need to help others so I can validate my own existence, but it is what it is. I’ll never get upset at or downvote anyone.

5. It wasn’t easy getting out of teaching and into translation. And it wasn’t easy expanding my role from translator to translator/interpreter. But I really do enjoy it.

   The job forces me to be constantly learning new things (not just the language aspects, but everything from laboratory safety standards to the intricacies of corporate accounting), and interpreting in particular keeps me on my toes.

   If there’s something that you’re really good at (it doesn’t have to be language related; I know people who are chefs), you can find a way to shine here.

6. I came here originally as an Eikaiwa teacher in my early 20s, straight out of university (started out with GEOS, anybody else remember them?) That was more than 20 years ago. I liked teaching English and living in Japan but it wasn’t a job that offered much future.

   I ended up leaving Japan, going to grad school in my home country in a field completely unrelated to English teaching, then returned to Japan several years later and moved into academia as a university professor here.

   I’m glad I made that move. I’m pretty happy with how my life turned out, got a nice family with kids and all. If I had stayed in Eikaiwa I’m pretty sure I would have ended up disgruntled and hating myself for not having left when I was still young enough to do other things..

7. I stopped teaching English, got a teaching cred, and started teaching math and science. Great move for me. I prefer particles to participles.

8. I used to work in marketing, branding, and advertising before I moved to Japan. And heck I was good at it. I came to Japan and worked in sales. I was hella good at that too. I was so burnt out and I’d drink at least a couple times a week with friends and coworkers to destress.

   I switched to English teaching and I’ve been a teacher here for 8 years. I’m earning more than i ever did and the work life balance is amazing. I have summer spring and winter breaks. I’m usually home at 4 and get to spend time with my husband. We can have dinner at 6 pm, and then play a couple Switch games after that to relax some more.

   I don’t drink anymore. No need.

   We have our own house now too. It’s just been nice. Not as stressed as before, longer vacation days, and shorter working hours. So yeah all in all I love being a teacher.

9. Joining a foreign company times 1000

10. I won’t say things ended up perfect, but I’m much happier now than in the English teaching days.

    I came as an English teacher on Interac worked in a prefecture near to Tokyo for a year. Moved into Tokyo with my now wife (GF then) the next year for her work and worked for a less great ALT supplier for ten months.

    Bailed from that into car exporting and worked there for ten years. That was a great gig. Finally got around to jumping into translation just as COVID hit and had to pivot from work at the Olympics to working hakken for a game company. I left that position after being unable to get a direct contract, and now seisyain at a something to do with semiconductors company (I can’t be bothered explaining it all, and it’s not possible without doxxing myself).

    Current job is decent, but the material is less fun than previously. Game place was great fun, plus when work was slow could just jam games for hours in the office.

    ​

    I may rethink things again someday to see if I can get a better balance between fun and cash monies, but I’m pretty good where I’m at now.

11. Some people like teaching, and if you’re an actual teacher or university lecturer the salary usually isn’t that bad. I was a teacher before I came to Japan and l don’t see myself quitting till I hit 65 🙂

12. People on this sub describe English teaching like your in prison lol. Its probably the easiest job you can do without any barriers

13. I started off in a major retail company. What you would call a black company. I was doing about 30hrs overtime per week even while I was forced to under report it.

    Then I moved to a very boring IT job. It was good in terms of getting a rest but the pay was terrible and I had sometimes had to get an advance on my salary just to pay rent.

    I was registered to a recruiting site and was very lucky to get a move to a foreign tech company. Now I have a very happy life. Married and have a kid now which I couldn’t have even considered in my previous jobs.

14. Nothing wrong with ALTing, I’m happy getting home early and having the long summer and winter breaks. Been doing it for around 15 years now. My salary is basically to put food on the table, wife earns way more than me fortunately.

15. English skills * IT skills will bring you happiness.

16. I was ALTing and now do CIR work, enjoying it more and more every day!

17. Left the games industry, went to a FAANG / GAFFA company. Still programming, but the compensation got a whole lot better.

18. I started to work for myself part time in 2000 and 4 years later made it my full time job. I had spent years building connections etc and ended up doing consulting and as sort of a fixer. I know employ about 30 people between office staff and consultants. Between that , my hobbies — I coach , run a TTRPG, and play a sport weekly.. I’m about as happy as I deserve to be. Certainly I’m at peace except for the anxieties we all feel in modern life , things like balancing work and family , etc

19. I had a BA and MA in English lit when I came to Japan as a research student. I did Japanese literature here for 2 years, but unfortunately the department kept nagging me about the topic, wanted me to do social studies instead, do another MA, and I was super unhappy. I still wanted to stay in Japan and do PhD so I decided I might just as well try doing PhD in English lit again. And would you know it, I got accepted to one of the top unis.

    When I moved to Tokyo, I still didn’t realise that my new university, department, and the environment would be a blessing. My professors are all absolute geniuses, the standards are very high, and all that. The kohai and senpai are always helpful, and some of them have become my very close friends. I’m almost done with my degree, just need to finish the thesis.

    I taught at a junior high affiliated to our uni for 4 years, and it was amazing, the kids were smart, the pay was amazing, and just generally great environment. But I’ve been trying to teach more at uni, and started to in 2021. Now I only teach at uni part-time (same uni I’m doing my degree at btw), and while I’m tired most of the time because work, thesis, life, etc, just can be so much sometimes, I’m also very happy. I love my job, my students, my studies. I’m given absolute freedom on what I teach, and a lot of it is related to my own interests and research.

    English teaching isn’t necessarily the hell everyone seems to portray it like. But it probably isn’t for everyone either.

20. Honestly being an ALT

21. Making a lot of assumptions, buddy. In my case, I just love to rag on some stuff beyond my control. There’s always a yin-yang situation. 🙂

22. youtube

23. IT, I work from home so I like to avoid big crowds every day during peaks hours!

24. I’m in IT marketing and I’m pretty happy! Good pay with opportunity to grow (already got a raise 8 months in), lots of freedom and creativity in how I achieve KPIs, flex schedule and chill but communicative culture without being TOO friendly. I wouldn’t say work is one of my favorite things in my life, but it definitely doesn’t rank on the bottom either.

25. I went from being an ALT to being a full time pre-kindergarten teacher. Having control of the lesson plan, and working with a curriculum and just having fun with the kids and watching them discover made me realize I love working this sort of job. And it makes sense since I’ve done scouting in the states and here as well.

    Being an ALT had a lot of dead time and I also felt like I was at the mercy of B.O.E and JTE expectations. It was an easy job- but also I felt like I was stagnating after a while. So I switched out.

    I’m insanely happy, its hard and sometimes super tiring especially during the busy season. But I’ve been learning so much alongside the kids and enjoying it so much. We caught 2 caterpillars outside today and will be raising them as class pets. This comes after raising our own swallowtail butterflies earlier. The looks on their faces and their excitement also excites me and they get so hyped about little things it is a nice way to forget about any of the things really weighing on me.

    Also helps that I finally got back on ADHD meds here. I have some cool pets, a garden, and a nice community around me. So yea it all worked out so far.

26. Made the transition from from teaching English (12 years) to Project Manager / Tech Lead. The pay as an English teacher just wasn’t enough to support a family. Now making 2.5x as much as I did, work from home, flexible hours.

    Only downside is that usually I work 9 to 6:30pm.