For context: I’m 16, just about to start my junior year, and am on the autism spectrum. I am overwhelmingly unhappy, lonely, depressed, disillusioned with the government, and I feel genuinely unsafe going to school over fears of a targeted shooting. Because of this, I am currently failing high school, with a slim possibility of graduating on time.
For the last 6 months I’ve been researching life in other countries outside North America, for a possibility of finding a better life. Of course, Japan was one of them. The process of moving obviously wouldn’t be easy, but I genuinely hate living where I am.
I really do want to get out of America as soon as I can, but I’m not sure if moving would be a rational decision or not. I would really appreciate help. Thank You.
14 comments
This is a copy of your post for archive/search purposes.
—
**Would leaving the US for Japan before finishing high school be a bad decision?**
For context: I’m 16, just about to start my junior year, and am on the autism spectrum. I am overwhelmingly unhappy, lonely, depressed, disillusioned with the government, and I feel genuinely unsafe going to school over fears of a targeted shooting. Because of this, I am currently failing high school, with a slim possibility of graduating on time.
For the last 6 months I’ve been researching life in other countries outside North America, for a possibility of finding a better life. Of course, Japan was one of them. The process of moving obviously wouldn’t be easy, but I genuinely hate living where I am.
I really do want to get out of America as soon as I can, but I’m not sure if moving would be a rational decision or not. I would really appreciate help. Thank You.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/movingtojapan) if you have any questions or concerns.*
What would you do in Japan, as a minor with no high school diploma and no skills?
Japan is not exactly the best place for people on the spectrum.
This is more of a post for r/iwantout
Simply put, there is no option for uneducated, inexperienced minors to arbitrarily relocate to Japan.
If you want to move to Japan eventually you’ll need to buckle down and get through highschool. Then remain buckled down and get through university.
If you’re having difficulties completing highschool due to your mental health then I absolutely hope you get assistance where you are or explore alternative options. But escaping to Japan is not an option unfortunately.
So who are you going to be moving with? Are you talking about trying to come here yourself, because you won’t be able to rent an apartment as a minor. Of course this is all besides the point, because you would have to get a visa to get into and live in the country in the first place. People just can’t move from one country to another as they wish
If you are depressed DO NOT COME TO JAPAN!
You won’t like this, but at 16 there is no path to japan. You need to concentrate on your mental health, get your GED if you can’t finish school.
If you want to come to japan for more than a holiday you will need a ton of savings, for Language school. A 4 year degree if you want to work here. Or be from a country with a working holiday visa.
Not what you want to hear but it’s reality. You are years away from being about to live here.
Strongly advise against moving to Japan if you are autistic unless you are high-functioning and don’t require support. Japan is a high-context culture, and if you don’t know what the means, I encourage you to look it up but it is very exclusionary towards autistic people. Compared to the US, there is a much higher emphasis on reading unspoken social cues, being too direct is considered rude, you are supposed to follow the group, and being different carries a large social stigma. Japan has a lot of social problems, things are getting better but they are still over two decades behind the US in a lot of areas.
I suggest looking into an English speaking country if you must move. Having to go to school in while in culture shock, with strangers, somewhere you don’t know, trying learn dozens of social rules, in a school system with near non-existent support, and on top of that having all your lessons that you already struggle with in Japanese, sorry, I don’t see how that would be better than your current situation.
Moving countries can take years of work and is quite challenging. Every country has it’s own list of requirements and a long process to gain citizenship. Does your guardian have a good amount of money saved up and a career that is valued in Japan? If the answer to either of those is no, that’s another problem. Focus on graduating, getting a career started, and building a good resume, then think about if you want to move, and if so, make sure it’s the right choice and not just thinking the grass is always greener on the other side.
[removed]
You are 16, all teenagers feel like they want to escape. Just suck it up for the next few years, and if you still want to move to Japan after college, then you will be in a much better position to do so. Just make sure you study something useful like coding, or engineering.
It’s not realistic at all. Even your mother pretending like it is, is a huge red flag.
You could try to apply for a student exchange program. That’s about the only way it could feasibly be done, at least I think.
you would have an even more crippling depression here, this is a stupid idea.
There’s one major problem with this plan that no one else has mentioned yet: You cannot legally graduate from a public high school in Japan unless you complete ***all 3 years*** in Japan. You can’t just transfer for your senior year.
You would have to start all over again, and it’s unlikely (bordering on impossible) that any school would accept you as a 1st year student at 17-18 years old.
Your only realistic options are to finish school in the US or get a GED. But even then you can’t just “move to Japan”. You would need a visa. To get a visa you need:
1. A job. And a working visa requires a bachelor’s degree.
2. A school. But if you can’t finish high school, do you realistically think you could manage a university program?
Even without taking your age into account, travel is rarely a solution to deep-rooted issues. It’s more a way of putting your situation into perspective and motivating yourself with a desire for other things, but it doesn’t cure deep-seated anxieties.
Travel if you can to take your mind off your problems, but don’t count on expatriation to solve your inner problems, which are likely not only due to your environment.
Finally, as others have said, Japan is a great place to go as a tourist, but a very complicated country to live in, a fortiori as a foreigner. Trying to live there without improving your condition beforehand and without really knowing the Japanese way of life sounds like a very bad idea. Don’t look too far ahead, and look for help that won’t put you in financial or personal jeopardy. Good luck, and hang in there!