i need all the opinions i can get

4 comments

1. This is a copy of your post for archive/search purposes.

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   **i need all the opinions i can get**

   i (24M) am currently on a working holiday VISA in australia, living independently (essentially cut off) from my family, i won’t bore you with the sob story, so i’ll just cut to the heart of the matter

   i am genuinely considering getting a working holiday visa to japan and hope to relocate permanently (where exactly i don’t know), but i’m unsure if it’s the right choice for me, ‘cause my heart says it is but everyone else (including most people on this subreddit) says it isn’t

   let me preface this by saying : i am not an ambitious person, i don’t want much out of life, never had, never will, i don’t aspire for much, i’m just thinking of a place to settle my toes in the peat – i have a degree in accounting (that i don’t plan to use), currently i’m working in food service

   another reason why i’m considering japan is that with the aud i could accumulate while i’m here, i’ll have substantial funds to live the simplistic life i’ve always led without much thought or worries of financial instability

   language-wise, english is not my first language, i was born and raised in indonesia, picked up english from games and movies and music, the same applies a little bit for japanese, i do consume a good amount of japanese media (anime, radio interviews with the seiyuus, etc) i guess i picked up a bit of keigo, enough to have a foundation that would speed up my learning progress

   now with all that out of the way, i would like some opinions from kind and even unkind strangers to support me or deter me from this path (reasons and recommendations preferred), thank you beforehand <3

   p.s. i am not an incel romanticizing japan based on its hentai industry, i am a gay man who just needs a place to settle down and die

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2. Working holiday visa is only good for a year (6 months+6 months), so you will need a real visa after. That means you need a real job to sponsor your visa. Food service is okay on a WHV, but it won’t be able to get you a real working visa. Not to mention that you will need to already be fluent in Japanese. The level of English for the average Japanese person is much lower than you expect.

3. >i was born and raised in indonesia

   I’m assuming this means you’re an Indonesian citizen? If so…. Bad news: Indonesia doesn’t have a Working Holiday agreement with Japan. (See here: [https://www.mofa.go.jp/j_info/visit/w_holiday/index.html](https://www.mofa.go.jp/j_info/visit/w_holiday/index.html))

   If you’re actually a citizen of a country that *does* have a WHV agreement with Japan… There’s still a lot of holes in this plan.

   >i am genuinely considering getting a working holiday visa to japan and hope to relocate permanently

   A WHV is only good for a year. After that point you would need to get a visa-supporting job with a Japanese employer to remain in Japan. Food service won’t do that for you.

   You have a degree, so that’s one hurdle crossed, but there’s not a lot of demand for non-Japanese-speaking accountants in Japan. And it’s a licensed profession, so you would need to pass a licensing exam designed for native Japanese speakers. Generally you’re not allowed to take a licensing exam unless you’ve achieved JLPT N1.

   Getting N1 is *not* a fast process. Even with the basic Japanese you’ve picked up through media you’re still looking at ***years*** of study.

4. I am 26M from SEA (PH) and I am on the same boat as you. I do not have a dream to have a lustrous life. I am comfortable in mid/average lifestyle as long as I can do what I want. No big dreams, no long travel plans, and so on. Enough money is already good for me as long as I am not living paycheck after paycheck.

   If I want the bag and a better environment/QoL maybe I would choose the west, but honestly, Japan is not that bad to live for an introvert. My lifestyle could fit there without much troubles. I am not an outgoing person and spends most of my time on my phone/headphone while I am in public. “But you get to experience the culture!!!” does not work for me. How many times did I fully embraced the traditions of my home country? Very low count and minimum exposure. I do have friends and we go out and enjoy some time but that’s it. That reasoning does not affect me that much.

   Also another reason some people chose to migrate is for the future of their children. I do not plan to have a child in the future AT ALL. Japan’s economy might not be in a good trajectory but I would not be that much affected since I really do not see myself as a parent thus I do not need BIG and LARGE funds. As for choosing my wife, Japanese nationality is not a main requirement. I dont even watch anime that much. Their music is really good tho. Honestly my plan is to arrive there either by work or student path (master’s) and stay there for 2-3 years to test the water myself and decide there if I want to do it permanently. Even if I could get a chance somewhere in west, I think I would still choose Japan simply because it is the only country outside my own country that I feel like I have a connection. Heck, when I was younger I did not even think getting out of my country is possible for me as my own path.

   Am I limiting my future growth with this choice mentally, emotionally, financially? Probably. But me having this desire constantly bugging me whether I want to try living there or not means that there is something inside me to actually do it. It is there and has been there since I remember. My answer is I would. I am preparing for it. If everything goes to plan, I would be there within a year or two. Big choice are scary more so when it looks bad. But it is up to you to maximize and make the experience worth it. Here’s to the best of us and whatever path we choose!