How Do You Handle Homesickness While Living in Japan?

27 comments

1. Just turn on your home country news channel and see the shitshow it is.

2. I don’t know if this is a bad thing to feel homesick after just a few months living here. Not sure if you would feel the same way in a different country or if this is specifically related to Japan, but Japan being a totally different culture from most other places, it is probably not easy for most Westerners in particular, to adapt to this culture.

   I guess most of us have moments where they are tired of some stuff here – personally I always try to see and think of the beauty of this country instead of focusing on the negative. However, I think that if you can, it is always good to take a timeout from time and go home for a bit.

   So for now, if you feel homesick, maybe it helps to eat and drink some stuff that you would eat where you’re from. In my case, this is always helpful, though this year is the first time, where I feel sometimes what I would define as homesick (usually, traveling home for a bit is satisfying enough though, as I am currently not seeing myself moving back).

3. What is it that you miss? All people? Specific people? Places? Not having to think so hard/much about <life|language|manners|mongol invasions>

   For me, I think the thing I struggled most with when I first came was the latter: trying to live entirely in Japanese was just super draining at first. I just kinda got used to it. I still only have a couple of non-Japanese acquaintances that are still in-country (and two are about to leave).

   If you miss specific people, you can always set up a video call with them. Places is more like finding a replacement, or was for me anyway.

4. I’ve lived here 8 ish years now and I still get homesick, even though I plan to stay!

   I remember how homesick I was in my first year too. It’s understandable. 

   For me, eating food and snacks from my home country always makes me feel about better. So, if you can buy things from your country, online (Amazon, Rakuten etc) or from import shops here, I highly recommend doing that.

   Otherwise, make sure to stay in touch with family and friends back home. I like to schedule video or phone calls with friends, around once a month, to catch up and feel connected to them.

   Finally, if possible, try and book a trip back home, from time to time. Having the trip to look forward to is always exciting and then being able to stuff your case with things you miss, back home, is fun.

   Just know that the homesickness does get less intense over time. You’ll be okay. Sending good thoughts!

5. I don’t really have feelings like homesickness anymore because I can usually break the feeling down into 1 of 3 categories which tell me how to deal with it:

   1. Miss people from home → contact them

   2. Miss things from home (usually food) → learn how to make it here with what I have

   3. Sick of an annoying Japanese thing → put myself in an environment that doesn’t have it for a while

   The only thing I don’t really have an answer for is missing a particular vibe that I can’t just manufacture here because that would require getting other people to play along. But really, most of the time that feeling is really just #1 with extra steps, or it’s a feeling that gets a lot less sharp when I am able to build a relationship network with people who help me make new vibes of my own.

6. By going to kebab shop and treating myself a tasty doner.

7. when I find homesickness hitting me the hardest, I will try and schedule a facetime with friends and family back home. It always makes me feel better because I realize that my even though they are halfway around the world, talking to and seeing their faces is a relatively easy thing to do.

8. As time goes on (now eight-plus years and counting), homesickness has gradually melded with a general sense of nostalgia to the point where what I long to reconnect with simply doesn’t exist anymore, even when I go back.

   Sounds depressing, but it makes me thankful for and determined to enjoy all the things I have here as well.

9. I’m really really super cool so I was fine from day one.

   Of course I must brag about my superior handling of the WA to family.

   I mean, sure, the messages sound like about weather and goings on and I love you so much my people who are special to me.

   Pffft. They know what I’m saying.

10. Look at the bright side you had a good experience in your home country. For me, my home is so sick that going near it will give me cancer.

11. Compare the pros and cons and realize my home country has way more cons. Also talk to family and friends often.

12. the food. if you can find it to buy, great. if you can’t, try to make it yourself with what’s avaialble locally.

13. I look at posts and stories of people back home and realize there is nothing to be homesicked about

14. The only time I’m really homesick is during Christmas so I do some self care, like go to onsen and get a massage or eat some food that reminds me of home. I always do a big Christmas food shop at Amazon so I’ll have plenty of meat and cheese and bread on hand.

    Otherwise, I talk to my mum everyday on Line (either call or text) and I use Facebook to keep in touch with my friends and family back home. I use Facebook messenger to talk with my sister and other friends.

15. I’ve been away from my home country for long enough that I don’t really miss it any more. The flip side of that is you need to make efforts to make Japan your home – find friends (preferably ones that plan to stay), establish a routine, find places and activities that keep you healthy and happy, get on top of admin and finances, and (probably the biggest one) get comfortable using Japanese to do all of the above.

16. Visualise going to the toilet in your home country and remembering they don’t have bidets

17. I hike a lot!

18. It’s only been a few months?

    Contacting your former support network from back home can be a good way to scratch that itch.

    But living abroad away from that support isn’t for everyone either. If you’re still feeling that way pretty consistently around the 1 year mark, it might be worth evaluating whether you wanna stay or not.

19. Stress eat home country food

20. I felt that so much, trying to overcome now with new relationship or friends that so close.
    However, sometimes Homesickness just encroaches me, so I can’t sleep.

    So as I experienced same thing,It will never disappear since we are foreigners but we can at least ease that.

    So, keep going out and make new friends and conversation!

21. Go back to your home country after a year. Either you won’t want to come back to Japan or you can’t wait to get back to Japan. That will fix it.

22. By eating great Mexican food!

23. By visiting my home country once every two years

    That, very quickly reminds me why I left it

24. Honestly, I’ve never experienced it. I’ve actually experienced the opposite when visiting home.

    These days, I tend to feel a growing hated towards my home, especially when I see how the idiot tourists act. 

25. I dont really feel homesick but i do miss home sometimes or just that feel of home, then i usually go to ikea. Order some meatballs and wander around for 1hour.

26. I know how this feels. You just feel down, and even when you already know which aspects of your home country that make you homesick (food/vibe/etc.), trying to replicate that experience here isn’t the same because at the end of the day you are in a totally different environment.

    I’d say, the simplest, neutral form of relief is to take a nap.

    Usually, the homesick feeling will be gone as the day changes. If it’s still there after weeks and doesn’t show any improvement, you might be depressed instead of just feeling homesick.

27. It’s easy when you hate your home country.