I moved to Japan over a year ago since my husband got accepted for a job here. We got placed in the countryside where the only available job is to work at a konbini, which I don’t really want to do. I’m a somewhat prideful person. It’s my first time not having a job in 13 years. My Japanese isn’t really good. I didn’t focus on learning the language when I arrived, here so that’s on me. My husband doesn’t really have a problem with me not having a job since we can survive well with just his salary. For the past 4 years, I also was the one with the full-time job and he was just on break. But like I said, I’m a prideful person. When I meet other people from my country here, I feel ashamed that I only made it to Japan because I’m on a dependent visa. I don’t really know why I’m posting this, maybe I just need to vent since I haven’t shared it with anyone, except for my husband who doesn’t see an issue with our situation.
36 comments
For the time being you could go to the city center and ask for volunteer work.
It might not be a “real” job, but it gives you something to do. If you then get asked, you can tell, full of pride, that you do X.
Bonus points: you will learn some Japanese too, have a small impact in your local environment and make some connections. One might lead you to a proper job too.
Surely an upgrade to working in a conbini if you don’t need the money.
I mean you can’t really be picky about where you work if you decide to move to a country, in a rural area, where you don’t speak the language.
Drop the pride, accept your lord and saviour, konbini.
Working there is super chill, my mate works at my local, pay is not too bad for that inaka life.
What about online work?
It can be such a shock to suddenly be twiddling your thumbs after working for so long.
Have you tried online work? How about a craft you can do and sell on the Japanese version of etsy?
Online work could be the answer. Or enrol in an language school and focus on that – if you plan to stay in the long run you will be so much better off by having a year in language school then going to a professional job. All the spouses I know that has this option have settled into Japan so much better. Alas, I don’t have the option for intensive language school with my work and I do suffer as a result.
I understand you are a prideful person – we all are and I understand you may not want to work in a Konbini. If it makes you feel better, this may help you improve your Japanese through speaking reading and exposure to the various food packaging. Look at it as more of a hands on cultural language class. You are at least getting out of the house. You have this extra time, given konbini work is low mental load – focus on learning Japanese, start new hobbies, take your days off hiking and exploring, take this time this low key job offers you as your break.
If I took an extended break I still probably would want a side job like in a shop to provide some structure and stave off boredom driven depression. Maybe a gift shop or such, but no work is too simple if it provides its function of money + structure + distraction.
I was in the same position twice. First in the US via my husband’s work and then rural Japan again husband’s work. I do speak Japanese, but in the countryside of Japan I started to learn tea ceremony. It’s traditional, you can learn about Japan and the language. I did that for two years. You can try Ikebana, kimono, kintsugi. I think volunteering sounds good too. I wouldn’t worry too much about working right now. I also went hiking, I don’t know where in rural Japan you live, but make connections and some job opportunities will come! Maybe join a sports group or on Facebook I’m sure there are meetups?
why don’t you take japanese classes and be a student instead of working if you don’t need to
Other option — have you ever thought tutoring English? If you approach your local council you could tutor adults in English as a volunteer. There is an epidemic of 50+ people learning English, and they may appreciate the support.
Speak to your local council, set up Language exchange coffee sessions with a small group where everyone can speak basic English.
Literally the only post you have ever made on Reddit. Screams troll.
If you are sincere: look for stuff online or suck-it-up and do the convenience store work. It’s perfectly good work and is unlikely to make you enough money to risk not qualifying as a dependant.
Work online.
Here are some ideas, but will be highly dependent on your pride as to what is acceptable:
* Provide native English speaking/listening lessons for local children or elderly
* Farm hand when harvests need to be collected
* Full remote work for a company that is located elsewhere
* Staff at a retirement home/hospital (be warned, it can be very depressing)
* Get involved in the local community:
* Help out with festivals
* Wildlife groups
* Meals for children/families with financial difficulties
* Help out at your local temple
* etc
* Become a student and get your Japanese level up
* If you are by the sea side and they fish/farm scallop, you can do shucking for the local businesses
* Start your own little farm/homestead
I totally sympathize with your situation. What was your career prior to moving? This could be a great opportunity to do an online masters or level up your existing expertise
job makes up a large part of a person’s identity so I understand the importance of having a proper job that is not a part time gig. That said getting a job in the countryside takes time as there aren’t that many demands there, or the open position would be very specific. Look around your surrounding environment to see what positions are being open, what is the qualification, how you can work towards it. Don’t rush, you got this!
Study the language proper and formulate a plan to get the kind of job you want.
It’s unbelievably arrogant to think you can just move to a country, not know the language and get the type of job you want. Humble yourself and strategize.
Pride is a waste of emotional space, get rid of it and apply at a konbini. It will help your Japanese so that’s two birds with one stone
Study Japanese. You’re deep in the countryside, start with being able to communicate.
Alternatively, find a job teaching English. There are very few places in Japan where this is not an option.
I’m curious how having no job is better for your pride than having one.
And I’m crying over here jealous that you don’t need work to survive.
“I didn’t focus on learning the language when I arrived.”
You identified the problem and it’s a fixable one. So get studying then. You seem to have the free time to do so in the meantime since your husband can support you while you study. Be thankful for your situation.
Seriously, approach learning Japanese as a challenge. An intellectual obstacle to overcome if you’re truly as prideful as you say you are.
A lot to unpack here.
Firstly, you shouldn’t feel “ashamed” for “only” arriving on a dependent visa. Living in Japan isn’t a competition. You’re not “winning” if your ability to remain in the country is dependent on your continued employment. Actually, I feel like a dependent visa is preferable because of that very reason.
Secondly, you live in the countryside. Jobs are scarce there, there’s a reason people move to the city. So it has nothing to do with your pride.
Thirdly, speaking of pride, you probably need to make a mental adjustment regarding how you consider service industry jobs. You’re a “prideful” person, and therefore you don’t want to take a job at a conbini? What the hell does THAT mean? It says a lot about how you feel about people who work in the service industry. You’re NOT above them, and taking a job doesn’t make you lower than someone else. Work is work. It sounds like you financially don’t need to work, and the potential lack of salary is the ONLY reason you should be reticent to take a job like that, not your “pride”. Get over yourself.
Fourthly, if you’re looking for something to do and you admit the problem is your Japanese ability, join a class and fix that. You’re in Japan. Your options are going to be VERY limited if you don’t improve your Japanese. You don’t get to move to a country where YOU KNOW people don’t speak English and then complain when you don’t have opportunities. No shit, Sherlock. Make becoming fluent in Japanese your “job” if your “pride” won’t let you be a student.
Do you have a kouminkan (公民館 , community center)?
Volunteer there and make friends/contacts in the community. Some offer classes and the one in my area is always looking for people to teach or help with area projects/festivals etc.
Volunteer at the local school to tutor English (or whatever language/skills you’re fluent with).
You might make some friends and improve your Japanese to boot.
How long are you going to be around? You mention you’re good with your spouse’s income and you were the primary breadwinner previously so relax and enjoy your time off. If you’re dead set on a job/career, and against the kombini, remote/telework would be the way to go.
i think you should work on your ‘pride’. So many ppl risk going to japan for work, and a konbini job isn’t bad at all, it’s actually quite nice and you get to learn new things, might also help with your struggle w/ learning the language. Me & my mom moved to Japan back when I was in high school because my dad had his own business, and yet my mom still insisted on getting any type of work she can apply to, to be productive. Be it a part-time job or working at a factory— you can’t be too picky if you’re in the province. Just some personal thoughts.
Someone message the admins and have throwaway accounts autoflagged. Bad faith posts trying to stir up drama on this sub has become incredibly common recently.
If you are a prideful person who is used to working, you should take the konbini job. It’s not shameful to have such a job, and my guess is it would be more challenging than you think. Your language skills would go up quickly and you would make a lot of connections in the community. Those connections might help you find another job more in line with your inclinations.
Another way to make connections and feel useful is to volunteer. There should be opportunities for that at city hall or a local school.
Since you both don’t need the money it seems you should enjoy your free time either volunteering, studying Japanese or taking up another hobby. What is more noble than volunteering?
1) we have no clue what you are even qualified to do in Japan
2) why not swallow a bit of your (at this point) foolish pride and ask the community of people whom you said are from your country for help and introductions to where they work. Even if they don’t work in the same town or prefecture at least asking them might help give you a lead
3) what does that pride even mean? We know you’re above konbini work but are you above factory work? Agricultural work? I would see if your city hall has information about a work classifieds like a Town Work magazine or if there’s a hello work near your town.
4) I think you need to also have a very serious conversation with your husband about why you two are even there…
5) again we have no clue what you are qualified to do but can you do remote work online? You will likely need to double and triple check what you are able to do under your visa status but look into if you can add special permissions to it. Alternatively, you may need to look for a job that would be willing to sponsor you your own long term work visa. I’m not familiar with the process so don’t quote me, at this point I’m only spitballing; if you are talented or qualified enough to do digital contract work, you can look into self sponsoring your visa. I believe you have a certain % of savings and also make a certain % of income.
6) take the opportunity to do online classes like Japanese language, or see if your local municipalities offer services like free language classes. They are fun in my experience. Or do an online masters degree in something worthwhile here. Then see if you and your husband can move to a city with opportunities for both of you.
You should apply for a job at a konbini like 7 eleven part time and go to a language school to learn Japanese.
Maybe working in a conbini is better than not working at all…if you are really so prideful.
Currently living in a rural part of Tohoku. In the countryside, a well paying job for low effort might be a native speaker for local schools. Here you will assist in English classes (or lead the classes depending on the teacher). It gets a pretty bad rep on this sub but for the countryside, the work/life balance is great and the pay isn’t bad.
Personally, I will be moving and be in the same situation for potentially a year. During that time I will be working towards certifications that allow me to work remotely. Maybe taking this time as a blessing to improve in other ways can help to provide an outlook on things.
Eerily relatable. Time for the linkedin premium grind. Make friends, search daijob, gaijinpot, try to find remote work where you don’t have to speak Japanese
Lmaooo
Don’t be too hard on yourself, OP. I’m not sure how exactly your mind works, but maybe you can look at this as an opportunity to rest and reevaluate what you want to do moving forward. It’s also nice that after being the one bringing home the dough for years, you can be the one to sit back and relax. I’m sure your husband also feels happy to finally be able to provide for you and him this time.
Repetitive advice but you can also improve your Japanese, take a course on something you want to do as a career (something you could do online, maybe?), and maybe you can also use this time to engage in your hobbies again. Another thing you could do if you really want to work is maybe to connect with the locals (inaka people are very welcoming even if you don’t speak Japanese) and see what opportunities you can find! Maybe you’ll also find something in the neighboring towns/cities. 🙂 If you live near a base, you could find work there as well. Try u s a j o b s . g o v. 🙂
Don’t pay attention to the twats in this thread. What you’re feeling is absolutely normal and valid. Moving to a new country is no joke, let alone not being able to do something you value a lot. Thank you for opening up. It must’ve been a difficult first year, but I hope and pray things will get better and you’ll finally have a job you like doing!
Honestly, that pride is going to get in the way of lot.
Yes, you can have a job because you need more cash, security, mobility, etc. But just getting a job for the sake of pride will only hurt you more.
Throw that away and go do something that you enjoy. If you can’t get anything in person, learn some computer skills and do remote work. You mentioned that you are without job, you are in a prime position to learn an entire new skill and make bank.
Tl;Dr- Ditch the pride, go make bank.
Go to hello work and let them know you want something and go through the available jobs they have listed.
Hit up the local hoikuens and yochiens and ask if they would be interested in hiring to teach the kids English for 1500 yen an hour. Offer to do the same at after school gakudous.
Start an eikaiwa at your home.
Find somewhere like a neighborhood center and offer weekly English classes.
Talk to town hall and see if you can do weekly english classes for their yearly classes program. (pay is not that great but they do all the recruiting.)
Talk to the town hall and ask if you can be a direct hire ALT.
Pride is useless when you have nothing to be proud of. New country = clean canvas. If you haven’t done the bare minimum of speaking the language, then it’s the same as saying you can’t even hold the brush to start painting.
I think working on a konbini is above your level if you dont speak the language, you should accept it if you get the chance with a dependant visa (with 28 hrs per week, the options get even shorten).
I honestly cant imagine someone who dont speak my language to get the chance to work on a supermarket/cashier in my home country with a salary like any other national citizen, so you shouldnt look it down.
It sounds like you’ve got some leeway on profitability, which is great. Start paying attention to local business activity and operations, see if you can spot hiccups, shortcomings, and missed opportunities, most of which will have to do with some kind of low-level IT, and then experiment with possible solutions.