A Love Letter To Japan {And Why I Can't Wait to Leave! What It's Really Like to Live in Japan} 

Mindfulness is the only way

I am so sorry to hear abt your son...I am from Hokkaido and living in US for 50yrs but children that your son taught was very fortunate...they will never forget him...God bless!!!

@@ryokokirchhoff782 Thank you for those words, he said it was the warmest and most satisfying experience he ever had as a teacher.

I very sorry for your loss... Thanks for sharing your story, I couldn't agree more that life is precious, so don't take it for granted

I am sorry

I think it goes the other way too! I genuinely respect the westerners who decide to spend time in the east - at least they get a taste of how brutal it is as an Asian man in the west!

I didn't know that actually, i have more asian colleges in Europe, then I ever was building up relationships in Asia in the past 8 years. Maybe it's me, but most friendships i building up are only very basic and end up business related

But western whites get star treatments in Asia and the same can't be said for Asians in the West.

@Fernando R That is changing.

@Fernando R not true, I've lived in Germany for 15 years and have a lot of friends in Munich such as germans as well as expats ( I'm American/Brazilian and a quarter german with jewish heritage) I've also got japanese Friends here and back in Japan too. I m still in touch with most of them though. It depends on your personality...

Hi Candy, thanks for sharing your insights! I agree with you and hope the Japanese continue to be more outgoing, but at the same time, their exceptional politeness could be partly due to this, so it’s hard to say what is the right way forward

@@LiveYourBestLife14 that's a good point. Hmm...hopefully, they will find a balance somewhere.

No, they’re not going to “pop” if they don’t develop more emotions, we are not emotionally undeveloped! IF you were culturally Japanese, you’d understand that they really are a warm and caring people. They show their emotions subtly. No need to advertise how we feel to everyone in the vicinity. In their interactions with people outside of their culture they opt for politeness because you can’t go wrong with being polite. I’m half Japanese and half American Irish and grew up in Japan then came to the US at the age of 13. I was not considered a typical Japanese child, we were a little bit wild and a little too willful. But it was accepted because we were still half Japanese and we were loved. Then we moved to the US. First day in school was a shock. There I saw a class full of students who seemed incapable of demonstrating self control. They acted as if they would “pop” if they had to sit still and be quiet for a second. So Candy Peeps, you may have a point there. Maybe people like you would actually pop if they have to hold in their emotions? Did you say you wish they were “open to their own growth”? That’ a little insulting, don’t you think? Yes there’s nothing wrong with soul searching and personal growth but a whole different thing to imply that an entire culture needs to be open to their growth because it doesn’t fit into an non-Japanese individual’s standards. Japan’s culture is thousands of years old. They had castles when other countries were living in huts. I think we had sufficient time to grow. Having said that, after living in the US for 50 years, there’s nothing wrong with showing emotions and being a “wild card” either. What I don’t like are people who are not open minded enough to accept and respect other cultures and people that practices naive realism. It’s dangerous, it’s the root of racial, ethnic, religious, and cultural discord and inequality. So please you need not worry about our emotions popping, there’s nothing radical about our acceptance of culture and don’t worry about our growth. We are grown, everyone just has to catch up. Thanks for your concern but no thank you. This is coming from a person who grew up in Japan , were considered wild there, came to the US and lived here for 50 years and embrace both cultures.

@@sumirevbd First off you are also not being openly honest now are you? As an Japanese and half American, you never where classified as Japaneses period. You where and are American in the eyes of the Japanese period. Ask your parents why they moved back to America if you don't believe so. The Japanese also don't hold their emotions, they conform. They are not allowed to think, show emotion that might not align with the rest of society, be different etc.... as they will be cast off; much like it sounds happened to you at 13yrs old. "What I don’t like are people who are not open minded enough to accept and respect other cultures and people that practices naive realism. It’s dangerous, it’s the root of racial, ethnic, religious, and cultural discord and inequality." Really explains Japanese as whole since if you are not Japanese then you are not Japanese. Japan as whole doesn't accept other cultures, respect other cultures based on the fact that assume/expect you to conform to the Japanese way even as foreigner living in Japan. Japanese also live in a naive realistic state and at the core are very racist due to being brought up to think Japanese way is best, right and shouldn't be questioned. Not to mention the inequality anyone in Japan faces once labelled with a tag, stereo type, nationality etc... Even so much so that foreigners (residence of Japan) are being banned entry to Japan since they are simple still viewed as Foreigner even though they are Residency with work, school, families etc... in the country that they choose to call home. The open fear created by the government and media about foreigners especially due the Covid is racist, discriminatory and shows so much inequality is laughable; if not for the fact they are destroying families that are view as foreigners even if they were born and raised in Japan. Did you know only Foreigners can get Covid? That is what the government and media is this country is stating. I cannot walk down the street here without people staring, crossing the street or looking at me like I am walking death since I am foreigner. And Yes, my two Japanese sons are going to be/are being treated differently, not because they are a little bit wild and a little too willful or the fact that they are not considered a typical Japanese child because they are viewed as Foreigners and will always be viewed as foreigners. They have never lived anywhere but Japan yet are asked daily when they are going home. I also get the same treatment as "when I am asked where are you from?" and I answer Japan, I get the typical response, "No, Where are you from?" and I answer with city, area etc... in Japan; which leads to them continuing not to accept my answers until I answer, I am from the North America. I then get the next fun question "when are you going home?" and I get to play the game again, around six a clock when works done. "No, When are you going home?" and I answer, "which home as I only have one."Oh, you know your home country? I am in my home country; No, Your own home country? I am resident of Japan. Yeah but when are you going home? I have no plans too since I am living in Japan now. Uh, oh um. My final statement will be this, you are right that anyone that isn't culturally Japanese wouldn't understand since we were not raised to conform, suppress emotions and to fit everything within the social stereo types that make up the culturally Japanese society. And yes, I understand that they really are a warm and caring people but doesn't expect them to be open minded enough to accept and respect other cultures as it is unnatural for them. At the end of the day you are and always will be foreigner period.

It also depends on city people or rural people. People in less populated areas often welcome company. Same in other countries.

How are the people and social life in Beijing compared to Tokyo if I may ask?

@@Matthew-fj6eu that's an interesting question actually. I'd say people in Beijing are more open to foreigners than in Tokyo. There are definitely more people who are able/willing to speak English here. That said, the overall international community is much bigger and more connected in Tokyo. It's definitely more scattered here.

Thanks for the feedback Kathrin! Good to hear you find it the same to other countries, in terms of making friends

Thanks for your feedback! Overall, I totally agree with you. A society should always change based on their own needs, and therefore, I don't think Japan should change all at unless the changes are better for Japan itself.

Thank you for pointing out Tokyo ≠ Japan (Same as London doesn’t reflect all of the UK etc). I also live outside Kyoto and could never live anywhere near Tokyo. I’ve never had any problems making friends either. One thing I would like to add though is that I think it’s a little bit more nuanced than simply accepting the culture. It’s not a fixed, absolute thing, how much the culture is changing (being forced to change) is part of what makes Japan so interesting right now. It’s my observation that more and more Japanese people, particularly those who have had a chance to travel or live abroad are questioning those more repressive and unhelpful parts of their own culture. Of course you have to be understanding of why things they are and love Japan in spite of its problems but also be a strong supporter for those trying to make positive change. It won’t happen overnight (probably) and there will be plenty of things to facepalm about along the way but at the end of the day I know enough people really trying to move Japan forward at a local level that I remain positive.

​@@hoshinorobin Im more referring to the core fundamental values of the culture. They seem to be what foreigners struggle with the most. For example the we vs. me culture of Japan. Western culture is very focused on the individual while eastern culture more about group cohesion. Of course Japan changes and adapts, it has really for centuries, but I think what makes Japan special is its firm base of core morals and values. As much as I want to see many things change here, I also don't want to see Japan become more and more westernized and lose what makes it a very unique and special place to live. I know what you mean though haha! My father-in-law in a Buddhist priest, I am well versed in the mendokusai parts of Japanese culture. :)

I'm Japanese living in the US and I strongly agree with you and respect you. I have seen both foreign people who love and dislike Japan. All the foreign people how love Japan not only speak fluent Japanese, they also understand our spirit deeply, they joke like Japanese, they behave like Japanese etc. and all the foreigners who complain about Japan don't speak Japanese, they don't understand our spirit. All my close friends are Japanese and for me it's more difficult to make real friends here, although I have party friends. It's SO natural you feel barrier when you interact with people from other countries or when you go to other countries. When you think that this is not the way we do in my country... then even if you don't say it, people feel it and it's hard to be accepted. If you accept like, yeah it's different but I understand this is the way it is here.... then things change slowly. It's all up to you, not others.

I don’t want Japan to ever stop being Japanese

@@tenniswerewolf8095 You idolise it too much without actually living there.

@@zabijca I was born in Osaka kid, I’m 47 years old. I grew up in Los Angeles when my mother left Japan when I was 3 years old. I’ve gone back it visit ever year for 30 years. I think you have me confused with this TikTok “Vlog” Young generation who likes to tell people online to stop “romanticising “ Japan. The West is suffering from this toxic culture.

@@zabijca haha exactly! I live here for 18 yrs it’s a bullshit culture which i used to idealize not now BS!! Lol

@@tenniswerewolf8095 I agree with you even though I am young. Culture and tradition are the back bone of a society.

O9

Being a student makes it wayyy easier to make friends.

Japanese people tend to be afraid of being offensive to others, especially foreigners - often too much, part of island nation mentality. Sometimes that attitude comes off as coldness or they want to avoid foreigners, but it is not the case - most of the time.

Thats great to hear! Hope you enjoy your time in Japan:)

@Aeyahul Dianyisas I think it's a matter of perspective. You shouldn't make friends just because they are Japanese, they are people just like us. I don't think it's unnecessary to make friends with anybody. Kindness and love is the biggest weapon and shield a person can have. How you turn to them, that's how they will turn back to you. I highly doubt they are more judgemental than anybody in other cultures. They have the same emotions and thoughts like anybody else, they just express it differently. Japanese people are like treasure chests, it's hard to open but once you take your time and patience, you'll earn success.

Nanking never happened Manila never happened Bataan Death March never happened Comfort women never happened Unit 731,100,1655,1855 never happened Burma Massacre never happened Vietnam Massacre never happened Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia crimes never happened -Japan

@Aeyahul Dianyisas Why do you hate Japan so much?

While countless people r fooled by the appearance of Japan’s clean, polite, friendly and well-paved city but Japan is a strictly hierarchical pyramid society. They rank by country, rate them, look down on both countries and people They rank among people IMHO

Japanese people become arrogant and rough when they are United (collective madness) but the opposite when they r alone

@Aeyahul Dianyisas It is good for Ur mental health to avoid people with arrogance. It’s best to stay away from them

I agree ! If you can work remotely and have an US like income, mexico it's a great place to live ! Warm people, great weather, good food, etc, just avoid dangerous places

@@letterbomb211 And there are dangerous places everywhere. Which I feel people ignore when they talk about Central/South America.

Mexican weather, mexican food, mexican culture, mexican girls, mexican beaches! I can't wait to visit Tulum

@@letterbomb211 Avoid dangerous place? So stay out of Mexico is what you are saying. Been there many times and you couldn't pay me to live there.

Or Brazil!

Exactly what I was thinking :)) When he started to say about chit-chat here and there in US and how it's missing in Japan, I counted it as a positive side of Japan, not negative at all :)

As a moderate introvert the sense of respect for personal space even in crowded environments was one of my favourite aspects of the culture when I travelled in Japan.

while that's true on the one hand, on the other is the fact that as a foreigner you will stick out anywhere you go, and be the target of the same repetitive questions from shop workers, clerks, taxi drivers, etc, etc who will ask where you're from and compliment you on your Japanese if you say just one word.

It depends on what kind of an introvert you are. There are introverts that love socializing and making new friends.

lol, good for me! No small talk is great!

And still they are starting to fall. They are not as bad as we are in Eu or EEUU, but when i visited Japan in 2017 i saw dozens/hundreds of "humans with night camouflage 100%" selling girls and drugs on the streets.

It is a bad thing once you realize that this youtuber is a CIA operative that has a Jewish mother.

@@Plusimurfriend 😂

@@Plusimurfriend based af

Yh but the computer market is getting older in Japan, less consumer, soon no one to buy anything

@@aayonambrose7575 what? Esport is booming in Japan right now lol.

100% correct .

I think it also has to do with japanese being a high context language, where sayin something may mean something else and can be only understanded if you live in japan for a long time and also have the sense of understanding the way japanese think.

Interesting, this exact quote is said in the novel "Shogun" by a pilot-sailor named Rodrigues. I don't know how much of Shogun is based on fact.

@@trevorjennings4823 Great info in this thread.

Smart man. It's true, you can never really trust what a Japanese person is telling you because you don't know if they're saying it because they believe it or because they want to maintain harmony.

How is that possible if you are Paris Hilton :v

Um, excuse me. Paris Hilton is VERY social.

@@javierzapanacaceres2933 her clone.

Good for you...I pray you will enjoy and make great memories!!!!

Fun fact Paris Hilton has been banned from Japan. Authorities banned her from entering the country due to her drug conviction..

Totally agree! 🙌

Yep, you are not happy move on. And that's what I did.

@Aeyahul Dianyisas Ah, he or she. Good point. That involves critical thinking. Google is your best friend.

@@LiveYourBestLife14 You missed the point of what life was life like from non-white person. Reality of one's perspective is not often criticism. Which is something you wanted to accomplish, right?

Thanks for sharing your experiences Johannes! I'd have to agree with a lot of what you said

“Japan is an island full of mostly selfish cowardly introverts” you sound like every bitter old man that went to Japan thinking that moving away from their home country would solve all their problems and that moving to Japan would somehow make them Japanese. So sad.

They want to host the Olympics.

@@kidanaoki1947 No, I left Japan right after graduation. But I still visit regularly. It's FABULOUS for holidays. Great food, the omotenashi, the temples, the nature. Just not living there (unless you're rich af & old & established & respected in your field). Most of my Japanese friends agree. But then again, most of my Japanese friends are not Japanese Japanese, & much prefers living where they are not shackled by robotic rules & the strict standards of Japanese society. Why do you think the suicide rate in Japan is at crisis level now? More Japanese died from suicide instead of covid in 2020. Sad but that's the reality. 日本人たち幸せに成りますように、どうか。

Oh yes the old suicide card. When in fact, US ranks 34th in suicide per capita, only four behind Japan (14.3 vs 13.7 per 100,000). And that’s on top of a huge drug addiction/overdose epidemic. (+ gen z in America is projected to have much larger numbers in terms of mental health issues and drug problems). And yes there’s always outcast in any society. Your Japanese friends gravitated towards you cause you were someone who was an outsider, much like how they felt. Usually Japanese people who make foreigner friends are like this. So yeah, your understanding of what “Japanese people think” is mostly from an outcasts perspective.

love your channel john. every time i watch your stream, i imagine my life, if i had stayed. I started a life there pre-youtube. the country is amazing, but i quickly learned that, as a foreigner, career advancement for me was nearly non-existent. And as much as i wanted to stay, it wasn't practical. I made the tough decision to leave. I value every experience i had there, and love reliving them through your channel.

ONLY IN JAPAN🤘

Sounds like China lol

Great response to this video!

You didn't really seem to address any particular point of his (negative) that you disagreed with. Anything in particular?

Thanks for sharing, as I said in the video, it depends on people's perspectives

How did you move? What visa? :) would love to hear more

I have been in japan for 4 years and would love to stay another 26😊

Me too! I first arrived in 1988, and settled in 1991. I came to do Judo for a year and now I have grandchildren here. I love it here.

@@quendelf I originally came here on a 3 year "humanities" visa, hired by an English conversation company. The only requirement was a B.A. I had no plans to come to Japan. I'd never had a passing thought of Japan in my entire life until I met a friend who was home for the summer from his job of teaching in Japan. He told me about a recruiting office in Toronto, Canada, where I'm from. I applied for a position and signed a one year contract. I didn't even know "konichi wa". I started studying Japanese on the plane over. After working for the "eikaiwa" company for a year, I got a listing of jr. high schools and high schools throughout Japan and literally sent out 400 resumes! I got 10 interviews, of which I passed 3. I've been at the same high school now for over 30 years! For the first 10 years, I was an ALT. It took me 10 years to become literate. My school facilitated my getting a teaching degree from a Japanese university by hiring an ALT while I took a hiatus to attend classes. I've been a full time teacher for 20 years. I also run an elite youth ice hockey program, Samurai Japan AAA Ice Hockey Club. 5 of our players have been drafted into major jr. ice hockey leagues in the US and Canada! It's funny how life turns out. I'd never had a moment's thought of Japan and now I've spent half my life here. I have 5 kids, my wife is Japanese and besides hockey my entire life has been Japanese. If you had told me that was going to be the case when I was 20 I would have said you're nuts! I honestly love it here. Like I said, best decision I've ever made.

@@BeesBugsJapan That's awesome, Stephen. Funny how life turns out, eh?

Like a sly fox Beware

@@simcard867 I'm already living like this, it's perfect !

I'm an introvert living in Japan for 11 years now. I have zero Japanese friends though I speak the language well. Every here are so private with their own lives. I was wrong about Japan and planning to leave this place for good.

@@titaniumdioxides you might not be an introvert as much as you think

@@miketyson7274 Being an introvert or not is out of the equation. I'm leaving Japan because the country has a dark future. It has the worst demographics and the highest DEBT to GDP. I don't want to live in poverty as I grow old.

Thanks for sharing your insights. Sounds like an interesting/relaxed life you led. 😃

@ken m You can't make a living just by spending your time online. I'm a creator and get royalty income, and I have worked as a freelance translator till recently. As a translator I've never met most of my clients in person. Everything was done online since 20 years ago or so because they often had to hire translators living overseas. If my parents were well off and lenient, I may also have been a hikikomori. But they struggled to make their own livings so I had to be independent. But I never wanted to commute or live as a salaryman so I tried to find a niche in the society where I could breathe.

Life is risky, but this is what I dislike about the Japanese, an aversion to the dark side.

A semi-hermit, haha nice 👍 as I become better off and I can afford to, I plan to gradually phase out the outside world too 😆

Damn it, risk aversion and avoiding social disharmony pretty much sums up my personality. It's hard to act against my nature but being the way I am is also a pain. Over time I've simply realised being a hermit means I would encounter less risks and avoid human conflicts. I'm channeling my efforts into that direction🥲.

That's great Amanda, I am happy for you!

I love Japan immensely, I go to Japan once a year . The more I go to Japan the more I love it. I’m 68 years old Wishing I can retire there.

It's more of a modern problem. The Japanese were far more open (with one another) in the early to mid 20th century. And pre-

I‘m Swiss too. It’s not difficult to find friends. You can also find friends in expat communities as a Swiss.

I don't think the problem is Switzerland, the problem is you. Try working on yourself bro

@@pascoett Well...maybe maybe my dears i ll try To improve

@@SanduskysWife i Will 😊 i m a gurl btw

I feel you!

Join a kendo club or something. Japanese love their clubs and are very inclusive once you're in the same group as they are.

I agree

Just out of curiosity, did you learn how to speak Japanese?

Pfff, I have zero friends anywhere, so I might as well move if I get the chance

Thanks for your feedback Neil!

Yeah gotta keep those "undesirables" from ruining glorious Nippon. Weebs am I right?

Exactly my thoughts when I heard his "ureishy kinyowbi". I had to replay it to understand what he actually said and then thought "that's why you leave Japan". And it's true what you said. Japanese people will talk to you as soon as they understand that you can speak their language. I've been living in Japan for 1 year, but only had international friends because I just started to learn Japanese intensively at a language school. 3 years later I came again for a visit and I talked with taxi drivers and shop owners asking them about the background of either the area or the items they were selling. I was so overwhelmed and finally saw the results of my years of studying. Everybody who lives in a country without speaking its language is doing something srsly wrong.

Reading your comment reminds me of the Netflix series Emily in Paris. About ignorant American girl who lives in Paris without speaking a word of French and doesn't care about it.

@@zee808 omg emily in paris triggered me so much. Like ALL characters apart from her were fine. It could have been a good series without her (the Main character that is). It felt like she was deliberatly disrespectful and ignorant

Japanese r on the outside the virtual avatar face that smiling is to hide the slightly ambiguous face in the middle and real is hidden behind I had lived in Japan, ..............etc please beware

@ken m Not really.

Valid point, Tokyo is very different from Osaka or Sapporo.

@@peterfmodel Japanese are not very extroverted thou. I bet it is harder to make local friends there compared to like Spain, Thailand or India.

@@MegaWarell In Thailand people are very friendly. If I fart out loud, the whole alley knows.

Yes, Osaka is a changing game for me. Had an opportunity to live there after living in Tokyo for a couple of years. The friendliness and openness to have a random conversation are so different than Tokyo.

Thanks so much for sharing your experience! I always wanted to live in Osaka for that reason. Thanks for the positive vibes, hope you have a great 2021!

Hi Fuu, thanks for your feedback! I would define friends as someone you see regularly, like once every couple weeks, while acquaintances only a couple times a year. But I agree, having close friends is more important that acquaintances. I'd say 15-30 close friends is better though.

Why not both

Agree, this country is the paradise for introverts

same here too

@@LiveYourBestLife14 impossible to be really close to 30 people, unless you never work and just hang out with 2 or 3 a day every day lol.

Why does it matter that you are half japanese then?

@@erikm9768 It matters because the Japanese does not think of themselves of anything special, that is the whole point…

If they love being Japanese, then why do statistics show how miserable and unhappy they are?

PH also has a lot of rules, kaso daming pasaway 😅

Japan: sly fox 🦊

@@peterpaul195 but people in work in the philippines socialize with others which is better than nothing at all.

@@Greyr4X yeah i know that. I don't deny that it's "more fun in the Philippines". My point was specific to his line "there's a lot of rules" (in Japan). Ph has a lot of rules too. Sadly a lot of people don't follow rules, even the simplest rules. If they can bend the rules they'll bend it. Can't even wear a facemask properly. Cant even throw their own waste properly. Im not saying all Pinoys are like this, but there are many. Discipline in Japan is just on another level compared here and perhaps compared to (where youtuber is originally from). People here have too much freedom yet lack discipline

Thanks for sharing Kei Kei. Well I can certainly understand your point of view, I hope things get better for you. If you aren't happy in Japan after 4 years, maybe it is a good idea to try to live in a different country.

I spent 5-6 months in kyoto, the most conservative place, and have at least ten friends. Patience. Step by step. Overly friendly or loud approaches are off putting to them.

I was an exchange student to Japan for a year. It might not be a long time but I agree with the comment before mine. It's easier to make friends if you understand their culture and you are patient. First everyone is shy but they actually want to open up. It's your job (unfortunately) to provide an environment where Japanese people can open up. I had a Latin American exchange student with me in my school but unfortunetly she couldn't make any friends because her culture is so different than Japanese. I also realized that it's easier to make friends with younger people than with adults.

Same happened to me. I'm very outgoing and boom, once I got to Tokyo depressions, depressions, depressions. I left in March 2020 afters 3 years.

@@LiveYourBestLife14 the Best place to live in is Russia. And that's for sure.

that's being boastful.

Yes, most of my time was spent in Tokyo, but I did travel to both those places often for work/leisure

Me too. Im moving there. Peace and quiet

You should stay in communist China, very stable

@@geoffreycurrie9582 if you want peace and quiet go live in the countryside of any Europe or N American or Australia or NZ, not Japan dude

@@Hali88 It's his choice DUDE

@@Hali88 I live in the US guy lol. And I was stationed in Germany for 3 years. The Germany from then is a snapshot of what the EU used to be. But now it's just another F'd up western country like the US and even Australia. And to be honest comments like yours are exactly why I want to get as far away from western life as possible. So if you don't like the idea of me wanting to find a small village in the mountains of Japan and just living in peace. Well tough tiddy. But thanks for making my point.

Funny thing is that an old gramps (stranger) chatted with me when I was having a hotel breakfast in Japan once. As a kid, some kids started talking to me and wanted to play with me in the playground there. It probably depends on how one behaves and look, but reaching out and trying to start a conversation in a natural way is what one needs to do if they want to spark friendships.

I love it here, and staying here. Canada is terrible compared to Japan, married to a Japanese guy and we're going to retire here too. Love the convenience and safety.

@@Its-Kat_ No better way to spend retirement- in Onsens around the country! :) I subscribed to your channel and insta, I think! lol

@@Its-Kat_ Why do you think Canada is terrible compared to Japan? I'm brazilian, and I have never left my country, the only source of information that I have right now is internet and for what I have seen Canada seemed like a great place to live, so I'm interested in the opinion of a person who has lived there and now lives in Japan, which is also another country that I think is a great place to live

@@rogeriojunior9459 Because they glorify the culture. Canada isn't bad.

@@PurpleLightning6was9 she loves Japanese toilet and convenience store

It also depends on where you are located in Japan, I think. Fukuoka has made a very concentrated effort to position itself as the best place to create startups.

Thanks for sharing your opinion Sanmit! I did meet a lot of entrepreneurs, but when you search for rankings on entrepreneurism, Japan is consistently one of the lowest in the world

That's great to hear! Hopefully you enjoy your time in Japan:)

yeah im just starting out studying Japanese and I went on a month long trip by myself a couple years ago and I think as long as you are resilient and take the good with the bad living anywhere can be exciting, but I too fell in love with japan. I just have the goal in my mind to be able to speak to locals naturally and that keeps me motivated. don't know what my point was but I just wanted to agree hahah.

Not sure what your personal situation is with your job but the only requirement in getting a work Visa is at least a bachelors degree (Which is admittedly a huge roadblock for most people) and beyond that you just need a company to sponsor your Visa. It may be hard to get a job in your field, I hear Japan doesn't value foreign degrees TOO much but the worst case scenario is you're basically guaranteed an English teaching job, they're everywhere and have no requirements and you could work on things from there! You would need near fluent level skills to even be hired at a Japanese company to begin with so that would also be a good opportunity to get your skills up

@@Scopatone I’m a government worker in regulation. I don’t particularly want to be private sector, even in Japan. But if I could get a job teaching English while being married to someone who is brought over on a sponsored visa, that would be pretty neat. This is all purely hypothetical anyway since it hinges on my husband’s career opportunities

@SERGIO MONTES JR honestly I wanted to be a teacher in the US, but teaching science. However, English language is perfectly acceptable, and I’m intrigued by the Japanese school system

Thanks for sharing your experiences!

Lol

Seriously the US has become quite a bit worse over the last 5-6 years.

hahaha u all idiots... best place to live... cheap safe and peacefull

What Chris abroad is the best explanation

Thanks so much Robert! 🙌

@@LiveYourBestLife14 i say the opposite... best country to be in right now... nobody force shit on you... no mask law no fines no nothing just peaceful living and cheap...

@@danielboomers And boring

Thanks for sharing your experiences, good luck with the next adventure!

Salaries are low and cost are high. Agiing population means rising taxes. The future in Japan is not pretty.

I don't want to be a dick but yeah I agree. I never take a foreigner not fluent in Japanese who complains about making friends seriously. You cannot understand the culture or how people truly think and communicate without a really good understanding of the language. It is the key to Japan. It is also a skill that comes with a good deal of crap as well lol. Because when you only communicate in English with people, those people are to some degree used to foreigners. When you can speak Japanese you have to deal with people who have NEVER had a meaningful exchange with a non-Japanese person and you must experience just how xenophobic and unexposed to other cultures the average Japanese person is. Anyhow, he is right about Japan, just doesn't have the street cred to say all this.

Yeah, I hate to say it, but not speaking the language (and well at that) cuts your pool of potential friends down to maybe 15~20% of the population, and that's in a big city. I have never really understood this critique of Japan. You don't see people who have lived in America for years, but never gotten good at English, complaining about how hard it is to make friends in America.

I don't think any of you guys are wrong. I think it's hard to immerse anywhere when you don't know the language and can't fully communicate with the people of that country. Especially since it puts the onus on everyone around you to learn english if they want to communicate with you and unless you're in a country that is usually that outgoing, I feel like you'd be pretty isolated.

I agree, I think language completely changes your perspective of a country or culture. Especially Japanese or languages of other asian countries (from the perspective of an english speaking westerner) because the language is extremely, almost unimaginably different from english. And similar to other cultures, the language is so tied to its culture. You cannot have one without the other. As someone who grew up speaking both languages, I know that I completely change personalities when I switch from one language to the other. It's really like another person steps in place and the way I view the world even changes. So you cant really expect to make Japanese friends if you dont speak the language unless you are looking for locals who just want a foreigner friend.

Yes, I couldn't agree more! This is the main reason I decided to leave

本当それです (動画投稿主の意見は素晴らしいと思うけど、その他の)こんなことで文句言う外国人が、日本の文化に馴染めるわけがないので不要ですね

@@NAMENO-c3l It is a problem because foreigners do not spend 10 years studying Japanese. In contrast, the Japanese studied English for 10 years in public schools and more if you add universities. Can you see the problem? As an OECD country, you cannot talk about respect when you should be the bigger person since you studied a global international language. Come on, now. Learn to understand people. Your comment was itself unnecessary.

Apa kabar Lei, please just try joining some hobby group or club. It can be Esperanto, flower arrangement or just hiking or bird watching...There are millions of very interesting people around you. And an amazing variety of them...

@@gurfatehsingh4328 Thank you for your suggestion. I tried a lot but still can’t establish the meaning emotional connection with them. But I will try more as you suggest.

@@leiyaminsoe Hhmm, send me a message via Google. I'm stuck in Sydney as Corona reigns now. I'm on FB also...Japan only after this storm. Kansai is a very special "Japan". Sorry I thought you were from Indonesia, actually Myan....

You’re not alone. Sending love..❤️

Do you mean that kansai people are more humourous than kanto region ?

All great points, thanks for sharing!

Amazing, glad you enjoyed Tokyo! Totally agree it is a very special city

Thanks for sharing your insights Zumba! Yes, I think you are absolutely correct that tatemae is always present, the Japanese work too much, and prioritize marriages based on having kids instead of for love. Also, I agree that speaking Japanese is essential, unless you are an English teacher or work in recruitment. I also hope Japan continues to become more open-minded!

It depends on the location I think. From japan. It’s my opinion

It’s cause you’re not Asian.

Basically you are saying Japan should be more like western!

@@estelagarcia6579 If they want to change.

I disagree. It's a great place to work and build a life.

Thanks for sharing your experiences!

I wonder how much of that experience is because of Japanese behavior and how much is from modern urban living. If you live in any major, modern urban city you're going to get a certain level of distance from people. You can live in a large apartment and not know any of your neighbors or even see them. That's just what urban life is generally like. Had a freshmen roommate from Nevada that was rather shocked about how rather cold people on the East Coast of the US were. Where he is from, people normally look each other in the eye and just say "hi" even if they are strangers. Not so in big cities on the East coast. He found when he did that people would either not respond or just look at him strangely. There people do not normally greet each other unless they knew each other and had some reason to contact you.

I taught in Japan for 3 years. One of my students, a woman of about 55, told me that she would never become friends with someone in under 2 years.

Thanks so much Mao! I certainly will share again in a few years:)

Great to hear! Hopefiully you can return someday

Thanks for sharing your opinion, certainly agree with you

a boring country.

So true

Wtf are you serious, I assumed he knew japanese

Knowing their language is key to build relations

You left out that he knows people who do speak the language and have lived there for much much longer and still have the same amount of friends as he does.

@@loraz5343 what's your point

I made the effort to learn Japanese before I went there and it made a whole difference. I’ve been to japan so many times and have driven top to bottom. I was lucky to be Australian as I soon found out by a couple of friends in japan that they are not fond of Americans as they are apparently “ arrogant,entitled” Becoming fluent in Japanese was the biggest key to make friends for me.... But everyone judges the place before they have even attempted to start learning... Japanese feel comfortable with tourists if they made the effort to learn Japanese because it means they should have learned to be respectful and understand their values. Half of the people that want to move to japan are generally people that think it’s exactly like it is in anime.....

@@dakodaburow574 Most Japanese teachers can`t teach Japanese as they can`t explain intermediate grammar in English. They can`t translate.

most important question here: are you fluent in japanese? i mean actually fluent, can have a conversation about anything you want.

hahaha, all good points😂

Thanks for your feedback Kevin! Happy you enjoyed the content

I live in Guatemala.

Same... I think when you grow up taking some things for granted, you also forget their true value. Personally, like you, just wants to find a job after uni,get my on my own feet, and live a normal life with a normal wage. Just a simple average life.

@@GrandDuchessT Yes... i know its hard but lets try hard and hope we find it!

Ahahah yes this video love letter is a privilege person problem

You see most Japan cannot read nor reply to your comments because their ministry of education has screwed up English education in their public schools big time. They don`t know what they are doing. Most Japanese do not like Chinese people because of their loud behavior. Some Japanese look down on third world countries and do not want to take directions from such countries. Japan is just bad at interacting with other countries but I respect Japan for one thing. It is the land where Zen originate. Cool. But they should really look at some form of controlled immigration and making English a second official language. Then it can really add a further huge impact to the world.

He was refering to Japanese toilets

No, you can be globalized and internationalized and still retain its own identity and tradition.

Thanks for your comment Hans, that is a good point, and complicated issue

@@LiveYourBestLife14 thanks for reading my comment. I am surprised you actually read comments.

I have 5 kids who are in or have been through the public school system in Japan. I couldn't be happier with the care and attention they've received.

Countries in Africa.

Thanks so much for sharing your insights!

Absolutely true. Trying to get my students to make any creative decision was like drawing blood from a stone. Teaching methods over there are far too old school for today's world.

where do you live now?

Thanks for sharing your insights!

We are certainly not in the same situation that Palestinian men have to live in, this is true.

Yes, similar for me, but love-dislike is a better way to explain it for me:)

@@LiveYourBestLife14 I left Japan once... and I came crawling back! Its ironic because my home is Hawaii... and I both love and hate it there too. XD

I neither hate nor like Japan

Ohhh, thanks for the hate message! I real rite of new RU-vidr passage! 🙌

@@LiveYourBestLife14 levity, not hate. You may want to discern between the two. Let me help. I do not know you. I do not hate you. I ruminate on the wisdom of critiquing the most successful country on the planet. I suggest you are being an orientalist and arrogant, or is that just being American?

I would say that is entirely subjective. I know tons of families who are very happy in Asia. At least they don't have to worry about getting shot, like in the US 😉