Why I Left Japan After 5 Years | Single 28 Year Old Japanese American 

Can totally relate. You sound like me. I also recently moved back to the US from Japan after living there for five years (June 2018-Sept 2023). Also left because of the Japanese work culture. As you alluded, foreigners have it relatively easy compared to the native Japanese, but nonetheless the office culture is still... suboptimal. BTW -- perhaps you can consider working remotely from Japan for a US employer after college. If the yen continues to get trashed, it'll be super lucrative!

Time makes hypocrites of us all eventually. Thanks for the catch-up, and best wishes to you and yours!

I'm sorry things didn't work out for you in Japan, especially through a painful divorce. I'm just glad that you've handled it, made it through, and you're starting a fresh, new chapter in your life. Much love Chika ❤

Thanks for this catch up video! I have missed you and your sense of humor. It's nice knowing you're going back to school and are now focusing on those goals. I look forward to your future videos.

We are just in the process of moving to Japan. So far we are enjoying Japan, even though the moving process has been incredibly stressful. But I wonder how long we will stay. I guess life is a great adventure. Very normal to have so many ups and downs.

Good to see you again! Good luck!

Thanks for updating us! I'm glad to hear you're doing better. I would love a video about your recent dating experience.

Welcome Back! Missed the videos.

Great to see you back. You do look a lot healthier and happier. Keep moving forward.

Sorry to hear about all the hardships you endured but glad to say: Welcome back Chika!

Glad to see you again Chika. I've been following you through your experiences going to Japan and back. Sorry to hear about your PTSD, but I'm glad that you're getting counseling for it. It's admirable that you're going for your second bachelor's degree, and I wish you luck on that front.

Wow glad to see video of you again to now your back Hope life go good for you and to see video from your new area till the next video

Hello, Chika ! It's really nice to hear again from you. I was always listening your posts until the end. I think that you are a great observer of the world around you and anything that you will decide to speak about on your videos will be fine.

Great seeing you back, chicka take care

Hi Chika! Welcome back to America! Always wonderful to hear from you!

Yey! Sheees back!

It's so good to hear from you! I'm glad you are doing better now and pursuing new goals and have such a supportive friend group back in Florida. I'm sorry things didn't work out as originally planned but that Japanese working culture is brutal. Someone once asked me if I wanted to move to Japan at some point since I am living and working abroad but I just laughed in their face knowing what the work culture would do to me 😇. Living there with no need to work though would be banger.

I'm glad to see you back! Glad to see you taking your mental health seriously. Looking forward to seeing your pictures and videos again. You look great. You should visit the northeast❤

Chika, May this new stage in life be full of joy and success. We all wish you the best and remember you have a friend in Mexico whenever you feel like talking.

It's great to hear that things are more in control in your life again! I'm also happy to hear that you're pursuing an engineering degree too, personally I studied CS in college and it was very difficult for me. Being in the engineering department was quite a difficult environment to be in because you're around such smart people (mostly PhD professors and international students), finding a community in a lot of ego you come across can be difficult. I had finally moved to Tokyo about a year ago using Japanese and CS like I had considered since I started college. So hearing you going the same junior college to university route just gave me memories of humble beginnings. Though I am starting to see the struggles of living in Japan, but at the same time you're reminding me of the financial confinement I had living in California. I do hope big things happen for you and I hope everything falls into place 😌

your situation is far from simple but you are so positive! you go girl !

Very interesting story! Thanks for sharing. I hope you'll find happiness in the States.

I'm glad you did what was best for you; I'm sure you'll figure things out! Best of luck

Glad to hear an update from you Wishing you all the best -　頑張って！

Great video it’s good to have you back, I loved your honesty and your openness, it’s good to know you are slowly recovering, Good luck in school, Welcome back to America, 😃,

First video of yours that I've seen and it was really interesting. Thanks for sharing!

Welcome back we are here for you

Happy your hand is better!

Finally! It's been a long time that I was expecting you to upload videos to share with your experiences. Greetings from Philippines!❤😁🇵🇭

It's great to see you again👍. Glad to see you in good health and that you're doing so well👍. Let's hope and cross our fingers that universe turns out for the better for everyone including you👌. You're amazing as always Chika Alice😉. Stay strong, stay you, stay human.

I subscribed for the “living in Japan” content. So best of luck to you in your new life.

Hi Chika, welcome back. Yes, it has been along time! Very sorry for your many challenges in the past year. Hope you much success in starting your new life back in order. I totally understand your dislike working in Japan. I discovered that many years ago! I still live in Sapporo working part time at a all girls High School! Yes, I know why now how the educational system in Japan is so different and that was effects the way the work force does things. Again, much success and hope to see update videos in the future. Take Care!

Good to see you aggain Chika. Sad things didnt work out in japan, working culture for sure is a mess there. but good to hear that you are back and have goals. good luck in college! 💖

Happy to hear from you again. I'm sorry to hear things didn't work out in Japan. And sorry to hear that you lost a box (USPS can be the worst sometimes). Glad you're back in the US, though. Hope to see you out in California sometime.

Great to see you’re making videos again! Slowly but surely, I wouldn’t say you’re getting your life back, but building a new one. I’ve reflected on my own life too. Also coming from the south (NC), I moved to CA to get my career started. Rent has been crazy here too, and for a number of reasons I don’t think it’s for me. While I appreciate the salary and weather… it’s just not enough to offset the living costs and culture for me. It was my dream to live here when I was younger, but I realized people can change too. All I know is, life is continuing on, and that’s all we can do sometimes.

Welcome back

Whoa! Random recommendation in my feed, but welcome back to Florida! As someone who was born and raised in Florida, and studied in Japan for university, it's wild to hear you're also from here, especially since I feel that the Asian communities in FL are not that prevalent. I bet it's a contrast, right? I hope your next chapter goes well! I studied CS, and life has been prosperous as a result. Stay safe in FL-- I'm sure you know, it's crazy out here ...

Keep working on you, take your time, you will be fine. Strength through perseverance. Sending good vibes your way.

Heeeeeyyy!! Holy moly, it's Chika! It's really good to hear from you. I had wondered about you, and Cloud, and all that you were going through the last time you posted vids, from time to time. So it's great to see you now. Congrats on your move, and school, and all that. I'm looking forward to seeing more videos whenever you feel like posting them (no pressure!!) ... maybe you can rename your channel "Chika Alice Goes Back to School", or "Chika Alice Back in Florida" ... those aren't great, I know you'll come up with something better. Anyway - great seeing you!! And good luck on your final!

If you wanna save money on food then please look for an ALDI near your place....the best you can do for getting good and cheap food and vegetables etc....

I am glad to see you are doing better! The 0-50 dating score sucks, but it seems you have a worthy relationship goal in mind (future marriage). The thought of marriage might scare some guys away, but there are many guys out there actually looking for love, so I wouldn't worry. You picked a heck of a time to come back to the USA in general. The racism received (I was shocked hearing about this one), high costs, high rent are all things that have been getting worse, and no one is doing anything about it (policies are making things worse). Anyways, from one Floridian to another, welcome back!

I am SO THRILLED to see you again! You look amazing. I am glad you went back to the States and doing what you really want. I did something similar to you. I sold all my things and moved to England and told everyone I was never coming back. Well, I came back to Canada after a year as I was homesick. Please continue this channel - you are amazing!

Welcome back! Sorry about what you both went through. But glad doing better. I went through 3 divorces in japan over living there for 10 years.

I am glad you have come back after being away for so long and I can totally understand your reasoning for leaving Japan and not to do any videos because of what happened. You took care of yourself first and foremost, so for us, that is a very comforting thought. as for Florida, well, they are the complete opposite of California so I am not surprised that on that type of behavior. we are here for you and I am glad that you are slowly getting back on your feet. I am glad to see you again after so long. Do your best, take care of yourself and move forward with your dreams and goals :3

It's really amazing to see how far you've come. I am living in Japan and working as an English teacher, but I really don't want to do this teaching stuff as my main career. I decided to apply to university again to get a second bachelor's degree, and although I got accepted, the financial aid was not good. I thought I would qualify for more financial aid as an independent, but I was also told that I wasn't eligible to receive grants. It sucks. I decided not to enroll and plan on self-studying and getting certifications instead. For me, I wanna do something with video editing and media, which doesn't really require any degree or certifications, but it's hard to study when you have to work to make ends meet. On top of paying for my basic needs here in Japan, I'm paying off private loans I took out for my first bachelor's degree, so I've been working a lot just to pay them off. I also had to pay for some medical expenses due to various health issues, so that took out a chunk of my money that I had saved. I wish money wasn't such a problem, and I wish I could dedicate all of my time to studying again. But I gotta make do with the circumstances. I did consider going back to the US and maybe living with my parents while working to save up to pay off my loans faster and get my dream job, but I honestly don't feel comfortable about working in the US unless it's a remote job. I just have a lot of anxiety and stress when I live in the US. Also, I don't want to deal with day-to-day life in the US and deal with all the racial slurs once again (I'm Asian American). I also feel like the US isn't safe with all of the violence and hate crimes. I feel like I would lock myself in my house all day fearing for my own safety. At least here in Japan, I don't have to deal with any stress or anxieties at the moment with day-to-day life, and now that I'm working in an international environment, I feel that things are getting better and my health is improving (at my previous teaching job, I worked with only Japanese people, and the Japanese work environment was a detriment to my health). The only thing that I'm still not happy with is my finances and where I'm at with my skillsets, and looking down the line, I don't know if continuing this way of life here in Japan will change things for me. I guess giving up comfort and going back to the US is the price I'll have to pay though if I wanna level up in my career and be in a better financial situation.

Hello Chika ,really good to see you, it is good that you experienced 5 years in Japan ,but i totally understand you moving back to Florida ,being happy at work is most important, being unhappy at work you begin to dread getting up in the morning . Im so happy you are enjoying your new job and also studying for the Aerospace or computer science jobs you desire, having goals is very important ,something to strive for. Im sorry you have suffered racism, on top of that you have had challenges in your life after your divorce,but as a result you are a stonger person and you have changed your life around for the better ,and most importantly you are happy. Having good friends around you is very important too, having someone to talk to ,or for advice helps a great deal. Glad your hand is getting better. I hope it is soon at full strength again soon. Btw i loved the video you made at Ghibli Park with Miley, that was great fun. I wish you all the success for the future ,and i hope to see you again on here, but please don't feel pressured to post videos regularly. Take care Chika ,look affter yourself and stay safe.❤

Good to hear from you chika and im glad you're doing better now!..I miss seeing your videos! The cost of living in america has gone up like 200% since youve been gone...we all struggle now lol

welcome back home! glad to hear that your are doing better :) Regarding video ideas, I would love to see/hear about your college experiences, esp since I have been thinking to go to a second bachelor's degree in computer science (or electrical engineering) in a couple years or something. So it would be wonderful to see your college experiences, just an idea :)

Very nice you're back. I know the pros and cons related to Japan, was warned when i was staying at one gaijin house in Tokyo. About the item to prevent you fell out of bed, do not know it in English, but in norwegian it is sengehest, bed horse. Well it will be one major task to ascend the horse first, and then fell out of the bed.

Don't get stressed, you don't need to make a lot of videos if you need to focus on college life. I know making RU-vid videos will help you get paid. I would like to know what Florida is like cuz I'm looking to move to a new state near future. I hope you stay strong, and keep your chin up, and look forward to your new chapter in life.

Wow big update thank you! Amazing to see the perseverance. Going through all of life's changes, living in another country, moving again. etc. all will be part of the rounded out main character development in your story :). Good to see you won't just be another NPC coasting through life. In terms of Japan, I think you're right that working for a Japanese company while living there may not be ideal for foreigners looking to live there. Let's hear about the 50 dates that sounds so intriguing! Being able to live in Japan with foreign income / foreign remote work would probably be ideal since USD goes so far. I still want to retire in Japan like your parents though!

It’s great to hear that you want to pursue an engineering degree, I wish your success, and keep dating, it’s better to find that someone you don’t have to change for!

It's so good to see a new video from you in over a year. I'm so glad you are doing well since your divorce. I have always love your channel since day. Welcome back to America Chika sweetheart.

You're still young. You still have your whole life ahead of you. You gained some value life lessons from the marriage and from living in Japan. Stay strong and never give up. It's normal to feel depressed sometimes. But always pick yourself up and dust yourself off and keep on going.

You absolutely are one of the most beautiful and interesting Japanese. I have learned so much about Japanese culture. I have truly missed seeing your videos. I am sure you will very well in your studies. I look forward to your next video. I definitely will follow you. Thanks for making the video.

Would totally recommend CS. I think it's pretty useful going forward.

Hi Chika, great to see you again, its been a while.

I am trying to go back to school too. Thanks for sharing. Look forward and be positive!

Hi Chika. Sending you a friendly hello and good vibes from Miami. I remember your Ghibli video and English test with Miley; you two were having so much fun. I'm happy to hear you're doing well. Getting a degree in aerospace engineering sounds like a wonderful idea. I've always been fascinated by the work that companies like SpaceX and Boeing are doing. 頑張って. I visited Japan this summer and met Miley on her tour and at her bar. My birthday gift for her was inspired by your Ghibli video, a box of Wisconsin Cheeseman ;-) Best of luck with all your new adventures 🌟

Yay, Chika Alice! I remy you with Miley (Maeri) from Asakusa. We had lunch with her earlier this year and are going to see her again this coming March. Take care young woman! 👍

Thanks for your honesty. I know groceries are more expensive now. Our budget is $1000 a month for a family of 4 per month. That is $250 per per person a month Requires shopping at Aldi though if you can do that you might be able to get back down to $62 or so.

Hope all is well! =)

Oh wow, Hello a year later. I am glad you are seeking some balance in your life. I know it will all work out.

Alrighty then!

Hi there!! Yes, I found out also that when completing a second bachelors or taking undergraduate classes for any level of certification financial will not assist :( But your taking classes and that’s a step closer to aerospace engineering.

I'm sorry it didn't work out in Japan. The working environment seems to be abusive there. Lots of Aerospace in Washington State, you just need to get used to the Weather change and lack Sunlight during the Winter.

I think you'd do well on a streaming platform. You have a good sense of responding to comments and story telling, just depends if you develop the skill of doing it off the bat.

Please don’t put yourself down. You do deserve it. You deserve so much goodness in your life. And you have a lot of love and great friends. If they didn’t think you deserve it, they would have stopped being your friends a long time ago. You give your own digs to yourself and that’s not healthy. I know you have a funny sense of humor but the more you keep putting yourself down, you’ll always be unhappy about yourself. You don’t deserve that. Look at all the care and love in all these comments. Because you deserve it. ❤️

Hope to see you at Holmat! I'll be there all 3 days!

Greetings from ......Florida. Welcome back.

God bless you with success.

Animo Chica Alice, welcome back home, besitos

Hey Chika. Thanks for sharing your story. I'm sorry to hear that you experienced a lot of trauma from your last relationship. I'm surprised you were married for 5 years. You look so young. Nice that you're pursuing your dream of becoming an aerospace engineer and finding a new husband lol! I'm from Florida and went to UCF for business too lol! I recently met a really cool girl from Japan that visited me not too long ago and we're now in a long distance relationship, which is tough af. I hope too see her again soon though. I'm just worried about leaving my family here in the states, if I went to Japan more than just to visit. I want to start a business right now doing youtube/streaming and run a vending machine company, because then I could just live on that income somewhere else like Japan and not have to participate in the work culture there. Kinda like what your parents did. This is farther into the future, but I feel like I'd prefer raising children in Japan rather than the states. I want them to feel safe and that sense of freedom to go out, which isn't granted for most kids here in the states until they get a license. Where do you think is a better place to raise kids? I hope you recover from your ptsd. I think talking about your trauma will definitely help!

SOOO curious about the dates and what went wrong

It's great to see from you again, my dear friend. Hope you are doing well

I remember you missed Tex-Mex while in Japan so I wonder what food you miss now you're in the US.

You really went quite a journey during these last couple of years, Chika. I am glad to see you are still doing well. I am still very sorry about your divorce. But I understand it was for the best for you and your ex-husband. For now, enjoy the fresh start and live life happy as always. Cheers! 😊

I am going to keep my US job working remotely. So it will hopefully be a good combination of US salary and lower Japanese living costs. Fingers crossed.

keep the job and go back japan :) you can remote work from there :)

Very sorry about the stress you went through. But I have known people who stayed in marriages that weren't working for 10+ years and that is a big mistake. If it's not working out, it's better to go through the divorce sooner rather than later. Glad you were able to take some time for yourself.

The chad chin had me crackin up! (had to pause to get the laughter out to listen) It's good to see ya doing and getting better. I know what you mean for the school system. I had that issue with the grant thing also. At the time I wasn't thinking clearly, so long story short, I have a BS, associates, and 2 technical certificates XD. It's crazy to imagine a pay deduction for not meeting quota to me, but that's because I never worked in a company like that. When I was in Florida in October, I think my friends that lived there were telling me that the average home in Florida is like 400k range. Florida could be one of the most expensive states to live in when I think about it. I don't think I've had racial slurs thrown at me for a LONG time. Then again, I'm a large guy and I've been told that I'm intimidating xD. I'm happy that you have friends that you can count on. Having really good friends and family is what kept me afloat mentally the past few years. (My family is the same mindset of your folks, just older gen that doesn't really understand that concept) 50 people?!?! I can't even get one!!! LOLOL The fact that this comment is like the way I take notes from lectures though. LOL Anywho, Hope you find a way to balance all of your wants!! I gotchu if ya ever need an ear or handyman/technical help.

Ganbare! Keep on moving forward. -Bobacola

Not sure what to do, everyone saying the US is the best for jobs...but again if its not big tec or nursing people look down on me, I wanted to do 2D animation, yes boo not a real job but its what I live for like Keiser william II

You are awesome & have a positive attitude & cute 🤭

Welcome back to Orlando and UCF(also am an alumnus). Great to see you doing better. I wouldn't mind being date 51 🤣

I 'm so happy that you're doing better. 😊 I was just thinking about you the other day and hoping you were doing well. I just want to say you look amazing. Why anyone would yell racial slurs at such a beautiful woman is beyond me and makes me upset. 😡 Please dont be a stranger and keep us informed. This video really made my day. Thank you!🙂

Your videos always brighten up my day (although you’re talking about racial slurs in the US 😞). I wonder if that’s a Florida thing. I don’t hear any racial slurs in Tucson where I live. I did hear some in Boston a little but it’s a big city so you’re bound to encounter some idiots.

I moved back to the U.S. from Japan at 30 to get a CS degree. I also went to a community college then transferred to a university. I had to do all four years though because nothing from my previous degree transferred. Every school is different, but some CS environments can be really toxic. As a result, I went through school thinking I was an idiot and that CS wasn't for me. I graduated last year and was able to get a cushy high paying job at a U.S. company in Japan. Whether you pick Aerospace or CS, Japan or the U.S., don't get discouraged in school!

Retiring to Japan is our family plan. I love Japan, but not the business culture. Hope you find a more representative community. We live in the suburbs of Chicago. There are so many Japanese companies around here. Our city is 25 percent Asian. We even have a public bilingual English Japanese school. Most of our friends are actually expats from Japan. They love our area. Don’t stay in a toxic community. The United States is a big country. You can find a place you will love.

I'm also in the Orlando area and can totally relate about the cost of living here. It's insane! Publix may be where shopping is a pleasure, but paying those prices certainly is not 😂. If you're looking for video ideas and still want to focus on Asian cultures, there's a growing revival of sorts in a lot of the Asian communities in the area right now when it comes to restaurants and businesses, particularly in the Mills 50 area. But getting there without a car might be a pain depending on where you live because I know the Lynx bus system is okay-ish but not great. You might feel more welcome in those spaces, too, in regards to your mention of racism here in the US. My husband is Vietnamese, and we spend a fair amount of time around the Asian communities in the area, and they seem welcoming to people of all different backgrounds and ethnicities. But I myself am white, so there could be negative things I don't pick up on. Or even if you don't want to make content related to Asian cultures, there's still lots of stuff always going on here that's not related to the theme parks. As for UCF, I have heard the computer science program there is very intense. But if you really love math, then it might not be so bad! Either way, UCF has great opportunities for comp sci and aerospace engineering, so I'm sure you will find the right fit for you. And in all things, do what you feel is best! (Sorry my comment rambled about a lot of things 😅)

Welcome back to RU-vid and the US…with the grit, grime and all the sundry that goes with both.

No brain but great at math that's awesome, I love that. Glad to see you're doing better and welcome back we've missed you btw I want to hear a story.

And sorry for the haters! Florida is better now that you are there!

New subscriber here hello from GUAM

Long time no see, Alice. I’m glad that you’re doing well. Just for money reasons alone, I don’t under stand why you’re going back to school, but you do you hahahaha.

Ironically, it is the aerospace, software and engineering companies here (Japan) where you'll find healthier work environments. The reality is that anywhere you go, there will be good places to work, and there will bad places to work. I have found engineering to be generally better than "generic office work" or teaching. Animation and recruitment are probably the worst. The key thing though is to be doing something you enjoy and feel your effort is valuable. On the other hand, pay for engineering, software and aerospace here sucks across the board. Its certainly better than "livable" for a single person, but you can still earn double or triple in the states. I would be interested to know what you are thinking about in the aerospace industry? Its a wide field. Do you have something specific you are interested in? TBH, with everything else going on, perhaps dating should be a low on your priority list ATM. Enjoy casual dating for a while without over committing yourself. happiness in a relationship has to start with happiness within yourself.

Hi Chika. Aerospace engineering sounds super interesting. Perhaps you can apply for a job at SpaceX or the space force after you graduate. I’m sure there’s a lot of money to be made in that field. I’m surprised that your company treated you so badly even though it is considered one of the healthiest companies to work for. And you can speak Japanese fluently and you are Japanese. One of the biggest reasons why I don’t move to America is because of its racism. I mean, every country has racism but America expresses racism more explicitly like your experience in Florida. I’ve grown up in Washington state where there are a lot of asians so I didn’t get a bad racist experience. Perhaps you can look into moving to a more Asian-friendly state later on in life. I haven’t been to Florida and I don’t think I can live there. Thanks for your video!

2024 will be the year of glow up

My stepbrother once lived in New York, then he decideded to move to Florida and now he lives in Florida and stayed in Miami, and he felt like Florida is his home for him.

You're still so cute. 4.0 GPA, aero space engineering, my god. So smart too! 50 dates and no boyfriend, now that's incredibly hard to believe.