Hello, everybody!
I’m the author of this blog, Magurodon.
If you are reading this blog, then you must love Japan, right? So, do you want to live in Japan? If you want to live in Japan, I have to tell the hard fact.
The percentage of foreigners who can live in this country for more than 5 years is 1-2%.
Does it surprise you? This is the reality. It’s not an official percentage, but most of the foreigners I know have returned to their countries.
Why do so many foreigners leave Japan, and how can we live in Japan happily and for a long time? This is the topic of my blog. When I think about this topic, I think there are three problems.
Japanese culture and values do not suit you.
Is the Japanese society you imagine true? Playing the latest video games and eating at the Izakayas is just one part of Japanese society. Many foreigners who say that Japanese culture is not suitable for them come to Japan knowing only the Japanese subculture. However, when you live in Japan, you spend more time working than playing. So if you like Japanese subculture, travel around Japan. But if you want to live in Japan, please keep this in mind.
If you work in Japan, you will know what the Japanese really are.
The business world is not as kind to you as when you were a tourist. When you are a tourist or a foreign student, you are a customer who spends money for Japan. So if you don’t like a certain Japanese culture, you can ignore it. However, if you work in Japan, you will have to deal with the things you don’t like about Japan. Can you bear this? Before coming to Japan, you should observe, analyze, and understand the real culture of Japan.
You don’t know what you want to do in Japan
Have you decided what you want to do despite living in Japan? Going to Akihabara is great, but wouldn’t you be bored if you did it every day for a year? Even if you go to a foreign country, your life won’t suddenly change. You have to decide on your purpose and strive little by little to have hope. I have met many foreigners who are working on Working Holiday. They said, “I want to live in Japan but there is no good job. This is normal. It’s not easy to find a good job.
The jobs that foreigners can easily do now are physical or low-wage jobs that Japanese people don’t want to do.
If someone tells you that it is easy to work in Japan and teaches you how to do it, don’t trust them. This is a lie. I know many foreigners who believed it and were deceived. Do you want to live with 6 people in a dirty room? Of course your boss will hide your passport.
If you want a job in Japan that is as sustainable as the average Japanese job, study harder than the Japanese. In order to beat the Japanese and get a good job, you have to specialize. What can you do? You should think about it.
You also need to think about your future to think about your specialization. Foreigners who can live in Japan for a long time analyze and think better than normal people. If you do not like to think, you should not come to Japan.
No Connection to Japanese Society
It is possible to live without understanding Japanese, but life is very lonely. In addition, many foreigners leave Japan because they cannot feel at home here.
But this is also normal.
The cultural difference between Japan and the West is very big.
Do you think that you can come to a country with a completely different culture, around the age of 20, and make friends without having to make any effort? You have to work hard again to make Japan feel like home.
You have to understand that finding your place in a foreign country is more difficult than finding it in your own country.
Conclusion
What you need to learn to live in Japan is not the study of subcultures, but the analysis of the real Japanese society. How do the Japanese work and what value can they offer to the Japanese society? Think about this.
I have written a very harsh opinion so far. I understand this, but I was frustrated that many Japanese people do not tell foreigners the truth. That’s not equality. I said this because I believe that the hard truth will give you a better future than the sweet lie. If I have hurt you, I apologize. But please understand this.
Living in a foreign country means going to a tougher environment than in your own country.
If you don’t want to hate Japan, you can travel there. This is not a bad idea.
Now, I know that there are some adventurers who still want to live in Japan. I’m doing an article to support those people.
LIVING : The Real Japan
Now, I know that there are some adventurers who still want to live in Japan. I’m doing an article to support those people.
If you don’t have time, please read this article. It explains the collectivism that is the root of Japanese culture.