I lived in Japan twice (Okinawa early 80's, Northern Mainland early 90's). It's like anywhere..... it's what you make of it. The early 80's didn't have the internet and we had delayed TV / video taped months earlier (military). I stayed busy the whole time. People were awesome and the food..... oh the food. I was a happy camper. I left home when I was 17 and being away from family didn't bother me a bit (was kind of nice actually). Yen was over 230 to the dollar when I was there in the early 80's (some guys remembered over 300 to the dollar in the 70's).
First and foremost, thank you for your service. Second, you are 100% correct. It is what you make of it. Of course, the food REALLY helps. I make a case for moving to Japan here: ua-cam.com/video/NIY40Un3ACE/v-deo.html
The key of happy (read: relatively comfortable) work life in Japan (anywhere tbh) is to find companies/workplaces that have plenty of CASH relative to its size (therefore, not necessarily big companies) If companies have CASH, they should be more willing to use them to pay wages in Japan, they are usually 1. Foreign companies (cause of weak Yen, plus their parents companies obviously have a lot of CASH) 2. Start ups who gets lot of CASH from VC 3. Subsidiaries of big company who are still heavily subsidized by their parent company 4. Small business which just starts and have a lot CASH (from loan etc.)
I'm Japanese here Tokyo for 20 years. I totally agree this video except the food. Only in Tokyo, is not good moving to place. I think it's good place to travel. I have been to abroads and the food in each country has been very good, but the best and happiest meal I always had at any time of the day was in Tokyo. It's always. Apart from tradisional japanese style working, Tokyo is close to everything and fun.
@@weeklyfascination i domt have any means to get a White man to have a relationship with in Taiwan. I hate to libe in Taiwan for my childhood and amy adulthood in Taiwan. You are living in Japan. Consequently, Do you know if there are som Westerners are interested in Asian women? Can you introduce me to them?
Asking for my son - do you know or have you heard if the work environment at International Schools is, in general, different from the typical Japanese companies that's pretty much notorious at this point in time. My son holds 2 undergraduate degrees, including Biology and a Masters, all from the University of California, is currently teaching High School, with California State Certs for High School Biology, Chemistry, and Physics. His mother is Japanese and he is in the family registry as well. Thanks for any opinion in advance.
I live near 2 international schools. Everyone seems really nice from the staff to the parents and students. Of course, I haven't been on the inside so I can't speak to that. It will probably be very different from working in California as there are families from multiple countries as well as children from Japan or children from International marriages. They are the very definition of a melting pot.
@@weeklyfascination Thank you for reply and observations, really appreciate it, and I must apologize for citing my son's resume in short. The reason I did that is I simply wanted to emphasize that he's not coming to Japan to teach conversation or be an English teacher. We live very close to Los Angeles Harbor, a very diverse community,it's very common here all over Southern California. His mother and I have been married for 42 years, and she has family in Tokyo and the Kansai area, we're no strangers to Japan. After he finishes his last year here, he will relocate to Japan, focusing on schools in Osaka and Kobe and we will follow him there sometime in 2026 as we are both now retired Best Wishes Always
I think he's going to have a great time. The international school scene has a lot of professional educators who have worked in multiple countries from what I hear.
It's kind of funny... I've lived in a European city for the past 30+ years and in truth, I could have used the same list with minor adjustments ( like... replace earthquakes with flooding/constant high winds ) and different examples ( like... change low wages to "indeed there are higher wages, but epically higher cost of living, so don't kid yourself by the size of a pay check" or change the hot humidity with "it's not quite as hot here, but no one ever believes in Air Conditioning... at all!" ) for where I live, but more or less it's the same. Indeed where I live ... yep... it's crowded too (especially where people actually live), the food is questionable and not for everyone, the people here are massively unfriendly (are well known for being as such and seem to be quite proud of it), the work environment is founded upon bullying and inefficacy, the 'individualism' here is actually a collectivism in individualists clothing (and you will never ever in the history of ever be part of it no matter how much you try), and so on... Moving from one country to another is simply not "plug and play" and it is most certainly not for everyone. Oh... and if the final thing on the list, "being away from family", is not such a bad thing in your eyes... well... you might take all the other problems in stride.
It's really a matter of listing out the pros and cons. If the pros outweigh the cons, go for it. I have had a few comments about being away from family. At first it wasn't a big thing. Miss a few holidays, a birthday, or a wedding. But when everybody gets older, you start to feel really far away.
Indeed... one really needs to looks at the pros and cons in detail, also, make sure the pros and cons are not filtered through a rosy glass of naive optimism. No place is a Utopia, but some places come closer. As to the family thing... well... that's me. My reasons are many and of course my own (and only my own), but this distance has been the best possible thing for me and likely for them as well. Distance didn't make the heart grow fonder, but it did eliminate our mutual ability to push each others buttons all the time. 😉
I've heard this from many people. Ultimately, moving to another country is an amazing opportunity to reinvent ourselves and not bring the baggage of the past. In Tokyo, nobody has ever seen me as that awkward kid in high school. If I had stayed in my hometown, I'd probably still be treated the same. But where I live now, they met me as an adult with a decent job, and that's how they treat me.
Sounds like I will fit in quite nicely. Crowds are fine, most of my very close friends are already online (time zones are annoying though), I have a collective mindset, plan on starting a business and creating my own work environment, I will set my own salary(and employees to a extent to be on the high end) based on my business performance, I plan on living in a dirt cheap akiya to avoid rent and mortgage payments. However, the Humidity and heat is absolutely dreadful and really makes me think twice. Also the indirect communication style I find very annoying but that is just some to adjust to.
I got it from Artgrid, which says it’s from Arashiyama, Kyoto. Don’t have anything more precise than that, though. I try to shoot my own video, but sometimes it's just not practical.
The collectivism thing. If a foreigner do cause trouble in your area, just walk somewhere else asap. The fact that you're not THEM doesn't matter in the world of collectivism. So whenever I see this, I just go to another area with different people.
This is why I avoided going out with my camera when the latest streamer was out causing havoc. I was either shooting talking head videos at home or editing something. It's just not worth it.
That makes it easy. I had already moved a few times in my life before moving to Japan. So I didn’t feel like I was leaving any childhood friends behind. I think people who have lived in the same place their whole lives have a more difficult time relocating to another country.
Alternative title Japan is a great place to live if you work remotely and have air condition/dehumidifier. Getting blame by actions committed by another isn't a exclusive Japanese problem because you can always insert Japanese person who did bad things like all the people who scam the elderly as a counter point.
Honestly, I didnt see a reason so far not to move to Japan. I Greatly enjoy all various vids on Japan & It's Culture. I have a Question, is it considered rude to bring your own Chopsticks to any or some Dinning or Eatery Establishments? 有り難う御座います.
I've never seen someone bring chopsticks. And don't be surprised when you're a guest and somebody gives you disposable chopsticks. That means they are giving you something pristine, that has never been used before. Peak Japanese hospitality. I've got another video called "10 reasons to move to Japan". Trying to cover both sides and leave it up to the viewer to decide.
It depends. Some people can be uncharacteristically outspoken. But most people just put their head down and do their job. If you get into a good situation, you can stay for years and have a great experience.
if you got the money to live off some kind of income you can live anywhere in Japan, either buying outright or renting from someone who will rent to foreigners and still be ok. If you had to work a day job, yeah I agree you would be miserable unless it was working for the American government or an American company. If I had the income and didn't need to work for a living I would probably live in Hiroshima or close by.
It's a really beautiful place. I wish it weren't so far away. I really enjoyed Miyashima as well. Miyashima is worth another visit for sure. The people of Hiroshima were amazing, and the Peace Memorial was moving.
Thank you. Believe or not, that wasn’t exactly how I planned it. But it came out that way. And it felt more authentic than talking about missing holidays and birthdays with family.
Great video, but I disagree with #4. I've lived in Japan for over 40 years and at least for the past 30 years or so, I only eat Japanese food when I want to, which isn't often. BTW, I don't cook and my wife is Japanese.
#6 My Japanese father inlaw expected me to explain to him why I, MYSELF, had nuked Japan twice (WW2)!!!?!... I had to explain to him that it was not me, because I was born 40 years after the event...yet he still wanted an answer, so I just made up some shit that I thought sounded good...ha.
Dan Carlin has a great podcast series about WWII. It's rather lengthy, but it gives a lot of context. And while it's still tragic, I understood a little more about that period in history.
Do you know how many people Japan killed during world war 2? They demand an answer is like I murdered your whole family now I want to know why you fight back. They are just ridiculously ignorant about history.
OK, that's one of the strangest ones I've heard. I am not a WWII historian, but don't remember reading anything about Switzerland bombing Japan (because it didn't happen). But this is a great illustration of how ignorance leads to fear and hate. Anytime somebody makes a negative statement about something, I try to consider the source. Is it coming out of ignorance? If so, that person is probably not going to hear me, no matter how many facts I am able to share.
Check out Dan Carlin's series, "Supernova in the East." He gives a lot of background and context. I'd love to do a summary, but his material is so dense and well-researched that I'm afraid I could never do it justice.
Bless you for the last comment you made on this video 🤗 I had a lump in my throat. Loving the green screen ☺️
Thank you!
I lived in Japan twice (Okinawa early 80's, Northern Mainland early 90's). It's like anywhere..... it's what you make of it. The early 80's didn't have the internet and we had delayed TV / video taped months earlier (military). I stayed busy the whole time. People were awesome and the food..... oh the food. I was a happy camper. I left home when I was 17 and being away from family didn't bother me a bit (was kind of nice actually). Yen was over 230 to the dollar when I was there in the early 80's (some guys remembered over 300 to the dollar in the 70's).
First and foremost, thank you for your service. Second, you are 100% correct. It is what you make of it. Of course, the food REALLY helps.
I make a case for moving to Japan here: ua-cam.com/video/NIY40Un3ACE/v-deo.html
sigh.....Tokyo AND Osaka AND Nagoya AND Fukuoka AND Yokohama, AND Kyoto, AND about 10 more cities. They are all crowded and hot and busy .
Agreed. I'm a big fan of Shizuoka Prefecture as well. Kawazu is amazing for cherry blossoms: ua-cam.com/video/1WW-YzSnI10/v-deo.html
The key of happy (read: relatively comfortable) work life in Japan (anywhere tbh)
is to find companies/workplaces that have plenty of CASH relative to its size (therefore, not necessarily big companies)
If companies have CASH, they should be more willing to use them to pay wages
in Japan, they are usually
1. Foreign companies (cause of weak Yen, plus their parents companies obviously have a lot of CASH)
2. Start ups who gets lot of CASH from VC
3. Subsidiaries of big company who are still heavily subsidized by their parent company
4. Small business which just starts and have a lot CASH (from loan etc.)
Great career advice. It's just as important to interview the company as it is to pass the interview.
I'm Japanese here Tokyo for 20 years. I totally agree this video except the food. Only in Tokyo, is not good moving to place. I think it's good place to travel. I have been to abroads and the food in each country has been very good, but the best and happiest meal I always had at any time of the day was in Tokyo. It's always. Apart from tradisional japanese style working, Tokyo is close to everything and fun.
I'm a big fan of Tokyo.
@@weeklyfascination i domt have any means to get a White man to have a relationship with in Taiwan. I hate to libe in Taiwan for my childhood and amy adulthood in Taiwan. You are living in Japan. Consequently, Do you know if there are som Westerners are interested in Asian women? Can you introduce me to them?
I'm not good at match-making.
Asking for my son - do you know or have you heard if the work environment at International Schools is, in general, different from the typical Japanese companies that's pretty much notorious at this point in time. My son holds 2 undergraduate degrees, including Biology and a Masters, all from the University of California, is currently teaching High School, with California State Certs for High School Biology, Chemistry, and Physics. His mother is Japanese and he is in the family registry as well. Thanks for any opinion in advance.
I live near 2 international schools. Everyone seems really nice from the staff to the parents and students. Of course, I haven't been on the inside so I can't speak to that.
It will probably be very different from working in California as there are families from multiple countries as well as children from Japan or children from International marriages. They are the very definition of a melting pot.
@@weeklyfascination Thank you for reply and observations, really appreciate it, and I must apologize for citing my son's resume in short. The reason I did that is I simply wanted to emphasize that he's not coming to Japan to teach conversation or be an English teacher. We live very close to Los Angeles Harbor, a very diverse community,it's very common here all over Southern California. His mother and I have been married for 42 years, and she has family in Tokyo and the Kansai area, we're no strangers to Japan. After he finishes his last year here, he will relocate to Japan, focusing on schools in Osaka and Kobe and we will follow him there sometime in 2026 as we are both now retired Best Wishes Always
I think he's going to have a great time. The international school scene has a lot of professional educators who have worked in multiple countries from what I hear.
It's kind of funny... I've lived in a European city for the past 30+ years and in truth, I could have used the same list with minor adjustments ( like... replace earthquakes with flooding/constant high winds ) and different examples ( like... change low wages to "indeed there are higher wages, but epically higher cost of living, so don't kid yourself by the size of a pay check" or change the hot humidity with "it's not quite as hot here, but no one ever believes in Air Conditioning... at all!" ) for where I live, but more or less it's the same.
Indeed where I live ... yep... it's crowded too (especially where people actually live), the food is questionable and not for everyone, the people here are massively unfriendly (are well known for being as such and seem to be quite proud of it), the work environment is founded upon bullying and inefficacy, the 'individualism' here is actually a collectivism in individualists clothing (and you will never ever in the history of ever be part of it no matter how much you try), and so on...
Moving from one country to another is simply not "plug and play" and it is most certainly not for everyone.
Oh... and if the final thing on the list, "being away from family", is not such a bad thing in your eyes... well... you might take all the other problems in stride.
It's really a matter of listing out the pros and cons. If the pros outweigh the cons, go for it.
I have had a few comments about being away from family. At first it wasn't a big thing. Miss a few holidays, a birthday, or a wedding. But when everybody gets older, you start to feel really far away.
Indeed... one really needs to looks at the pros and cons in detail, also, make sure the pros and cons are not filtered through a rosy glass of naive optimism. No place is a Utopia, but some places come closer. As to the family thing... well... that's me. My reasons are many and of course my own (and only my own), but this distance has been the best possible thing for me and likely for them as well. Distance didn't make the heart grow fonder, but it did eliminate our mutual ability to push each others buttons all the time. 😉
I've heard this from many people.
Ultimately, moving to another country is an amazing opportunity to reinvent ourselves and not bring the baggage of the past.
In Tokyo, nobody has ever seen me as that awkward kid in high school. If I had stayed in my hometown, I'd probably still be treated the same. But where I live now, they met me as an adult with a decent job, and that's how they treat me.
Sounds like I will fit in quite nicely. Crowds are fine, most of my very close friends are already online (time zones are annoying though), I have a collective mindset, plan on starting a business and creating my own work environment, I will set my own salary(and employees to a extent to be on the high end) based on my business performance, I plan on living in a dirt cheap akiya to avoid rent and mortgage payments. However, the Humidity and heat is absolutely dreadful and really makes me think twice. Also the indirect communication style I find very annoying but that is just some to adjust to.
As long as there are more positives and negatives, you can adjust.
5:20 Anyone happen to know where precisely this shot is taken at?
I got it from Artgrid, which says it’s from Arashiyama, Kyoto. Don’t have anything more precise than that, though.
I try to shoot my own video, but sometimes it's just not practical.
The collectivism thing. If a foreigner do cause trouble in your area, just walk somewhere else asap. The fact that you're not THEM doesn't matter in the world of collectivism. So whenever I see this, I just go to another area with different people.
This is why I avoided going out with my camera when the latest streamer was out causing havoc. I was either shooting talking head videos at home or editing something. It's just not worth it.
日本の職場環境は最悪ですからね。全人格的なコミットメントを求めるのが日本の企業です。たとえアルバイトに対しても。
ピンからキリまでありますが、ブラック企業の話は目立ちます。私の経験でいうととてもいい人がたくさんいます。
#1 sealed the deal, where do I sign up? 😅
Just get a ticket and come to Japan
"Friends" Me: What friends? I dont even have friends in my own country, so it will stay the same in Japan.
That makes it easy. I had already moved a few times in my life before moving to Japan. So I didn’t feel like I was leaving any childhood friends behind.
I think people who have lived in the same place their whole lives have a more difficult time relocating to another country.
Alternative title Japan is a great place to live if you work remotely and have air condition/dehumidifier. Getting blame by actions committed by another isn't a exclusive Japanese problem because you can always insert Japanese person who did bad things like all the people who scam the elderly as a counter point.
Great title. I work at home with the A/C on. I don't need to be in Tokyo, but I can't live without the convenience of the city.
@@weeklyfascination Did you ever try to live in any of the other big cites ?
Yes, I lived in Yokohama during the 90's.
Honestly, I didnt see a reason so far not to move to Japan. I Greatly enjoy all various vids on Japan & It's Culture. I have a Question, is it considered rude to bring your own Chopsticks to any or some Dinning or Eatery Establishments? 有り難う御座います.
I've never seen someone bring chopsticks.
And don't be surprised when you're a guest and somebody gives you disposable chopsticks. That means they are giving you something pristine, that has never been used before. Peak Japanese hospitality.
I've got another video called "10 reasons to move to Japan". Trying to cover both sides and leave it up to the viewer to decide.
Japanese people are quite introverted but they're not shy at all when it comes to the office environment huh?
It depends. Some people can be uncharacteristically outspoken.
But most people just put their head down and do their job. If you get into a good situation, you can stay for years and have a great experience.
if you got the money to live off some kind of income you can live anywhere in Japan, either buying outright or renting from someone who will rent to foreigners and still be ok. If you had to work a day job, yeah I agree you would be miserable unless it was working for the American government or an American company. If I had the income and didn't need to work for a living I would probably live in Hiroshima or close by.
It's a really beautiful place. I wish it weren't so far away. I really enjoyed Miyashima as well. Miyashima is worth another visit for sure.
The people of Hiroshima were amazing, and the Peace Memorial was moving.
soo true I lived in china , is almost same problem, missing family is biggest problem
Got it don’t get a job in Japan. Be a content creator or be independently wealthy
That’s the plan.
Ahhh he misses his mum
I do.
"Because I can" 😂
I think I've worked with this person!
Wages went up by 5.8% this year.
I'm only seeing articles that wages are barely keeping up with inflation; utilities, food, etc.
Japanese salaries are certainly stagnant. I've been hearing that that's starting to change, ergo my comment, but I agree with you in general.
They are going up - finally!
No they haven't, wages only went up 1.2% And most of that increase went to upper management or vip workers.
That's what I'm seeing. I guess it depends on the sector. IT seems to be strong.
What an end of video, congrats! awesome video!
Thank you. Believe or not, that wasn’t exactly how I planned it. But it came out that way. And it felt more authentic than talking about missing holidays and birthdays with family.
Great video, but I disagree with #4. I've lived in Japan for over 40 years and at least for the past 30 years or so, I only eat Japanese food when I want to, which isn't often. BTW, I don't cook and my wife is Japanese.
Fair enough!
Nobody forces you to eat natto 😅
True. But many enjoy seeing foreigners make faces when they bring it up.
I consider it a Rite of Passage. 🙂
I have natto in my refrigerator. It's great for breakfast.
@@weeklyfascination Only with little green scallions.
I just eat it out of the little styrofoam package. And I forgot the scallions.
Oh no you miss your mom 😥
I hope you speak with her atleast once or twice a week. I sometimes miss my parents too when I am outside 😕
We text every day and we speak often. Probably not often enough, I'll have to admit.
多様性は文化の崩壊です。だから国の方針と国民の意思と乖離があります。
どんな意味が含まれているかわかりますか。
国の方針と国民の意思が１００％あっている国ありますか？
外国人ですが、同感です。しかし、人口減少に伴い、多様性のある日本になることは避けられないでしょう。
oh ok, that last one 。。。 ouch :( hope your お母さん is doing well.
She’s doing great, thanks.
No you represent all foreigners!
Every one of them.
No, we need you folks in here to support our social security !
Doing my best.
#6
My Japanese father inlaw expected me to explain to him why I, MYSELF, had nuked Japan twice (WW2)!!!?!... I had to explain to him that it was not me, because I was born 40 years after the event...yet he still wanted an answer, so I just made up some shit that I thought sounded good...ha.
Dan Carlin has a great podcast series about WWII. It's rather lengthy, but it gives a lot of context. And while it's still tragic, I understood a little more about that period in history.
Do you know how many people Japan killed during world war 2? They demand an answer is like I murdered your whole family now I want to know why you fight back. They are just ridiculously ignorant about history.
I was told by an older Japanese man to go f myself for bombing Japan. I'm Swiss.
OK, that's one of the strangest ones I've heard. I am not a WWII historian, but don't remember reading anything about Switzerland bombing Japan (because it didn't happen).
But this is a great illustration of how ignorance leads to fear and hate. Anytime somebody makes a negative statement about something, I try to consider the source. Is it coming out of ignorance? If so, that person is probably not going to hear me, no matter how many facts I am able to share.
Check out Dan Carlin's series, "Supernova in the East." He gives a lot of background and context. I'd love to do a summary, but his material is so dense and well-researched that I'm afraid I could never do it justice.