A must watch for anyone considering living in Japan. My own view is that, like anything, you get out of it what you put into it. Regardless, it’s important to be honest with yourself about your initial goals and motivations.
I retired in Japan 12 years ago. Quite easy for me, I had worked for a Japanese company for 30 years, and dated a Japanese lady for 10 years, then married.
I’ve been married to a Japanese woman for thirty years and have visited the country many times; in fact, we are planning to move there soon. This video provides a really excellent overview of many of the fine nuances of Japanese culture that aren’t immediately obvious to foreigners, but are critical to understanding how their society interacts.
Thank you for making this video and sharing the benefit of your experience in Japan. These points could be incredibly helpful to anyone looking to make a positive impression and have a rewarding experience living there. Thanks again! 😊🙏
Interesting. I think you managed to nail down why many folks struggle in Japan and give up but a lot of those are great pointers for life everywhere, even in Kyushu where people are not as uptight and restrained as in Tokyo.
I've visited Kyushu and it was beautiful. I think there are big differences between locations. I can only talk about Tokyo, but I need to visit other regions. More to come.
I think what you say is mostly correct, and I it would be very helpful for people who are considering moving to Japan. On the other hand, as is the case in any country or region, perspectives can change over time and across generations. After watching this video, I felt that it is important to be flexible in responding to these changes. This is my impression as a Japanese person.
@@weeklyfascination I believe it’s due to the algorithm, but your videos started appearing in my recommendations, and I’ve watched several of them. The episode you shared this time, particularly the part about communication, was especially interesting. As you likely know, in Japan, indirect expressions are often favored, for better or worse. In casual conversation, it’s quite rare to hear phrases equivalent to “you should” or “you have to.” Regarding conversations about body shape, a few decades ago, such topics were as common as the phrase “How was your weekend?” in English. However, I believe they have significantly declined since then. Nowadays, from my perspective, it seems these conversations have become much less common, at least among the majority.
Patience is a virtue 😊. When I was studying to become a professional business trainer I had to teach myself patience. It was hard. One technique that I used was to go to a supermarket at the busiest time and stand in the longest queue at the checkout (I always made sure that the people in front of me had full trolleys 😂). It took time but it paid off. However, there are times when I think aaaargh!!! 😤😂
Honestly this makes me want to go more, the only thing is the small spaces but with some many people in limited space I get it. I never understand the people I’d see go to Japan, or anywhere else, and then complain because it wasn’t more like where they came from. For me part of the whole point is because it would be different. Just doesn’t make sense but whatever I guess.
@@weeklyfascination I’m wanting so badly to come to Japan but so far my endeavor has been not been going well but I’m not giving up. And hopefully your content comes in handy when I do get there.
@@Jasimp90 that’s my goal. There are a bunch of videos about Japanese culture on this channel as well as Japanese business etiquette. If there’s something I haven’t covered, please let me know.
@@weeklyfascination I look forward to watching them and if anything comes to mind I’ll be sure to reach out. Until then thanks for the content and have a great day.
Hey, I am language school student here in Tokyo, I've been here for 3 months now. I am looking to work here after my language school course is over, what sort of jobs would you recommend to someone with a bachelor in business management. My Japanese right now is very elementary, maybe around a n4 level but I am looking to at least take N3 JLPT in 2025.
There are a few companies that do not require perfect Japanese language ability. I’ve heard that the company language at Rakuten is English, for example. But it really depends on what you want to do long-term. Banking, import-export, sales, etc. There are some recruiting agencies around town, but they usually deal with mid career job searches. Still, it might be worth reaching out to them.
Great advice. About ranking outsiders: I've been thinking how'd they rank a gaijin entrepreneur or someone who just works for themselves without obvious fame? I guess age is one factor also but I have an image that Japanese like to work in traditional big corporations the most and perhaps see a risktaker as abunai/crazy/stupid :) I'm thinking like some social setting or dinner where people ask questions and I guess try to measure you or your worth. Maybe one of those potentially confusing situations.
That's a very good question. In my opinion, it depends on who you talk to. Salaryman: You don't have a job? Student: I want to be like you someday! Other entrepreneur: I hear the BOJ is raising rates. Since the general public only knows how to evaluate "success" on outward markers (clothes, cars, watches) and doesn't understand assets, most people don't know what to think. My guess is why entrepreneurs live in a class by themselves. It's just too hard for a traditional college educated salaryman to understand. TLDR: One of those potentially confusing situations.
Expatriate: 'A person who lives outside their native country' (Oxford) Immigrant: 'A person who comes to live permanently in a foreign country' (Oxford) The term immigrant has a more permanent connotation. I was sent to Japan by my employer, which makes me expat. I'd like to be an immigrant if I can get permanent status. Edit: I'm scrapped the idea of a video about the differences. There's just not enough material.
It amazes me when they say people need x amount of years to master a cooking task. Lack of systems keep the workers down; imagine need ten years experience to cook a burger!
To your point, jobs these days rarely offer training or orientation. Cleaning, washing dishes, sharpening knives, and making rice are more analogous to the “wax on, wax off” approach in the Karate Kid. In order to learn how to make sushi, you need to know about the dishes, the knives, the rice, and the subtle nuances of different kinds of fish and other ingredients. When you understand all these things and how they work together, then you can call yourself a sushi master. In the interest of complete transparency, I do not know how many years it takes to become a sushi master. But now I feel like I have to go down the rabbit hole on that one.
There are many videos of foreigners leaving japan. After living for years. Over 90% leave for a reason. Go visits first, if you really have to scope it out. The economy is doing very badly hence the “tourist or foreigner friendly” heavy advertising. But they are not! Please do your research first, the level of investment time and money foreigners put into japan only to have to leave, is heartbreaking.
A must watch for anyone considering living in Japan. My own view is that, like anything, you get out of it what you put into it. Regardless, it’s important to be honest with yourself about your initial goals and motivations.
This made my day.
I retired in Japan 12 years ago. Quite easy for me, I had worked for a Japanese company for 30 years, and dated a Japanese lady for 10 years, then married.
I have a buddy who is retiring to Japan at the end of the year. Also, plan to do that in the future as well.
I’ll be joining you in about 1.5 years… My wife is a Japanese citizen and wants to move back after I retire, and I am happy to oblige.
I’ve been married to a Japanese woman for thirty years and have visited the country many times; in fact, we are planning to move there soon. This video provides a really excellent overview of many of the fine nuances of Japanese culture that aren’t immediately obvious to foreigners, but are critical to understanding how their society interacts.
Congratulations on 30 years and the move to Japan.
@@weeklyfascination ありがとうございます！
We need a video on that Japanese culture of leaving nasty reviews online!!
I can do that
Thank you for making this video and sharing the benefit of your experience in Japan. These points could be incredibly helpful to anyone looking to make a positive impression and have a rewarding experience living there. Thanks again! 😊🙏
Thanks for watching!
Love the transparency and advice 👏I visited Japan for the first time a little over a year ago, and was blown away 😊
Glad you enjoyed it!
Mmh oki OK interesting !
Thanks for watching! There are more videos planned.
Interesting. I think you managed to nail down why many folks struggle in Japan and give up but a lot of those are great pointers for life everywhere, even in Kyushu where people are not as uptight and restrained as in Tokyo.
I've visited Kyushu and it was beautiful. I think there are big differences between locations. I can only talk about Tokyo, but I need to visit other regions. More to come.
I think what you say is mostly correct, and I it would be very helpful for people who are considering moving to Japan. On the other hand, as is the case in any country or region, perspectives can change over time and across generations. After watching this video, I felt that it is important to be flexible in responding to these changes. This is my impression as a Japanese person.
I’m so grateful that a Japanese person would watch my video.
#2 flexibility. I should mention that Japan is constantly changing and evolving.
@@weeklyfascination I believe it’s due to the algorithm, but your videos started appearing in my recommendations, and I’ve watched several of them. The episode you shared this time, particularly the part about communication, was especially interesting. As you likely know, in Japan, indirect expressions are often favored, for better or worse. In casual conversation, it’s quite rare to hear phrases equivalent to “you should” or “you have to.” Regarding conversations about body shape, a few decades ago, such topics were as common as the phrase “How was your weekend?” in English. However, I believe they have significantly declined since then. Nowadays, from my perspective, it seems these conversations have become much less common, at least among the majority.
Patience is a virtue 😊. When I was studying to become a professional business trainer I had to teach myself patience. It was hard. One technique that I used was to go to a supermarket at the busiest time and stand in the longest queue at the checkout (I always made sure that the people in front of me had full trolleys 😂). It took time but it paid off. However, there are times when I think aaaargh!!! 😤😂
That's something I still work on.
Very important to understand these points; it can be very hard to cope here otherwise.
Thanks for watching! I hope it was helpful. I don't think I came to Japan with all of these traits.
What a success means is subjective. As long as the person is happy in the land he resides, that's good enuf imo.
I wish you all the success in the world. Good vibes.
Honestly this makes me want to go more, the only thing is the small spaces but with some many people in limited space I get it. I never understand the people I’d see go to Japan, or anywhere else, and then complain because it wasn’t more like where they came from. For me part of the whole point is because it would be different. Just doesn’t make sense but whatever I guess.
Exactly! It’s supposed to be different.
@@weeklyfascination I’m wanting so badly to come to Japan but so far my endeavor has been not been going well but I’m not giving up. And hopefully your content comes in handy when I do get there.
@@Jasimp90 that’s my goal. There are a bunch of videos about Japanese culture on this channel as well as Japanese business etiquette. If there’s something I haven’t covered, please let me know.
@@weeklyfascination I look forward to watching them and if anything comes to mind I’ll be sure to reach out. Until then thanks for the content and have a great day.
Hey, I am language school student here in Tokyo, I've been here for 3 months now. I am looking to work here after my language school course is over, what sort of jobs would you recommend to someone with a bachelor in business management. My Japanese right now is very elementary, maybe around a n4 level but I am looking to at least take N3 JLPT in 2025.
There are a few companies that do not require perfect Japanese language ability. I’ve heard that the company language at Rakuten is English, for example.
But it really depends on what you want to do long-term. Banking, import-export, sales, etc. There are some recruiting agencies around town, but they usually deal with mid career job searches. Still, it might be worth reaching out to them.
Great advice. About ranking outsiders: I've been thinking how'd they rank a gaijin entrepreneur or someone who just works for themselves without obvious fame? I guess age is one factor also but I have an image that Japanese like to work in traditional big corporations the most and perhaps see a risktaker as abunai/crazy/stupid :) I'm thinking like some social setting or dinner where people ask questions and I guess try to measure you or your worth. Maybe one of those potentially confusing situations.
That's a very good question. In my opinion, it depends on who you talk to.
Salaryman: You don't have a job?
Student: I want to be like you someday!
Other entrepreneur: I hear the BOJ is raising rates.
Since the general public only knows how to evaluate "success" on outward markers (clothes, cars, watches) and doesn't understand assets, most people don't know what to think. My guess is why entrepreneurs live in a class by themselves. It's just too hard for a traditional college educated salaryman to understand.
TLDR: One of those potentially confusing situations.
@@weeklyfascination Indeed! Thanks for the detailed answer!
🤘🏼👽🤘🏼
🎌 🏯 🎌
Why are you not an immigrant vs expat at this point? Their selflessness is not what Americans would consider selflessness.
Expatriate: 'A person who lives outside their native country' (Oxford)
Immigrant: 'A person who comes to live permanently in a foreign country' (Oxford)
The term immigrant has a more permanent connotation. I was sent to Japan by my employer, which makes me expat. I'd like to be an immigrant if I can get permanent status.
Edit: I'm scrapped the idea of a video about the differences. There's just not enough material.
It amazes me when they say people need x amount of years to master a cooking task. Lack of systems keep the workers down; imagine need ten years experience to cook a burger!
To your point, jobs these days rarely offer training or orientation.
Cleaning, washing dishes, sharpening knives, and making rice are more analogous to the “wax on, wax off” approach in the Karate Kid.
In order to learn how to make sushi, you need to know about the dishes, the knives, the rice, and the subtle nuances of different kinds of fish and other ingredients. When you understand all these things and how they work together, then you can call yourself a sushi master.
In the interest of complete transparency, I do not know how many years it takes to become a sushi master. But now I feel like I have to go down the rabbit hole on that one.
I knew the "you're fat" story was coming the second you said you can't be so sensitive here 😂
You saw it coming! You’ve either seen my other videos or you’ve spent time in Asia.
There are many videos of foreigners leaving japan. After living for years. Over 90% leave for a reason. Go visits first, if you really have to scope it out. The economy is doing very badly hence the “tourist or foreigner friendly” heavy advertising. But they are not! Please do your research first, the level of investment time and money foreigners put into japan only to have to leave, is heartbreaking.
Great point. The next video in this series is "Why people leave Japan". That's the working title at least.
@@weeklyfascination awesome, looking forward to it. Much love ❤️
@@sheelania8833 Thanks for the awesome idea! I made the video: ua-cam.com/video/KrpWhSNbUJI/v-deo.html
Every time and anything they are detour people around for any situation.
👍🏻