Living In Japan: The Good, The Confusing, and Everything Else!
In the beginning…
Deciding to leave your home country to live in another, is a huge life decision. There are many things to consider before making the move. I’ll admit, I didn’t think about what I was signing up for at first. Learning a new language.
The difficulty of living in another country far from home and family. Working in another country. None of this ever entered my mind. I was only excited! I couldn’t wait to leave America and see the world!
When I got to my new home of Matsuyama it confirmed the fact that I hadn’t thought very seriously about living in Japan on my own. In the local supermarket, I couldn’t read any of the writing on the packages so I didn’t know for sure if I was buying beef or something else (in Japan you can find other kinds of meat in supermarkets, such as horse). I was pretty sure that I wasn’t buying horse meat, but I couldn’t be certain because I couldn’t read the Japanese writing on the package.
Simple Advice:
Before coming to Japan to live you should try to learn the language, (at least) at a basic level. The ability to read and speak the language would’ve made my life a lot easier in the beginning. In big cities like Osaka, you will find many English speakers. However, in smaller towns and villages, English speakers are more rare. Some effort to speak Japanese will encourage the people you talk to, to try using the English they know to communicate with you.
The Best Advice:
Keep an open mind! If you are anything like me, you may or may not be familiar with all of the different kinds of Japanese food that you can find here. Some of the Japanese food I have found during my time here, such as raw horse (basashi in Japanese), may be off-putting to you. However, it is one of the most delicious things I have ever had in Japan.
Don’t Judge Books by Their Covers:
Many of the experiences I have had in Japan are because I had an open mind and was willing to try new things. Whether it comes to activities that others suggested, food, or other cultural experiences; I have often made a point to try it before deciding on whether I like it or not. Most of the time I’m happy to say, I have been more than happy that I decided to keep an open mind!
Why You Came Can Change:
During my time in Japan, I have met many different kinds of people from all over the world. There are a lot of foreign people who come here because they are huge fans of Japanese pop culture, music, or some other aspect of Japanese culture/history. I was not one of these people. I came to Japan for adventure.
I wasn’t a huge fan of Japan before I came to live here, but I am a huge fan of the people who make up this amazing country. I became a fan of living in a country that has all of the freedoms and conveniences of America without all of the violence that Americans live with daily. After I got married and started having kids, I became a huge fan of raising my children in a country where they could play outside with their friends without worrying about whether they would come home safely.
