Yep, you heard that right. This one is probably my biggest concern. Unless you live close to your work or you are close to a train station, most people in Japan use bicycles to get around. You could walk, but that's a longer travel time. Bicycles help you get around faster.
I tried to learn how to ride a bike several times but my fear of falling and my feet not being able to touch the ground has stopped me from successfully learning. If I were to move to Japan, I would need to force myself to learn how to ride a bike.
 |
| A ton of parked bikes in Kyoto, Japan. |
Being the Only Working Adult
In Japan, in order to work jobs that don't require a college degree you need to speak Japanese on a fluent level and sometimes they ask for business Japanese. With my four year degree, I can at least teach English until I get a better grasp on the language. My husband would not be able to obtain a job in Japan. While I would be the only one working I'd probably put him into college while over there. I'm currently used to having both of us bringing in money from our jobs. I wouldn't be too worried though because if we did move to Japan, we'd sell all of our belongings we wouldn't need any more such as the cars and furniture and live off that money while in Japan.
Knowing Japanese
I have many hobbies currently, so my Japanese studying habits are not the best in the world. I study when I find I have time which is not often. My knowledge of Japanese has pretty much stayed stagnant for two years because I mostly just keep practicing the things I already know, which is important in order to not lose it. Moving to Japan would mean I'd have to step up my game.
While visiting Japan, knowing a little Japanese just makes it a bit more fun. Moving to Japan, unless you know someone already over there who can help you, you kind of need to know Japanese. I would need to know how to write and read Japanese better. My JLPT N5 level knowledge of Japanese will not help me get a phone, set up a bank account and obtain a living space. Forms will have to be filled out and that requires more knowledge of kanji.
 |
| Watching Japanese TV even though I have no idea what's going on. |
Making New Friends
My husband and I would be leaving a bunch of people if we moved to Japan. I have one good friend in Japan right now but the likelihood of us moving near him would be slime. We would have to make new friends, whether they would be Japanese or other foreigners. English would have to be our common language but other then that there would be no other criteria. There are always opportunities to meet people but the effort needs to be put in.
Those are all the things I'd have difficulties with if I moved to Japan. Moving to Japan is not always this glamorous image. Sometimes there are some tough times you'll have to prepare for, and if you don't know the culture you're really going to have a hard time adjusting (I'm remembering my husbands first time in Japan and even now he still has trouble with a few things). If you're interested in learning about the culture, here are some blog posts: It May Seem Rude to You, But Not in Japan and How to Behave in Japan.
Thank you for reading my blog. I hope you enjoyed this topic. For more Japan related content please follow me on social media: Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Until next time!