Five Major Challenges That I Faced As An Expat In Japan - TSD Life in Tokyo
Monday, 11 October 2021
Hey everyone!
It's been a long time since I shared anything on this blog, and it has a lot to do with what was going on in my personal life as I was visiting India for about 6 months due to medical treatment.
However, I am finally back in Japan and I have decided to document my life and experiences here under a new series 'TSD Life in Tokyo'. And while I was thinking about what could be the first topic I write upon, the challenges that I faced when I first moved to Japan seemed to be a good starting point.
I moved to Japan with my husband almost 2 years ago, out of which I wasn't here for the most part of this year. It certainly didn't help that we moved here right before the pandemic hit the world, which though didn't impact our move, but impacted our lives here in many ways - especially since we spent a lot of time indoors and didn't get a chance to travel within Japan a lot.
But well, traveling domestically isn't one of the first challenges that you might face if you are new in Japan. Even though Japan is a fascinating country with unmissable tourist attractions and natural beauty, you may across a lot of culture shocks and unpredictable situations that will make settling down in this country a little difficult.
While I could spend probably a day talking about the challenges I faced when I first came to Japan, here are five major challenges that I think you might also face when you first move to Japan :
- Language Barrier
But about Tokyo I always had this impression that being one of the biggest cosmopolitan cities of the world, it'll definitely have a majority of English-speaking population - well, I was so wrong.
During our first month in Tokyo, we stayed in a hotel suite and roamed only around our hotel in Roppongi which is a popular tourist destination among foreigners. Therefore, we didn't find any difficulty while shopping or going to restaurants as most of these places had one or two English-speaking staff.
If you are also planning a move to Japan, I strongly recommend learning Japanese through these free language apps and take physical classes once you are here, so that you can overcome this language barrier. Also, always keep Google translate handy whenever you go out shopping or running errands.
- Tiny living space
But I was quite surprised about how small the rooms were as compared to the spacious houses and apartments we were used to seeing and staying back in India.
These apartments can vary in size from as small as 25 sq.m. to upwards of 100 sq.m(which would be crazily priced). But finding an apartment that has modern interiors, is located in an expat-friendly area, and is not exorbitantly priced could be a tough task to achieve. That's not all, the initial fees involved in booking an apartment can actually burn a hole in your pockets as this would typically include Reservation Fee + Deposit + Key Money + Service fee (and not to forget a lot of paperwork).
- Opening a bank account
If this wasn't all, some banks also have a requirement of having completed at least 6 months of stay in Japan before one's application. And since I wasn't working full-time, I had to wait for six months to be finally able to open a bank account with Sony Bank which is one of the few foreigner-friendly banks in Japan.
- Finding work opportunities
What I wasn't prepared for was that finding a job or even part-time work opportunities are going to be really difficult here, especially considering I had zero Japanese language skills. While there are a lot of open positions here for roles such as English teachers and Engineers that don't require Japanese knowledge, most of the other jobs have a major requirement for native/near-native Japanese skills.
Since most of my work experience revolved around Content & Social media, I couldn't apply for any positions as I had no knowledge of the local culture or language. This made my first few months here really difficult as I often felt lost and dejected, and didn't know which step to take ahead in my career.
When I finally gained some motivation, I decided to pursue freelance writing, and successfully landed writing gigs with websites like Tokyo Weekender, Tokyo Night Owl, and more. While I am glad that my blogging journey and work experience helped me find these opportunities, I would still recommend that you look for a suitable job or at least research the job market before your move, so you don't feel lost and puzzled once you have moved here.
- Making friends
Finding friends in a foreign land, where you don't even speak the local language is a daunting task. It took me a long while to get used to the fact that I didn't have my friends or colleagues (who made me feel the most comfortable) around me anymore.
Since I felt too shy to approach any locals fearing that I wouldn't be able to communicate with them, I reached out to a few expat groups on Facebook so that I could connect with like-minded people. But I think making friends is easier when you are a child, as once you are a grown-up you need people that share the same vibe and don't disturb your inner peace.
It took me about a year to find a few people whom I could trust, but they are definitely the closest people I have in my life now and I am glad I found them along the way.
So, if you are also facing a tough time making friends in this country, I would say just give it some time - join a club or group of your liking and you'll definitely meet like-minded people sooner or later.
Till then, make sure you are still in touch with your old friends. After all, if Covid has taught us one thing - it is that distance doesn't matter when it comes to healthy and strong friendships, and how important it is to maintain them.
Love,
Nitika
Five Major Challenges That I Faced As An Expat In Japan - TSD Life in Tokyo
Monday, 11 October 2021
If this post has reached you, then I am really grateful that I still have a few of you who enjoy reading blog posts. I know it's been quite some time since I last published a post here, to be precise - six months.
A lot has changed in mine, in-fact even in our lives since then (well thanks to COVID), so as I took = my own sweet time to get settled into the new phase of life, I realised it was finally time to let you all know what I've been upto since my last post.
Well, to rewind - you all know I got married back in 2018, and had been living in Mumbai with my husband. I had also started working with Tiktok and I was really enjoying my work and life there. But, as I thought that I was finally in the best phase of my life, we had a major life decision to make - "to move abroad".
My husband got an amazing work opportunity back in December last year, and I had to make this decision - get ready to start our lives together in a big new city, or I stay back in Mumbai, probably move to a smaller apartment and wait a few months, find another work opportunity and then join my husband.
But well, we had less than a month to decide, and honestly I was going through so many emotions and thoughts - what if I don't get my visa later and I am unable to join my husband ; what if I don't enjoy living in Mumbai and feel miserable about my decision. I discussed it with my hubby, friends and family, and eventually I decided the right thing to do at the moment was to move abroad.
So, here I am, writing this post from my new home in Tokyo, where I moved back in February. Those who follow me on Instagram, might have seen my updates about looking for a house, moving in finally and well ofcourse what I have been doing to keep myself busy since we are all maintaining social distancing.
But if you haven't seen any of those updates, I am just going to share a few pictures of what it's been like living in Tokyo past few months :
I have been mostly keeping myself busy by doing home workouts and most days I just go out for a ride on my bicycle near my apartment building as it has a lovely stream passing by which makes for a perfect route for a jog or bike rides.
I was lucky enough to have experienced my first sakura season in Japan, which is literally the best time to be in Japan. Usually people enjoy sakura season by having Hanami, which is basically a picnic event to enjoy the blossoms. But since the entire nation is currently in the state of emergency, we decided to skip it for this year and just enjoyed walks around the sakura trees near our house and also visited the famous Meguro river to experience the stunning cherry blossoms.
Apart from going on with my daily life here, I have tried to adjust to the new routine - which is basically being at home all the time - by indulging in cooking, reading, self care and well Netflix. I am avoiding going out at the moment, except for grocery shopping and my bike rides while maintaining social distancing.
I can't tell you guys how many times I opened my laptop to publish new content or share my pictures from Tokyo with you all, but I just never got around to finishing the posts. It's only because I have been struggling to this new life, where even though I am in a beautiful city - I feel like I don't belong here, since I don't know the local language, don't know anyone around and also I miss my old life.
So, if you're also struggling with your life at the moment, or you have had setbacks - trust me, you are not alone in this. Everyone goes through tough times in their lives, but definitely you can come out way stronger and better. And that's why I finally gathered some strength to write this blog post and share with you all about my life and that even thought this might not be my time, I know that things will start shaping up soon and I have realised the best way to feel better is to pen down my thoughts, like I used to do earlier.
You can follow me on Instagram, where I am definitely more active than on the blog, but I promise I have a lot of content planned up for the blog and I can't wait to share the same with you all.
Love
Nitika
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