Five Things to Know About Living and Working in Japan

The Land of the Rising Sun is one of the most fascinating places on the planet with its ancient temples and shrines, historic castles and Zen gardens perfectly blending in with its modern architecture, neon lights and high-speed bullet trains. Living and working in Japan can be a rewarding but daunting experience, so to help you out, we have compiled a list of five key things to know before moving to Japan. 

1. Be Open to New Things 

Japan is a great place to live but is a completely different living experience from anything that you are used to back home. There are a lot of things here in Japan that you will find totally different from your home country. For example, no trash cans in public places, super early last trains (tough when you want to go out for dinner or a drink or two), and banks closing at three in the afternoon. 

Don’t be afraid of these differences but embrace them and your new life in Japan. 

"Japan Trains" by shibuya246 is marked with CC BY-NC 2.0.

2. Be Prepared to Follow the Rules 

Japan is a country that lives and functions by rules and everyone obeying them. Group harmony is more important than any one individual. Some of these rules can seem excessive or overboard but need to be followed in order to get anything done. These rules can be found in basic things in everyday life. For example, simply ordering a hamburger at McDonalds. I once wanted to order a Big Mac without any pickles and an extra serving of cheese. This really threw the poor girl serving me into confusion and panic with alarm bells going off in the restaurant. The restaurant manager was soon on hand, profusely apologizing for not being able to customize my meal. In Japan, A Big Mac is a Big Mac! 

"McDonalds" by Stephen Cannon is marked with CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.

3. English is not Widely Spoken Outside the Big Cities 

One thing that really surprised me when I first arrived in Japan was how little English was spoken outside of the major cities and tourist areas. Most Japanese only speak Japanese and very few are willing or capable of speaking English. This has been getting slightly better in recent years, especially with the Tokyo 2020 Olympics happening last year. If you are planning to live in a more rural location or even just outside of a big city, it is definitely a good idea to learn some of the language. For work, most companies will require that you have at least basic Japanese skills in order to work effectively and communicate with your Japanese co-workers. English speaking jobs in Japan can be found in most of the major cities such as Tokyo and Osaka. 

"Tokyo By Night" by 4 Colour Progress is marked with CC BY-NC 2.0.

 

4. Japanese Culture is Unlike any Other 

It is easy to get baffled by the many customs and traditions here in Japan, especially for someone new to the country. A great deal of patience is required in order to live stress free. It is a good idea to brush up on some basic culture and social etiquette to avoid any faux pas. Important things to learn include how to handle chopsticks (placing them incorrectly could symbol death), how to greet colleagues at work, how to exchange business cards in the correct manner and the correct social protocol for eating out on the street, riding the train, or entering someone’s house. 

Luckily the Japanese are very welcoming and forgiving, so if you do make a mistake, they will brush it off as someone new to the country and you will not have to live with the shame your whole life.

"Meishi" by dominiekth is marked with CC BY 2.0.

5. The Work Culture 

One of the biggest challenges in Japan is understanding the work culture. The Japanese are known for being some of the hardest working people on the planet. Japan is notorious for its lifetime employment process and employees working overtime for the good of the company. Belonging to a group and working well within that group is much more important than standing out as an individual. The workplace culture expects employees to dedicate themselves to the workplace as an extension of their own family. Working 12-hour days is not uncommon and it is rude to leave the office before your boss. The work culture is one point that I would like to elaborate a little more on in a future post. 

"Shibuya Crossing" by J. Damasio is marked with CC BY 2.0.

Expat Survival in Japan - HiFX Blog

I was recently asked to help contribute an article to the HiFX Project dedicated to helping the next generation of expats understand the issues people encounter in their first six months living abroad. As an expat Aussie living in Japan and having more than 12 years experience living and working in Japan, I jumped at the challenge to put pen to paper and share some tips on how I survived my first six months in Japan.

Here is a little excert from the article;

What were your first thoughts and feelings on arrival to your new country? 

I arrived to Japan via Osaka and was immediately blown away by the sheer size of the city and dazzled by all the neon lights and electric atmosphere. I remember feeling like I was on a completely different planet. I also remember feeling that my Japanese ability was inadequate as well because what I had learned at school was completely different.

If you are interested in reading more of the article, please head over to the HiFX Blog.

10 Things You Need to Know Before Moving to Japan

Japan is an amazing country to live and work with polite, friendly people, fast modern & convenient transportation, fantastic service, and a high standard of living. It is also a mysterious ancient land that can bewilder many first-time visitors to the country. There is a lot you should know before moving to Japan and after contributing to an expat tip campaign, run by HiFX, I thought I would pass on some handy tips from my 10 years’ worth of experience of living in this land of the rising sun.

Here are some insider tips to help you quickly settle into Japan.

Gaijin in Tokyo, Unite!

Tokyo is an endlessly fascinating city for tourists from all over the world. Now that Japan is steadily recovering from 2011’s devastating natural disaster, the number of visitors to the country has been on the rise again. The vast majority of travelers pay the bustling capital at least a brief visit. However, what seems fascinating and exciting to the casual visitor can quickly become confusing for those who decide to settle in Tokyo.

In 2010, over 420,000 foreign residents lived in the vast metropolitan area of Tokyo. Most new arrivals must have asked themselves the same questions over and over again: In which part of the city should I start looking for an apartment? Where can I send my kids to school? Do doctors in Japan speak English? Or just, how can I meet other gaijin? Here’s where communities such as InterNations come in – to help foreigners in Tokyo find answers to their enquiries.

The Munich-based start-up company was established in autumn 2007 as a virtual platform for expats and all kinds of “global minds” from around the world. Since its humble beginnings, it has changed into the largest social network for expatriates worldwide. The local InterNations communities in 350 international cities are now housing nearly 650,000 member’s altogether – around 3,250 among them live in the Tokyo area. Originally, InterNations was supposed to provide website content (like their short guide to Tokyo) and to connect its member base only online. However, they turned out to show a great demand for face-to-face meet-ups away from the computer screen and the smartphone display. Most communities therefore have their own “Ambassador” team – between one or three volunteers from local expat circles, who host get-togethers on a regular basis.

The current InterNations Ambassadors in Tokyo are three expatriates from the capital’s US American community, who have lived in Japan for up to 17 years. Their professional and practical experience can help newly arrived overseas residents to get their bearings. But even if you have been living in Japan for a while, InterNations can get you in touch with new, interesting folks from all over the globe.

There are monthly expat events in favourite gaijin hangouts, such as Biervana in Akasaka, Hobgoblin in Roppongi, and What the Dickens in Shibuya. But if a nice chat over a glass of beer isn’t quite your idea of a good time, the recently introduced InterNations Activities Groups offer alternative meetings on a smaller scale. They focus on more specialized topics, like professional networking to make business contacts in Japan, dining out in Tokyo’s many restaurants, or attending photography and arts exhibitions. If you are an expatriate living in the Tokyo metropolitan area and want to meet more people to share your hobby with, why not launch a new InterNations group yourself?

The community is also looking for committed expats who’d like to get the members in the Kansai area (Kobe, Nagoya, Osaka) together to launch local events there as well.