Life in Japan





TeamLab Borderless in Tokyo, Japan

 Hey everyone! Its Amy again. Thank you so much for the wonderful support, feedback and comments on my previous note. I have to say that I wasn’t expecting much people to read what I have to say but the reaction and love that I’ve received on what I wrote really meant a lot to me so I would like to say THANK YOU SO MUCH from the bottom of my heart.

I guess by now people know the fact that I am living in Japan, the land of the rising sun they say. At first my only mission was to graduate from university here but when you spend some time focusing on where you want to be and how you want to implicate your education values, work experience in Japan seemed like my best option. From the look of my posts and stories I share, a lot of people ask me questions about how to apply for university or get work and study experience in Japan. Some people are merely interested in the lifestyle and experiences of living in Japan as they intend to do the same someday. Therefore for this time’s blog, I would like to spill the teas on the reality of foreigners who are living in Japan as a student or a full-time worker and feed your curiosity.

But hold on a sec! I know that you are not vague enough to judge how life in Japan takes place based on only just ONE person’s opinion right? This is just my side of the story after observing many others who feel the same as me. You may agree or disagree and it is your choice to do so, and the last thing I want to do is push my opinion on others to prove that I am right. So let’s all read with an open-minded perspective and reflect on what has to be said here. This is for those who are really interested and curious about the living experience of the young generation in Japanese society and how we manage to survive.

I would like to divide this part into just 2 aspects in order for you to separate your thoughts into different opinions.

- University life in Japan
- Work life in Japan

1. University life in Japan

I graduated from Ritsumeikan Asia　Pacific　University　in September 2018. Ritsumeikan APU　is　an　international　collaborative　university　of Ritsumeikan University in Kyoto. It is one of the top international universities in Japan recognized for its social science and business administration majors all throughout  East & South Asia Pacific countries.  Looking back, I absolutely loved my college days! I was definitely lucky because of a good, healthy environment with fun group of friends and supportive academic mentors.

Being away from home the first time in my life, I had no idea what I was getting into but with full of anxiety and unguaranteed expectations, I was also filled with so much excitement and motivation to see where I was headed. I have always done my research about APU even before coming to Japan. I talked with the admission officers in person when they visited Mongolia and read the whole website in and out, head to toe to make sure that I was making the right choice. I’ve realized that doing your “homework” before going to any college will save you a lot from any regrets that you might have later on once you make the decision. APU was a lot close to everything I expected and beyond because that is how much I have looked into it. Sure it has its disadvantages, a lot actually! But I bet all universities do and you just have to deal with it in your own way.

You need to acquire a certain level of language proficiency in order to study in Japan as an English-basis student. You need to have a good score on TOEFL or IELTS, have a well written application essay and a neat application form. Universities in Japan provide a lot for the students with their strong curriculum values and university facilities. You don’t have to worry about the materials and the tools needed to survive academic life in Japan because you get the access to everything you need with available guidance and instructions. So it really is up for you to decide how you want to spend your 4 years in college because everything else is taken care for you including medical support and accommodation facilities.

Instead of talking about how great Japan is and what it offers and why you should come here, I would like to focus on the inside part of the lifestyle that not many people mention about. From the way I’ve seen international students in Japan in my eyes are divided into 3 types. The active ones, the anti-social ones and the over-social ones and the ones who fall into all 3 of them (which was me). There is no right and wrong type nor any judgement towards these types. People choose their own lifestyle and they have their own reasons, so nobody has the right to say that it is wrong. Again, this just may be my opinion but I am sure there are people who can agree on this with me.

Ritsumeikan APU campus



The active ones

They are the ones who are working more than one part-time job to fulfill their needs and living expenses in Japan while participating in classes with full attendance and involvement. I noticed how many people who are the same age as me work so much harder and put in the effort to actually make the most out of their college life experience. Whenever I thought I was doing something well, there was always someone who was doing it better and succeeding at it because they were putting in more effort than me. Because they are so focused on all the important priorities that they have to fulfill during college, they don’t have the chance to make a lot of friends or socialize with people to have that “fun” college experience. Those people were truly one of my inspirations all throughout university, I looked up to the “active ones” in life to change whatever wrong road I was heading in the first year of my university because I honestly do not remember much about it. I was way too young and still a child, probably sleeping in, cutting classes or eating Oreo and milk at 2 am in the morning with no interest in completing the assignments or expectation of how it was going to screw me up later on. 

When you are away from home feeling certain things like homesickness, loneliness or just trying to figure out whatever the hell that you want to do, there is a lot that can trick your mind into being negative and thinking the worst in things. Mostly because there aren’t many people to talk to or take advice on or because the idea of you being trapped in this whole new lifestyle scares you away even before you could start to enjoy it. Many people start off the wrong foot and feel certain kind of sadness or depression while being on their own. This is totally understandable and so expected because having to study well and live with a good life management away from your parents for the first time is one hell of a RESPONSIBILITY and it is terrifying. But I thought "Okay, if others are handling it the right way, what is stopping me? Why not me? I am just as good as them and got the same time and opportunity provided to me so why am I putting it all into waste?" That is the time when I stopped being foolish over the small little emotions that got into my head started realizing why I actually got here in the first place. Finding the right circle of friends and discovering my academic interest and joining certain entertaining activities have helped me realize that, this in fact is a good way to spend time in college and we are the only ones who get to control and choose or search for the right opportunities in front of us because no one else is going to just hand it over to you. This is a game of self-development, life challenges and obstacles and whoever is playing it the smartest wins. So at some point, we have to get our shit together and start moving. Whether it is slow or fast, it doesn’t matter as long as you are going forward.

The anti-social ones

They are the people who experience the first downside of being independent and alone or misguided at university and continue to go deeper down that road until it is just better for them stop talking, sharing and encountering anything with anyone anymore. It might also be due to so many different kind of personal, academic or social reasons that we have no idea about but when you are feeling that way, the last thing you want to do is smile and wave at people with a full energy mode on. I have been there! Couple of times actually, where some people came up to me later on and asked me why I put on “the bitch face” sometimes lol. I am so sorry but I had my reasons or maybe it is just my face who knows. When you are drowning in that feeling of darkness and confusion, everything else seems pointless including the most important ones like school work, personal life or w.e. It is a dangerous feeling that could turn what is supposed to be the best time of your life into the worst and even if you try to do anything about it, it just doesn't really matter to you that much because nobody else is there to force you to do it better. Even through these circumstances, the people who are in this category try their best to finish their unfinished business at school and fight against their mental health struggles in their own ways and seriously bravo freaking kudos to them because that is not easy! Most of the time, you just want to get out of there and wrap up everything without ever looking back because that seems like the easy way out.

Whatever the reason of not being social with others might be, I noticed that it has a lot of negative impact on your  overall university life experience and mental health issues. Maybe that is not true, maybe being away from others and useless parties or meetings have been beneficial for some people, there is no judgement about any of that. However, because of my annoying and stupid pride of not being able to start a conversation with the people who are definitely open enough to communicate about everything and anything, I missed out on the chances of meeting a lot of great people that could have changed my perspective and opinion of life in a really wonderful way. Maybe that’s not true but I will never know since I never tried. So if you are still figuring out your life in college, do not REPEAT my mistake. Have fun! Enjoy! Make mistakes but don’t repeat it! And just truly embrace all the opportunity, downfalls and people you meet along the way.

The over-social ones

Wow, this is actually really difficult to explain. But let me just go ahead with it. They are the “Party animals” they are “the drinkers and the dancers” they are “the people who are always hanging around with other people” they are “the people with full on energy and optimism” even when there aren’t any moments to laugh about in life they find the reason to do so. The list goes on and on simply because there aren’t just one word to describe this type of people. I truly enjoy being around people with that party lifter spirit since it is so easy and fun to be around them. They make you feel part of a group and a community and truly make you want to just enjoy your freedom and solitude as much as possible. Having fun and refreshing your energy to ace the exams and stress in college is DEFINITELY ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY and I would never say it is a waste of time because I am also included in that type of people and I know all the reasons and the benefits as well as the disadvantages. Not trying to be a mom here and say that there has to be a certain LIMIT to that because we already know that. The great thing about being independent is that you get to make those choices all by yourself and you can’t blame anyone later on because everything you do and where you are right now is all because of your own actions and decisions.  

I believe these kind of people can be seen in all parts and universities around the world and not just Japan because it is just one part of fitting into the society and figuring yourself out and blah blah. However, in any type of group you might fit into, it is very IMPORTANT to realize that you can do something about it if you don’t like something about it. Don’t just stay in that circle thinking it won’t change or there is nothing you can do about it or it is too late. The truth is that you can always do something about it, you just need to try and put in a little bit of more effort and see what happens.

Work life in Japan

Okay now this is also a new phase of life when I realized that after all I didn’t have my shit together. Experiencing some sort of self-proud positive moments and achievements  in university made me feel like, okay I actually might be going somewhere and doing things better now but guess who had the jokes on me? THE　REAL SHAKAIJINS  (The Japanese working adults).  When I got the offer to work at the city administration of Iwakura City in Japan, I did not realize that I was blending into the Japanese civil servant life style. Iwakura is a small city located in Aichi prefecture which is also known as the heart center of Japan. I love living in such a peaceful and clean environment since I am not used to the hectic and crowded city life of Japan. The job description and everything sounded great and I had imagined a lot for myself and decided to get the most out of it while feeling like I was ready for anything that will come at me but that was certainly not the case.

The Japanese work ethic is unlike anything I’ve ever seen before, maybe because I went to an International university, I barely had any chance to get to know about and blend in with the real pure Japanese people and society. So everything I imagined didn’t match up with reality and I am glad it didn’t because otherwise I would not have learned anything new or discovered another side of Japan I never realized before. There is a reason why Japan is such a pleasant and peaceful place to live and it is all thanks to the hardworking, well-mannered kind hearted Japanese people who actually do their job with full satisfaction and responsibility for others pleasure. I like to say work hard and play hard but that was not the case for Japanese people. For them it was just work hard and work harder and I am not saying that Japanese people don’t know how to have fun because believe me they do. The way for Japanese working people to release stress is to have a NOMIKAI (drinking party) with the other colleagues to talk about the stuff they cannot talk about at work. Wow how much they could drink surprised me but even when they drink until they can’t order anymore, they are still responsible AF and show up at work like nothing happened the night before while I was there looking like a freaking zombie from “train to busan” the next morning.

You might be confused why can’t they just talk at work? Because there are certain unbreakable rules and principles for the Japanese government system that requires them to handle work and personal life separately. When we are working, our full attention 100 % has to be focused on work ONLY otherwise you cannot get anything out of your hand. Which is completely understandable and efficient because I cannot remember the last time where I felt like I was putting so much effort and seeing the true impact of it in my eyes like these days. I am a new bee at work also the youngest so like the kind people they are, they would always guide and assist me whenever I would have trouble at work. However, the dress codes and organizational behavior of Japan did get on my nerve a little bit.

In any Japanese company or organizations, there are certain dress codes and work communication manners you have to follow.  You always have to start off the day explaining your plans for the day to your colleagues and group leaders. You cannot drink or eat at the work desk. You also cannot talk on the phone during work hours and cannot talk loud or in a rude manner in order to respect the public space. You need to wear office clothes everyday but not just any office wears but the right ones. You cannot wear open-toed shoes nor long boots or a shirt and a skirt that shows too much skin because it is considered inappropriate for the work environment. I am okay with the too much revealing part because I don’t feel comfortable wearing it anyway but the winter shoes I brought back from Mongolia with me was essential for me to survive the cold office temperature in Japan and I couldn't wear them. So many rules of dos and don’ts got me feeling like an outsider for the very first time ever in Japan.

Maybe before, I was always with people who are the same as me and I couldn’t realize the hidden harsh truths of being THE foreigner living in Japan. I am not saying I had  a terrible struggle to fit in because that’s not true. Japanese people have always been nothing but kind to me so I have to respect their way of living to make them feel comfortable around me. However, there are certain challenges when it comes to changing your natural behavior, personality and lifestyle in order to blend into the new environment to combat against the cultural differences between me and the Japanese people. Although it was not easy, it did change my whole view on life itself and made me realize the things I didn’t before so there is nothing to complain about.

Teamwork, communication and patience are the 3 words I would use to describe the Japanese work style. Everybody is super responsible, fast and efficient at working together and focus on showing service to others in their best possible quality. If they deal with difficult costumers or clients, somebody has to be the bigger person and apologize and step in to solve the problem with humble and calm attitude. When there is a hectic day at the office, we have to help each other if they aren’t available by replacing them by not leaving out or avoiding a single costumer with an excuse of absence. So I am truly blessed to be surrounded by such committed and well-shaped teammates  because I can feel their true effort in trying to provide the best service and organization they can for the public good. It is not easy or simple, my part of the job is not much of a big role but everyone makes each other feel like they are needed and wanted for the improvement of their work and mission which lies again behind the kindness and empathy of Japanese people.

Even though you are a foreign resident, in order to work at a Japanese company they would require certain level of Japanese language skills from you. It is necessary because you will most likely be communicating with Japanese people only most of the time and all the instructions and guidance are explained in Japanese. Therefore you need to be ready to understand and communicate at a workplace with anyone you encounter. You also need to follow the rules while being involved in all types of meetings and conferences because attendance is the single most important quality which will ruin your career if you don’t keep it a perfect score. Companies and governments will not give you a day off unless you request for it a day or a week in advance before the actual day off. Any lateness and absence will not be forgiven without a reasonable notice submitted before a hand and punctuality is strictly required at all times. It might sound too much to handle but it is the secret of how everything works out so smooth and as planned in Japan. After I realized that, I just had to shut my mouth and start trying to do my job with the same responsibility and effort as everybody else. What surprised me was how rewarding it felt once I understood the value of it all.

If there is only one thing that I've truly realized about the lifestyles of millennials in Japan, I would say that how you want to live your life has nothing to do with WHERE you are living. It honestly depends on your preference and choice of lifestyle and perspective of viewing "life" itself. If you want to see Japan as a "dull and a boring" place, there could not be a worse place than this. If you want to see it as a place full of "opportunities and security" there could not be a better place to live than Japan. What kind of attitude and perception do you value in life? That is going to decide whether if you will really like Japan or not. My words or someone else's opinion will not control your own beliefs but it can give you a new perspective. I hope that you got at least a little bit of a glimpse of the real and true side of living in Japan. Again this is not true for everyone as we are obviously not living in the same direction or with the same beliefs so it is just the true side of my story. You can analyze on your own to see and imagine what it might be like and if you already do live in Japan, you can nod or shake your head while reading this because I know we all have our own opinions and I am willing to share and accept of others as they are. Thank you so much for putting in the time and interest to read this long ass note but it is only to give you a new info and perspective. Please feel free to give any thoughts, comments or love! I truly hope that you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it!

Well, until next time then ba bye! - Amy