Why Foreigners Struggle Living in Japan

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I asked foreigners in Japan about the biggest struggles they've faced in Japan!

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[manabu_sato]

I am 48 years old, Japanese, born and raised in the countryside of Japan. I learned English for the first time in my junior high school (12yo), but at that time there were no foreigners around and I never heard any English conversations. I am probably an ordinary Japanese guy.

As the woman in the video points out, Japan has a "follow the people around you" culture. The reason why many people still wear masks is that the people around them wear masks.

We are often taught that harmony is more important than individual thoughts and beliefs. If you express your real thoughts and feelings that differ from those of others, you may displeasure them. This means you break the harmony. We are scared of making such mistakes.

As an Elignsh learner, I sometimes say "Hi, can I help you?" at a station when I see someone who looks like a foreigner. A good opportunity to have a chat in English. Now I imagine such a situation and think if I were with my friend. The hurdle in my mind would be higher because it would seem as if I was flaunting my English speaking ability, which might disturb the harmony with my friend.

Thanks to this kind of video, I became to look at both positive and negative aspects of Japanese culture. I wish more Japanese people, including myself, could be more accepting of diversity. But as mentioned above, we are afraid of being outstanding and different, and it takes a lot of energy to get over it. I think this is one of the reasons that we are shy.

[kevinfightsbears]

The fact that someone can live in japan for 9 years and still not pick up the language is a definite sign to just leave, I mean If I lived in a country for more than 5 years and not picked up the language I wouldn't even bother living there

[realmikew]

The guy at 2:11 is a childhood friend of mine named Moses, I remember going to middle school with him when I lived in Hawaii forever ago, glad to see he’s still doing good.

[tlzoxlx]

I am a Japanese with many foreign friends. In the end, I think language is a big issue. More and more foreigners are trying to live in Japan in English without learning much Japanese. If you don't speak Japanese, real estate contracts will not go well, and you will be rejected because you can't communicate quickly when needed. Even if a person is Japanese, it is difficult to sign a contract if he or she cannot communicate properly.

If you want to get an immigrant or work visa, you need to get N2. It's lead to better a life.

[MioMaiaRaia]

Every time I watch videos like this, I’m surprised that there’s people who manage to live there without speaking any Japanese. I can see if it’s for work or something, but to live there with no Japanese and no job 😮 No hate to her or anyone that lives there without speaking the language, it’s just surprising to me.

[goldengilmaky]

10+ years in Japan, black, and I understood in the first week at university that as a foreigner, you are on your own. That realization has made my life in Japan easier and more peaceful.
I have not experienced any discrimination so far, nor was I a victim of harassment from the police or in the workplace (100% Japanese). Let’s say they dare not cross the line of civility. It’s all about self-respect and the energy we spread around.

[amaradey]

as an Indian and having lived in Japan for 6 years, i can say that Japanese people have a very good reason for the things these people have mentioned in this video. more often than not foreigners are very entitled to their own cultural norms and values even in Japan. they forget that they're in a country which used to be an isolated island for so many years and their culture and people are bound to be different than the rest. they do what they think is normal in their own country, and then complain when they get looks from the Japanese people who really aren't used to that. a personal example is the apartment i used to live in had some foreign residents from south asia and they were so loud every night, because it's normal to be loud in their countries but in Japan people don't deal well with noise pollution.
the bottom line is: if you choose to live in a country whose culture and norms are so different and deeply rooted in the society, then maybe try to assimilate yourself in it as well, and for the love of God, learn the language. otherwise why choose such a country in the first place?

[gravellergear]

I traveled to Japan for work for years. They're very polite, extremely polite, but don't mistaken that for kindness.

Drop your expectations. The faster you realize that you'll most likely be alone, the easier your experience will be.

[sevens]

I work in Tokyo as a junior designer and it is by far a very …just sad experience. Don’t get me wrong I’m grateful for the job especially in this day and age but I do 80+ per week with only Sunday off (had to stay overnight not one month into the job), no OT pay, and expected to kinda ‘read the air (basically just assume stuff) all the time then get reprimanded or yelled at when I don’t ‘read’ it right.

[STEFATTY]

Despite all the struggles, there are so many things I love about living in Japan! Thanks for having me on the video 🥰!

[tenguriki]

It is definitely hard if you don't know the language. But you can learn enough to get around, do basic shopping, and make phonecalls in less than a year. I moved to Japan with zero Japanese and I can have basic conversations now after only 10 months. Just put in the work and it'll pay off quickly.

[PSDJ]

I'm over here stressing trying to learn some Japanese to survive a week long trip next spring and buddy in the video been chillin there for 10 months talking bout "I need to learn Japanese eventually" 😂

[sidneyreed]

I’m half-Japanese and was thrilled to finally visit my motherland. I spoke pretty mediocre Japanese but that made a massive difference being able to talk to people. I had an amazing time. I also think what Westerners might see as “cold” in Japanese culture is actually politeness. I’ve been scolded by friends for not asking more about how they are feeling or “why don’t you care to ask about why I’m upset today?” But I was raised to think that prying into someone’s personal life/feelings was intrusive and it was best to keep conversation topics neutral, like about a restaurant or movie and not about why you are angry at your boss.

[jeromesupan]

To everyone reading this Keep going. No matter how stuck you feel, no matter how bad things are right now, no matter how hopeless & depressed you feel, no matter how many days you have spent wishing things were different. I promise you won't feel this way forever. Keep going.

[tmlee]

This was a good video. Good job sir. I hope to visit Japan. I was scared of the locals but listening to these people gave me the confidence to understand the culture better.

[CalebWilliams]

A friend of mine (bright red-haired, pale-skinned australian) was in Japan for a couple of months sight seeing. She, and her friends, entered a restaurant in the outskirts of the city. This restaurant was bustling with Japanese folk. When she entered, the waiter seemed uneased about greeting her but walked her and her friends to their seats nonetheless. About 2 minutes later, the entire restaurant had cleared out. This was purely for the fact a foreigner had entered their space. Said it was the strangest experiences she's had

[meronghirmay]

After seeing this video, I realized there is in general a big difference between main land Japan and Okinawa. Here the people are more welcoming and interactive. I have been here for a whole week and the people actually get out of their way to help me. Maybe it’s because Okinawa has more exposure to foreign influences in its history and recently because of the various American bases. But it would be nice if mainland Japanese could take life easy and enjoy it like the Okinawans.

[FiringSquad]

I love the Vietnamese Australian. Her outifit is to die for.

[MightyKingYoung]

4:51 Her family is paying for her to live in Japan while she's not working?! Wow, I hope she realizes how fortunate she is!

[mikan]

Lived in Japan for nearly a decade. Had three kids there and lived a nice life although a bit stressful and lonely at times. We finally made the move back to my home country but having a hard time adjusting. Missing Japan tremendously but also trying to remember the difficult times as well.