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What I Love About Living in Japan

Before moving to Japan, I took a long three month vacation to make sure I was ready to sell everything and move across the world to a new country. I wanted to be sure that the grass was actually greener on the other side.

Today marks the six month mark of living in Japan and so far, I’m very satisfied with my life here. In this article, I will discuss why I love living in Japan and some things to consider before making the big move.

1. It’s safe but not for umbrellas

It’ no secret that Japan is an extremely safe country with low, almost non-existent crime. I saw a YouTube video where the creator left his phone on the train platform and proceeded to take the train to see if it would still be there when he returned. Spoiler alert, it was still there. However there are two things that seem to get stolen. Umbrellas on a rainy day and bicycles. I went out to eat for Indian food and left my basic, clear plastic umbrella outside. When I returned, it was missing! I told my Japanese friends about this experience and they said it’s normal – Japanese people view the conbini store umbrellas as a common good so it’s not stealing in their eyes. If you have a fancy umbrella, then you might be ok but if you have a clear plastic umbrella, then you may not be in the clear after all.

Even in areas that are considered unsafe by Japanese people, it’s probably safer than the worst neighborhoods in your home country. 

2. The food is delicious and cheap

Cheap is relative but I’m comparing it to prices in the United States. I spend about $200 for groceries per month in Japan but in the states, I’d spend $300-$400 per month. The biggest cost difference is noticed when dining out. It is very common to find ramen for 1000 yen or less, about $7. Where as in the states, the same bowl costs $15 plus a 20% tip. That brings me to my next point, you do not tip in Japan.

When I first moved here, I ate out a lot because it was cheaper than what I was used to. But pro tip – even though it’s cheaper than the US, it’s even cheaper to cook and eat at home. I still go out to eat every week because it was a big reason I wanted to live here, just not every day like I used to. 

Most people think Japanese food is healthy (it certainly can be) but there are a lot of unhealthy dishes too. A lot of fried foods like tonkatsu (fried pork cutlet) and tempura (fried, battered ingredients). Both are delicious! Just be careful to over indulge. 

3. Quality of life is higher

This one is subjective but for me, Japan provides a higher quality of life compared to the United States. It’s kind of a shame to admit it but it’s true for me – for now. It really boils down to two things for me. 

  1. Lower cost of living
  2. Higher odds of finding a future partner

The lower cost of living gives me more free time to do what I want and spend money without thinking too hard. It turns out when rent is only $500, you have more money and/or time to do what you want.

And 2, in my experience, dating in Japan is much better than in the United States and I’m not entirely sure why. I’m the same guy, same online profile, same everything – besides my location and for some reason, I get way more attention than I would in the states. For example, in the US, I’d match with maybe 2-3 girls per month that I was actually interested in. Then maybe 1 of them would message back but most of the time it never went anywhere. So on average, I might go on 1 date every few months.

But in Japan, it’s quite literally the opposite. I have a wonderful girlfriend now but when I was dating, I would average 20 matches per day and go on several dates per week. Another noticeable difference was the girls were happy to go to the park to walk and talk for the first date. They didn’t expect you to take them somewhere expensive and even if you went for coffee, they offered to pay half.

4. The weather is pretty good, most of the year

It’s the end of June when I’m writing this and it’s terribly humid. But just a month ago, the weather was perfect. Sun shining and not too warm. The winter isn’t too cold either. Obviously the weather will depend on where you live in Japan but in Tokyo or Osaka, it’s pretty livable year round in my experience. In fact, I just started using my air conditioner this month which is mind blowing for me.  

5. It’s easy walk 10k steps every day

I’m never been the type of person to go to the gym or workout. I think lifting heavy objects is boring and frankly, I’m too lazy to put in the work. But in Japan, it’s silly easy to walk 10,000 steps every day just going about your day. Most people living in city do not own a car so they walk everywhere. To the grocery store, to the train station, to the park, to their friends house, to work – you get the idea. 

I think this is one of the main reasons why Japanese people have one of the longest life spans in the world. They exercise without trying.

6. No need to own a car

This ties into the previous point and unless you live in the countryside, you likely won’t need a car. Besides getting a driver’s in Japan is pretty difficult so I wouldn’t recommend it unless you have to have a car.

The public transportation in the cities is so good and affordable. The trains and buses are on time (usually) and typically are available from 6am – midnight every day. 

You can always walk or bike if you don’t want to use public transportation because most places are nearby. In my neighborhood, there are restaurants, grocery stores, clinics, conbinis, schools, and malls all within a 10-20 minute walk. The nearest train or bus station is a 1 minute walk away.

Some things to consider before moving to Japan

You should think long and hard about why you want to move to Japan. It’s a great place to live but it’s not perfect. There’s a saying, “wherever you go, there you are.” Living in Japan is kind of like living life on hard mode. Here are some things I wish I thought about more before deciding to move.

  1. Learning Japanese is not as easy as you think. It will take longer and more focus.
  2. You will miss your friends and family. But you will make new friends and family – in time.
  3. You will stick out and will never be considered Japanese – no matter what. And that’s ok.
  4. Things are done differently in Japan and won’t make sense to you. Learn to accept it for what it is and go with the flow.
  5. The cost of living is lower but so are the wages. The work hours are generally longer too.

Final Thoughts

So should you move to Japan? Well only you can answer that question. But in my opinion, someone who makes USD, likes new challenges, humid summers, and all things Japanese is a good candidate to establish a good life in Japan.

If you make USD remotely, you can insulate yourself from the low wages and long work hours, while benefiting from all the great things life in Japan has to offer.