Did any of these surprise you? Let me know in the comments!! 😇 Also, I'm trying out an editor because honestly it's nice to sometimes have a week off from having the video editing looming over my head after work every day (I like it, but I also like having free time 🤧) so let me know your thoughts/feedback!! My first time working with this editor so there's bound to be stuff that doesn't work 😆 (Also, I'm definitely still going to always be editing my vlogs!!! Just these kind of videos it's nice to have help with sometimes hehe)

I like how down to earth your videos are, a lot of the bigger japan youtubers are kind of getting unrelatable to me? Like doing mr. beast type things but in japan lol. I still like all those channels but i appreciate you being more real and relatable to normal folks lol.

Thank you Allison for the video. Living in a different country isn’t for everyone. My son has lived in Japan for almost 4 yrs. He’s visited the country twice before moving there. Once was a 2 month. My sister and I laugh how my son blended well into the culture. Those are his people. Basically, landing on his mother ship. For others that don’t feel that way, it may not be your place to live permanently. He’s teaching English. Many friends come and go. Comments on depression. Don’t try to live there if you are people needy. Although polite, Japanese aren’t that open. You need to be able to eat out alone, hike alone, shop alone, and go on tours alone. I hope everyone gets to visit there.

Just got accepted by a professor to the International Multidisciplinary Engineering Program at the University of Tokyo... so I'm very likely to be entering Japan around Sep 2024... These are some nice tips I have noted, might help me survive there...

THANK YOU SO MUCH for speaking the truth on behalf of us; foreigners/residents 🙏🙌😂 all of these are very very true, and 21 is probably the most important! Especially given the lack of resources/education about mental health in Japan. I know it’s a bit sad to hear for some people, but it’s better to hear this now; that waste loads of money coming here and then ending up hating Japan for no reason.

Thank you for telling it like it is. My recent trip taught me this exact thing: visiting Japan was an amazing, mind-opening experience. Would I actually WANT to live there? No, I wouldn't. Mostly due to the quiet discrimination. I certainly felt it in the little things: getting weird looks on the train, having people actively move away from me, just feeling like I was seen as something, well... foreign. Cheers!

Really helpful list. Teaches a lot about having a realistic view on japan 😊

just wanted to say, been following you for a bit and ive been watching your vlogs so many times, even rewatching them and i really enjoy your videos a lot. they are interesting but also calming, just the perfect thing to put on and watch for hours. thank you so much! :)

Lovely video, thanks for sharing 🥰👍

Love this new style of editing in this video!!

I agree with everything you said ! :) thanks for sharing such a clear and informative video :)

I love your thoughts on this topic as someone who goes to japan for travels i agree on all the points you mentioned

Great video! im planing on attending a year long course at a language and culture school next year and i cant wait

Thank you for the tips!! 🤍🥹

Arrigato Gozaimasu for the grand Japan tips!! Skill Share sounds absolutely amazing!! We will check it out!!

Your videos got me through a month of Japan this summer, thank you!! :D

Great video, not negative. It was realistic and you didn’t beat around the bush when trying to explain each thing. Thank you for sharing, I’ll subscribe.

Excellent and realistic video, a nice antidote to the many 'Japan is so wonderful' gushing fantasy videos. I didn't know about the middle name issue, interesting.

This was the best, most down-to-earth video that I've seen so far. A lot of people feel very alien and unrelatable when discussing living in Japan but I think you explained it in a way that us *normal humans* can understand. Specifically addressing things like what daily life is like and the idea that moving won't fix all your problems is a good frame shift as myself and many others can get "lost in the sauce," to put it crudely.

Thanks for all your videos, they were great help. I booked our trip before this video came out but it did give me reassurance as we left Jaoan on December 28 right before the busy new years eve stuff happened. We didn’t plan it, it just fell on that day, so I guess we got lucky. We were there Dec 17-28, I felt it wasn’t as busy as we were prepared from watching Japan youtube videos. Regarding the weather, it was great for us as it was sunny or partly cloudy in the 50’s during the day. It was easy walk around weather.

This is so helpful ❤ and real. Moving anywhere to run away from our problems won’t help though knowing our purpose is good. I loved this

Thanks for sharing❤️

I think this is one of my favorite videos from the channel! great and helpful to hear what it's really like to live, not just pretty side

I have to admit, I am very grateful for you being very real about what to expect from Japan. A lot of times we get super fluffy stuff about being in Japan, so I appreciate you doing your best to be real about what to expect in Japan haha.

おはよう👋😃☀️ Thanks for finally being realistic Too many people move to Japn and Korea thinking its just like the movies music and shows I explain to them it's like thinking america is like hollywood movies lol 😅 ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ 😅😅😅

Hi Allison I appreciate your helpful video, actually I was looking for some useful info about Japan, before my visiting japan. Thanks for your hard job and time ♥️🤗👍it's just important for me to find out.👍

Absolutely👏🏼 on👏🏼 point👏🏼11:24 Definitely a reality check on visiting vs. living 🥲

I never thought about the middle name. Super interesting! Thanks for the info!!!

Love ur videos!

Hands down! An KZfaqr that shows the real life living in Japan. No sugar coating. Great video

This is really wise advise. It's kind of you to think of what others need to know so they don't end up making a HUGE and very costly mistake. Well done!

Thank you Alison!

You did a great job! If I was contemplating moving, I would want to know what to expect going in, not once I got there! Thank you, and I hope you have a great week!!!! 🫶

Thank you for sharing

Excellent video. Open, honest, intelligent, realistic. Lots of common-sense, a trait that seems to be not so common any more. Absolutely, moving country does not solve one's own mental problems nor bad habits. I speak from experience. The problems between our ears, follow us around the earth-plane.

Outstanding All Around

Hi Allison, interesting video, I wasn’t aware of the ‘signature stamp’ that Japan uses and also the issue with middle names. I don’t think it was negative and I do believe people need to be realistic about their expectations when moving abroad as whole and not just Japan. Like you said, you can have a normal and fun life too. The use of the editor was different, maybe a few too many emojis lol 😆 but if this is helping you then definitely use it, anything positive to make your life easier is a good thing. Thank you for sharing your insights and advice with everyone. Best wishes

💯fellow American woman who lived in Japan here. Excellent advice, Allison!

Love here as well and totally agree, the middle name thing had lmao. Omg have get good at writing really small.

Re 21, while true also remember that a life shake up is exactly what many need to radically disrupt bad patterns. Don’t use travel to “fix” yourself, but also it can open your horizon and teach you that the problems in your life might not be as big as you think. Trying something new can really reset your mindset.

Coming from someone who has been here 12 years and is on the shy, not a fan of partying, loneliness might not go away. Allison seems a bit out going and only been here 5 years. Also her social circle is not limited to her job or school. Coming as a teacher you have training and meet the teachers also in you Mr area. At work you talk with the other ALT during downtime. You become friends but those people leave. Japan wasn’t for them or something. Rinse and repeat with the next year’s ALT. My best friend went back to Australia after 5 years. You just don’t know what will happen in life. Thankfully I met my husband after that.😅 Also when I studied abroad my dear aunt passed away and I couldn’t fly home. And now I’m worrying about money for our roof and no way we can afford to fly to California to see my family I haven’t seen since I arrived in 2011. I really want my husband to meet them.

The emoji's was a nice change of pace. You are always honest & tell it like it is and that's why I like your videos. Life is not all unicorns and cotton candy. If you ever change jobs, maybe you can open your own business to help foreigners transition to living in Japan(?). You could probably write a guidebook on everything people need to know before coming to Japan(1 for tourists, 1 for moving to Japan to work). 👍

Hi Allison!! Awwww love your Pikachu with the adorable pink outfit and hat...too cute!!

I like the honesty :) subscribed cause of it. I really wanna move to Japan since basically I knew it existed, I know it's going to be hard. I need a reset in my life and the challenge of it sounds exciting and potentially rewarding. But I would rather go for it no matter how though the path may be, I don't want to not risk it and ask myself what if? I relate so much to the japanese culture and disagree with a lot too, no culture is perfect but in my standards japanese culture comes near it more than any other place all over the world. I think so many people feel the same way, so don't feel discouraged and follow your dreams! At the end, fighting for it will make it worth! :D Thanks for the video I liked it a lot!

I really appreciate this video. I don't think people realize how it will really be. I was there for almost a month this time solo traveling, trying to get a sense of being there alone, and realized that. However, I still want to move there (because I have a community locally already) but I have my expectations in check.

God, these are all SO TRUE! Living in Japan can be really tough at times, especially without any Japanese skills. I think we all wish we would have known more Japanese before coming here 😂

I am looking forward to visiting Japan and am learning the language. The cultural indirectness concerns me in face to face communication and is something I've come to appreciate in songs and books. Although I'm reading an English translation and might still be missing the essence. I think you're doing a great service in this video to people who intend to move, live and work there.

so true!!! so true, it's so lonely there 😢

I thought the need-to-knows were really good and very realistic. The good, bad, and the ugly I guess 🧐, but all important to know before making such a huge move. Also loved the emojis ❤️👏

Hyelpful video(even though I most likely will never move to Japan) I see so many Americans making videos about the wonders of Japan and I'm sure they exist, but life is life everywhere we go. Many Blessings Ali💙

I always learn something when I watch your videos. I never knew about the middle name issue.

Hi Allison. Nice video. You made some really good points there. Biggest problem I had in getting the visa was the fact that the people in Miami just did not want to make a decision. After 3 or 4 trips over there I finally packed up all of the paperwork and sent it to Saitama. Had the visa approved in just a few days. Still took two more trips to Miami to get my passport processed. Very frustrating. But, I can't imagine living anywhere else.

I super appreciate the honesty in this video. I will say I didn't like the editing style; it hurt my eyes. But the content was helpful. My husband and I are considering moving to Japan after visiting. It seems like a lot of preparation is needed to successfully and happily move there from a foreign country and not be more depressed than when you left.

Oh I love those animated emojis!!!

As a Canadian that lived in Tokyo for 8 years. I can agree with everything you said here. Japan is a decent place to live if you can find like-minded friends or a community that you vibe with. All the city ward or document related stuff was a pain to do 😂

I’m moving to Nagoya soon and thankfully the apartment search has been pretty easy, the reps for the units I’m interested in have been super nice. But I also know I’ve been SUPER lucky.

This needed its own comment rant! The name thing!!!! Ugh! Your visa aka residence card will have your passport name. In the past my school or my company picked the katakana and it changed over and over. I had to change my passport to my married name so PayPal would work with my bank. Now that I’m an author, I’m still trying to get Amazon right so I can get paid.

I am deaf and very introverted anyway so something tells me Japan is my mothership, I am already going everywhere alone in America anyway

Good video, gives some realistic expectations. Also just wondering do you think life is hardest in tokyo compared to other main cities. From my research and also from my visits Osaka seems a better alternative with socialising and cost of living.

This video has reasured me that im more prepared for my move to japan than i thought i was. Not looking forward to the hassle that comes with setting up a bank account and things haha

Thanks! Maybe I can find you one day

I liked this video because I’ve lived in 4 different countries, and I agree with healthy realism. The grass isn’t greener so fix or address your personal issues where you are because moving and culture shock is real. It takes time to make friends. So I’m glad you were candid. Why make a video and sugar coat it. No point in that.

Thanks for the video! From FL as well and have been drawn to visiting and possibly living in FL. Problem is I have a wife and three kids 😅. I never see people even talking about how realistic living in a house is in Japan, so that seems like a hold up in leaving our relatively big house here if it will be difficult renting a house there.

I haven't lived in Japan, but I have lived in various countries, and one question people always ask (not unlike what you're describing) is, "What's it like to live here, in comparison to .....?". And truthfully, I've always found that the first year (+/-) is the most exciting where you feel the differences and are also a sort 'curiosity' to people around you. After that, I find myself becoming someone of that country/culture, which is pretty much the same all around the world. You need to eat, have somewhere to live, find a job (you like), make friends, etc. And, most important, learn the language! Someone once told me, if you can make people laugh in another language, then you're making progress. Great video, I really enjoyed it - not sure how I ended up watching though?

For #20, I would add age discrimination over job hunting in Japan. although most of your subscribers are very young, I would like to mention it. I know hiring managers in US do age discrimination indirectly. But at least it's illegal. Japan does not regulate age discrimination yet. it's very hard and miserable to find a new job after age 40.

Well if I wasn’t depressed before watching this video I sure am now. 😊 I think as long as I’m not working for a Japanese firm I’d be fine. And you can also just try it out first and see if living in Japan is for you. If it isn’t then you can always hit the ejection button. Life is an adventure.

It seems to me that this video is more useful for people who are dissatisfied with “Japan wonderful videos” than people who are going to move to Japan.

I’m considering moving to Japan to teach English with Aeon or Yaruki Switch. But it’s a daunting decision especially knowing the reality that awaits. Here in the US, I can’t find work or a place to live. So even if it isn’t ideal, I feel like it’s still one of the better options for me. And I know even with all the cons, there will be things I still enjoy. I’m hoping to come out a stronger person but maybe that’s naive thinking.

Great list! I've lived here for 26 years and I agree with almost everything you said. I married a Japanese guy and that brings other problems. And the middle name thing...Argh. It is so frustrating.

I agree with #13 and 14 WITH ALL MY HEART. The post office won’t give me my mail once. The problem was that my ID has my English name but the mail was addressed to my Katakana name. According to them, I’m not the same person! I only have one ID with my Katakana name on, my NHI ID but guess what? That’s not a valid ID! I had to ask them to return the mail to sender, and ask the sender to write my name in English and resend. It took me 2 weeks.

Just returned from my first visit to Japan to visit my daughter who is a JET there. My takeaways: 1. Despite her concerted effort to put herself out there it does seem like a lonely life, and that’s due in large part to… 2. The avoid the foreigner feeling is so real! Japanese people seemed to avoid walking near us, speaking to us unless necessary and sitting next to us on transit (even on an SRO commuter train!) 3. While very polite and helpful when help is directly asked for, I wouldn’t say that I found the people warm or friendly. 4. Your comment on the clothing is so spot on! I was amazed at how put together and modest the clothing was, but my biggest surprise was the lack of color! Everything was a neutral - like EVERYTHING! It was a shock whenever I saw someone wearing a bright color. Thanks for this video. I wish there was a better way to prepare people for such a big transition. All that being said my daughter likes it there and plans to stay for a while, so it definitely does suit some people well.

Thanks for the info. I will be moving to Japan next summer and go by my middle name :-0. Looking at some of the immigration forms, they don't have a spot to write it. Fortunately, my wife is Japanese, and she will find us a place to live before I move there. Also, we are both retired so no job issues. At first, we will rent a house of apartment but plan to have a house built. It seems that signing a two-year lease is common.

Good info! Also remember that if you wanna switch to a lower paying job for some extra freedom, taxes are retroactive and needs to be paid the next year despite that current year income being way lower. Savings, people!

I have been watching your excellent videos. I plan to visit in 2025 and get prepared for visiting, like maybe living there. I am retired and need a head-up preparing for my visit.

I genuinely find it hard to decide if I should move to Japan or not. I think if I were to it would be for a year max - just because I'm such a social person I think the language barrier might make me struggle a bit there :,) It also makes me worry that my Japanese language learning isn't worth it 😭

I was just in Japan for three weeks. The fashion… everyone looked nice. And yes! I definitely didn’t wear a few of the lower cut shirts I brought. I’m currently going through a closet edit to figure out clothes that fit me and my body style better. I’m hoping to move to Japan next year, and I’m trying to figure out the best clothes to buy now that will work in Japan too. Since I’m like an extra large in Japan, I was thinking it is probably better if I get my clothes in America, just look for clothes that also could work in Japan. Can I ask you some wardrobe questions? Like how many clothes items do you have? What are some of your interseasonal clothing items (works for sping and summer for example)? Is there anything you stock up on fashion wise from America? Do you try to stay in trend?

I'm looking into finding my own place very soon (yes, I have a job). I found a real estate company where the agent speaks English and the places he showed me are much cheaper than what I currently have to pay my company. I asked him, but what if a landlord refuses to rent to a foreigner? And he just waved his hand and said, No, if the landlord felt that way, I wouldn't show you the apartment in the first place. These days I am not that picky about where I live because I have a house in the US--my Japanese place doesn't have to be that great, and the town where I work is not that expensive. Like you said, my focus is on work.

Does the 10 days of PTO include the national holidays, or is it in addition to? (Japan has a lot of holidays :-)

hi, can anyone explain me what means "prospective jet" in 4:00?

Let me share a bit about my recent solo trip to Nagano without a car. If you don't have a car or aren't on a package tour of some kind, don't do it. Those buses in the mountains stop running really early--like at around 3:30-5 pm? So if one bus is delayed, you'll miss your connecting bus and be stranded in the pitch dark on the side of a mountain--like I was--and it was only 5 pm!! A taxi miraculously appeared, dropping off 4 people, so thank god for that taxi driver. But it was 40+ minute $60 taxi ride, just sayin'. I was able to tell him my destination in Japanese--he didn't speak English of course. I'd recommend going somewhere where you can take a train, get off and walk around, and get on the train again.

That thing with the funny new name is also common in America and many other places though. Whenever I try to enter my name online into an American form, the text field usually blinks red and responds with: "please enter a valid name". Worst time was during covid, when I entered the USA and needed to enter my name on multiple forms but was inconsistent with my English spelling. The TSA officer looked at me, the two different spellings on my forms and the correct spelling in my passport and just asked: "so what is your name now?" And my name only includes one non English character btw. It's just an umlaut.

Do you get any paid sick time in Japan? Or do you have to take sick time out of your 10 days of PTO like in the states?

I thought of a funny one: get used to being stared out. I used to compare myself to a gigantic rabbit--some people stared at me in fear, others gazed with wonder and awe, but the stares were real. I live in Yokohama now, so I don't get stared at as much as I used to, but you still feel that vibe coming off of people like, "Uh-oh, there's a gaijin."

Question what website do you go to I’m confused

I've got an interesting question for you since you are also from Florida. I'm heading there for 2 weeks in mid-January, and I've never been out of south Florida. How big of a system shock do you think I will be hit with when I encounter proper winter weather? I have no idea what to get clothing wise, all I have are pants, t-shirts, and a jacket suitable for Florida winter.

Where do you recommend to apply for apartments that are friendly to foreigners?

Probably gonna move in japan in a bit over a year now so i'm researching....

❤

So realistic indeed 😂

Pls how can I get Japan working Visa

#14 does that mean i get the opportunity to go by an alias in japan?🤔 or should i just put my real name in katakana? also, how are last names used for foreigners in japan? reaaally dreading that cuz my last name is kinda long 😩

I feel like one day after coming home from my job I'm gonna walk in the door, let out a big sign and just violently but nonviolently shake the air xD I'm normal I swear 😂

I am trying to visit japan to maybe live in japan but as a disabled woman what are the chances? Can someone with an SSI can still live in Japan or even visit?

😊

Should of re-titled the video: “21 reasons to not move to Japan” lol 🤣 All joking aside, still love your videos. Keep up the great content 👍🏻❤️

Thanks for your update I am interested in Japan How can I get your personal contact

The only thing that I don’t really like about Japan is that they expect you to work without taking vacations. What no

The middle name issue scares me the most out of all these things 😵 - looking back on your experience now, what would be your suggestion on how to navigate this if you were to do it all over again?

I see people mention PTO a lot but it isn't really that much of difference from the US haha unless you work at a really good company

Is that a can of soup on the dresser