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As someone who has lived in Japan for six years, I wasn’t too excited about moving there at first. But the more years I spent living in Japan, the more I wanted to stay there permanently.
I became fond of their culture, their language, and some aspects of their work ethics. Of course, I struggled with a few things like loneliness; but in this post, I’ll share the 10 reasons why I loved living in Japan.
1. It’s easy to become independent.
Japan has always been one of the top countries that rank the highest when it comes to safety. This is based on the annual report released by the Global Peace Index. Their method is based on 23 qualitative and quantitative indicators that measure peace across three domains: societal Safety and Security; ongoing Domestic and International Conflict; and the degree of Militarisation. In fact this year, Japan ranked as the 10th safest country in the world.
It’s also easy to find your way around the country. Going from city to city or prefecture to prefecture is easy. You just need Google Maps to see that it’s easy to get to various places, even remote ones.
If you are single and want company, there are organizations that form trips and tours around Japan as well. More often than not, you can find these groups posted at the bulletin boards of a town’s community center (公民館). These events can be organized by the local government, the local community, non-profit organizations, international communities, or schools, or universities.
These reasons make living in Japan a great place to learn independence. Because it’s safe and convenient, you don’t need to worry if you’re alone traveling within the country even when it’s getting late.
2. You can travel and live on a budget.
Even though Japan is one of the countries that have the highest standard of living, not many people know that it’s possible to live on a budget in the country.
Students and company employees are entitled to various discounts when using the bus, the train, or parking spaces for their bicycles. You can purchase discounted tickets that offer round trip or unlimited train passes if you are interested in sightseeing local spots.
Anyone with a big appetite can also buy food at discounted rates. Just make sure to do groceries late in the evening right before supermarkets close. Around after 10pm, you’ll find half-priced bentos, dairy products, packaged meat and seafood.
Living in Japan can be cheap, you just need to look for the good deals.
3. It’s an organized society.
People are generally very disciplined. In case you decide to move to Japan, you’ll see that the majority of the public follow both written and unwritten rules.
For example, sidewalks leading to pedestrian crossings usually have support for handicapped people (i.e. yellow raised grooved lines are a form of street braille, and many traffic lights emit sounds in them; they’re also known as audible pedestrian signals).
Supermarkets, university campuses, and railway stations among others, have designated parking spots for bicycles. These spaces contain numbered racks for bicycles that secure the front wheel to prevent them from getting stolen.
Convenient stores are fully-equipped with anything you need. Heat packs, shirts, masks, and machines that allow you to photocopy, scan, or print documents. You can also pay your credit card and utility bills in convenient stores.
4. It’s clean everywhere.
Cleanliness is one of the best things about living in Japan. It’s fascinating that most train stations are spotless when it comes to chewing gum litter (or any, in that matter) on the ground. And it’s not just the train and bus stations that are free from vandalism; their passenger vehicles are also clean inside out.
Trains, buses, taxis – all of the massive machines used for public transportation are always sparkling clean.
Another thing is that even before covid hit, it’s been a standard practice in Japan to wear face masks when they’re in public institutions such as schools, hospitals, trains; and they’ve always known how to maintain distance from other passengers as much as possible (rush hours are a different story though).
5. Japanese value quality products.
If you’re looking for a new hobby or something new to collect, Japan is a good place to be in because they put a deep value in craftsmanship.
There are a lot of Japanese products that are made by artisans. Some of them include knives, pottery, lacquerware, and ceramics. Japanese knives, for example, are popular all over the world because of their quality; and the story behind how they were made. You can read the full story here, but below is a summary in bullet points:
- Heian Period (794-1185): houchou-shiki (包丁式）a.k.a knife ceremonies were held as a way to present dishes to the emperor.
- 12th Century: rise of the samurai class; swordsmiths crafted their weapons
- 16th Century: Japanese farmers started growing their own tobacco crops; there was an increase in the demand for good knives
- Meiji Restoration (19th Century): End of the age of the samurai; the Sword Abolishment Edict of 1876 prohibited swords to be carried in public. The sudden lack of market for swords drove bladesmiths to use their skills in forging kitchen knives
Japanese knives are just one example of how artisans create goods with dedication to perfect their craft.
Even today, the government invests in various projects to support the craftsmen who are willing to expand their market abroad. Visit this site to check out what goods they’re promoting per prefecture.
6. It’s easy to find ingredients with Umami.
The company Ajinomoto describes Umami in two ways:
(1) Umami written as「うま味」pronounced as U-MA-MI, refers to umami as one of the five senses; and
(2) Umami written as 「旨味」also pronounced as U-MA-MI, translates to “deliciousness.”
Since “deliciousness” is an unusual word to describe the flavor of a certain food in English, many food enthusiasts define umami as a “pleasant savory taste.” And that taste can often be found in foods such as parmesan cheese, anchovies, mushrooms, and broths.
Umami resonates in a lot of Japanese ingredients. Some examples include kelp (a type of seaweed), bonito flakes (made from dried fermented skipjack tuna), shiitake mushrooms (a type of mushroom native to East Asia), and soy sauce among others.
So if you ever think about moving to Japan, know that it’s one of the best places to familiarize yourself with the umami flavor.
7. There’s something to discover in every prefecture.
Tourists usually flock to the most famous destinations in Japan. Tokyo is known for Tokyo Skytree. Osaka visitors flock to take a funny photo of the Glico guy. And it’s hard for anyone to leave Kyoto without checking out the Golden Temple.
Every prefecture aims to be known for something different; and that’s what makes it extra exciting to visit the country. But even if you move to Japan, it would seem like there’s an endless list of things to discover whenever you decide to unwind by traveling locally.
Here are some other places, and something they’re known for:
- Ishikawa Prefecture is known for Kenrokuen Garden, one of the three great gardens in Japan
- Okayama Prefecture is known for Korakuen Garden, one of the three great gardens in Japan
- Ibaraki Prefecture is known for Kairakuen Garden, one of the three great gardens in Japan
- Shizuoka Prefecture is known for Mt. Fuji, the tallest mountain in Japan
- Mie Prefecture is known for Mikimoto Pearl Island, pioneered in culturing pearls
- Tottori Prefecture is known for its large sand dunes
- Nara Prefecture is known for Todaiji Temple. It was once the world’s largest wooden building.
Different prefectures are not only known for their famous landmarks, the regions also popularize making specific dishes. Many times, you’ll find that one region claims to have the best ramen in Japan, but they’re actually specializing in a specific taste, check this out for more info.
8. You’ll get used to being “detail-oriented.”
For the six years I’ve lived in Japan, I witnessed how much attention they pay to the details of the documents they give out and to the documents I need.
When I was working for a Japanese company, we were not allowed to submit documents to the manager if specific details were slightly different from the standard. For example, the alignment of numbers in a table should be on a specific side, or the total amount of a computation should be double underlined instead of underlined in bold.
During our training period, we were also required to submit daily and weekly reports. We had to write down what we learned or what we did during the day, or within the week. And that must be accompanied by concrete examples.
Sure, every company is different; and the one I worked for might have had more traditional values than others, but if you move to Japan, you’ll notice this trait wherever you go.
From bus schedules to University documents (no matter what it is), it is very rare to find mistakes or to get something that doesn’t have all the details you need.
9. You’ll learn a useful language.
Like many of the other languages, the Japanese language is not as widely spoken as English, Chinese, or Spanish. However, learning the language is not only an added skill, but it opens up even more career opportunities for you.
If you have ever tried to apply for a Japanese company online, you’ll notice that most of them require you to speak the language. Many companies would also require a certain level of proficiency in the language as part of the application requirements.
Japanese companies are renowned in multiple industries. Companies such as Toyota, Panasonic, Uniqlo, Meiji, and many others have established presence in various countries. So if you want to increase your chances in working for a Japanese company, know that having a certain degree of mastery in their language might just be your key to getting hired.
10. You’ll learn that simple is beautiful.
While I was living in Japan, I saw that people usually wear clothing with bland tones; and they rarely put on bright colored materials, or standout ones.
Women in the workforce conform to a more conservative style. Plain colored shirts, blouses, or cardigans are matched with blue, gray, or black blazers. These are paired with same-colored pencil skirts, slacks, or pants that don’t have very obvious patterns on them. On one hand, the majority of men wear business professional or business casual attire to work.
Simplicity is what some Japanese brands are known for as well. Muji, a company known for household and consumer goods is written as 無印良品 (read as Mujirushi Ryōhin). The characters stand for “unbranded products.” Uniqlo, another well-known Japanese retail store that sells clothing essentials for men, women, and kids is another example. It published its slogan in social media as: “Simplicity, made even better.”
Wrapping Up
One lesson I learned while I was living in Japan is that it’s important to integrate with the society. Even if you’re not Japanese, it’s good to remember the saying: When in Rome, do as the Romans do.
What do you think of this list? Do you have any questions about living in Japan? Feel free to comment below!
