How hard is it to move to Japan?
I've always wanted to live in Japan. I think the culture and locations are wonderful but I don't speak or read the language.
What would be the best way to move to Japan safely?
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Answers ( 1 )
You will need a Japanese host. Otherwise it will be very challenging. You'll need someone to explain what you should and shouldn't do under various circumstances -- don't just assume that common sense and courtesy will suffice, although they will certainly help!
If you start in Tokyo, the first challenge will be getting around, which means subways. Fortunately, most subway stations have directions in English as well as Kanji (ideograms), Hiragana (squiggly letters) and Katakana (slightly more angular-looking squiggly letters). Katakana is used mainly for phoneticized "Romanji" words (mostly English), so if you learn the sounds of Katakana letters you should be able to sound them out and recognize the words they spell -- like "kohee" for coffee, "biru" for beer, and so on. You must also learn to count: ichi, ni, san, shi, go, roku, shichi, hachi, ... (I learned those in Karate class).
Don't expect to understand what's going on all the time. But try to figure it out. The Japanese people tend to be more accepting of "gaijin" (us) than we have been of them. They will usually tolerate your ignorance as long as you seem to be making an effort. [Wouldn't it be great if we could learn that lesson?]
You will see crowds more densely packed than any you have ever experienced, especially on subway platforms at rush hour. But, unlike in most North American subways, you will be perfectly safe. I walked down many a dark alley at midnight and never experienced anything more hostile than one guy who glared at me for some reason. (Although I can think of many possibilities, I don't know which one motivated him.)
Eat everything you see anyone else enjoying. That is of course a good general rule, but it's more rewarding in Japan than anywhere else I've ever been.