As if quitting your current job, selling your car, packing your life into boxes and saying goodbye to friends and family isn’t difficult enough, settling into your new life in a new country can also be overwhelming and difficult for even the most brazen travellers. Moving to Japan is not for everyone, but for those up to the challenge can be one of the most exciting and rewarding times of your life.
Some of the things to think about when contemplating whether living in Japan Japan is for you are:
* Are you an adaptable person who would be able to adjust to a different culture, even if you were the only foreigner working in a small country town?
* Are you are prepared to leave behind your support networks? Are you an outgoing and naturally enthusiastic person who could easily establish new groups of social contacts?
* Are you prepared for the change in lifestyle that results from living in Japan, including living in a considerably smaller apartment and dealing with overcrowded trains every day?
* Do you enjoy working with children?
* Do you have a genuine interest in Japanese culture and the language?
* Would you have enough money to set up from scratch? (including buying furniture, outlaying several months’ rent upfront and supporting yourself until your first pay day?)
* What are your motivations for coming to Japan? Are you contemplating a career in education or just a holiday away from home for a while?