Many people, along with a passion for Japanese culture, are beginning to experience a great temptation not only to visit, but also to move for a long period to this country. However, they have no idea how to do this and how ordinary Japanese people live in Japan. The information from the article gives some idea of what needs to be done in order for resettlement in this state to become a reality and bring happiness.
Recommendations
First of all, if a person dreams of a long stay in this eastern country, you need to start learning Japanese in advance - without this it will be very difficult. It is recommended that you also familiarize yourself with the culture and customs of this country in order to minimize disorientation. Shock or psychological discomfort can be experienced even by those individuals who, to some extent, already know about the country's traditions and how ordinary people live in Japan. But this effect can be reduced.
Based on your preferences, you should choose a city or at least an area where you can be at the very beginning. Depending on the purpose of the stay, the stopping place is also determined. You may prefer a big metropolis, like Tokyo, or a small town to get to know the culture better, to understand how the Japanese live in Japan. Mid-sized settlements, such as Osaka, Kyoto, Nagoya Li Kobe, also have their advantages. If a person has spent all his previous life in a small town, moving immediately to Tokyo can be a real shock.
Relocation Benefits
The constant study and expansion of their own point of view on the situation and the world is waiting for those who move to this unique state. It’s easy to guess that everything is different in Japan, especially culture. What is obvious and normal for us is not such for a given nation. Therefore, it is very important to be open to a completely new and completely different culture. Of course, first impressions and relationships with local people are not enough to fully learn how to live the way ordinary people live in Japan. You must understand that for this to take some time. In this adaptation period, it would be good to plunge deeper into the basic concepts of a nation, to study its way of life, traditions. In general, Japan is a completely different country in terms of a certain cultural code, one might even say that it is a different planet!
And we can learn a lot by living abroad and going through a different environment. This requires certain adaptive capabilities and expansion of their own framework. In order to join the general stream of how ordinary people live in Japan, you should in some sense forget about your culture and absorb this new, different one. Only in this way will we be able to understand and cognize things unusual for us and a completely different view of the world.
Discipline and rules
Regarding how ordinary people live in Japan, one must take into account that this state is full of strict rules. And if a person wants to arrive there, they will need to adhere. And there are a lot of restrictions!
As for how Russians live in Japan, we can say that they have to change radically. Our compatriots learn a completely different approach to neighbors, colleagues, etc. It is about always taking into account another person, at every possible opportunity. In the reviews of how people live in Japan, information appears that all these rules and the specific division of classes resemble the socialist system, which works perfectly here.
Convenience
Convenience and a sense of comfort are the most important things in the world for local residents. Everything that exists in this country is thought out literally to the smallest detail. Everything here is available practically at any time - especially food! Describing how people live in Japan, the Russians notice the industriousness of this eastern people.
In this country, few people sleep, and people work 24/7. Yes, the stereotype of Japanese people who love to work is as true as possible. There are many grocery stores open around the clock. Cafe, working late and offering all kinds of dishes that can be bought at night. All food is tasty and fresh! There are also cheap restaurants called open terraces, where you can eat and drink without restrictions, for 2 hours for a fixed fee. In Japan, it is very cheap. There are clubs and bars, which are numerous here, they are open all night. The service is perfect, almost like robots, since in this country the customer is always right. The visitors here have the highest standards and expectations, therefore, it is difficult to please them, which, according to the Russians, is both good and bad.
Delight
Walking around the city, you can always discover interesting places, and, as a rule, these are beautiful Buddhist temples squeezed between houses or shops, sometimes hidden in the streets, which also have an amazing atmosphere. Spontaneous exploration of the area is highly recommended. Japan has many hidden wealth and interesting corners, you can always discover something new. We can say that, this is a country of endless delight.
In Japan, 80% of the territory is covered by mountains, and if you live in the Kansai area (cities like Osaka, Kyoto, Nara), it will be very easy to get to the most beautiful scenic spots by train.
Each season offers something special. For Russians who understand how they live in Japan, their favorite season is, of course, autumn. Incredibly amazing changes in the color of leaves in this state are impressive, and the best months regarding the picturesque landscape are November and October. In winter, you can admire the numerous views as well, and when it comes to weather, in December and January the temperature does not drop below 5 degrees, February is the coldest. In the spring, blooming cherry, which everyone probably knows, attracts many tourists. In the summer there are many traditional festivals and various events. As you can see, something happens all year round. Those who decide to find out personally how they live in Japan will not be bored.
Entertainment
If you are in search of where you can have the best time, then you have come to the right country. This can be said because in Japan the entertainment sector is the most developed.
Here, the cultural leisure industry is the most innovative in the world. It is being implemented at the highest level! Japanese knows how to have fun. This is noted by Russian people. Here is an extensive range of karaoke bars, restaurants, nightclubs with cartoon characters. There are also shopping centers, amusement parks, many institutions with live music. They are open until morning. It is also worth mentioning that if a person happens to miss his last train and he does not have money for a taxi (because he is a poor student), then you can safely sleep at night on the street. Nothing bad will happen in Japan. This is typical of this particular culture, and it is not recommended to do this in other countries.
Food in restaurants costs more than self-cooking. But establishments like Izakaya are very cheap, they introduce pretty good discounts there, in the so-called “happy hours”. The principle is this: if you go to a restaurant with a group of people, it’s cheap. Alone with you is not worth going there, for this there are bars with noodles.
Finding out how they live in Japan, Russians pay attention to the attitude of local residents to alcohol production. Alcohol is cheap in this eastern country. For example, a bottle of vodka is priced the same as a dish in a restaurant.
Before you move, you must definitely consider how the Japanese live in apartments in Japan. On average, renting a room costs $ 750 per month. In Australian realities, by comparison, it costs twice as much. Although Australia is considered cheap enough to emigrate.
A very important issue for Russians is how pensioners live in Japan. This is a country of centenarians, and this burden is much higher than in other parts of the world. However, they retire here earlier than in many European countries. And the social fund is huge. Being a pensioner in this country is just wonderful.
disadvantages
The Japanese do not interfere in other people's lives. They do not comment and do not criticize out loud, because that is how they are brought up. Of course, they behave completely differently in relation to their compatriots. Then they are very strict and demanding. Living in Japan, after a while you can learn telepathy! That's exactly what the locals communicate - they know how to feel how the other person feels and what he thinks. All thanks to strong insight and susceptibility to body language. This is a considerable achievement - to learn to communicate without words.
Here, the manifestation of feelings is not common, it is even considered a kind of weakness. That is, everything is completely different than in Western culture. It should be restrained. For some Japanese, foreigners are monsters from the West, and more than once migrants have heard how they were called behind their backs. Many locals fear people of foreign cultures and do not want to engage in any interaction with foreigners. Often this is due to a lack of knowledge of at least English. So do not be surprised in a situation where a person comes to the Japanese to ask something, and he runs away.
Traced in this culture and something like subtle racism. Migrants see expectations of foreigners in the local population that they will laugh at shy Japanese. Sometimes it seems that people from another country are for them some kind of monkey in a zoo. But locals will speak very differently to foreigners if they know Japanese well. In general, you need to have angelic patience if you want to live here.
Forever alien
Unfortunately, in a foreign land no matter how long a person has lived in this country, he will always be considered a visitor. In Japan, there is a big difference in the approach to the treatment of foreigners living here. Sometimes it happens that the service in restaurants is a little different, to put it mildly, less professional. Unfortunately, this happens in every country.
Costs
In the first year, the tax service in Japan exempts the migrant from paying city tax and medical insurance. However, everything changes after a year when a foreigner will literally be littered with accounts, and more than once will be surprised how much he has to pay for living in Japan. For immigrants, expenses of this kind are higher than for citizens of the country.
Lack of flexibility
In Japanese culture, it is better not to think outside the box. In this country, everything has its own principles and rules. There are a lot of decisions that cannot be circumvented. Everything here must be in accordance with a code, contract or law. They must be respected, because otherwise people will perceive you as a criminal. The Japanese are conservative, they live by the principle of one mind with several bodies moving in the same direction. Therefore, turning in the opposite direction causes controversy, discord and commotion. Conformism rules everything here. It is quite tiring if it lasts a long time. As a result, a person cannot be himself here, as he has no way to relax.
Machismo
Gender discrimination in Japan is one of the country's biggest problems. This is not so important for the locals themselves as for foreigners. Discrimination against women is firmly rooted in the minds of the Japanese: in education, economics, politics, in a word, in everything! This happens due to the peculiarities of the history and traditions of this country during the time of the samurai. There are also no women politicians or company managers here. They have never been in the history of this country and, probably, there is still a long way to go. According to statistics, discrimination against women in Japan is almost comparable to its level in Muslim countries. This is a shocking fact, but such is reality.
Mechanical approach
In all, the local population shows a "mechanical approach." This can be seen, for example, in stores. Foreign employees are trying very hard to copy the Japanese, but they fail. They cannot keep up with the ultra-fast movements of local staff. The Japanese have it in the genes. A very demanding educational system contributes to a number of difficulties. This is a mechanical approach, and they translate it into personal relationships as well.
Returning home
Returning to their native country, the Russians note that everything can never be the same again. The way of thinking and the worldview are changing. The returnee begins to notice things that he did not pay attention to before. Everything seems uncomfortable, impractical and meaningless. Food and service leaves much to be desired, because the highest level remained in Japan. At first, I don’t like anything at home, because the food is unhealthy. It's dirty and a lot of people, everything looks bad and smells (in Japan, 90% of people smell like soap and washing powder, and most look neat and fashionable). Many residents who left Japan, after some time, started to miss her, very soon they returned there.