Life in Japan - Month One
April 17, 2018
Wow, it's been a month since I took the biggest step in my life: moving to Japan.
I have transitioned into my new lifestyle quite smoothly. I have been fortunate to have family kind enough to help me settle in. If it wasn't for them and some friends I moved to Japan with then I wouldn't be transitioning so well. It is important to learn as much as possible about a country's culture before moving there. This will help with not having an extreme cultural shock. Japan is everything I have ever imagined it to be, almost...
Biggest changes I've had to adapt to were:
I have transitioned into my new lifestyle quite smoothly. I have been fortunate to have family kind enough to help me settle in. If it wasn't for them and some friends I moved to Japan with then I wouldn't be transitioning so well. It is important to learn as much as possible about a country's culture before moving there. This will help with not having an extreme cultural shock. Japan is everything I have ever imagined it to be, almost...
Biggest changes I've had to adapt to were:
- Transportation - In my small town, public transportation is not that great. By great, I mean that it is not convenient. The nearest bus stop and train station is about 20 mins walking distance from my home. Everything is pretty far from each other so main use of transportation is by car. This is why I needed to purchase a bicycle, and so glad I did. I purchased a nice one with a cute basket in front for about ¥14,000 (approx. USD $130).
- Cooking - Back in Hawaii, I rarely cooked AT ALL and when I did, I was pretty noob at it. One of my goals moving to Japan and living on my own was being forced to cook for myself. I think living on my own helps me to cook more because I don't have to worry about poisoning someone else with my cooking. Also tmi but I've been finding my own hair in my food all the time lol..
- Language Barrier - Of course not understanding Japanese 100% is a challenge for me, however I'm pretty comfortable living on my own here. I'm able to understand basic Japanese conversation, but will need to brush up on my vocab and kanji so I'll be more confident to communicate more. One of my main goals moving to Japan is to also learn the language! Definitely one of my biggest regret is not being fluent in Japanese.
- No friends - Ok, I know this one sounds funny, but my town is very small and therefore difficult to make friends. Majority of my friends and family that live in Japan are in the bigger cities, such as Tokyo and Osaka. I do like my alone time, but I need some human interaction outside of school! Hopefully I can make some Japanese friends to practice conversing with.
- Long Distance Relationship - This one is a tough one, of course. It is the first relationship that I am doing long-distance in. I believe if two people are positive, focused, loyal, and dedicated then this type of relationship can work out. So far, so good!
- Weather - This is probably the most difficult change and challenge. Being from Hawaii, never seeing snow in my life, I am definitely in for a treat. Besides being accustomed to perfect Hawaii weather, I also had an allergic skin condition to cold temperature, so my skin is very sensitive, a double-whammy! Fortunately, I am not living somewhere up north like Hokkaido... or in Iwate like my Hawaii friend Shane heheh.
- Budget - I've always been pretty good with budgeting my money, but... after moving into my home a little over 3 weeks ago, I wanna say I've been to Daiso or Seria (¥100 shop) more than half that time! This was my greatest fear... Who can resist the wonderful dollar shop?? Other than that, I am going to make an excel sheet of all my expenses. I've kept all my receipts since arriving to Japan, and will need to total them all up soon.
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