Top 5 tips to live in Japan

5 Tips to live in Japan:

1. Learn the basic Japanese language.
2. Get a smartphone with internet (preferably unlimited)
3. Food in Japan is much more than sushi and maki rolls. Discover food.
4. Follow travel packages by JR, JTB etc. They sometimes comes up with amazing discounts for travelling within and around Japan.
5. Compare prices of goods from Amazon.co.jp and Rakuten before buying from the retail store. 

Japan is the best country in the world. Honestly it is. I'm living in Hiroshima for 3 years and its hard to believe I need to leave Japan shortly.

My top 5 are:
Prepare: Find sites for the locale you're moving to, not touristy blogs but real expat accounts or news pages. Being 'in the know' about what's going on in your city can start before you land. I got to know the political and social environment I was flying into (think military bases) and I didn't put my foot in my mouth when others did, very useful. In Japan, those nuances people talk about might just be having a clue about what's going on.

Explore: Having said the above, don't limit yourself to all the regular gaijin haunts all the time. This truly prevents life in your new home to include the other people who know this place a lot better than you do, the Japanese residents. At first making friends might be a bit hard, but a smile goes a long way in my experience. Soon you'll be answering 100 questions from some curious local who might even want to go karaoke with you.

Learn: Some jobs in Japan do not require Japanese proficiency so many expats may skip the Japanese lesson. From experience, I can tell you it limits your relationships to those who are willing to go outside of their comfort zone to include you. Learn a few phrases for shopping (no plastic bags, please) or the izakaya and you'll find people willing to meet you halfway. I know I was very grateful each time someone made an effort to speak English when my Japanese failed, though they all said I was good at it all the time. lol. Apart from language, I found myself learning to ride a bike (late bloomer? lol) and play badminton. Neither of which I am very good at either.

Have fun: Japan is not just an amazing cultural experience, it is also full of many interesting places and things to do. I lived in a place where the ocean was so crystal clear and beautiful. I sometimes just drove to admire the scenery. I ate at cafes, hiked, and hit up so many the summer festivals in my city. I had a ball.

Save: The yen is suffering right now so the income you might have projected when you decided to move may not be so attractive after all. I was in Japan when the yen was flying high and I am so glad I saved some of that. Even if Japan is where you put down some roots and give up this expat life, money in the kitty is good to have for that rainy day. Hopefully, the yen goes up again though, coz my pension won't be worth anything.

These tips aren't necessarily in any order but I hope it's worth the two cents. smile