On The Dirty Little Secret Of Living A Long Time In Japan
Craig note- People often ask me if it is easy to live here. I don’t know, but it is easy for some people to “hide out from life (in Japan).”
(Enjoy!)
Living in Japan is easy.
Well, that’s not entirely accurate.
There are a few caveats.
LIVING IN JAPAN IS EASY IF ONE HAS A DECENT JOB; AN AFFORDABLE PLACE TO SLEEP; AND A SHORT COMMUTE.
SADLY, ALL OF THAT IS HARDER TO COME BY THESE DAYS.
This is also true in the field of English teaching especially when you are Grey, Grizzled, and Gaijin. Still, I know long-term foreigners who have carved out nice lives here as English teachers (and other careers, too).
But, a funny thing happens…
THE EASIER LIFE IN JAPAN BECOMES FOR LONG-TERM EXPATS, THE LESS THEY OFTEN LIKE IT.
IN FACT, SOME FOLKS COME TO HATE IT.
Once you reach a certain (life, job, economic) level in Japan, your existence is on auto-pilot. This applies to expats and Japanese people alike. Now, that is not an entirely bad thing.
It is great to have a stable life here in Japan. But, there is something about doing the same thing(s) year after year that make it less fun. At least, that is true for me.
It bothers me more the longer I am on Social Media. Every day, I check my Facebook “On This Day.” My memories stretch back long before I was ever on Twitter and most of my time here.
It’s amazing to see the same dinners, work events, and community events pop up on my feed. It makes me happy to remember great moments in my life. But, it is also a mildly depressing thing at times to see how repetitive most of my life has become in Japan.
There are days I have seen I ate at the exact same restaurant nine years in a row. Worse, I ordered the same lunch every time. One supposes I could get more creative in seeking out “new” places to go for a cheap meal.
But, I don’t.
I like to save money.
Instead…
THESE DAYS I FIND MYSELF “HIDING OUT” IN JAPAN.
I KEEP MY LIFE AS SIMPLE AS I CAN.
AND, I TRY NOT TO MAKE ANY WAVES.
I get out of bed. I go to my company. And, I find myself counting down the hours until I am home. It is a running joke at my house about how, “boring your work life is…”
“And, it is.”
BUT, IT HAS BEEN A RATHER EFFECTIVE LIFE STRATEGY.
The days, months, and years have passed with little to no trouble. That’s great for me and my family.
But, there is a problem.
I’ve had little motivation this year to keep pushing forward for “more” in my life. For the first time as an adult, I have felt like settling for my underachieving lot in life is okay.
And, that troubles me.
I AM NOT ALONE IN THIS FEELING.
I HAVE SPOKEN TO SEVERAL EXPATS WHO FEEL THERE IS NO REASON TO “WORK LIKE A DOG” IN JAPAN.
THERE IS LITTLE “UP” IN MANY JAPANESE COMPANIES.
AND, EVEN WHEN THERE IS; THE MONEY FOR THE LIFE-WORK BALANCE TRADEOFF IS NOT WORTH IT.
JAPANESE WORKERS HERE UNDERSTAND THIS ALL TOO WELL.
ON MY JAPANESE “FRIEND”
I had a Japanese “friend” who was an engineer at a major company for 15 years. I met him often at a local standing bar. He liked English, and he was always eager to practice with me.
We were talking one day over some beers. My “friend” mentioned he was up for a “promotion to management.” I was most happy for him. But, he was glum. My “friend” had no interest in working more hours than he already did for only slightly more money.
MY “FRIEND” DID HIS BEST AT THE COMPANY TO “NEVER STAND OUT AND JUST DO THE JOB.”
He had been passed over numerous times for promotion. But, as a worker with many years of experience, he knew there would be a time that he could not turn down the “promotion.”
And, that day finally came for him.
That happened five years ago, and I never saw or heard from him again. I found out later after a string of mental and physical problems my “friend” died.
IT IS HARD TO SAY IF HIS DEATH WAS CAUSED BY HIS JOB.
MY “FRIEND” HAD OTHER LIFE AND RELATIONSHIP PROBLEMS, TOO.
IT ALSO DID NOT EXACTLY HELP HIS CAUSE HE DAILY DRANK ENOUGH ALCOHOL TO MAKE A JAPANESE CARP JEALOUS.
STILL, I WAS A LITTLE ENVIOUS THAT MY “FRIEND” FOUND A WAY TO “BE MORE” IN LIFE (EVEN IF IT DID KILL HIM).
There is nothing wrong with my job or my company. In fact, it is a good gig. But, I want more out my life.
I know there are opportunities out there. If I keep looking, I am going to find an opportunity in Japan for me to “be more.” One supposes my “ship will come in…” one day.
THERE IS NO DOUBT I WILL BE GLAD TO TRADE BENT, LAMINATED ENGLISH FLASHCARDS FOR CRISP, WHITE, BILINGUAL BUSINESS CARDS.
But, I wonder if I shall live to regret not being content to simply:
“HIDE OUT FROM LIFE (IN JAPAN).”
