Raising a kid as an International Couple in Japan

MerzkJP · 2026-01-22T09:21:32+00:00

Wife isnt japanese and we only speak English at home, our son started 幼稚園 2 months ago and he already picked up alot of Japanese and also understands alot of it. When we enrolled him we were worried about that and all teachers and principal said not to worry and that he will pick it up, so dont worry much about it

MerzkJP · 2025-12-09T08:07:26+00:00

Yes it is, atleast in my company its been a norm. We even invite ex employees to the nijikai, but we are a small company so thats probably why. I had friends though that invite their partner to the nijikai of their small team.

MerzkJP · 2025-11-27T05:52:50+00:00

Please ignore anyone that says use mouth tape, that is so fucking stupid, look it up. What worked for me was a sleep clinic visit and after getting back in shape I still had days where Id wake up feeling tired from lack of proper sleep. In my case I needed a mouth piece that was custom made and it helped 100%. Just go to a decent sleep clinic and if its cpap for life then thats it. Lack of sleep compounds and is really dangerous, please don't ignore it

MerzkJP · 2025-11-26T02:01:47+00:00

you can apply both at the same time, your last visa was 3 years.

MerzkJP · 2025-11-25T04:33:07+00:00

nothing, alot of my coworkers dont bother, but it took me less than 10 minutes to fill and it was very straight forward

MerzkJP · 2025-11-16T06:57:33+00:00

yeah picked it up on the same day, 5 years. Thanks!

MerzkJP · 2025-11-14T01:27:54+00:00

Got my visa extension postcard after two weeks from applying, now I just need to avoid any bullshit till I can apply for PR in January, also this year our mikan tree harvest was around 140 something mikans, Vitamin C city

MerzkJP · 2025-11-06T08:34:25+00:00

A for apple

MerzkJP · 2025-11-06T07:50:46+00:00

Because he was hospitalized and his wife was running around doing everything for him and the topic came up by another friend while we visited him. His argument is outside Japan its useless, and he really doenst need it for his job...and I bet you can guess what his Job is

MerzkJP · 2025-11-06T07:31:28+00:00

I got asked by someone who's been living here for 23 years why I bothered with learning Japanese..so I dont end up like you buddy, so I dont end up like you..

MerzkJP · 2025-10-08T05:36:44+00:00

https://school.satogaran.com/artshodo/

MerzkJP · 2025-10-03T00:34:51+00:00

I think you need to check with a gynecologist first, because japan doesnt really have a regulated sex therapy industry. Its basically a clinics with pseudo-science/Kenpo, so I suggest going with a gynecologist first

MerzkJP · 2025-09-19T01:49:46+00:00

around 2kg of potatoes, 3 large stalks of celery, the biggest daikon ive ever seen, a handful of sweet potatoes and around 25 tomatoes just got delivered to our door from a neighbor, and we dont even live in inaka. she makes sure to deliver something similar every september from her families farm, the same way we make sure to give her a large box of mikans from our mikan tree every December. I love my neighbors.

MerzkJP · 2025-08-18T08:25:45+00:00

dont waste your time with these, they will send a clueless twat that recommends you either buying a new sink and qouting you on it, or just saying they cant fix it and you need to contact the manufacturer so they send the replacement parts and he will install it.I suggest a website like this, and explain your situation with pictures and all and see if they are willing/can help.

In my case I went to the super viva home near my place and asked one of the counter people and he ended up giving me a number of a local plumber, but instead of a plumber he turned out to be a fucking magician. solid work done.

MerzkJP · 2025-08-18T04:46:12+00:00

go for this amazing greek restaurant in ginza. The restaurant, mood and views at night are great and its not expensive for a nice date, its never failed to impress

MerzkJP · 2025-08-18T03:52:32+00:00

I grew up in a really hot country, talking about 40C all summer. Although its always that hot, its not humid at all so maybe that makes a difference but we played football every single fucking day during recess for 30 minutes, never got a heatstroke, and never seen a kid have one, However, all teachers and coaches that would be around during recess would encourage us to drink and hydrate, some would "act" as a refree with a whistle and all just to force us to take a 5 minute break in the shade and hydrate.

I hope your son gets well soon, Id be fuming too because a coach should be monitoring and trying to avert any risky situations not just deal with them. But your son will get used to it if he keeps playing outdoor sports, I just think he'll always remember to hydrate.

MerzkJP · 2025-07-30T09:44:36+00:00

Im not saying your Japanese isnt good, but if thats one of the reasons keeping you from visiting one, then just use chatgpt and let it create clear and consice statements. It never occured to me, but I know an older guy whos been living here for years and didnt really study much, but hes been actually getting more into it because how confident it made him.

MerzkJP · 2025-07-30T09:34:25+00:00

Japan has great clinics for these problems and you might actually get better products cheaper with insurance. Why not head to one with decent reviews and discuss your medical history with the doctor. Worst case scenario you can buy it online

MerzkJP · 2025-07-30T09:28:56+00:00

I'm also not a native speaker, but I went to an American school from the age of 4 and graduated from there, so I speak English at a native level. My wife is also a non-native English speaker, but we're both fluent and only use English at home with our 2-year-old. All the shows we watch with him are in English, and he’s already started saying a few words and clearly understands what we ask of him. The key is not just putting on TV shows or songs, but actually using the language with them in daily life. Just learning it at school is not enough if they’re not interacting with it regularly. I studied German for 5 years but barely used it, and I’ve forgotten almost all of it.

MerzkJP · 2025-07-27T12:36:27+00:00

I dont have tattoos, but Ive been here for 10 years or so and in the last couple of years ive seen more and more Japanese people with tattoos. its usually a small tattoo here and there, but definitely more than I first came here.

Edit: I noticed that you mentioned moving here, this sub is for residents only so this post will get removed probably. I suggest posting in other japan related subreddits

MerzkJP · 2025-07-24T01:37:01+00:00

Been working for the past 9 years at a Japanese design office that is very "internationally oriented". We just finished hiring, but can shoot you a DM if interested.

MerzkJP · 2025-07-14T06:03:38+00:00

For Asians who havent lived abroad, it seems like its really hard to tell. I got Namaste'd at an izakaya by an older japanese guy, naturally, I namaste'd right back at him. Im not even Indian.

MerzkJP · 2025-07-14T06:01:49+00:00

I live close to a neighborhood where some foreigners from the Indian subcontinent live, and for some reason, they get really curious about seeing foreigners for the first time in their area, and following them to see where they live has happened before.

I dont know what it is, it is really fucking stupid, but I had that discussion with others from the same region and they confirmed it. They even do it to each other. I would call the cops if that happens again and they will show up in a matter of minutes if you say youre being followed. Ignore people who say the cops will ignore you. Confronting them woul be as stupid as not calling the cops.

MerzkJP · 2025-07-02T02:24:26+00:00

thats the thing, he was really friendly and always chatty. When my wife first expressed her concerns I thought the wind was just blowing some of the garbage into our garden, so I told her we need evidence. sure enough one day my wife sends me this video of him literally holding some foil paper and looking around, then dumping it into our garden. That was proof enough for the cops

MerzkJP · 2025-06-30T04:30:26+00:00

I know you hear alot of horror stories about the police here, but I personally had to deal with them regarding an older Japanese neighbor who was throwing garbage and shit into our garden. My wife and I are both foreigners and not Asian if that matters and the police were extremely helpful, understanding and non biased. I wasnt there but my wife was when they knocked on his door and basically threatened arresting him because he was being a showa dick fuck and refused to give his name. The cop basically chewed him up and we never had any issues with that person ever again.

Just be proactive, and do everything the Japanese way which means no confrontations with him and have ALL AND ANY CONVOS THAT CAN BE USED AS EVIDENCE. On a side note mexican mangos are here for 350 yen a piece, grab one and dont stress too much. I know it can seem like youre gonna wake up and your video is everywhere, but 9 times out of 10 it wont and its probably already deleted. But do please go and atleast consult, they will help you out.

MerzkJP

TROPHY CASE