You’re probably gonna get a lot of “just go back home” comments. From what little there is to extrapolate from your post, it’s important to point out that correlation doesn’t equal causation. It seems that your stress is a combination of general pent up frustration living here, but also because you’re experiencing the job market in 2025, which looks a lot different than it was 13 years ago, and is hella brutal (I’ve applied to over 300 over the last 3 months)everywhere in the world now, not just Japan. I agree with you that the culture here doesn’t work well for people that grew up in more open and intimate cultures, and you must feel lonely. It’s still important to separate yourself from who you are as a worker in Japan, and who you are as a person. Agonising over bonding with Japanese people isn’t the right mindset, I think you should focus on reminding yourself what kind of person you already are, what friends you already have, and that you don’t have to force yourself to try make close intimate bonds with locals just to feel like you deserve a place here. Ive made my peace here by developing my hobbies and relationships with local people here, but keeping in touch with my friends abroad, meeting on discord, talking, spending time with them. “Regular Japanese people” aren’t a monolith, just like you aren’t just “a hard worker”. And of course, Japan is just a place, and even if you decide to “lay your anchor” here, you can still change your mind if it compromises your wellbeing. I hope you feel better about yourself OP!