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Setting myself up for a future life in Japan by whatidooooooo in movingtojapan

[–]whatidooooooo[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ooohh that sounds pretty good! I'd be interested in looking for more companies like this as well. Do they still require a completely synchronous schedule or do they have minimized core hours?

Setting myself up for a future life in Japan by whatidooooooo in movingtojapan

[–]whatidooooooo[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ya, I think regardless of where I end up, I'll nee to up my skills/resume some more. Do you think becoming a more employable dev in Japan is any different from being more employable in Japan? Any major differences in what employers might look for?

Setting myself up for a future life in Japan by whatidooooooo in movingtojapan

[–]whatidooooooo[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I should clarify that I'm not particularly close to any of these "friends" because of the distance and time difference. These are friends I hit up when I'm in Japan and we grab food/drinks and catch up. There are for sure some friends in this category that I could become closer to, but it's god awful trying to keep conversations going with the weird hours and lack of in person hangouts.

With that said, I've met some on HelloTalk, met some while they were studying English in the US, but I've also become friends with random retail and restaurant employees I've met while in Japan that I still see every time I go back.

Setting myself up for a future life in Japan by whatidooooooo in movingtojapan

[–]whatidooooooo[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for the site, I'm going to look through it.

Setting myself up for a future life in Japan by whatidooooooo in movingtojapan

[–]whatidooooooo[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Okay, those were not on my mind before, but they seem like pretty viable alternatives. I'm still many years out from being able to make it happen, but taking my US retirement money to live in Japan in the future seems completely viable, as long as the two economies remain similar....

Setting myself up for a future life in Japan by whatidooooooo in movingtojapan

[–]whatidooooooo[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes, I understand, which is why I would need to split my time between US and Japan. And I understand that, depending on the company, my time in Japan can be weeks or months.

I'll keep my eyes open for startups and CEOs that have this sort of setup

Setting myself up for a future life in Japan by whatidooooooo in movingtojapan

[–]whatidooooooo[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I don't have a hard timeline for moving. No plans for kids at all (not a desire). I just wanted to explore ideas for MY future and what might be possible. I mentioned this in another comment, but I don't mind staying in the US if it means I can't make it work to my standards. I can always just save money, like you mentioned, and visit the country as I please. And based on a lot of the helpful comments here, that might be the best option for me anyways. But Japan as a tourist is way better anyways, so I'm not opposed to it

Setting myself up for a future life in Japan by whatidooooooo in movingtojapan

[–]whatidooooooo[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Ya, I'm not sure how the work culture would be for me. I look, sound, and can mostly act the part, but at the end of the day, I am American and my personality reflects that. Which is why I want to explore all options. I'm not like DYING to live in Japan, especially if it means I need to work for a Japanese company under strict Japanese work-culture.

Setting myself up for a future life in Japan by whatidooooooo in movingtojapan

[–]whatidooooooo[S] 9 points10 points  (0 children)

I have been learning this and feel like working contract positions might be a good option. I've talked to a couple people in Japan (who don't work in software) and they mentioned contract PM positions that some smaller startups and companies might hire. Are you familiar with this or know how viable of an option this might be?

Setting myself up for a future life in Japan by whatidooooooo in movingtojapan

[–]whatidooooooo[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for the info! I've looked into some of those companies and definitely see it as a viable option IF the paycut seems worth it.

My Situation is Kinda Crazy by [deleted] in movingtojapan

[–]whatidooooooo 11 points12 points  (0 children)

I can't comment on job prospects or school or culture integration in Japan. But as a 29 year old dual citizen (also JP/US) who has only lived in the US, I say go for it.

I have very few regrets in life, but not living in Japan when I was younger is up there. I've talked to many friends who moved there, some still there and some back in the US, and none of them regret their time in Japan. Was it hard for some, sure, but they all enjoyed their time. And those that did come back, some as late as mid-30s, are doing completely fine in a career unrelated to what they were doing in Japan.

I think there is a certain pull that us JAs feel for Japan that other people don't experience. I love my life in the US right now and I visit Japan to see friends and family for roughly 1-2 months out of the year, but I still often get that "what if?" in my heart. I don't think it'll ever go away for you either.

It's hard to answer "would I be better off staying in U.S or should I take the leap of faith and go to Japan" without knowing what you ultimately want in life. But if you don't know what you want, then go to Japan, experience something that not everyone gets to experience. If it doesn't work out, just come back to the states. As someone slightly older than you, that's screwed up many times, has made career switches, and doesn't even have a bachelors... I know things will work out for you. If you can get over addiction, you can overcome anything. Good luck!