[user104658]

Originally Posted by Dezzy

Japan's a country I've always wanted to visit but it's always been a place I'd hate to live in.

Yeah, I know someone who went to live there. He's loved Japanese culture his enitre life, has a degree (a 1st) in Japanese... was his life's dream to live there. He moved back after two years, had come to hate living there, and was actually put off a lot of what he loved about it for a while (though he does still love it, now, and goes for short term visits).

A lot of that can be put down to "culture shock" I guess, most people struggle a bit living in a culture they weren't raised in, but also there are just aspects of day-to-day life in modern Japan that are just brutal, and seemingly unavoidable... for many, you can either work ridiculous hours and be exhausted and miserable - or not work the hours, and be ridiculed and miserable. People working 50 hour weeks being laughed at like "lazy part-timers" etc.

[Tom4784]

Originally Posted by Toy Soldier

Yeah, I know someone who went to live there. He's loved Japanese culture his enitre life, has a degree (a 1st) in Japanese... was his life's dream to live there. He moved back after two years, had come to hate living there, and was actually put off a lot of what he loved about it for a while (though he does still love it, now, and goes for short term visits).

A lot of that can be put down to "culture shock" I guess, most people struggle a bit living in a culture they weren't raised in, but also there are just aspects of day-to-day life in modern Japan that are just brutal, and seemingly unavoidable... for many, you can either work ridiculous hours and be exhausted and miserable - or not work the hours, and be ridiculed and miserable. People working 50 hour weeks being laughed at like "lazy part-timers" etc.

Yeah, it's a common story. I've known people who have lived there too. They always say the same, it's a great place to go on holiday but not a great place to live.

For me, there's a few reasons why I'd never live there.

- Not the greatest place to raise kids, child sexualisation is prominent, child sex laws aren't considered a priority to enforce and actual rates of imprisonment are low. Aside from that the school system, like the work system, is punishing.

- Karōshi plus the rate of suicides are insanely high in Japan across the spectrum.

- Backwards attitudes regarding women and sexuality plus racism (although that's more apparent with the older generations that eschew western culture and races while younger generations tend to embrace them).

I'd still love to visit and see the shrines and Shibuya (and sob like a maniac over Hachiko) and such and enjoy the less horrid elements of the culture but living there would be out of the question.

[RichardG]

Originally Posted by Toy Soldier

Yeah, I know someone who went to live there. He's loved Japanese culture his enitre life, has a degree (a 1st) in Japanese... was his life's dream to live there. He moved back after two years, had come to hate living there, and was actually put off a lot of what he loved about it for a while (though he does still love it, now, and goes for short term visits).

A lot of that can be put down to "culture shock" I guess, most people struggle a bit living in a culture they weren't raised in, but also there are just aspects of day-to-day life in modern Japan that are just brutal, and seemingly unavoidable... for many, you can either work ridiculous hours and be exhausted and miserable - or not work the hours, and be ridiculed and miserable. People working 50 hour weeks being laughed at like "lazy part-timers" etc.

I'm moving to Seoul in South Korea in August on a study abroad program. I'll be there for ten months. I've been obsessed with Korea for almost five years now, I'll be so disappointed if I don't enjoy my time there. At least I'll be an exchange student doing study abroad modules which don't look very difficult or stressful. But, if I'm having to walk around with a mask on every day because of the toxic air pollution, and if I experience the racism that a lot of people say exists over there, and if the local people really are as image obsessed as the internet says they are, and if my accommodation dorm gets nuked by Kim Jong Un, then I might come back with a different opinion on the country.

[user104658]

Originally Posted by RichardG

I'm moving to Seoul in South Korea in August on a study abroad program. I'll be there for ten months. I've been obsessed with Korea for almost five years now, I'll be so disappointed if I don't enjoy my time there. At least I'll be an exchange student doing study abroad modules which don't look very difficult or stressful. But, if I'm having to walk around with a mask on every day because of the toxic air pollution, and if I experience the racism that a lot of people say exists over there, and if the local people really are as image obsessed as the internet says they are, and if my accommodation dorm gets nuked by Kim Jong Un, then I might come back with a different opinion on the country.

I think 10 months is still short enough really to feel like a short term trip... In fact really it's not so much the time that triggers real "culture shock", but the idea of not leaving . Like if you know you're (supposedly) making a permanent move there it all feels very different? It happens even with very similar cultures and cultures that people already know well, like people can spend 3 or 4 years somewhere for University and love every minute, but then when they decide to take up permanent residence after graduating they suddenly realise that they miss their "true home".

My wife still even sometimes feels "out of place" in Scotland (she's from the North of England, so not even far). It's the little things really... She's totally clued up on "Scottishness" at this point, has no trouble with accents and colloquialisms and things like that which she did at first, but smaller things like culture-specific childhood experiences, even when you know what they're about, you didn't live them so when people discuss certain things you start to feel like an outsider again. Not sure how much sense that makes .

[Brillopad]

Originally Posted by RichardG

I'm moving to Seoul in South Korea in August on a study abroad program. I'll be there for ten months. I've been obsessed with Korea for almost five years now, I'll be so disappointed if I don't enjoy my time there. At least I'll be an exchange student doing study abroad modules which don't look very difficult or stressful. But, if I'm having to walk around with a mask on every day because of the toxic air pollution, and if I experience the racism that a lot of people say exists over there, and if the local people really are as image obsessed as the internet says they are, and if my accommodation dorm gets nuked by Kim Jong Un, then I might come back with a different opinion on the country.

Oh Richard that did put a smile on my face. I hope you have a great time and it all works out the way you want it to!

[Maru]

Originally Posted by RichardG

I'm moving to Seoul in South Korea in August on a study abroad program. I'll be there for ten months. I've been obsessed with Korea for almost five years now, I'll be so disappointed if I don't enjoy my time there. At least I'll be an exchange student doing study abroad modules which don't look very difficult or stressful. But, if I'm having to walk around with a mask on every day because of the toxic air pollution, and if I experience the racism that a lot of people say exists over there, and if the local people really are as image obsessed as the internet says they are, and if my accommodation dorm gets nuked by Kim Jong Un, then I might come back with a different opinion on the country.

I think you'll be having too much fun and too busy learning new things to fall firmly either direction tbh, Richard. The culture shock will be the thing to consider the most, so I suggest to bring momentos or things that smell like home with you for your room . If it's less than a year, you'll probably be fine. I think most people start having problems after 12mos... it'll probably take you just about 6 months or so just to pick up the language to a fairly decent level and for you to become immersed with it...