5 ms·

Are there really a lot of these people? Don't get me wrong, Japan is truly a wonderful place to visit but living there seems like playing life on "hard mode" a

Are there really a lot of these people? Don't get me wrong, Japan is truly a wonderful place to visit but living there seems like playing life on "hard mode" as compared to other countries: new language and culture, never truly becoming "one of them", and relatively poor working conditions. Unless you have existing ties to the place, it seems hard to believe that people will move in droves; although I can understand a few people moving.

dunpeal 8y ago
I'm guessing not a lot. Japan is notorious for very formal work culture, very long "working" hours (really, "working" just means "staying in the office" - it's customary not to leave the office before your boss does, but perfectly acceptable to spend the waiting time playing solitaire). It's one of these countries where "an engineer is just an engineer" and management, even if it's middle management, is god. They do need tech workers, which is probably why this propaganda piece got published. But I doubt they're getting many applicants, except maybe from 3rd-world countries as shown in the article.
- xaranke 8y ago
  Doesn't look like they're getting many applications from anywhere: https://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2017-11-30/japan-wants-immigrants-the-feeling-isn-t-mutual https://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2017-11-30/japan-wan....
Raphmedia 8y ago
> Unless you have existing ties to the place, it seems hard to believe that people will move in droves; although I can understand a few people moving. The opposite is also true. You can grow so bored of western culture that Japan become interesting with its different way of life. It is however quite a bit "western" in some ways (compared to China, some of the middle east, etc.) so moving there can sound like a challenge without being scary.
- xaranke 8y ago
  This is a Eurocentrist view, but you're not wrong.
  - Raphmedia 8y ago
    Canadian but yes, I agree with you. If I were from somewhere else my point of view would be different.
- noobermin 8y ago
  Is this born out of experience or is it from looking outside? Differences are fun to experience, hence why people go on vacations if they can. But enduring those differences when you've had a long day and just want a drink or coffee to relax, it isn't that fun. Living in Japan is more than adopting a new language. And even if you fit in with the culture, you'll never be one of them. I really don't think you'll get how hard that is until you experience it first hand, and being Japan, not fitting in isn't "cool" or "interesting," it's a dire place to be in. I'm not white in America, so I know how that feels, but I'm not delusional: the times I've visited Japan I stick out like a sore thumb and it's the usual glares/distrust here x100. Seoul was a bit worse from than Tokyo from that perspective, but using it as a proxy because they have similar attitudes towards foreigners, the only time I actually felt visible was when I was with my former classmate who was Korean. The difference was night and day, the night before I was ignored to the face by a street vendor, the next day with her, a street vendor offered us free food after buying a delicious set of fried snacks. If you want to experience an Asian metropolis, I recommend Singapore because diversity is something they sort of believe...and uphold by force. I fit in because I look malay or indo, but if you're white, you'll be a minority but not enough to feel out of place for the most part. Otherwise, go if you have an SO in Japan so you can be the token foreigner girlfriend/boyfriend or something. Don't go and live alone.
qubax 8y ago
> Are there really a lot of these people? Nope. Just like tiny fraction of a fraction of silicon valley. A ridiculous small portion of americans ( even in silicon valley ) move to japan and vice versa. But it gets a lot of clicks and views.

dunpeal 8y ago

I'm guessing not a lot. Japan is notorious for very formal work culture, very long "working" hours (really, "working" just means "staying in the office" - it's customary not to leave the office before your boss does, but perfectly acceptable to spend the waiting time playing solitaire). It's one of these countries where "an engineer is just an engineer" and management, even if it's middle management, is god. They do need tech workers, which is probably why this propaganda piece got published. But I doubt they're getting many applicants, except maybe from 3rd-world countries as shown in the article.

xaranke 8y ago
Doesn't look like they're getting many applications from anywhere: https://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2017-11-30/japan-wants-immigrants-the-feeling-isn-t-mutual https://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2017-11-30/japan-wan....

Raphmedia 8y ago

> Unless you have existing ties to the place, it seems hard to believe that people will move in droves; although I can understand a few people moving. The opposite is also true. You can grow so bored of western culture that Japan become interesting with its different way of life. It is however quite a bit "western" in some ways (compared to China, some of the middle east, etc.) so moving there can sound like a challenge without being scary.

xaranke 8y ago
This is a Eurocentrist view, but you're not wrong.
- Raphmedia 8y ago
  Canadian but yes, I agree with you. If I were from somewhere else my point of view would be different.
noobermin 8y ago
Is this born out of experience or is it from looking outside? Differences are fun to experience, hence why people go on vacations if they can. But enduring those differences when you've had a long day and just want a drink or coffee to relax, it isn't that fun. Living in Japan is more than adopting a new language. And even if you fit in with the culture, you'll never be one of them. I really don't think you'll get how hard that is until you experience it first hand, and being Japan, not fitting in isn't "cool" or "interesting," it's a dire place to be in. I'm not white in America, so I know how that feels, but I'm not delusional: the times I've visited Japan I stick out like a sore thumb and it's the usual glares/distrust here x100. Seoul was a bit worse from than Tokyo from that perspective, but using it as a proxy because they have similar attitudes towards foreigners, the only time I actually felt visible was when I was with my former classmate who was Korean. The difference was night and day, the night before I was ignored to the face by a street vendor, the next day with her, a street vendor offered us free food after buying a delicious set of fried snacks. If you want to experience an Asian metropolis, I recommend Singapore because diversity is something they sort of believe...and uphold by force. I fit in because I look malay or indo, but if you're white, you'll be a minority but not enough to feel out of place for the most part. Otherwise, go if you have an SO in Japan so you can be the token foreigner girlfriend/boyfriend or something. Don't go and live alone.

qubax 8y ago

> Are there really a lot of these people? Nope. Just like tiny fraction of a fraction of silicon valley. A ridiculous small portion of americans ( even in silicon valley ) move to japan and vice versa. But it gets a lot of clicks and views.