Living in Japan - A foreigner’s point of view (I)
As someone who has previously lived in other foreign countries too (Hungary, Germany, France) I can tell that doing this comes with its advantages and disatvantages, but none were so clearly traced as in the case of Japan.
It’s certainly not a case of adaptability to me: I am quite mentally flexible actually. It is rather about the great deal of effort required in order to become a fully functional part of this society.
Let’s take the Japanese language as a most eloquent example.
In less than a year of moderate-to-hard study, any Japanese can become able to read and understand an English regular newspaper article. He or she can handle a normal daily conversation and doesn’t have to bother with 12 degrees of politeness… You is you, and me is me, and that’s it.
Compared with English (or German, or French for that matter), Japanese requires so much time and energy that you really have to make a lifetime passion out of it if you want to even stand a chance in using it correctly.
Clearly, colloquial Japanese isn’t that hard to grasp, but what do you do when you need the kind of Japanese to get a job you could otherwise do without problems (you are qualified for)? How do you fill up complicated Japanese legal forms and all kind of official papers by yourself? Hell, how do you read a local newspaper or make something out of a news website?
Applied language barrier is arguably one of the toughest things facing a foreigner living in Japan. But in all fairness, it has its upside, acting as a natural selector and encouraging free thinking and self initiative. Still, it’s not the only one tough thing to deal with.
If you’re the kind of person who’s always in for a challenge, living as a foreigner in Japan is probably what you’re looking for!
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