What is it like living in Japan long term as a foreigner?

Question

What's life like for a long-term immigrant to Japan?

Most tourist come back from Japan having had an excellent, enjoyable time, but what is it actually like to live in long term for a non-Japanese speaking person, specifically Western person. As it stands at the moment, the Japanese government doesn't let too many permanent immigrants into the country, and likes to keep the rate of foreigners in Japan at 1 to 2 percent maximum. No offence to the Japanese, but their government and their whole system doesn't seem to be very accommodating of foreigners.

Also, not that the Japanese are unfriendly or anything, as they generally take interest in talking to foreigners, but some would say that their interest in Westerns is too superficial, and not really overly genuine.

Also, how hard is it to adapt to a lifestyle and culture that is very different to a lot of the world. Japanese society has developed very differently to Western society, and their rules of social ettiquet, outlook on life, class system are very different to what you'd find in the West. Also, the Japanese view on immigration would be considered racist by a lot of Western countries, the Japanese philosophy is that race and nationality are combined, so, you in peoples minds, you can't possibly be Japanese, without being ethnically Japanese, regardless of how long you've lived in the country, and how well you speak the Japanese language. This is a big contrast to places like the UK, France, USA, etc, where such views would be considered facist, isolationist and ignorant (although I think it's personally a good outlook).

I think there's no denying that living in a largely mono linguistic, mono cultural society is hard at first,but how to most Westerns who stay long term find it, and once they've become fluent in Japanese, does that change the way they view Japan? As a Westerner, if you were to speak fluent Japanese and have a good understanding of the culture and social etiquette, would you be able to make friends in Japan that would be normal friendships between 2 people, and not just because you're a Westerner? Also, there are a growing amount of Westerners who have lived in Japan a long time who have been granted Japanese citizenship, and are able to speak the language to near fluency. Are these people ever viewed as Japanese, or partially-Japanese, or will they always be viewed as foreign?

Thanks

Answer 1

You can make friends there. But you will always be a "gaijin ".

  Citizenship is not likely. Even if you marry a Japanese it will take over five years. Koreans BORN in Japan are not given citizenship.

Answer 2

Well to answer your question(s) At first it is very exciting. You get the thrill out of seeing and learning new things. It can be stressful at times because some places won't rent apartments to foreigners and communication can be a problem if you language skills are not up to native level. It is kind of overwhelming but exciting. Everything is new and interesting even going to a grocery store is a journey.

After a while once the initial phase has warn off, almost everyone will become a little homesick, then a lot homesick. Slowly you start to miss your favorite foods which you can't find in Japan and you will miss your friends and family. You will start to be a little annoyed perhaps that people still stare at you and treat you like a tourist even though you live there. Some/Many people never move past this phase. Life in Japan becomes stressful and everyday is a lonely battle. Many give up and return home.

For those who stay and are able to get past those feelings you start to think of Japan as home at last. You have established friendships hopefully and have found rhythm. You are never going to blend in and people will still stare at you and act with surprise if you can eat with hashi and know Japanese etiquette well but it won't bother you like it may have in the homesick phase. You tend to just go about daily life and not think about things so much.

Different people have different abilities. For some people they can easily adapt while others never are able to adapt to the culture. You can never fit in 100% no matter how deft you are at language and manners so you just have to accept that or leave. You will never be looked at as a true citizen only as a foreign resident.

Answer 3

I think race and nation are the same thing in France-that's why they have so much trouble integrating immigrants. That aside, once you live in Japan a long time you don't think about it very much. You can only be amused by a washlet or eating live fish so much and then it's just par for the course. You either adapt or get sick of it and go home.

The Japanese are aware that people like Chad Rowan, C.W. Nichols, Ryu Ramos, Maruti Tsururen etc. etc. are Japanese citizens. Obviously though the average non-celebrity naturalized westerner is assumed to be not Japanese. With asians who chose to assimilate, a lot of the time no one knows the difference. I remember one guy in my office who was there for years who no one ever thought off as being anything other than Japanese, who was "outed" when he turned out to have a ROK passport on a business trip.

The concept of being Japanese is a modern one as Japan only became a nation-state in 1869. Previous to that folks would have considered themselve citizens of their local realm, and in fact some people were astounded to learn that they had an emperor. In 1945 the Japanese went from living to serve that emperor, to living for themselves. Therefore the concept of Japanese nationality can change, and most likely will. The LDP's position is that Japan must become more accomodating to immigrants due to the ageing society, although we haven't really seen what that means in policy terms.

An actuary once calculated that the Japanese are headed for extinction at the present birth rate! Therefore Japan's future will be with immigrants, no matter how anyone feels about it. The funny thing is that Saduharu Oh is not Japanese, even though everyone assumes he is. Again, like the guy at my office he choses to assimilate but not to take out Japanese nationality for his own private reasons. I'm pretty sure they would give it to Oh! Rikidozan and Mas Oyama were both born in Korean, but became accepted as Japanese heros. They did that back in the day, so obviously it's only going to get easier to do that going forward.