Argentinean reveals what it’s like to live and work in Japan, and some of the cultural shocks he went through after moving there

Nakandakari, better known as Naka, is an Argentine son of Japanese parents, a member of the Japatonic channel, a tour guide and a professional in the electrical field. About 14 years ago, he moved from Argentina to Japan, and on YouTube he tells how his experience of moving to the country was and has been.

Through this article, the awesome.club shares with you the story of Naka and her life change, showing the most relevant aspects of her journey in Japan.

Naka revealed some pros and cons of living in Japan. For him, issues involving politics and religion are not a problem, as there is a lot of tolerance. In addition, government administrative bodies and services are efficient and fast, if somewhat bureaucratic. Another favorable point is the fact that Japan is almost always impeccable.

There are several food alternatives and high quality products, but if you are a foreigner, you may have difficulty finding items from the country of origin. And if your clothing or shoe size doesn’t match the standardized measurements in Japan, you might also find yourself having to look around a lot to find something that fits. On the other hand, the Japanese tend to follow many habits to the letter, making the task of adapting to the local culture a little more complicated.

As a positive point, Japan has a wide variety of recreational activities. Many of them are free, but you still need to be careful with your budget, as the city of Tokyo is quite expensive: rents, even for small apartments, are usually high. The country has four well-marked seasons in terms of temperatures.

For many people considering the possibility of venturing to live in Japan, one of the questions that commonly arise is how to support themselves financially and find work in the new country. The first thing to bear in mind is that, in order to work in Japan, you must have a residence or work visa. Generally, Latin foreigners apply for a “Working Holiday” visa.

The next step is to get a job. For those who don’t speak the local language, the opportunities are few, but with a little luck it’s possible to find something. According to Naka, less qualified functions (customer service or in factory production plants) pay an average of around 2,000 dollars (approximately R$ 10,000). An English teacher can earn around US$2,500 (almost R$13,000), while an office assistant’s salary averages US$3,000 (R$15,500). In the construction sector, professionals receive approximately US$2,500 to US$4,000 (R$13,000 to R$20,000).

On the other hand, the salary in higher qualification functions varies between 4,000 and 10,000 dollars (from R$ 20,000 to R$ 50,000). The values ​​correspond to the gross salary, and national taxes must be deducted. But what about monthly expenses? Services (water, electricity and Internet) cost around US$250 (R$1,300) and the rent for a small apartment is usually close to US$700 (R$3,600), which can vary according to the neighborhood. With food for two people, it is usual to spend approximately one thousand dollars (about R$ 5 thousand). All these amounts are approximate and monthly.

The Japanese love pets. In recent years, the country has seen an increase in the preference of humans for cats over dogs, as the latter require more time available, in addition to greater care and constant walks.

According to Naka, buying a pet in Japan is expensive, as depending on the breed and size, they can cost the equivalent of R$5,000 to R$15,000. Maintenance, on the other hand, tends to cost less than R$250 per month.

In Japan there is a law that requires pet owners to put microchips in their pets. The intention is to encourage responsibility, prevent mistreatment and the appearance of stray animals. According to Naka, tutors who prove they are no longer able to take care of their animals can trigger the Veterinary Health Center.

The service gives shelter to pets and makes them available for adoption. Fortunately, there is a lot of social awareness about this, and there are a number of shelters committed to animal welfare. Incidentally, there are certain places marked by the strong presence of animals. On the island of Aoshima, for example, there are about 120 felines and only 20 people.

Naka revealed that, when he arrived in Japan, he couldn’t read or speak the language fluently, not least because there are three different types of alphabets: hiragana, katakana and kanji. The first two types represent an alphabet composed of letters or syllables that, combined, form words. The latter is formed by symbols that represent a word itself.

But something very peculiar noticed by the Argentine is the way in which the Japanese use English. As in many cases Japanese letters are syllables, the natives of that country have difficulty pronouncing English due to the combination of compound syllables or the lack of letters, as is the case with the letter “L”. In one of his videos, Naka gave several examples of untranslated words from English, showing how the Japanese pronounce them.

One of the peculiarities found in Japan are the capsule hotels, originally created for office workers, giving them the opportunity to have accommodation without paying too much. Today, there are establishments in various categories and price ranges.

The capsule offers some accessories for greater comfort, such as pillows, blankets and even pajamas in some cases, in addition to an Internet connection and chargers for electronic devices. There are even smart toilets that emit sounds and even welcome the user. All this provides a unique experience, at least as described by Naka in one of his videos.

In the same publication, he told an amusing episode he experienced when he rented a capsule to show his followers. The youtuber found everything very interesting until he realized something: the place had no doors. That’s when he noticed the presence of an adjustable curtain on the side. That is, he could hear everything that happened in the other capsules and vice versa.

Naka has already told in his videos what Japanese toilets are like. Many of them are clean and technological, most are for public use and easily accessible to anyone. Those intended for people with disabilities have a recording indicating all the instructions, in addition to an emergency button to call someone to provide assistance, if necessary.

There are places where the toilet is heated. In addition, some toilets allow you to regulate the amount and pressure of the water to send the waste away. Many also launch water jets for cleaning after use, even playing music during the experience.

Among the peculiar things about Japan that Naka doesn’t like are:

The level of privacy is excessive, so much so that many people feel the weight of loneliness. The lack of physical contact or expressions of affection. The Japanese don’t usually walk hand in hand, while hugs are very rare. Work culture: “Living to work”. Tatemae: The Japanese tend to be very friendly, but they are not always sincere about their feelings. The procedures involve a lot of bureaucracy. Doctors only work on weekdays and until 5 pm.

In some of his videos, Naka told certain things that surprised him in Japan. Among them we can highlight: cars advance on the left side and return on the right (and it is common for people to walk along the sidewalks in the same way); the Japanese have the ability to sleep anywhere, such as squares, banks or public transport; and there is excessive consumption of plastic.

In addition, the influence of cartoon culture is quite visible, so it is common to see young people dressed in clothes that refer to anime characters. Finally, one more curiosity: for the legal procedures, they do not use recognized companies, but personalized stamps made of wood.

Among the young man’s favorite typically Japanese things are:

Safety Convenience (toilets everywhere, stores open 24 hours a day). Economic stability. Culture of respect. The honesty of the Japanese. Japan is always looking for technological advances and innovative constructions. .The food. Most are tasty and cheap. Huge cultural richness.

In your opinion, what is Japan most interesting about? What do you think of the idea of ​​moving there? Be sure to register your comment!