为什么日本不适合长期居住
正文翻译
Beverly Anne Hills
I spend six months a year living in rural Japan, where I have a permanent home. On balance, my own personal experiences are very positive.
我每年有六个月的时间住在日本农村，在那里我有一个永久的家。总的来说，我个人的感受非常正面。
Beverly Anne Hills
I spend six months a year living in rural Japan, where I have a permanent home. On balance, my own personal experiences are very positive.
我每年有六个月的时间住在日本农村，在那里我有一个永久的家。总的来说，我个人的感受非常正面。
The hardest thing for many Western foreigners is the realisation that YOU have to adapt, Japanese culture is old & very deep and will NOT change to accommodate YOU
对于许多西方外国人来说，最难的事情是意识到你必须适应，日本文化古老而深厚，不会为了适应你而改变
对于许多西方外国人来说，最难的事情是意识到你必须适应，日本文化古老而深厚，不会为了适应你而改变
Work-culture in Japan is brutal & salaries are very, very low. It is expected that employees do unpaid overtime and there's no way around it. Most foreign English teachers and the like leave after a couple of years because the days of well-paying work are long gone and it's impossible to support a family on an English teacher’s salary.
日本的工作文化很残酷，工资非常非常低。员工加班是意料之中的事，这是无法避免的。大多数外国英语教师和类似的人几年后就离开了，因为高薪工作的日子已经一去不复返了，靠英语教师的薪水不可能养家糊口。
日本的工作文化很残酷，工资非常非常低。员工加班是意料之中的事，这是无法避免的。大多数外国英语教师和类似的人几年后就离开了，因为高薪工作的日子已经一去不复返了，靠英语教师的薪水不可能养家糊口。
My personal situation is different. I have external sources of income and that works fine for me. I strongly recommend that anyone planning to live in Japan has an external source of income from their home country because you won't get rich working in Japan.
我的个人情况不同。我有外部收入来源，这对我来说很好。我强烈建议任何计划住在日本的人都有来自母国的外部收入来源，因为你不会因为在日本工作而致富。
我的个人情况不同。我有外部收入来源，这对我来说很好。我强烈建议任何计划住在日本的人都有来自母国的外部收入来源，因为你不会因为在日本工作而致富。
A big shock for “weeaboos” is that the things you may be used to in your home countries are not encouraged in Japan:
对“日粉”来说，一个很大的震撼就是，你可能在祖国习惯的东西在日本是不被鼓励的：
对“日粉”来说，一个很大的震撼就是，你可能在祖国习惯的东西在日本是不被鼓励的：
Tattoos. Visible tattoos are associated with criminality, it's been this way in Japan for centuries and it's not going to change just because you are inked. If you want a measure of respect, cover your ink - it's the polite thing to do because many Japanese find tattoos intimidating. Of course, nobody will throw stones at you if you flaunt your tattoos. But you will be an outcast. If you have face tatts, don't bother coming - Japanese immigration at the airport are not known for their kindness and will give you a really hard time. That's just how things are, it's not going to change anytime soon.
Many drugs that are acceptable in your home country WILL earn you jail time & deportation. That includes stimulant ADHD meds, as well as “medical marijuana.” They make no exceptions. Hundreds of foreigners are deported every year for bringing in contraband meds & drugs. If Japan deported Sir Paul McCartney for bringing in contraband, be assured they won't hesitate to lock you up for a few days before deporting you for doing the same. Be aware you stay locked up until YOU pay for your outbound ticket. Being detained in Japan is a pretty unpleasant experience. Japan also shares immigration/deportation data with a bunch of other countries, which could cause future difficulties. It's, really unwise to mess with the system here because you cannot win.
All that said, I love living in Japan. I feel safe here 24/7 and people are extraordinarily polite. Totally different from Australia, where I come from. I leave my doors & windows unlocked in Japan. Today someone came into my house when I was out walking & left some home-grown oranges on my kitchen table. Still trying to figure out who it was.
纹身。可见的纹身与犯罪有关，在日本，这种情况已经持续了几个世纪，而且不会因为你身上有纹身而改变。如果你想要赢得尊重，那就遮住纹身——这是礼貌的做法，因为许多日本人觉得纹身令人生畏。当然，如果你炫耀自己的纹身，没有人会向你扔石头。但你会被排斥。如果你脸上有纹身，就别过来了——日本机场的移民局并不以友善著称，会让你很难堪。事情就是这样，短期内不会改变。
许多在你的祖国可以接受的药物都会让你坐牢和被驱逐出境。其中包括兴奋剂ADHD药物，以及“医用大M”。他们没有例外。每年都有数百名外国人因携带违禁药品和毒品而被驱逐出境。日本因为携带违禁品而将保罗·麦卡特尼爵士驱逐出境，请放心，他们会毫不犹豫地将你关起来几天，然后再将你驱逐出境。请注意，在你支付出境机票之前，你都会被关起来。在日本被拘留是一种非常不愉快的经历。日本还与许多其他国家共享移民/驱逐出境数据，这可能会导致未来二次返日时的困难。在这里试图去捣乱社会体系真的很不明智，因为你根本赢不了。
尽管如此，我还是喜欢住在日本。我在这里全天候都感到很安全，人们非常有礼貌。这与我的家乡澳大利亚完全不同。在日本，我不会把门窗上锁。今天我出去散步时，有人进了我家，把一些自家种的橘子放在我的厨房桌子上。我还在想是谁来着。
Many drugs that are acceptable in your home country WILL earn you jail time & deportation. That includes stimulant ADHD meds, as well as “medical marijuana.” They make no exceptions. Hundreds of foreigners are deported every year for bringing in contraband meds & drugs. If Japan deported Sir Paul McCartney for bringing in contraband, be assured they won't hesitate to lock you up for a few days before deporting you for doing the same. Be aware you stay locked up until YOU pay for your outbound ticket. Being detained in Japan is a pretty unpleasant experience. Japan also shares immigration/deportation data with a bunch of other countries, which could cause future difficulties. It's, really unwise to mess with the system here because you cannot win.
All that said, I love living in Japan. I feel safe here 24/7 and people are extraordinarily polite. Totally different from Australia, where I come from. I leave my doors & windows unlocked in Japan. Today someone came into my house when I was out walking & left some home-grown oranges on my kitchen table. Still trying to figure out who it was.
纹身。可见的纹身与犯罪有关，在日本，这种情况已经持续了几个世纪，而且不会因为你身上有纹身而改变。如果你想要赢得尊重，那就遮住纹身——这是礼貌的做法，因为许多日本人觉得纹身令人生畏。当然，如果你炫耀自己的纹身，没有人会向你扔石头。但你会被排斥。如果你脸上有纹身，就别过来了——日本机场的移民局并不以友善著称，会让你很难堪。事情就是这样，短期内不会改变。
许多在你的祖国可以接受的药物都会让你坐牢和被驱逐出境。其中包括兴奋剂ADHD药物，以及“医用大M”。他们没有例外。每年都有数百名外国人因携带违禁药品和毒品而被驱逐出境。日本因为携带违禁品而将保罗·麦卡特尼爵士驱逐出境，请放心，他们会毫不犹豫地将你关起来几天，然后再将你驱逐出境。请注意，在你支付出境机票之前，你都会被关起来。在日本被拘留是一种非常不愉快的经历。日本还与许多其他国家共享移民/驱逐出境数据，这可能会导致未来二次返日时的困难。在这里试图去捣乱社会体系真的很不明智，因为你根本赢不了。
尽管如此，我还是喜欢住在日本。我在这里全天候都感到很安全，人们非常有礼貌。这与我的家乡澳大利亚完全不同。在日本，我不会把门窗上锁。今天我出去散步时，有人进了我家，把一些自家种的橘子放在我的厨房桌子上。我还在想是谁来着。
So yes, Japan isn't for everyone. But it works for me, mainly because I don't have to work here.
所以是的，日本并不适合所有人。但它很适合我，主要是因为我不需要在这里工作。
所以是的，日本并不适合所有人。但它很适合我，主要是因为我不需要在这里工作。
Victor Lee Junsei
I am a Malaysian who started out learning Japanese at the age of 19 went to Japan at the age of 20 and finally ended my journey in Japan at the age of 35 and just came back to home country Malaysia 3 months ago.
我是马来西亚人，19岁开始学习日语，20岁去日本，35岁结束日本之旅，3个月前刚回到祖国马来西亚。
I am a Malaysian who started out learning Japanese at the age of 19 went to Japan at the age of 20 and finally ended my journey in Japan at the age of 35 and just came back to home country Malaysia 3 months ago.
我是马来西亚人，19岁开始学习日语，20岁去日本，35岁结束日本之旅，3个月前刚回到祖国马来西亚。
Since I am Chinese so I look like them and apparently my Japanese was very close to native level and I also worked as a producer in some big gaming companies before and I even build a game studio before by hiring 35 Japanese permanent staffs.
因为我是华人，所以长得像日本人，而且我的日语水平很接近母语水平，我之前也在一些大型游戏公司担任制作人，甚至还成立过一个游戏工作室，雇佣过35名日本全职员工。
因为我是华人，所以长得像日本人，而且我的日语水平很接近母语水平，我之前也在一些大型游戏公司担任制作人，甚至还成立过一个游戏工作室，雇佣过35名日本全职员工。
I would say that my experience is somewhat beyond what a normal Japanese person life could had been and base on my own experiences and perspective yes I agree that Japan is not worth doing long stay. But I see it as a very different angle.
我想说的是，我的经历有点超出了普通日本人的生活范围，根据我自己的经历和观点，我同意日本不值得长期居住。但我会从非常不同的角度来看待这个问题。
原创翻译：龙腾网 https://www.ltaaa.cn 转载请注明出处
我想说的是，我的经历有点超出了普通日本人的生活范围，根据我自己的经历和观点，我同意日本不值得长期居住。但我会从非常不同的角度来看待这个问题。
原创翻译：龙腾网 https://www.ltaaa.cn 转载请注明出处
The tax is too high and it will only get higher. For high income people who owns a business your company and your personal income will BOTH gets a 55% cut maximum and its non negotiable when you earn a lot. In Malaysia, taxes are negotiable and I going with 15% only flat rate right now. That alone was big enough to leave Japan and re-establish my studio in Malaysia.
税收太高了，而且只会越来越高。对于拥有企业的高收入人士，您的公司和您的个人收入都将获得最高55%税率，而且当您赚很多钱时，这是不可协商的。在马来西亚，税收是可以协商的，我现在只接受15%的固定税率。仅凭这一点就足以让我离开日本，回到马来西亚重建我的工作室。
税收太高了，而且只会越来越高。对于拥有企业的高收入人士，您的公司和您的个人收入都将获得最高55%税率，而且当您赚很多钱时，这是不可协商的。在马来西亚，税收是可以协商的，我现在只接受15%的固定税率。仅凭这一点就足以让我离开日本，回到马来西亚重建我的工作室。
The lack of competitiveness and the eagerness to try and learn from the younger generations. As a business owner we will always need younger staffs who are keen to learn with passion especially in my line of creativity but this is getting very rare in Japan these days even in Tokyo. I will blame it on the government who kinda cater towards the older generations as the whole country now is basically a BIG ASS old folks home with full support to elders as squeezing young adults for pension. And with less younger working adults and more elderly to feed with their long life span you can kinda see it’s a ticking bomb anytime soon.
缺乏竞争力，也缺乏尝试向年轻一代学习的热情。作为企业主，我们总是需要年轻员工，他们热衷于学习，尤其是在创意领域，但如今的日本，即使在东京，这种情况也非常罕见。我会把这归咎于政府，他们有点迎合老一代，因为现在整个国家基本上是一个庞大的养老院，为老年人提供全力支持，挤压年轻人的养老金。随着年轻的能工作的成年人越来越少，需要养活的长寿老人越来越多，你很快就会发现这是一颗定时炸弹。
Besides the tax they make you pay for health insurance compulsory. And like the tax the health insurance will also increase every year making it a burden to young adults who just started to work. In countries like Malaysia health insurance is not a must and our medicine is cheap. In Japan if you do not pay for your health insurance which is called 健康保険 all medical fees will be +70% imagine that.
除了税收，他们还强制你支付健康保险。和税收一样，健康保险也会每年增加，这对刚开始工作的年轻人来说是一种负担。在马来西亚这样的国家，健康保险不是必须的，我们的药品很便宜。在日本，如果你不支付健康保险（称为健康保险），所有的医疗费用将增加70%，想象一下。
缺乏竞争力，也缺乏尝试向年轻一代学习的热情。作为企业主，我们总是需要年轻员工，他们热衷于学习，尤其是在创意领域，但如今的日本，即使在东京，这种情况也非常罕见。我会把这归咎于政府，他们有点迎合老一代，因为现在整个国家基本上是一个庞大的养老院，为老年人提供全力支持，挤压年轻人的养老金。随着年轻的能工作的成年人越来越少，需要养活的长寿老人越来越多，你很快就会发现这是一颗定时炸弹。
Besides the tax they make you pay for health insurance compulsory. And like the tax the health insurance will also increase every year making it a burden to young adults who just started to work. In countries like Malaysia health insurance is not a must and our medicine is cheap. In Japan if you do not pay for your health insurance which is called 健康保険 all medical fees will be +70% imagine that.
除了税收，他们还强制你支付健康保险。和税收一样，健康保险也会每年增加，这对刚开始工作的年轻人来说是一种负担。在马来西亚这样的国家，健康保险不是必须的，我们的药品很便宜。在日本，如果你不支付健康保险（称为健康保险），所有的医疗费用将增加70%，想象一下。
Now if you understand the high tax rate and low income and low passion from the young generations what do they prefer to do now? Well here is the darkside. Host clubs and girls bars, men’s health care massage and sugar daddy are so common that it was not even known as a problem anymore in Japan. It comes to a point that a prostitute can be an ideal soulmate for some men who just spend so much time in work and earning a little. Thus it comes with their heavy drinking culture which is called 飲みニケーション and there is normally a companionship there to attend them.
现在，如果你了解了高税率、低收入和年轻一代的低热情，那么他们现在更喜欢做什么呢？好吧，这就是阴暗面。男招待俱乐部和女孩酒吧、男士保健按摩和傍大款在日本如此普遍，以至于这甚至不再是一个社会问题。对于一些花大量时间在工作上、赚得很少的男人来说，J女可以成为理想的灵魂伴侣。因此，他们就有了酗酒的文化，这种文化被称为“饮みニケーション”（喝酒联谊），而且通常会有同伴陪伴他们。
one of the best long term investment ever known in within this 80 years of history is property. While Japan is full of earthquake and with the Nankai Plate splitting anytime soon it’s crazy just how Japanese companies could manipulate their property prices so high even until today. There are still people who wants to live in high skyscraper buildings and those properties are super overvalued from my own judgement. I single strike on Mother Nature could had collapse the whole market and we had seen them at with the 2011 tohoku earthquake. So on a business perspective and risk management would u rather listen to the broker who tries to sell you a USD10 million prop in Tokyo and saying the price will continue to rise or would you rather pay USD3 million for Malaysia property in KL and has 5 times more land with NO earthquake and any other sorts of nature disaster? It seems pretty obvious.
在最近80年的历史中，有史以来最好的长期投资之一就是房地产。虽然日本地震频发，南海板块随时可能分裂，但日本公司至今仍能操纵房地产市场达到如此高的房价，这真是太疯狂了。仍然有人想住在摩天大楼里，而这些房产在我看来被严重高估了。只需一次大的天灾，整个市场就可能崩溃，我们在2011年东北地震中就看到了这一点。所以从商业角度和风险管理的角度来看，你是愿意听从试图在东京向你出售价值1000万美元的房产并吹嘘价格会继续上涨的经纪人的话，还是愿意花300万美元购买吉隆坡的马来西亚房产，那里的土地是这里的5倍，没有地震和任何其他自然灾害？这似乎很明显。
现在，如果你了解了高税率、低收入和年轻一代的低热情，那么他们现在更喜欢做什么呢？好吧，这就是阴暗面。男招待俱乐部和女孩酒吧、男士保健按摩和傍大款在日本如此普遍，以至于这甚至不再是一个社会问题。对于一些花大量时间在工作上、赚得很少的男人来说，J女可以成为理想的灵魂伴侣。因此，他们就有了酗酒的文化，这种文化被称为“饮みニケーション”（喝酒联谊），而且通常会有同伴陪伴他们。
one of the best long term investment ever known in within this 80 years of history is property. While Japan is full of earthquake and with the Nankai Plate splitting anytime soon it’s crazy just how Japanese companies could manipulate their property prices so high even until today. There are still people who wants to live in high skyscraper buildings and those properties are super overvalued from my own judgement. I single strike on Mother Nature could had collapse the whole market and we had seen them at with the 2011 tohoku earthquake. So on a business perspective and risk management would u rather listen to the broker who tries to sell you a USD10 million prop in Tokyo and saying the price will continue to rise or would you rather pay USD3 million for Malaysia property in KL and has 5 times more land with NO earthquake and any other sorts of nature disaster? It seems pretty obvious.
在最近80年的历史中，有史以来最好的长期投资之一就是房地产。虽然日本地震频发，南海板块随时可能分裂，但日本公司至今仍能操纵房地产市场达到如此高的房价，这真是太疯狂了。仍然有人想住在摩天大楼里，而这些房产在我看来被严重高估了。只需一次大的天灾，整个市场就可能崩溃，我们在2011年东北地震中就看到了这一点。所以从商业角度和风险管理的角度来看，你是愿意听从试图在东京向你出售价值1000万美元的房产并吹嘘价格会继续上涨的经纪人的话，还是愿意花300万美元购买吉隆坡的马来西亚房产，那里的土地是这里的5倍，没有地震和任何其他自然灾害？这似乎很明显。
studies there, earn millions in Japan , appended it like crazy on companion girls, bought some companies sold it off went through corona and the 2011 earthquake been through a few love life with Japanese girls… yea I do not recommend a long stay in Japan.
Come to Southeast Asia , we are getting more advance now and our prices and taxes are still very cheap haha.
cheers and hope this helps!!
在那里学习，在日本赚了数百万，疯狂地把钱花在伴游女孩身上，买下了一些公司然后出售，经历了新冠疫情和2011年地震，和一些日本女孩谈了恋爱……是的，我不建议在日本呆太久。
来东南亚吧，我们现在进步很大，而且我们的物价和税收仍然很便宜哈哈。
干杯，希望这对你能有所帮助！！
Come to Southeast Asia , we are getting more advance now and our prices and taxes are still very cheap haha.
cheers and hope this helps!!
在那里学习，在日本赚了数百万，疯狂地把钱花在伴游女孩身上，买下了一些公司然后出售，经历了新冠疫情和2011年地震，和一些日本女孩谈了恋爱……是的，我不建议在日本呆太久。
来东南亚吧，我们现在进步很大，而且我们的物价和税收仍然很便宜哈哈。
干杯，希望这对你能有所帮助！！
Thomas Cayne
One of my cousins dreamed about a life in Japan. He obtained a Master’s degree in Japanese studies and then moved to Japan to begin a new life.
我的一个表弟梦想着在日本生活。他获得了日本研究型硕士学位，然后搬到日本开始新生活。
One of my cousins dreamed about a life in Japan. He obtained a Master’s degree in Japanese studies and then moved to Japan to begin a new life.
我的一个表弟梦想着在日本生活。他获得了日本研究型硕士学位，然后搬到日本开始新生活。
It was not what he expected.
这与他所期望的不一样。
这与他所期望的不一样。
My cousin loved life in a Western way, and in his case that meant that he valued dining out, going to parties, having a girlfriend and hobbies, and excelling at doing basically nothing while lying on the couch, far above the concept of work, and the importance of success.
我的表弟喜欢西方生活，对他来说，这意味着他重视外出就餐、参加派对、有女朋友和爱好，擅长躺在沙发上什么都不做，远远高于工作的概念和成功的重要性。
我的表弟喜欢西方生活，对他来说，这意味着他重视外出就餐、参加派对、有女朋友和爱好，擅长躺在沙发上什么都不做，远远高于工作的概念和成功的重要性。
And this kind of non-philosophy did not work out.
而这种非哲学并没有奏效。
而这种非哲学并没有奏效。
In the very beginning he was embraced by his new home, but very quickly his way of “interpreting life” was spit out and on by his Japanese company and new “friends.” Not much later, he was excluded from the city society as an outcast.
一开始，他被新家接纳了，但很快，他的“生活解读”方式就被他的日本公司和新“朋友”所唾弃。不久之后，他被排除在城市社会之外，成为一个弃儿。
原创翻译：龙腾网 https://www.ltaaa.cn 转载请注明出处
一开始，他被新家接纳了，但很快，他的“生活解读”方式就被他的日本公司和新“朋友”所唾弃。不久之后，他被排除在城市社会之外，成为一个弃儿。
原创翻译：龙腾网 https://www.ltaaa.cn 转载请注明出处
And eventually he needed to be repatriated with the help of his family back home, because he had sunk into a deep depression, and nobody seemed to care about this inferior immigrant who had showed no respect for the Japanese way of life.
最后，他不得不在家乡家人的帮助下被遣送回国，因为他陷入了深深的抑郁，似乎没有人关心这个对日本生活方式毫无尊重的劣等移民。
最后，他不得不在家乡家人的帮助下被遣送回国，因为他陷入了深深的抑郁，似乎没有人关心这个对日本生活方式毫无尊重的劣等移民。
And that’s why I think that indeed, Japan is not suitable for a long-term stay.
这就是为什么我认为日本确实不适合长期居住。
原创翻译：龙腾网 https://www.ltaaa.cn 转载请注明出处
这就是为什么我认为日本确实不适合长期居住。
原创翻译：龙腾网 https://www.ltaaa.cn 转载请注明出处
It is deeply diseased by racism, and it seems to be constricting itself through degrees of obsession which are simply too abundant for a country to remain healthy in the end.
日本深受种族主义的困扰，而且似乎正通过各种程度的迷惑行为来束缚自身，而这种普遍存在的迷惑行为对于一个想要保持健康向上社会氛围的国家来说是无益的。
日本深受种族主义的困扰，而且似乎正通过各种程度的迷惑行为来束缚自身，而这种普遍存在的迷惑行为对于一个想要保持健康向上社会氛围的国家来说是无益的。
You can’t keep shouting if you forget how to breathe.
SOURCES: original artwork realized in the 1850s by Utagawa Kunisada (1786-1865).
如果你忘记了如何呼吸，你就不能一直呐喊。
资料来源：歌川国贞(1786-1865)于19 世纪50年代创作的原创艺术作品。
SOURCES: original artwork realized in the 1850s by Utagawa Kunisada (1786-1865).
如果你忘记了如何呼吸，你就不能一直呐喊。
资料来源：歌川国贞(1786-1865)于19 世纪50年代创作的原创艺术作品。
Tom Brucia
My son moved to Japan right out of college 30 years ago and is established there. He lives midway between Tokyo and Yokohama now. He lived in Kitakyushu (high school assistant English teacher), worked for a large communications firm (contract; night shift) in Tokyo, and then — and now — works as a freelance Japanese-English translator. Our daughter-in-law is a hard-working woman, first raising two boys and now back working outside the house full-time. They, now in good high school and an excellent university respectively, were born and raised in Japan and have lived their entire lives there. (Japanese is their first language; English is just a second language).
我儿子30年前，在大学毕业后就搬到了日本，并在那里定居。他现在住在东京和横滨之间。他住在北九州（高中英语助教），在东京一家大型通讯公司工作（合同制；夜班），然后——现在——做自由日英翻译。我们的儿媳是个勤劳的女人，先是养育了两个儿子，现在又全职外出工作。他们现在分别在一所优秀的高中和一所优秀的大学读书，他们在日本出生和长大，一生都住在那里。（日语是他们的第一语言；英语只是第二语言）。
My son moved to Japan right out of college 30 years ago and is established there. He lives midway between Tokyo and Yokohama now. He lived in Kitakyushu (high school assistant English teacher), worked for a large communications firm (contract; night shift) in Tokyo, and then — and now — works as a freelance Japanese-English translator. Our daughter-in-law is a hard-working woman, first raising two boys and now back working outside the house full-time. They, now in good high school and an excellent university respectively, were born and raised in Japan and have lived their entire lives there. (Japanese is their first language; English is just a second language).
我儿子30年前，在大学毕业后就搬到了日本，并在那里定居。他现在住在东京和横滨之间。他住在北九州（高中英语助教），在东京一家大型通讯公司工作（合同制；夜班），然后——现在——做自由日英翻译。我们的儿媳是个勤劳的女人，先是养育了两个儿子，现在又全职外出工作。他们现在分别在一所优秀的高中和一所优秀的大学读书，他们在日本出生和长大，一生都住在那里。（日语是他们的第一语言；英语只是第二语言）。
My son is fully comfortable with his clients, and they seem very happy with his work. The boys have a lot of friends. My daughter-in-law does what Japanese women do, which entails a lot of ‘community work’ and being a good neighbor as well as working outside once the kids are gone. In short, at least in their urban world, their lives are similar to the ones they’d live if in Chicago, New York, or Los Angeles. A routine middle-class life.
我儿子和他的客户相处得很融洽，他们似乎对他的工作也很满意。孩子们有很多朋友。我的儿媳做着日本女人做的事，包括做很多“社区工作”，当一个好邻居，以及在孩子们离开家后在外面工作。简而言之，至少在他们的城市世界里，他们的生活与在芝加哥、纽约或洛杉矶的生活相似。一种常规的中产阶级生活。
我儿子和他的客户相处得很融洽，他们似乎对他的工作也很满意。孩子们有很多朋友。我的儿媳做着日本女人做的事，包括做很多“社区工作”，当一个好邻居，以及在孩子们离开家后在外面工作。简而言之，至少在他们的城市世界里，他们的生活与在芝加哥、纽约或洛杉矶的生活相似。一种常规的中产阶级生活。
My son has always been adaptable. He was born in England and spent the first three years of his life in Spain (his first languages were Spanish and English). Mom is from Spain; Dad (me) is from the northern part of the US, and the three of us mostly adapted to life in Texas. (Fortunately is a very ethnically diverse city!) I think a lot of “long-term stay” concerns mindset. (We’re obviously a nomadic family!) Family comes first; work obligations come second; friends are for keeps unless they decide otherwise; and we manage without much regard for “what people think.”
我的儿子的适应能力一直很强。他出生在英国，生命中的前三年是在西班牙度过的（他的第一语言是西班牙语和英语）。妈妈来自西班牙；爸爸（我）来自美国北部，我们三个人基本适应了德克萨斯的生活。（幸运的是，这是一个种族多元化的城市！）我认为很多“长期居住”都与心态有关。（我们显然是一个游牧家庭！）家庭是第一位的；工作义务是第二位的；朋友是永远的，除非他们另有决定；我们不太在意“别人怎么想”。
原创翻译：龙腾网 https://www.ltaaa.cn 转载请注明出处
我的儿子的适应能力一直很强。他出生在英国，生命中的前三年是在西班牙度过的（他的第一语言是西班牙语和英语）。妈妈来自西班牙；爸爸（我）来自美国北部，我们三个人基本适应了德克萨斯的生活。（幸运的是，这是一个种族多元化的城市！）我认为很多“长期居住”都与心态有关。（我们显然是一个游牧家庭！）家庭是第一位的；工作义务是第二位的；朋友是永远的，除非他们另有决定；我们不太在意“别人怎么想”。
原创翻译：龙腾网 https://www.ltaaa.cn 转载请注明出处
If you decide to plunk down somewhere (anywhere!) and adapt, you do so. If you yearn for things in the past or for unrealistic dreams, you doom yourself to unhappiness. One thing is for sure: even if you stay in one single place, the world changes around you. In a very real sense, we’re all refugees or migrants unsuited to the present because what is past is gone forever. The idea that you can ‘fit in’ anywhere is a stretch.
如果你下定决心在某个地方（任何地方！）安顿下来并适应，那么就去做吧。如果你怀念过去的事情或有着不切实际的梦想，你注定会不快乐。有一件事是肯定的：即使你呆在一个地方，你周围的世界也会发生变化。从非常现实的意义上讲，我们都是难民或移民，之所以无法马上适应现在的生活，是因为过去的一切已经一去不复返了。认为你可以“融入”任何地方的想法有点牵强。
如果你下定决心在某个地方（任何地方！）安顿下来并适应，那么就去做吧。如果你怀念过去的事情或有着不切实际的梦想，你注定会不快乐。有一件事是肯定的：即使你呆在一个地方，你周围的世界也会发生变化。从非常现实的意义上讲，我们都是难民或移民，之所以无法马上适应现在的生活，是因为过去的一切已经一去不复返了。认为你可以“融入”任何地方的想法有点牵强。
Patrick de Sousa
I have the feeling that Japan is held to much higher standards than other countries.
我觉得日本的标准比其他国家高得多。
I have the feeling that Japan is held to much higher standards than other countries.
我觉得日本的标准比其他国家高得多。
Nobody would move to a foreign land expecting to make friends easily and to be considered a local, and still we see thousands of gaijin asking themselves why do they face difficulties doing so as they move to Japan.
没有人可以一搬到异国他乡，就期望能轻易交到朋友并被视为当地人，但我们仍然看到成千上万的外国人在搬到日本时问自己为什么会遇到困难。
没有人可以一搬到异国他乡，就期望能轻易交到朋友并被视为当地人，但我们仍然看到成千上万的外国人在搬到日本时问自己为什么会遇到困难。
I'm willing to admit that Japan is more insular than the US or Europe. Foreigners are a small percentage of the population. But some of the oft-quoted unsuitabilities of Japan for a long term stay, such as bureaucracy or a lack of ability in foreign languages, are near universal concerns. We just handle bureaucracy and work culture more easily when we are raised in the country that we live in, and we can count on our parents and peers to help us learn how to do everyday stuff.
我承认日本比美国或欧洲更封闭。外国人只占人口的一小部分。但一些经常被提及的“为什么日本不适合长期居住”问题，如官僚主义或缺乏外语能力，几乎是普遍关注的问题。当我们在自己居住的国家长大时，我们更容易处理官僚主义和工作文化，我们可以依靠父母和同龄人来帮助我们学习如何做日常事务。
我承认日本比美国或欧洲更封闭。外国人只占人口的一小部分。但一些经常被提及的“为什么日本不适合长期居住”问题，如官僚主义或缺乏外语能力，几乎是普遍关注的问题。当我们在自己居住的国家长大时，我们更容易处理官僚主义和工作文化，我们可以依靠父母和同龄人来帮助我们学习如何做日常事务。
Adults have a hard time making new friends anywhere, and we will always feel a bit isolated if we move away from our family and community - even if we just move somewhere we can't get back to in a weekend jaunt. In the US, you don't even have to move to another country to feel this way.
成年人很难在任意地点都结交到新朋友，如果我们离开家人和社区，我们总会感到有点孤单——即使我们只是搬到一个周末无法回到老家的地方。在美国，你甚至不必搬到另一个国家就能有这种感觉。
成年人很难在任意地点都结交到新朋友，如果我们离开家人和社区，我们总会感到有点孤单——即使我们只是搬到一个周末无法回到老家的地方。在美国，你甚至不必搬到另一个国家就能有这种感觉。
In addition to that, most foreigners in Japan are visibly foreign. They might get treated with stereotypes that they can't shake off even by living decades in Japan, but it's no different than what happens with Middle Easterners in Europe, or Black people in much of Asia and Oceania, or White people in most of Sub-saharan Africa.
除此之外，日本的大多数外国人都有明显的非日本特征。他们可能会受到刻板印象的对待，即使在日本生活了几十年也无法摆脱这种印象，但这与欧洲的中东人、亚洲和大洋洲大部分地区的黑人或撒哈拉以南非洲大部分地区的白人所经历的遭遇没有什么不同。
除此之外，日本的大多数外国人都有明显的非日本特征。他们可能会受到刻板印象的对待，即使在日本生活了几十年也无法摆脱这种印象，但这与欧洲的中东人、亚洲和大洋洲大部分地区的黑人或撒哈拉以南非洲大部分地区的白人所经历的遭遇没有什么不同。
In some ways, Japan is more accommodating than most countries. You can find English language signs in most places. Nearly every traffic sign and train station sign is transliterated to the Roman Alphabet, even deep in the countryside: you try that in China, Russia or anywhere else where they don't use the same letters as we do.
在某些方面，日本比大多数国家更包容。你可以在大多数地方找到英语标志。几乎每一个交通标志和火车站标志都音译成罗马字母，即使在偏远的乡村也是如此：你可以在中国、俄罗斯或任何不使用与我们相同字母的地方尝试一下。
在某些方面，日本比大多数国家更包容。你可以在大多数地方找到英语标志。几乎每一个交通标志和火车站标志都音译成罗马字母，即使在偏远的乡村也是如此：你可以在中国、俄罗斯或任何不使用与我们相同字母的地方尝试一下。
Japan even has a program to help kids acclimatize themselves with foreigners, the notorious JET: I find it hard to believe that most governments would spend taxpayer money bringing underqualified 20-somethings halfway across the world to act as teacher aides.
日本甚至有一个帮助孩子们适应外国人的项目即臭名昭著的JET项目：我很难相信有那么多政府会把纳税人的钱花在资助一个未获得教学资格的20多岁的年轻人，并把他带到半个地球之外的地方担任助教上。
日本甚至有一个帮助孩子们适应外国人的项目即臭名昭著的JET项目：我很难相信有那么多政府会把纳税人的钱花在资助一个未获得教学资格的20多岁的年轻人，并把他带到半个地球之外的地方担任助教上。
Japan is probably more suitable for a long term stay than most of Asia, Africa and Latin America.
日本可能比亚洲、非洲和拉丁美洲的大多数地方更适合长期居住。
日本可能比亚洲、非洲和拉丁美洲的大多数地方更适合长期居住。
Nao Suzuki
Japanese here. My answer is meant to provide some feedback, as a Japanese, to some of the answers provided here in a respectful manner.
我是日本人。作为一名日本人，我的回答旨在以尊重的方式对这里的一些答案提供一些反馈。
Japanese here. My answer is meant to provide some feedback, as a Japanese, to some of the answers provided here in a respectful manner.
我是日本人。作为一名日本人，我的回答旨在以尊重的方式对这里的一些答案提供一些反馈。
Cost of Living
Having lived in Vancouver and Bay Area, I find living expenses are way lower here in Japan. It’s pretty common for a young professional to live in a shared apartment in North America, yet it’s rather uncommon even in some of the most expensive cities in Japan like Tokyo. Not to mention, the measure of how high the given cost is to you depends largely on you, so it might be wise to give some idea; thanks to the today’s currency rate 5~8 USD is more than sufficient for having lunch at a restaurant in Tokyo; 3~6 USD gets you a fast food meal across the country; no tipping needed and no one accepts it; a studio apartment in Tokyo costs around 600~700 USD a month on average, and a considerable number of companies provide financial assistance so that you’ll pay 10~40% of the rent. While I agree that salary is not attractive here in Japan relative to other developed countries, what I feel everyone forgets to mention or just simply overlook is they, partially or entirely, ignore inflation-adjusted costs of living.
生活成本
我曾在温哥华和湾区生活过，我发现日本的生活成本要低得多。在北美，年轻的专业人士住在合租公寓里是很常见的，但即使在一些生活成本最高的日本城市，比如东京，这种情况也相当罕见。更不用说，给定的成本对你来说有多高，很大程度上取决于你，所以给出一些想法可能是明智的；按照今天的汇率，在东京的餐馆吃一顿午饭花5~8美元就足够了；3~6美元可以在日本全国任意地方吃上一顿快餐；不需要给小费，也不会有人接受；东京的一套单间公寓平均每月租金约为600~700美元，相当多的公司提供经济援助，这样你只需支付10~40%的房租。虽然我同意日本的工资相对于其他发达国家来说并不吸引人，但我觉得每个人都忘记提及或只是简单地选择忽略了通货膨胀调整后的生活成本。
原创翻译：龙腾网 https://www.ltaaa.cn 转载请注明出处
Having lived in Vancouver and Bay Area, I find living expenses are way lower here in Japan. It’s pretty common for a young professional to live in a shared apartment in North America, yet it’s rather uncommon even in some of the most expensive cities in Japan like Tokyo. Not to mention, the measure of how high the given cost is to you depends largely on you, so it might be wise to give some idea; thanks to the today’s currency rate 5~8 USD is more than sufficient for having lunch at a restaurant in Tokyo; 3~6 USD gets you a fast food meal across the country; no tipping needed and no one accepts it; a studio apartment in Tokyo costs around 600~700 USD a month on average, and a considerable number of companies provide financial assistance so that you’ll pay 10~40% of the rent. While I agree that salary is not attractive here in Japan relative to other developed countries, what I feel everyone forgets to mention or just simply overlook is they, partially or entirely, ignore inflation-adjusted costs of living.
生活成本
我曾在温哥华和湾区生活过，我发现日本的生活成本要低得多。在北美，年轻的专业人士住在合租公寓里是很常见的，但即使在一些生活成本最高的日本城市，比如东京，这种情况也相当罕见。更不用说，给定的成本对你来说有多高，很大程度上取决于你，所以给出一些想法可能是明智的；按照今天的汇率，在东京的餐馆吃一顿午饭花5~8美元就足够了；3~6美元可以在日本全国任意地方吃上一顿快餐；不需要给小费，也不会有人接受；东京的一套单间公寓平均每月租金约为600~700美元，相当多的公司提供经济援助，这样你只需支付10~40%的房租。虽然我同意日本的工资相对于其他发达国家来说并不吸引人，但我觉得每个人都忘记提及或只是简单地选择忽略了通货膨胀调整后的生活成本。
原创翻译：龙腾网 https://www.ltaaa.cn 转载请注明出处
Work Culture
Long hours, extra unpaid work, demanding environments, etc.. They are all true. That said, the first two are getting way better in almost all corporations except for the public sector, especially teachers. Teaching jobs are notorious for their toxic working conditions today and referred to as ブラック(reads “black”).
工作文化
Long hours, extra unpaid work, demanding environments, etc.. They are all true. That said, the first two are getting way better in almost all corporations except for the public sector, especially teachers. Teaching jobs are notorious for their toxic working conditions today and referred to as ブラック(reads “black”).
工作文化
长时间工作、额外的无偿工作、苛刻的工作环境等。这些都是事实。话虽如此，除了公共部门，几乎所有公司的前两个方面都在改善，尤其是教师。如今，教师工作因其恶劣的工作条件而臭名昭著，被称为ブラック（读作“黑色”）。
Compensation Package
The aforementioned cost of living is not that problematic after adjusting to inflation. However, keep in mind that starting salary for new college graduates is almost universal among all professionals and ranges from 18,000~22,000 USD/yr plus some moderate bonuses which can vary quite a bit depending on each firm. For better or worse to some people, we have no computer science hype here.
薪酬待遇
上述生活成本在调整通货膨胀率后并不成问题。但是，请记住，大学应届毕业生的起薪几乎适用于所有专业人士，范围从18,000 到22,000美元/年，外加一些适度的奖金，这些奖金可能因公司而异。无论对某些人来说是好是坏，我们这里没有计算机科学炒作。
Compensation Package
The aforementioned cost of living is not that problematic after adjusting to inflation. However, keep in mind that starting salary for new college graduates is almost universal among all professionals and ranges from 18,000~22,000 USD/yr plus some moderate bonuses which can vary quite a bit depending on each firm. For better or worse to some people, we have no computer science hype here.
薪酬待遇
上述生活成本在调整通货膨胀率后并不成问题。但是，请记住，大学应届毕业生的起薪几乎适用于所有专业人士，范围从18,000 到22,000美元/年，外加一些适度的奖金，这些奖金可能因公司而异。无论对某些人来说是好是坏，我们这里没有计算机科学炒作。
Language Barrier
This is the hardest part in my opinion. Being competent in Japanese is just a minimum requirement for a decent job. Still, it’s worth mentioning that no one should blame them for this for the very reason I never condemn American or Canadian firms for not hiring those not being able to speak English or French.
语言障碍
在我看来，这是最难的部分。精通日语只是一份体面工作的最低要求。不过，值得一提的是，没有人应该为此责怪他们，因为我也从不谴责美国或加拿大公司不雇用那些不会说英语或法语的人。
This is the hardest part in my opinion. Being competent in Japanese is just a minimum requirement for a decent job. Still, it’s worth mentioning that no one should blame them for this for the very reason I never condemn American or Canadian firms for not hiring those not being able to speak English or French.
语言障碍
在我看来，这是最难的部分。精通日语只是一份体面工作的最低要求。不过，值得一提的是，没有人应该为此责怪他们，因为我也从不谴责美国或加拿大公司不雇用那些不会说英语或法语的人。
Tattoos and Drugs
Tattoos are not seen favorably in Japan. But there are two supplementary facts; they tend to have some degree of tolerance towards foreigners’ tattoos; even in Western countries having visible tattoos could potentially harm one’s job prospects especially in a field like finance, law, education, and healthcare. As for drugs, they’re by and large pretty “conservative” (I’m not yet sure if this is the right adjective though)
纹身和毒品
纹身在日本并不受欢迎。但有两个补充事实；他们往往对外国人的纹身有一定程度的容忍度；即使在西方国家，有明显的纹身也可能损害一个人的就业前景，尤其是在金融、法律、教育和医疗保健等领域。至于毒品，他们总体上相当“保守”（不过我还不确定这是否是正确的形容词）
Tattoos are not seen favorably in Japan. But there are two supplementary facts; they tend to have some degree of tolerance towards foreigners’ tattoos; even in Western countries having visible tattoos could potentially harm one’s job prospects especially in a field like finance, law, education, and healthcare. As for drugs, they’re by and large pretty “conservative” (I’m not yet sure if this is the right adjective though)
纹身和毒品
纹身在日本并不受欢迎。但有两个补充事实；他们往往对外国人的纹身有一定程度的容忍度；即使在西方国家，有明显的纹身也可能损害一个人的就业前景，尤其是在金融、法律、教育和医疗保健等领域。至于毒品，他们总体上相当“保守”（不过我还不确定这是否是正确的形容词）
Notes
One important thing to point out is that you might be the one who hinders you from immersing yourself in the Japanese society. Language barriers, a homogeneous racial demographic, and possibly other overlooked factors certainly raise immigration hurdles for many. At the same time, however, you’re expected to change your mindset and to contribute to the country as a part of the community. If you cannot help but think about how much you’d have earned otherwise if you stayed in your country, that’s a clear indication you really don’t have the right mindset unfortunately.
注释
需要指出的一件重要事项是，你自己可能就是那个阻碍你融入日本社会的人。语言障碍、同质的种族人口结构以及其他可能被忽视的因素肯定会给许多人增加移民障碍。但与此同时，你也被期望转变你的旧心态，并作为日本社区的一部分为国家做出贡献。如果你忍不住一直想假如当初留在你原来的国家现在会赚多少钱，不好意思，那就表明你还没有做好心理建设。
One important thing to point out is that you might be the one who hinders you from immersing yourself in the Japanese society. Language barriers, a homogeneous racial demographic, and possibly other overlooked factors certainly raise immigration hurdles for many. At the same time, however, you’re expected to change your mindset and to contribute to the country as a part of the community. If you cannot help but think about how much you’d have earned otherwise if you stayed in your country, that’s a clear indication you really don’t have the right mindset unfortunately.
注释
需要指出的一件重要事项是，你自己可能就是那个阻碍你融入日本社会的人。语言障碍、同质的种族人口结构以及其他可能被忽视的因素肯定会给许多人增加移民障碍。但与此同时，你也被期望转变你的旧心态，并作为日本社区的一部分为国家做出贡献。如果你忍不住一直想假如当初留在你原来的国家现在会赚多少钱，不好意思，那就表明你还没有做好心理建设。
评论翻译
Katherine Heasley
I stayed in Japan for over two years and might have stayed longer had a family emergency not sent me back to the States. Japan isn’t for everyone, and there were some definite issues I had personally where the culture chafed a bit. It’s hard for a foreigner to assimilate to Japan, and frankly, the Japanese seem ambivalent as to whether they want you to. The Japanese always like to know where they stand in relation to others, and when you blur the lines, they get uneasy. That’s a generalization, but it’s one I feel is fairly accurate.
我在日本呆了两年多，如果不是因为家里的紧急情况让我回到美国，我可能会呆得更久。日本并不适合所有人，我个人确实有一些问题，日本文化有点让我不适应。外国人很难融入日本，坦率地说，日本人似乎不确定他们是否希望你融入。日本人总是想知道他们与其他人的关系，当你模糊界限时，他们会感到不安。这是一个概括，但我觉得相当准确。
I stayed in Japan for over two years and might have stayed longer had a family emergency not sent me back to the States. Japan isn’t for everyone, and there were some definite issues I had personally where the culture chafed a bit. It’s hard for a foreigner to assimilate to Japan, and frankly, the Japanese seem ambivalent as to whether they want you to. The Japanese always like to know where they stand in relation to others, and when you blur the lines, they get uneasy. That’s a generalization, but it’s one I feel is fairly accurate.
我在日本呆了两年多，如果不是因为家里的紧急情况让我回到美国，我可能会呆得更久。日本并不适合所有人，我个人确实有一些问题，日本文化有点让我不适应。外国人很难融入日本，坦率地说，日本人似乎不确定他们是否希望你融入。日本人总是想知道他们与其他人的关系，当你模糊界限时，他们会感到不安。这是一个概括，但我觉得相当准确。
With that said, if you are able to settle in and take the good with the bad (as you’ll have to in any culture), Japan has a lot to recommend it. I loved my time there and would go back for another extended stay in a hot minute. Once I’m done with my job here in China, I will most likely be actively looking for jobs in Japan. I’ve missed it many times since leaving.
话虽如此，如果你能够安顿下来，接受好的一面与坏的一面（在任何文化中你都必须这样做），日本就会有很多值得推荐的地方。我喜欢在那里度过的时光，并会在炎热的季节里再回去多住一段时间。一旦我在中国的工作结束，我很可能会积极寻找日本的工作。离开日本后，我已经想念它很多次了。
原创翻译：龙腾网 https://www.ltaaa.cn 转载请注明出处
话虽如此，如果你能够安顿下来，接受好的一面与坏的一面（在任何文化中你都必须这样做），日本就会有很多值得推荐的地方。我喜欢在那里度过的时光，并会在炎热的季节里再回去多住一段时间。一旦我在中国的工作结束，我很可能会积极寻找日本的工作。离开日本后，我已经想念它很多次了。
原创翻译：龙腾网 https://www.ltaaa.cn 转载请注明出处
Ryan Fernandez
I lived in Japan for awhile as an exchange student. While I really enjoyed my time there, I was convinced that I didn't want to live there long term for several reasons:
我曾作为交换生在日本生活过一段时间。虽然我真的很享受在那里的时光，但我确信我不想长期住在那里，原因如下：
I lived in Japan for awhile as an exchange student. While I really enjoyed my time there, I was convinced that I didn't want to live there long term for several reasons:
我曾作为交换生在日本生活过一段时间。虽然我真的很享受在那里的时光，但我确信我不想长期住在那里，原因如下：
You will, unless you're of Japanese extraction, never be Japanese. There's Koreans that have been in Japan for generations that are not considered Japanese despite speaking the language, dressing, and acting like Japanese people. You're going to forever be “foreign” living there.
除非你有日本血统，否则你永远不会成为日本人。有些韩国人已经在日本生活了几代，尽管他们说着日本语，穿着和行为都像日本人，但他们并不被视为日本人。住在那里，你永远都是“外国人”。
除非你有日本血统，否则你永远不会成为日本人。有些韩国人已经在日本生活了几代，尽管他们说着日本语，穿着和行为都像日本人，但他们并不被视为日本人。住在那里，你永远都是“外国人”。
As you get better at the language and understanding the culture, the less leeway Japanese people will give you for making a cultural faux pas. Japan is a cultural minefield of in and out groups and subtle language changes or saying the wrong “please” to someone can be a mess. This is why when I'm there I carry a phrasebook and intentionally thicken up my accent.
随着你对语言和文化的了解越来越好，日本人对你触犯文化失礼的容忍度就越低。日本是一个文化雷区，内外群体之间微妙的语言变化或对某人说错“请”可能会造成混乱。这就是为什么我在那里时会随身携带一本短语手册，并故意加重我的口音。
随着你对语言和文化的了解越来越好，日本人对你触犯文化失礼的容忍度就越低。日本是一个文化雷区，内外群体之间微妙的语言变化或对某人说错“请”可能会造成混乱。这就是为什么我在那里时会随身携带一本短语手册，并故意加重我的口音。
The work culture is a mess if you work for a Japanese company. Unpaid overtime is the norm. You're expected to hang out with the boss and coworkers a lot. This can be harmful to your relationship with your wife and kids. Foreign companies however, can and do make a huge difference.
Dating in Japan can be a crapshoot. When I was there, lots of girls wanted to sleep with a foreigner to say that they did but were uninterested in long term relationships. Japanese men would often tell me that they were interested in dating foreign women but were either unwilling or unable to approach them for various reasons.
如果你为一家日本公司工作，工作文化就会一团糟。无偿加班是常态。你需要经常和老板和同事一起出去玩。这可能会损害你与妻子和孩子的关系。作为对比，可以而且确实会对在外国公司工作过的你，产生巨大的影响。
在日本约会可能是一场豪赌。我在那里的时候，很多女孩想和外国人困觉，但对发展长期关系不感兴趣。日本男人经常告诉我，他们有和外国女人约会的兴趣，但出于各种原因，他们要么主观上缺乏动力，要么压根没机会接近她们。
Dating in Japan can be a crapshoot. When I was there, lots of girls wanted to sleep with a foreigner to say that they did but were uninterested in long term relationships. Japanese men would often tell me that they were interested in dating foreign women but were either unwilling or unable to approach them for various reasons.
如果你为一家日本公司工作，工作文化就会一团糟。无偿加班是常态。你需要经常和老板和同事一起出去玩。这可能会损害你与妻子和孩子的关系。作为对比，可以而且确实会对在外国公司工作过的你，产生巨大的影响。
在日本约会可能是一场豪赌。我在那里的时候，很多女孩想和外国人困觉，但对发展长期关系不感兴趣。日本男人经常告诉我，他们有和外国女人约会的兴趣，但出于各种原因，他们要么主观上缺乏动力，要么压根没机会接近她们。
Navigating culture in Japan is going to be a problem if you're expecting the people there to bend at all. In the USA we say “the squeaky wheel gets the grease” but in Japan they say “the nail that sticks out gets hammered down.” Guess who the nail is? See above for more information.
如果你希望那里的人迁就外国人，那么你在探索本土文化时就会遭遇大问题。在美国，我们说“吱吱作响的轮子有润滑油”，但在日本，他们说“钉子伸出来，钉子敲不透”。猜猜钉子是谁？请参阅上文了解更多信息。
如果你希望那里的人迁就外国人，那么你在探索本土文化时就会遭遇大问题。在美国，我们说“吱吱作响的轮子有润滑油”，但在日本，他们说“钉子伸出来，钉子敲不透”。猜猜钉子是谁？请参阅上文了解更多信息。
Japan can be expensive. I knew a handful of language teachers that only got by because they had free housing and worked private gigs. Good luck getting a job in a Japanese company if you're not 100% fluent. See number two for more info. Unless you somehow become a celebrity or something, you're not going to strike it rich.
日本的生活成本可能很高。我认识一些语言老师，他们只能靠免费住房和私人工作才能过活。如果你日语不是100%流利，祝你好运能在日本公司找到工作。有关更多信息，请参阅第二点。除非你以某种方式成为名人或什么的，否则你发不了财。
日本的生活成本可能很高。我认识一些语言老师，他们只能靠免费住房和私人工作才能过活。如果你日语不是100%流利，祝你好运能在日本公司找到工作。有关更多信息，请参阅第二点。除非你以某种方式成为名人或什么的，否则你发不了财。
Unless you're in Kyoto, Tokyo or another very large city, you're going to be stared at. Get used to it.
Japan is a nominal police state. There's no “warning” or anything like that. The police come down hard when pushed. There was a streamer that trespassed recently as part of some prank and he's facing 3 years in jail for it. When I was there, I watched a whole unit of cops walk into a night club and arrest EVERYBODY. One of the UK exchange students was among them. He didn't get out for a week. No contact no nothing. He was told by the embassy he was SOL. He was never charged.
除非你在京都、东京或其他大城市，否则你会被人盯着看。习惯就好。
日本是一个名义上的警察国家。没有“警告”之类的东西。警察在被侵犯时会严厉反击。最近有一个主播因为搞闯入相关的恶作剧被捕，他将面临3年监禁。我在日本的时候，看到一队警察走进一家夜总会，逮捕了所有人，其中一个是英国交换生。他被关了一个星期。没有联系，什么都没有。大使馆告诉他他是独一份的特例。他也没受到任何指控。
Japan is a nominal police state. There's no “warning” or anything like that. The police come down hard when pushed. There was a streamer that trespassed recently as part of some prank and he's facing 3 years in jail for it. When I was there, I watched a whole unit of cops walk into a night club and arrest EVERYBODY. One of the UK exchange students was among them. He didn't get out for a week. No contact no nothing. He was told by the embassy he was SOL. He was never charged.
除非你在京都、东京或其他大城市，否则你会被人盯着看。习惯就好。
日本是一个名义上的警察国家。没有“警告”之类的东西。警察在被侵犯时会严厉反击。最近有一个主播因为搞闯入相关的恶作剧被捕，他将面临3年监禁。我在日本的时候，看到一队警察走进一家夜总会，逮捕了所有人，其中一个是英国交换生。他被关了一个星期。没有联系，什么都没有。大使馆告诉他他是独一份的特例。他也没受到任何指控。
Forget foreign food. Even if you find it, then it's likely going to be a weird Japanese permutation of it.
So there you go. I lived there and liked it, but then again, I have kind of a “Japanese” mindset already.
忘了外国食物吧。即使你找到了，那很可能也是一种奇怪的日本式食物。
就是这样。我住在那里，喜欢那里，但话又说回来，我已经有点“日本”心态了。
So there you go. I lived there and liked it, but then again, I have kind of a “Japanese” mindset already.
忘了外国食物吧。即使你找到了，那很可能也是一种奇怪的日本式食物。
就是这样。我住在那里，喜欢那里，但话又说回来，我已经有点“日本”心态了。
Jeff Hamacher
Lived in Japan for 7 years, married to a Japanese
I’m giving my answer first and leaving notes on my personal experience at the end.
在日本生活了7年，嫁给了日本人
我先给出我的答案，最后再写下我的个人经历。
Lived in Japan for 7 years, married to a Japanese
I’m giving my answer first and leaving notes on my personal experience at the end.
在日本生活了7年，嫁给了日本人
我先给出我的答案，最后再写下我的个人经历。
There are a number of reasons why many foreign nationals might decide against living in Japan long term (i.e., more than 5 to 10 years).
许多外国人决定不长期（即超过5到10年）居住在日本的原因有很多。
许多外国人决定不长期（即超过5到10年）居住在日本的原因有很多。
Finding a sustainable source of employment is a major challenge. My cousin, married to a Japanese, happens to have set himself up teaching at a university with a quiet understanding that he will have a well-paid position until retirement. Most foreigners work on term contracts which can end without an offer of renewal quite suddenly and with no clear explanation. If your employer is also your visa sponsor, you end up in combined economic and legal jeopardy.
找到一份可持续的工作就是一项重大挑战。我的表弟嫁给了日本人，他碰巧在大学里教书，心里明白他会一直有一份高薪的工作直到退休。大多数外国人都是签订定期合同，这些合同可能会突然终止，没有续约的提议，也没有任何明确的解释。如果你的雇主也是你的签证担保人，你最终会面临经济和法律的双重危险。
找到一份可持续的工作就是一项重大挑战。我的表弟嫁给了日本人，他碰巧在大学里教书，心里明白他会一直有一份高薪的工作直到退休。大多数外国人都是签订定期合同，这些合同可能会突然终止，没有续约的提议，也没有任何明确的解释。如果你的雇主也是你的签证担保人，你最终会面临经济和法律的双重危险。
Depending upon where you are, your cost of living can be very high and the salary that you can earn as a foreigner may not give you much spending power. Apart from the national pension plan and perhaps some post office savings accounts, there aren’t clear and effective financial instruments to build up a retirement fund should you want to stay beyond your working life.
根据你所在的位置，你的生活成本可能非常高，而你作为外国人所能赚到的薪水可能不会给你带来太多的消费能力。除了国家养老金计划和一些邮局储蓄账户外，如果你想在工作结束后继续留在日本，没有明确有效的金融工具来建立退休基金。
原创翻译：龙腾网 https://www.ltaaa.cn 转载请注明出处
根据你所在的位置，你的生活成本可能非常高，而你作为外国人所能赚到的薪水可能不会给你带来太多的消费能力。除了国家养老金计划和一些邮局储蓄账户外，如果你想在工作结束后继续留在日本，没有明确有效的金融工具来建立退休基金。
原创翻译：龙腾网 https://www.ltaaa.cn 转载请注明出处
Japanese society is still, on the whole, rather xenophobic and while foreigners are welcomed to a degree, they aren’t really expected to immigrate permanently, take out Japanese citizenship, and fully “integrate” to the extent that any immigrant might do so in any country. Japanese social expectations and obligations can be opaque even to the Japanese themselves; most of them assume that foreigners will simply never “get it”. Failure to uphold those expectations and obligations even once can lead to a break in trust between colleagues or acquaintances that most often cannot be repaired.
日本社会总体上仍然相当排外，虽然外国人在一定程度上受到欢迎，但实际上日本人并不期望他们永久移民、获得日本国籍并完全“融入”日本，就像任何移民在任何国家都可以做到的那样。日本的社会期望和义务甚至对日本人来说都是不透明的；他们中的大多数人认为外国人永远不会“明白”。即使一次未能遵守这些期望和义务，也会导致同事或熟人之间的信任破裂，而这种信任往往无法修复。
日本社会总体上仍然相当排外，虽然外国人在一定程度上受到欢迎，但实际上日本人并不期望他们永久移民、获得日本国籍并完全“融入”日本，就像任何移民在任何国家都可以做到的那样。日本的社会期望和义务甚至对日本人来说都是不透明的；他们中的大多数人认为外国人永远不会“明白”。即使一次未能遵守这些期望和义务，也会导致同事或熟人之间的信任破裂，而这种信任往往无法修复。
If you think that government bureaucracy in your birth country presents a challenge, it probably has nothing on the Japanese example. Without a very firm grasp of the language, a very large measure of patience, and a willingness to accept that you may simply have to follow a particular rule or order in spite of it making no sense to you, life in Japan could become thoroughly frustrating if not infuriating.
如果你认为你出生国的政府官僚机构是一个挑战，那么它可能与日本的例子无关。如果不能很好地掌握语言，没有极大的耐心，也不愿意接受即使你觉得毫无意义，也必须遵守特定规则或命令的事实，那么在日本的生活可能会变得非常令人沮丧，甚至令人愤怒。
原创翻译：龙腾网 https://www.ltaaa.cn 转载请注明出处
如果你认为你出生国的政府官僚机构是一个挑战，那么它可能与日本的例子无关。如果不能很好地掌握语言，没有极大的耐心，也不愿意接受即使你觉得毫无意义，也必须遵守特定规则或命令的事实，那么在日本的生活可能会变得非常令人沮丧，甚至令人愤怒。
原创翻译：龙腾网 https://www.ltaaa.cn 转载请注明出处
Some foreigners may well find a niche for themselves, earning a steady income, enjoying all of the upsides of life in the country, and finding ways to build rewarding social relationships. It’s just that the chances of all of those elements coming together to sustain a lifestyle over many years or even decades are not that high.
一些外国人可能会找到适合自己的位置，赚取稳定的收入，享受日本生活的所有好处，并找到建立有益社会关系的方法。只是把所有这些因素结合在一起，维持多年甚至几十年的生活方式的可能性并不高。
一些外国人可能会找到适合自己的位置，赚取稳定的收入，享受日本生活的所有好处，并找到建立有益社会关系的方法。只是把所有这些因素结合在一起，维持多年甚至几十年的生活方式的可能性并不高。
[I lived in Japan between 1996 and 2003. Having married a Japanese who had a good career and facing no shortage of English teaching work available for me, there’s every possibility that we could have happily continued living there in relative economic and social security.
[我于1996年至2003年在日本生活。我嫁给了一位事业有成的日本人，而且我也不缺和英语教学相关的工作，我们完全有可能在相对经济和社会保障的情况下继续在那里幸福地生活。
[我于1996年至2003年在日本生活。我嫁给了一位事业有成的日本人，而且我也不缺和英语教学相关的工作，我们完全有可能在相对经济和社会保障的情况下继续在那里幸福地生活。
I learned the language well (passed the old version of the JLPT Level 1 on my first attempt after five years of study), I took a sustained interest in martial arts and tea ceremony training, and I really liked many aspects of daily life there. We moved to my birth country of Canada so that I could enter a graduate studies program, not really because we wanted to leave.]
我学得很好（经过五年的学习，我第一次就通过了旧版的JLPT1级考试），我对武术和茶道训练一直很感兴趣，我真的很喜欢那里的日常生活。我们后来搬到了我的出生地加拿大，这样我就可以继续研究生课程的学习，并不是因为我们想离开。]
我学得很好（经过五年的学习，我第一次就通过了旧版的JLPT1级考试），我对武术和茶道训练一直很感兴趣，我真的很喜欢那里的日常生活。我们后来搬到了我的出生地加拿大，这样我就可以继续研究生课程的学习，并不是因为我们想离开。]
Darryl Gibson
Lived in Japan (1979–2023)
All of the answers are correct, and none of them are. We went to Japan expecting to stay months; ended up there for decades. We worked for Japanese companies and for non-Japanese companies. We rented, we built a house, we bought a condo. We travelled regularly for work and for pleasure. We had many friends, and still have. We never wanted to “be” Japanese. We were economic migrants, and successful ones who had a terrific life there and now have an excellent retirement living between Japan and SE Asia. As to food, some of the best non-Japanese food in the world is in Tokyo, and some of the worst Japanese food in the world is in Tokyo. We never worked harder in Japan than in our birth country, we worked, and played, hard in both. In short, Japan is what you make of it, not what Japan makes of you. I still bow on the telephone, and yet still tell people to bugger off as quickly and crudely as I did in my birth country, and nobody really cares. Live your life, do your job(s), play when you want, and be happy. I don't think it is harder, or easier, to do that in Japan than in any of the other 60 or so countries I have had jobs in, but opportunities to work in so many places would not have arisen had I not been in Japan. Life happens, but only you can accept the challenges and bend it to your benefit. It is easy to find excuses to not do stuff and blame others, not so easy to do stuff and damn the consequences, which are generally far more exciting than not. Japan is certainly insular in many ways, but then so are we - a good fit. Our island gets along diplomatically with Japan, and those islands have good relations with ours. The biggest change in living in SE Asia than Japan? Easier to be a volunteer here than it was there, and that matters as a retiree, not so much when still a bee.
在日本生活过（1979-2023）
所有答案都是正确的，但也不完全正确。我们当初去日本时以为只会呆几个月；结果在那里一住就是几十年。我们为日本公司和非日本公司都工作。我们租房、建房、买公寓。我们经常出差和旅游。我们有很多朋友，现在仍然有很多。我们从不想“成为”日本人。我们是经济移民，也是成功人士，在那里度过美妙的时光，现在我们在日本和东南亚之间过着美好的退休生活。至于食物，世界上最好的一些非日本食物都在东京，而世界上最糟糕的一些日本食物也在东京。我们在日本工作时从未比在我们的出生国更努力，我们在这两个国家都努力工作和玩耍。简而言之，日本怎么样取决于你内心怎么塑造日本，而不是反过来让日本塑造你。我可以在电话里鞠躬，但也可以像我在出生国那样迅速而粗鲁地告诉人们滚开，没有人真正在乎。过好你自己的生活，做好你手里的工作，想玩就玩，开心就好。我认为在日本做到这一点并不比在我工作过的其他60多个国家更难或更容易，但如果我没有在日本，就不会有在这么多地方工作的机会。生活就是这样，只要你能接受挑战，并让它为你带来好处。找借口不做某事并责怪他人很容易，做某事并不管后果就不那么容易了，做比不做要令人兴奋得多。日本在很多方面确实和其他国家大不一样，但我们很合拍。我们的岛国和日本在外交上相处融洽，关系也很好。与日本相比，在东南亚生活最大的变化是什么？在东南亚当志愿者比在日本更容易，这一点对退休人员来说很重要，但当你还处在（需要辛勤工作的）工蜂阶段就没那么重要了。
原创翻译：龙腾网 https://www.ltaaa.cn 转载请注明出处
Lived in Japan (1979–2023)
All of the answers are correct, and none of them are. We went to Japan expecting to stay months; ended up there for decades. We worked for Japanese companies and for non-Japanese companies. We rented, we built a house, we bought a condo. We travelled regularly for work and for pleasure. We had many friends, and still have. We never wanted to “be” Japanese. We were economic migrants, and successful ones who had a terrific life there and now have an excellent retirement living between Japan and SE Asia. As to food, some of the best non-Japanese food in the world is in Tokyo, and some of the worst Japanese food in the world is in Tokyo. We never worked harder in Japan than in our birth country, we worked, and played, hard in both. In short, Japan is what you make of it, not what Japan makes of you. I still bow on the telephone, and yet still tell people to bugger off as quickly and crudely as I did in my birth country, and nobody really cares. Live your life, do your job(s), play when you want, and be happy. I don't think it is harder, or easier, to do that in Japan than in any of the other 60 or so countries I have had jobs in, but opportunities to work in so many places would not have arisen had I not been in Japan. Life happens, but only you can accept the challenges and bend it to your benefit. It is easy to find excuses to not do stuff and blame others, not so easy to do stuff and damn the consequences, which are generally far more exciting than not. Japan is certainly insular in many ways, but then so are we - a good fit. Our island gets along diplomatically with Japan, and those islands have good relations with ours. The biggest change in living in SE Asia than Japan? Easier to be a volunteer here than it was there, and that matters as a retiree, not so much when still a bee.
在日本生活过（1979-2023）
所有答案都是正确的，但也不完全正确。我们当初去日本时以为只会呆几个月；结果在那里一住就是几十年。我们为日本公司和非日本公司都工作。我们租房、建房、买公寓。我们经常出差和旅游。我们有很多朋友，现在仍然有很多。我们从不想“成为”日本人。我们是经济移民，也是成功人士，在那里度过美妙的时光，现在我们在日本和东南亚之间过着美好的退休生活。至于食物，世界上最好的一些非日本食物都在东京，而世界上最糟糕的一些日本食物也在东京。我们在日本工作时从未比在我们的出生国更努力，我们在这两个国家都努力工作和玩耍。简而言之，日本怎么样取决于你内心怎么塑造日本，而不是反过来让日本塑造你。我可以在电话里鞠躬，但也可以像我在出生国那样迅速而粗鲁地告诉人们滚开，没有人真正在乎。过好你自己的生活，做好你手里的工作，想玩就玩，开心就好。我认为在日本做到这一点并不比在我工作过的其他60多个国家更难或更容易，但如果我没有在日本，就不会有在这么多地方工作的机会。生活就是这样，只要你能接受挑战，并让它为你带来好处。找借口不做某事并责怪他人很容易，做某事并不管后果就不那么容易了，做比不做要令人兴奋得多。日本在很多方面确实和其他国家大不一样，但我们很合拍。我们的岛国和日本在外交上相处融洽，关系也很好。与日本相比，在东南亚生活最大的变化是什么？在东南亚当志愿者比在日本更容易，这一点对退休人员来说很重要，但当你还处在（需要辛勤工作的）工蜂阶段就没那么重要了。
原创翻译：龙腾网 https://www.ltaaa.cn 转载请注明出处
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