When you are moving abroad, wherever that may be, there is always that primal fear of how you will do in your new surrounding. Whether or not will I fit in – you might ask. And this is only natural. Moving to a new country means reshaping your way of life from the roots. You will be changing your everyday life, you will be meeting new people and making new friends, and you will have a new job to think about. All of this can be stressful, so moving internationally with ease is a priority. That way, you will start your new life with as little stress as possible, and you can work from there. In order to lower your stress levels even further, you can explore Japanese culture before moving. In this article, we give you a couple of difficulties for foreigners in Japan so you can learn about them.

What are some of the biggest difficulties for foreigners in Japan

So, what are these huge difficulties that you might face? Well, in most cases, these have to do with the Japanese and Western culture being so vastly different. There is a dichotomy in the ways that people in the United States and Japan interact with each other. Then, another biggest obstacle many people meet is the language. Some of the other difficulties you might face are:

• being accepted by the Japanese peers,
• exploring professional opportunities,
• the medical care might be one of the biggest difficulties for foreigners in Japan.

So, how do you stop these from becoming such difficulties after moving to Japan? Well, you are already on your way to doing so. The careful and thorough research will help you prepare for anything that might happen. And being prepared means that you will know how to face a challenge head-on.

Begin accepted by the society might prove a problem

One of the biggest difficulties for foreigners in Japan is exactly that – staying a foreigner. No matter how long you have lived in Japan, some people will only see you as a person from another country. This has a lot of historical roots and background and is hard to change by yourself. However, there are some things you can do to make your stay in Japan more comfortable.

First, take some Japan culture classes. This way, you will not be running into situations where you don’t really understand what is going on around you. You will be ready to react no matter what happens. Nevertheless, you should be prepared that some Japanese people will still wave their heads and tell you that you don’t understand them. “You are a foreigner, so that explains it” they might say even when you are aware of what is happening.

This is the second point that you should address. Getting used to being a foreigner, and enjoying it, might not be a bad thing after all. Wherever you travel, there will be some cultural subtlety that you will not be aware of. Accepting that fact, and embracing it, will help you steer clear of awkward silences and glances. This might even happen when working with a Japan moving service, so be prepared.

Language is another one of the difficulties for foreigners in Japan

Another thing that foreigners in Japan might find infuriating is the language barrier. When you are working in Japan, you are probably teaching English somewhere. This happens in the majority of cases – you cannot really expand into any other field unless you are really lucky. This is because, in other fields, such as science, engineering or even media, you need to be of JLPT N2 proficiency.

JLPT N2 is Level 2 in Japanese Proficiency test, and this is the second hardest Japanese proficiency test there is (the hardest one being N1). Passing this test means that your Japanese skills are on a business level, which is fairly difficult to achieve. If you are feeling optimistic, you can try and find a trial test online and see for yourself. Who knows? Maybe you have what it takes.

For the majority of people, however, this means that they are often stuck teaching the English language in the Japanese educational system. Not having many professional opportunities is one of the biggest difficulties for foreigners in Japan. Sometimes, it might feel like you are doing your job without any chance of moving anywhere else from that position.

Avoid getting sick in Japan

Any professional moving company will tell you that another one of the biggest difficulties for foreigners in Japan is the health system. Not only is getting sick in another country difficult because you need to use their language for the diagnosis, but you also need to deal with the Japanese health system. And unfortunately, Japan is one of the priciest places to get sick in without health insurance.

In Japan, there are two types of insurances you can take regarding your health. There is the Employees’ Health Insurance and there is the National Health Insurance. You can talk to your employer about the first. They are the ones who need to provide it for you. The second one you need to get if you are a registered alien in Japan and your employer didn’t get any health insurance for you. Visit the National Health Insurance Division in your area to get the paperwork for it.

Getting a moving company

Finally, the last of the difficulties for foreigners in Japan on our list is finding cargo import assistance. This can be difficult when you are moving to another country, but you are in luck. Our company does business both in Japanese and English, so we can be of great help to you. We are a professional company that you can trust, with years of experience. Pick up your phone and give us a call today to start your great adventure in Japan.