Am I getting married??? Is finding a job in Japan difficult??? Is Japan safe???
ALL THIS AND MORE ON THIS EPISODE OF….a Q+A with Allison 😇 Thank you all for sending in your questions to me last week on Youtube and on Instagram!! I wasn’t able to answer anywhere near all of them but I wanted to try to focus on the ones I got a lot of or I thought were interesting!! But I definitely got a few more video ideas I wanna make now after this like the cost of living here and job hunting and such so keep an eye out for that later this year!!
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⭐ chapters ⭐
0:00-0:44 introduction
0:45-5:53 beaurocracy (taxes, insurance, etc)
5:54-10:44 work (job-hunting, culture, etc)
10:45-19:31 life (dating, shopping, etc)
❤️ music ❤️
Oneul – Lemon Cake
Daystar – Daisy Fleabane
The Reality of Living in Japan | Q+A, my life 🍵
41 Comments
also i know a lot of people keep asking about my job but i still havent decided how much i want to share about it since ive always kept my “professional” life separate so i’ll just surprise you in a vlog or something soon 😤
Here's a question to add to your next list. You mentioned living in a share house. Have you ever lived in one? What was it like? How much did it cost to stay there? Were all the spaces shared, or did you have some private space to yourself?
I remember the early days of studying Japanese where I felt like "I can ask the question, but I can't understand the answer!" The first time I was here, I was far shyer and more hesitant to speak, always afraid I'd make a mistake, but this time I'm more chill, I know my Japanese isn't very good, but I'm just like, who cares, just talk! It's made life a lot easier.
I've been pleased with my success in finding clothes recently. Two things work in my favor–1. The current fashion for oversized clothing and 2. The fact that my style leans towards gender neutral–I am tall enough to wear guys' clothes. Plus, in Japan there are guy's clothes that perhaps a lot of men in the US would not wear, for example I bought two shirts a couple days ago that are guys' shirts, but they're made from eyelet! There are also lots of bags for men that are not "lady," but they fit my style–like crossbody or messenger style–still so well-made and cute. I try to thrift Japanese brands–the price is not that high, but the quality and style are chef's kiss!! Whereas brands like Zara or H&M I just ignore. I can buy that stuff in the US.
Very informative video. I'm sure it will help a lot of people who were like you once. The only difference is that you just went for it without much help & that takes guts. But you did it, so you should be very proud of yourself.
You should have talked about how much bicycle parking sucks in Japan.
wow 😳 your hair got long! びっくりしました!
福岡からこんにちは 😄 I seem to have watched too many of your old videos lately!
thank you allison, i did like the fact that you said that you feel a lot safer in japan then in the us, beacuse when i came to japan i felt a lot safer there then in israel. so thank you for agreeing with me
Allison: this video is too long
The rest of us: Allison, we can sit and listen for as long as you want to chat!!
I have no Japanese friends here in Kyoto! Honestly, I don’t even want it!! They cost too much! And no one is honest!!
Clothes??? Well after 3 years of suffering, I started to buy clothes on line. After all I am a caucasian woman!!
By the way, Alison do yourself a favour; don’t date a Japanese guy!!! I have a Japanese husband, and it was s very bad idea!!!! No romance, no cuddling.
Thank you for this video 💜. Being here in Tokyo has been interesting and made me self reflect. Being American it can be considered weird to do things alone (this happen to me once when i saw a movie alone and mom thought i was weird). I going find things to do alone because i have not made friends ( figure it was going to take me longer to make friends since i didn't end up any groups at my uni but i have always kinda been lonely lol)and feel bad not doing anything (i only have until August so i better start working on it lol).
I am learning so much from you Allison. Thank you for the information.
I've had mixed feelings about visiting for the past 16 years and questions weren't being answered. Fortunately channels like this one plug in those holes and make things way more better for my understanding. Perhaps in another decade I'll plan a complicated flight path and land somewhere in Japan then do my best not to make a fool of myself. @_@
Also, regarding the solo treatment here in USA, go for it, my fellow Americans. As someone without any friends and very little family it has become common practice to do everything alone. It might feel awkward to those who aren't used to it but nothing bad comes out of it. Indulge a little while you're still able to. Travel's no fun when you're close to becoming physically and mentally decrepit.
Hi Allison, I thoroughly enjoy all of your videos. In spite of living here for some 14 years….I still find things to learn from you. Keep up the good work. Should you desire a vacation at a much slower pace, come to Okinawa. I would be more than happy to serve as tour guide. Best Wishes !!
Love the hair length. ❤
8:45 that’s cause they do not know how amazing Chiba is.
What’s the LGBTQ2s+ community like?
14:53 do not even think about showing to an interview with visible tattoos, it’s a wrap!
17:54 it also depends on your brain. Not everyone is gifted with languages. But the people who spend years in Japan and cannot speak a lick of it are the ones who hang out with English speakers exclusively
I really like your hair like that x
Gaijin Hunters sounds like a cool anime
This haircut really suits you!!! 😀 It just really makes your eyes pop or something? Maybe it's how your hair is shaping your face? Anyway — love your videos — positive vibes!!
That’s a great video, Miss Allison, sharing your thoughts aspects towards living in Japan.
So Japan basically have a public option. Nice!
Thoroughly enjoyed watching this video, Allison. Loved your hair style! It was so adorable the way you spoke about dating and getting a boyfriend. Good luck with everything 👍
Hope the oversized clothing trend sticks around 😭 as a 175cm girl…oof
Really loved this Q&A and big props on boundaries around YouTube and private life (both your work and for your JP friends)
The dating story about roles is wild. There’s definitely a big cultural difference in dating/marriage dynamics as far as I can tell/have been told by JP friends.
As a mainland European this is all so weird to me. We have 30 Days off, free healthcare… The only thing is our tax sucks. Because we have I think the highest in all of Europe (Germany).
Dude going off on a list of role expectations like he's hiring you and apparently he can see the future and you're definitely having a girl. 😂 That's when I get up and walk away.
Would love to know what your occupation is in Japan.
Why on earth would people leave personal comments about your “lack of local friends” on your channel? Anyone who watches your videos should see that you have lots of friends,some of whom appear to be Japanese, and that you do lots of fun things!
What did you do to your hair ?? They looks sooo smooth! Please reveal your secret 😱
Going to be doing my final year of university September 2023 – June 2024 and was looking to do an internship of some form in Japan. As a software developer, where would you recommend I should look for such oppurtunities? (also thank you for the more realastic content, I love other japan content channels but they dont talk as much about the logistics of things like you do)
Thank you for sharing. I have just sent my documents to a Japanese language school in Sendai and hopefully I will know my results in October.
Greetings Ms. Allison!!! Grateful thanks for all your truly outstanding content. Your vlogs sincerely brighten my daze!!! Gentle fyi – love, love, love your new black heel strap ballet type with adorable string bow little heel flats… teehee can you tell I love that style!!!
I absolutely love these videos. It's so interesting to hear about the details of actually living there, especially since you are from the U.S. I visited Japan in March and I knew I would absolutely love it. Thank you for posting and I always look forward to hearing about your life in Japan.
I also live in Tokyo and enjoyed traveling around Japan during Covid without tourists. It was amazing. I went to Kiyo mizu dera and there were only 30 people there.
Thanks for sharing! I’m glad you’re in a good position and enjoying your life and work in Japan! I think making friends or keeping them can be hard in any country! I like the fact you try to do thinks solo and for yourself not with others, that’s good for the soul!🇯🇵🙌❤️⛩️🍡☺️
Imagine thinking this video is too long? Why did you cut it short?! I wanted to keep watching 🙁 hopefully you make another one of these answering more questions
I haven't had any fun lately, 😭 so it was fun. You bring me joy!❤🙂I love the kind and generous heartwarming atmosphere that you create, your kind, easygoing, warm vibe. ❤I like the essence how you live on. I need to be true to myself and find a job I am passionate about. I want to find a way to live as who I really am.
agree with the others, no, it's not too long. great content. love your combination of frankness and non-judgmental attitude!
Just to add on to the visa thing, getting a visa is easy as long as you are a student or you work for a company that is willing to sponsor you. If you're a freelancer, just know it's HARD. You'll need to prove that you make a good income and that you are financially an asset to the country. I have Japanese citizenship and thought that it would be easy to get visa for my foreign husband. We both work as a freelancers so, in such a case, marriage didn't mean much in the visa application. It was a lot more about the lucrative aspect of the job. Hope this helps as additional info!