When is it time to go 'Home'?

[Big Booger]

I don't think there is a set time.. It's up to the individual.

I can say there are phases that strike at different times for different people that may make you want to go back... but give it some time, and things usually change to a more agreeable mindset.

[Kurofune]

The time to go is when you get irritated by everything around you.

I've found that a number of people who hated their job started hating everything about Japan. Not sure that's true of home.

It can easily be true of home once you've returned from a stay in a different country. After that, you have something to compare your home to and know that there are alternatives.

[jim katta]

This thread makes me think of three gaijin friends of mine in Japan. They all speak Japan, and all have totally different careers (none of them english teaching). Two guys have both been there for about 5 years. They both tell me "DON'T COME TO LIVE IN JAPAN!" and they both constantly talk about leaving. BUT, they both remain in Japan. And the both have many options outside of Japan. So obviously, there's a love hate thing going on that has them conflicted.

The third friend (who, btw, is a 'master' of nihongo--15 year student) has only been in Japan for about 2 1/2 years, and is happy as hell, but constantly talks about living/traveling elsewhere. BUT, he doesn't do it, he remains in Japan.

What I took from these guys (and others I've known in similar positions) is that you should not go to live in Japan with a wishy-washy temperment, or vaguely formed plan (as SO MANY do). It's best to know what you're getting into and go with a specific reason. Otherwise, you'll waste a lot of time in Japan torturing yourself and being conflicted about why you are there. It's really not that complicated. Japan is for the Japanese. That's what they think, and that's how it is. End of story. Gaijin are politely tolerated. If you can live with that/accept that as a truism, without flipping out, then you will probably have a great time living in Japan. What rocks about Japan is that, contrary to other places on the planet, even though you aren't really encourage to be there as a foreigner, as a 'western' gaijin you generally don't have to worry about violent attacks and numerous overt acts of foreigner hate against you. It's exists, sure, but not on the level of many top nations (france, uk, germany, america).

MYSELF, I have lived in Japan for only brief periods. As a New Yorker, I found it to be so much like New York that I felt totally at home aside from 1)the language, and 2)the politeness. I think only certain kinds of gaijin are built for Japan. If you've ever known a New Yorker (from Manhattan), then I would say that the average New Yorker is a good fit for Japan (as long as they can learn to tone down the aggression). Most gaijns though are from places totally unlike Tokyo, or the rest of Japan, so it's more of a culture shock.

[Oradea]

I would say that the average New Yorker is a good fit for Japan (as long as they can learn to tone down the aggression). Most gaijns though are from places totally unlike Tokyo, or the rest of Japan, so it's more of a culture shock.

I can't agree that the average NYer is a good fit for Japan, having seen so many of my NY friends leave Japan pretty damn sharpish.

I don't really see much resemblence between NY and Tokyo.

[Ketou]

The time to go is when you get irritated by everything around you.

I've found that a number of people who hated their job started hating everything about Japan. Not sure that's true of home.

That's just the other side of the pendulum. (Japan-Japanese are great/The place is a shithole-they're all fucking nuts)
Eventually it comes back to the middle and the apathy sets in.

[L S]

The time to go home is April 25th....at least this time.

The truth is, it is hard to escape Tokyo/Japan. It's a seductive vortex that sucks you in and holds you. Even if you manage to leave, it's easy to find yourself back here...time and time again...

I wonder what the FG record is for how many times lived in Japan? And no Mulboyne , you can't be included in this.

[AssKissinger]

As a New Yorker, I found it to be so much like New York that I felt totally at home

Where I live is more like rural Idaho than Manhattan. But it ain't that much like rural Idaho either.

[Taro Toporific]

I wonder what the FG record is for how many times lived in Japan? .

Proverbs 26:11 says it best : "As a dog returns to his own vomit, so a fool repeats his folly."

[hakuman]

when you start whining because Japanese ppl ask you questions that you have been asked 400 times, its time to go home. When you wake up and wish you didnt have to leave your apartment, its time to go home. When you hate your job, and cant get anything different from what you have, its time to go home.

[L S]

I wonder what the FG record is for how many times lived in Japan? .

Proverbs 26:11 says it best : "As a dog returns to his own vomit, so a fool repeats his folly."

Cool...I did a "fool" hat trick!

[Mulboyne]

I wonder what the FG record is for how many times lived in Japan? And no Mulboyne , you can't be included in this.

I was getting excited there for a minute...

[L S]

I wonder what the FG record is for how many times lived in Japan? And no Mulboyne , you can't be included in this.

I was getting excited there for a minute...

...see how easily you get excited after you leave Tokyo!

[Grumblebum]

I moved back to Australia last year with the wife, after about 12 years living overseas - a few years in Japan followed by a few years in HK and Singapore, followed by more years in Japan.
I'd been looking forward to moving back for a longish time, and was pretty darn happy when the decision was finally made. But things haven't worked out so well, and we're moving back to Japan this year. Much as I hated to admit it, circumstances for us in Japan are a lot more favourable than in Australia.

Despite my best efforts to be realistic in my expectations of the move, I ended up having a pretty rosy vision of what things would be like in Australia, and subsequently have had to make some hard choices.

But you only live once(as far as I know, anyway..), so what the hell.

[gomichild]

I moved back to Australia last year with the wife, after about 12 years living overseas - a few years in Japan followed by a few years in HK and Singapore, followed by more years in Japan.
I'd been looking forward to moving back for a longish time, and was pretty darn happy when the decision was finally made. But things haven't worked out so well, and we're moving back to Japan this year. Much as I hated to admit it, circumstances for us in Japan are a lot more favourable than in Australia.

Despite my best efforts to be realistic in my expectations of the move, I ended up having a pretty rosy vision of what things would be like in Australia, and subsequently have had to make some hard choices.

But you only live once(as far as I know, anyway..), so what the hell.

Yes well the "Lucky Country" as undergone a few changes since some of us left...ie it's become a bit bloody expensive!

[Grumblebum]

Yes well the "Lucky Country" as undergone a few changes since some of us left...ie it's become a bit bloody expensive!

Got that right! My wife takes great pleasure in pointing out all the stuff that costs the same or is cheaper in Japan.
Its taken me a while to get my head around the concept that Japan can actually be a cheaper place to live than Australia, in some circumstances.
On the odd holiday to Oz while I was in Japan I just never picked up on how much things were going up.

Still, its been a nice break. And at least I got my 3 years worth of pension refund.

[gomichild]

It's only been in the last couple of years prices have soared - bloody GST

[Grumblebum]

Yep. Well, a couple more months and we'll be back in Tokyo. It'll be nice to have cheap, fast broadband again, anyway.

[FG Lurker]

If you don't have a car and don't pay high rent then Japan can be quite affordable.

Car costs in the city kill though (parking, gas, insurrance, ROAD TOLLS!, service)...

Entertainment costs here are also a lot higher I feel.

[sillygirl]

Bah

driving in Japan

Bah

[FG Lurker]

Bah

driving in Japan

Bah

Even with the high costs I still won't give up my car. Too much fun and too convenient. I may end up replacing it with something that gets more than 5 or 6km/litre though!! Damn lead foot....

[Ketou]

Same here! No way I'd give up having a car it's waaay too convenient.

[sillygirl]

I've had two cars in Japan, both given to me free by students.

Not so expensive, 'specially 'cos my current one is a diesel. But the standard of driving

Well, I'm sure that's been covered in past posts.