Moving To Japan For A Working Holiday
If you're reading this, I'm in Japan.
Late last year in October, I heard the call to adventure. In that moment, it's been:
- Two years since I graduated high school
- Five years since I last visited the land of the rising sun.
For a few years, I've tossed the idea of organising a boys trip to Japan.
Too hard. For now...
- University courses
- Jobs
- Life
All these things seemingly makes it hard to align the flow of time.
What other adventures have I gone up to after graduating?
Trekking the Overland Track. Hanging out in Hobart and Launceston with one of my closest friends. Going back to Tasmania for my third cousin's wedding. Visiting my friends in Brisbane and Gold Coast by myself.
All in Australia; not outside.
Who Am I Going With?
Just me.
(Yay me)
My 2024 Brisbane trip let me be comfortable with solo travel. Up until then, I would be with family, school, friends.
Personally, I'm fine with travelling by myself. Of course if I'm with my friends, it would be the best.
Why Now?
What else beckoned my call to travel to a foreign land?
Up until October, I was taking a career focus. I tried and tried landing a marketing role in either Brisbane or Townsville.
Yet, I faced rejection after rejection for roles. I have no track record. I have not done what is required of me.
I Did Manage To Land Offers...
Back in June, I did an internship with a local marketing agency in Townsville. After a month of working with them, they gave me the contract to work with them.
The offer was low. I'm not going to write the specific amount.
Let's put it like this, I'm making more on my hourly wage and commissions working at an electronic retailer than getting more clients for this agency.
Back in December, I managed to land a job offer in Townsville. There was supposed to be second round interviews. However, the founder gave me the offer right after first round.
But, I had to break the news that I was already planning to go to Japan.
(To some extent, I'd rather work in the big city. Surround myself with the big dogs)
Point Of Inception
In the end of August, I started my new job working for a electronics retailer.
One morning, we had a team meeting at my retail job. The question posed by one of the managers was,
"What's on your bucket list?"
One by one, we went around answering.
It was my turn.
"Live in Japan for a year. Maybe seeing a Joe Hisaishi concert in person."
Perhaps this was the seed that actualised the idea of moving to Japan?
I feared that I kept pushing off this adventure of mine.
When would I feel ready? Would I ever feel ready to move to Japan?
And because I kept getting rejected from job applications,
"Well, what else can I do in the meantime? To wait out my inexperience?"
I asked myself,
"Why not move to Japan? Why later? Why can't it be now?"
I have nothing to lose.
Rather than trying and failing, let me travel and work in another country and just...
Wait.
Another piece of evidence that led me to this conclusion,
Perhaps companies are not too fond of their employee's age with the suffix of "-teen".
I remember when I was going through my sales job hunting that one company were interested for me to work. But, I wasn't allowed to work as I was under 21.
Then it leads to the other question of:
"What are employers willing to train you at?"
The Cost Of The Trip
If you know me, I don't spend a lot of money on things.
My major costs are:
- Hosting websites
- Content equipment
- Subscription to the Adobe suite
- Alternative education.
I save every other penny for a rainy day. For when that day comes, I don't know.
Such possibility to embark on adventure is probably thanks to my relationship with money. I've always worked since I was thirteen years old.
I do not feel like I've lost something.
Dating In Relationship To Moving To Another Country
On not losing anything, I'm not dating anyone. 'Collateral damage' as I jokingly call it.
(There's utility and real meaning in having a relationship)
It makes it complicated to start dating someone when I'm moving. What about a long distance relationship?
I think it makes sense if it is someone you can see marrying. Perhaps the inconvenience of long distance is what makes the relationship more meaningful. How am I meant to know?
A friend asked if I'm going into the dating scene while over there? I don't really think so.
Truth be told, I've got my eyes set on the United States as my place of residence. The person I'd be with would be okay to the idea of moving to the United States.
(So, a Capitalist Patriot, no?)
But, my heart and mind are aiming for marriage.
For a moment, around December, I had thoughts of asking someone out from my work.
Then, I thought why start something new when I've already committed to travelling to Japan? Would it be sort of a betrayal to the other person?
What do I mean?
Imagine you're both at the negotiating table. One wants long-term commitment, where the other is looking for temporary arrangement to exercise his ability to show affection.
I'm talking about me...
Imagine you start dating someone, to only find out they're heading off in a month's time? Would you resent the person?
Would I?
Maybe it's justifiable disappointment if you kept it a secret.
And, I'm not one to experience a relationship for the sake of the relationship. To casually see someone is not my forte.
What does it mean to date someone casually?
To not see any long term possibility. An observation I've made with my peer's relationships is they have nothing long term in mind.
A question I pose is,
"Do you see this person as the mother of your children?"
It's another question if you see yourself willing to bear the responsibility of being a husband and father.
As you can tell, I'm optimising for marriage.
When you're dedicated for a long term outcome such as the holy institution of marriage and children, you're won't play games.
So, I don't see myself dating anytime soon. Especially in another country.
(Japanese wife? I don't know who wants to come for the ride with an Australian)
Character Development
To go somewhere foreign is real character development.
Yes, I was the same person a year ago who would mock people for taking gap years. Maybe I still do if they have no intent.
Intention, meaning, a purpose in the travel.
I go alone to be more comfortable with myself. To learn to be independent.
The kind of person that my friends and family could call if they were stuck in a foreign country.
Also, place myself in an environment detached from the place I grew up. To not fall for the trap of staying in the tent of comfortability.
Perhaps in God's own way, I started reading We Who Wrestle With God around the same time of my call to adventure.
(Yes, chirp on about needing to read the source material. There are still so much to learn from the Word)
Peterson dissected the story of Abraham, how he lived comfortable life coddled by his parents in his tent. God manifested himself to Abram as the call to adventure. To escape comfort and push himself into the unknown.
Abram was his old name. The transformation from taking up this adventure allowed him to become Abraham, which means in Hebrew, "The Father Of All Nations."
If you allow yourself to go on a real adventure, you will become worthy enough to hold such title.
Perhaps this call is for me to explore the unknown? To not be a hermit or coddled by my parents. God bless them for taking care of me all these years. It's time for me to exercise my ability to be independent. To know that living with my parents is a choice, and not a forced due to an inability to venture out to the world.
Perhaps travel is in my DNA? In their younger years, both my parents travelled away from home for work. My father from Australia, my mother from Indonesia, to both work at Bintang Lagoon resort in the island off the coast of Singapore. And my Aunty was a prolific traveller.
I've travelled quite a bit as well. Mainly Indonesia, Singapore, Japan, Tasmania.
Part of marketing is the product itself. A well lived life.
I still imagine myself working in the country. Not purely a holiday in the sense. Only by working and contributing to economy will I truly see what life in Japan is like.
As my father advises, taking it all in. Be present with the experience of being in a foreign land.
Also, perhaps living in Japan will reveal the true nature of its society. That I can return knowing its true nature.
Another is applying the ethos of theory vs reality. It's one thing studying and trying to understand the language at home. It's another when you're forced to confront you're own ignorance and navigation to communicate meaning in a foreign language.
To have the immigrant mindset. That I can move to another country for opportunity.
That I have it in me.
Am I afraid to cancel the trip? Is it because the perception of others? Or the perception I will have of myself? Yes, I can be all triumphant about it. It just is.
This epic adventure leads to epic stories. Stuff that I will be proud of while I'm on my death bed.
Also, selfishly it's to focus on my work. Why do I say selfishly? It's not like I don't care about my family and friends.
Should I say going out of my to become independent and focus on my work to the benefit of those around me?
Yes.
All of this 'selfish' self-improvement is in service of others. My current family and friends. To my future wife and children.
Someone who they can depend on. Someone who can provide. Someone who does their best to uphold the crushing weight of reality with his two shoulders.
That's the person I want to become.
For them.
BONUS: Resources I Used
The following are articles and a song that were fundamental in my journey of travelling.
It's not necessarily going to help you get the working visa application. But get you in the headspace to actually pull the trigger and move to Japan.
(As you can see, Mark Manson is one of my favourite authors)
Mark Manson
Mark Manson
Sanjeed V K
This was the song I played while filling out my visa application.