I’m Worried about My Future (sorry for my bad English and writing) Hi, I’m a Japanese woman and...

My daughter who is about your age also keeps giving herself a hard time trying to figure out her whole life. My wife and I keep trying to convince her that she does not need to work it all out!! She and you are still young and hopefully there are many years of life ahead of you to experience all kinds of things.

When I volunteered for a while in an old folks' home I was appalled by how many of the old people there were sad about their lives and felt they had been stuck in jobs they didn't like or marriages with people they weren't happy with. Don't be like them!! Don't give in to the pressures to take an office job. It clearly is not for you, at least at this time in your life.

Has the concept of a "gap year" arrived in Japan? If not, maybe you can introduce it. Suggest to your parents that before you make big life decisions you would like to take a year off, go and live (and work if possible) in some other country, and experience different sides of life.

There are a variety of websites for young people looking for jobs in different parts of the world. I know a young woman who went from Canada to Europe to work in a bakery or something like that for a year. It can be done.

If you could make this happen, it would also give your family a chance to get used to you not studying or doing dull work all the time. It would give you and them space to think about other possibilities.

Fly, @Arukas3! Be free! 🤗

originnone · 61-69, M

I'm on the other side of life. I'm turning 60 and just put in my retirement paperwork. My wife has major health issues and I care for her, so I can't work. My own personal thought is that it's better to get some of of what you want in the near future....don't want until you're where I am.

eyeno · M

My advice to my son many years ago, before entering college was to take classes that he'll use in the work place.
Something that he enjoys, good at and practical that will reinforce his career in the work place.
Money will come in time with experience.

CrazyMusicLover · 31-35

I'd say you're actually lucky because it's far easier to move from Japan to another country and find work there than from another country to Japan, which is a dream of some people I know. Most European countries have far more lenient immigration policy than Japan. You can do it if you get determined that that's really what you want and put effort into it.

If you're still in uni the best thing you can do is to use the benefits students have and go to a study stay abroad, experience different culture, talk to people there and learn how market works there.

BiasForAction · M

Your English is very good. That alone suggests you are well educated and a good communicator. Why not work for an American company that operates in Japan and other nations, there could be opportunities down the road to relocate to a foreign country.. just a thought

ViciDraco · 36-40, M

Your English is actually fairly decent. I can understand some of what you desire. I too have stayed too dream of getting a home in the countryside and living away from the fast pace of city life. I sort of work in an office right now. With changes from the pandemic it is easier to work remotely so I could possibly keep my office job and go to the country. But I need to save up more for that.

So I can understand your dream and share it a little bit.

I think you need to prioritize your dreams.

If you want to be a farmer or fisherman in Japan, then you should pursue that. But it is difficult to have that career and then move to a foreign country.

If you want to move to a foreign country you should seek a high paying job and live frugally so you can save money to move. Tech skills like programming are often the easiest for moving around. But you'll have to work in that area long enough to try to apply for citizenship in that country unless you plan to try to marry into citizenship.

It is not an easy path you seek. But I wish you luck. Feel free to reach out if you have other questions or want to know what US countryside is like.

Confined · 56-60, M

Its never easy. Need to graduate school and get a job and get work experience. You can always work toward having that dream job, but in the mean time you need experience and money. Hang in there.

Rambler · M

the first step is to have a dream and to know what you want and what you don't want. best wishes to you as you pursue your dreams.

Khenpal1 · M

emigrate, worry later