Why I Moved To Japan
There are more than enough articles floating around the internet with individuals who left their home country and moved to foreign shores.
After leaving they bad mouth their homeland, and use hyperbolic comparisons to show how terrible their country is and how much better their new life is.
South Africa with all of its economic turmoil, social problems and political upheaval will always be my home, and wherever I go I will always carry that proudly in my heart.
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My country has played a significant role in offering me the opportunity to venture out into foreign seas. I am well aware that most parts of Africa don’t have the opportunities my country has afforded me.
The main reason I moved to Japan originates from my deep fascination with East-Asian countries. My dream has always been to live in South Korea, China and Japan. This dream was finally realised, after moving to Japan a few weeks ago.
What makes East-Asian countries interesting is that they have similar historical stories as Africa (with exception to Japan which avoided colonialist rule).
They faced periods of turmoil and destruction through civil war, colonialism and many other factors.
But the big difference with these nations, is that they got their act together and transformed their societies into rich, powerful and influential Nations.
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Japan being the leader in Asia through its early industrialisation and its unique ability to preserve its rich, traditional culture while still riding the waves of technological transformation.
People in the West are not aware that Japan in many ways is even more developed than most of Europe.
In response to the dominance of Western nations such as France, USA, Portugal and The Netherlands who carved up most of Asia with their aggressive colonial actions.
Japan's industrialisation began in 1870, during the Meiji Restoration. Government leaders called for the improvement of roads, construction of railroads, and further improvements to modernise Japan.
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I visited Japan in 2017 for 10 Days while I was still living in South Korea. I immediately realised that this place was different, that it was cut from another cloth and that I would have to live in this charming society.
In this article I will be highlighting the factors that ultimately influenced me to finally move here.
Safety: Crime and violence is not normal no matter how much you try to justify it. Living in a peaceful society whereby children can play freely or where old people can move around without a single worry is what should be considered as normal.
Unfortunately crime and violence is something the world has normalised. It’s actually abnormal to find societies without any of it. Japan stands on the pedestal of safety.
There is something wonderful about having rule of law in a country, a society whereby woman and kids can walk around safely at night without a single worry. This is normalcy, this is how things should be.
Cleanliness: The Japanese are extremely clean people, this must be the most appealing aspect of their culture. As someone who appreciates cleanliness, I cannot go on enough about how much I love this about Japan.
It doesn’t matter where you are in Tokyo which is a bustling city with crowds of people everywhere.
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The public toilets are clean, Parks are spotless, it’s just imbedded in the people they simply do not litter.
This is something that is remarkable, it doesn’t matter where you go in Japan, cleanliness is ubiquitous.
Ancient Tradition: I am someone who loves History and languages. I am so happy that I found a career which allows me to live in interesting countries.
Japan has a long and interesting history, one thing which separates Japan from most Asian nations is that Japan has never been colonised or conquered by foreign forces.
Japan actually did most of the conquering which has left a dark stain in their History as an aggressive perpetrator in some of the most horrific crimes against humanity.
Whether it’s the Samurai warriors from the 12th Century or the Kamikaze pilots during WW2, Japans history is deeply captivating.
Democracy: The only time you appreciate something is when you live without it. Democracy is something I took for granted until I lived in an Authoritarian country whereby merely expressing sensitive views could land you in prison.
Japan is one of the most progressive democratic societies in the world. People are allowed to protest freely, on the condition that it is done peacefully and it doesn’t disturb the public or cause destruction to public property.
They have a fully functioning democratic system with elections which is refreshing to see, behind the backdrop of an Ancient Asian Society.
In Conclusion
There is still a lot I need to learn about Japan, I’m still in the honeymoon period of my stay. Over time I hope to give you a more objective and balanced view of this very interesting society. I don’t only want to share my positive experiences, I also want to uncover the unattractive aspects of this complex society.
I hope I can avoid the trap which most foreigners fall into when moving to a new country. They ultimately become too comfortable and slip into a pessimistic view and become overcritical of everything around them.
I want to be able to view things from a distance, and not place my pre-determined judgements on things that I might never understand because I will always be a foreigner looking in from the outside.
But at the same time I see this as an advantage, like an ophthalmologist who is unable to check his own eyes. I think people who were born in a country are unable to see the blindspots within their society.
It requires an eye from outside to get a birds eye-view of the cultural map which is usually too intricate and complex for Natives to objectively understand.
