So I’m from Brazil (lived in the US before that) and recently found myself stuck between two very different life paths.
On one hand, I have a remote job in Brazil in the IT area, making about $800/month, with the chance to go up to $1,400. Super flexible, good work-life balance, time to study and work on side projects. On the other hand, I got an offer to move to Japan to work in a factory for around $1,600/month (¥190,000), possibly going up to $2,400 with overtime (¥250k–300k).
I brought this up on a Brazilian subreddit, expecting mixed feedback… but people were almost unanimous in saying I shouldn’t go.
They said the work in factories is physically demanding, with long hours, little time off, and that the quality of life might actually be worse — even with double the salary. Some also warned about xenophobia and the general feeling of being an outsider. Basically, the idea was: more money, but less life. The recurring motif was that the Japanese were extremely xenophobic and the work culture was downright awful.
And that really surprised me. I always imagined Japan as a place full of opportunity, especially if you're willing to work hard and save up. But now I'm wondering — is that just a fantasy? It was strange how only a minority said it would be worth it to experience a different culture and grow.
So I wanted to ask here, especially people who actually moved to Japan for work:
How was it for you? Was it a good experience overall? Did you manage to save, build a better life, or find new opportunities? Or did it end up being all grind and no upside?
I’d really love to hear from folks who’ve lived it — because from where I’m standing, it feels so strange that even doubling your salary doesn’t make the move worth it.
by Legion9876