Hey guys, sorry for the clickbait title, but I need some opinions. Background: I’m American working for the US military in Germany for the past 9 years, wife is Japanese, children and 7 and 5 and were born and raised in Germany. They go to German school and speak fluent German for their age range. They speak English with me and Japanese/English with their mom. I am quitting my job soon and wondering if we should stay in Germany or move to Japan (Okinawa). I have lived in Japan for 4 years but of course never grew up there. My kids visit Japan every year and they go to Hoshuko in Germany.
Our plan was to stay in Germany at least until the kids got into college and we love our lives here. I’ve highlighted pros and cons here to get an outsiders perspective. Would also love to hear from anyone who moved from Germany to Japan or vice versa and whether or not they regretted it!
-Japan pros: don’t have to worry about residency issues as 3/4 of us are citizens and I could get residency easy, polite/friendly culture, currently very favorable exchange rate, would be moving to a subtropical island that doesn’t get cold at all during winter, food is better/healthier than in Germany, better, more extensive healthcare system, have family there
-Japan cons: there will always be a stigma around me and maybe my kids for not being Japanese/being half-Japanese, the population is decreasing rapidly and I don’t see much future for Japan as a prosperous country, not quite as easy to travel internationally (can’t drive to multiple countries), universities aren’t as good as in Germany and cost more
-Germany pros: we love the natural beauty of Germany, for the most part we like the culture and have easily adapted to it, universities offer good and basically free education, good quality groceries for cheap, easy to travel to other European countries
-Germany cons: there are more ‘Karens’ in Germany than in Japan, people are so quick to point out if you’ve don’t something wrong or don’t follow the rules, etc., dealing with residency stuff, currently exchange rate USD to EUR is bad (I get paid in and have all assets in USD)
-wash between both countries: tax rates are about the same, primary and secondary school are good in both countries, I am equally fluent in Japanese/german (about N3-N2 level), kids are much more fluent in German than in Japanese
These are just my opinions, sorry about the long post! I’m hoping people can help me see things we would miss if we had to leave Germany or can console me that life could be just as good if not better in Japan. I’ve lived in Japan before so I know what it’s like to live there. Thanks for reading this far!
by Due-Builder2073
7 comments
Germany is ranked #24 in a World Happiness index. Guess where Japan ranks?
Where in Germany? I think knowing that could also help with understanding your situation.
Also, how does your partner feel about moving back to Japan? Will you be living near family in Okinawa?
Not saying this applies to you, but recently there have been many protests and growing local resentment toward the U.S. military in Okinawa due to some recent assaults. Just something to be aware of.
[https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/apr/24/us-marines-investigated-alleged-rape-military-base-okinawa-japan](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/apr/24/us-marines-investigated-alleged-rape-military-base-okinawa-japan)
I mean, if we’re gonna do an apples-to-apples comparison, I’d rather do a winter in Germany than a summer in Japan, personally. Plus Okinawa gets typhoons, which require preparation.
I’m a bit confused though, since you mention that there won’t be residency issues with Japan. As far as I can tell, you’re correct, which makes this one of the few times I have to wonder not about your ability to come to Japan, but rather, how exactly would you be able to stay in Germany full time?
I’m German, living in Japan.
I obviously prefer living in Japan, Germany isn’t great for my general mood and mental health. But that’s just me. Plus I’m from Berlin, known for being grumpy af.
You say that you love your life in Germany, so you really need to ask yourself what made you consider giving that up. Is it the residency issue? Or is it because your money is stretching further in Japan?
Unless you are unhappy in Germany/have to leave, staying in the country where your kids are at home seems like a nobrainer for me.
I’ve never been to Germany, so take this as a “the grass is greener” kind of comment. But I think the German healthcare system is better. You can see your provider with just an ID or health card, right?
In Japan, you need both your health card *and* your wallet. Plus, hospitals here work on a referral system – you can’t just walk in and expect to be seen. I think St. Luke’s was the only place I’ve been to where I could just walk in. Most other hospitals ask if you have a referral first.
As for your kids, I’m guessing Okinawa might be a bit better than the rest of Japan when it comes to being non-Japanese or half-Japanese – they’re kind of used to *hafus* down there.
I will say that if you move to okinawa, your kids will almost certainly forget German. If they are fluent in German and grow up in germany, they can get EU citizenship and will just help their lives a lot in the long run. What educational prospects are there in Okinawa? Your kids seem talented so I’d say stick with Germany.
Hi, German Here with a Japanese partner. We have obviously talked a lot about whether we want to live in Germany or Japan (tho it is a little bit obsolete because he’s going to work in Germany like 90% chance). We came to the conclusion that especially for our future children, Germany is better.
First, as you already mentioned, the probability of at least some kind of racism. I’m thinking of school context here – kids are mean. There’s a chance your kids will be bullied or at least left out.
But more importantly in our opinion are a) the costs, b) the competition and c) the strict rules. Idk if I’m coming from clichés about America here, but maybe the thought of high tuition costs or a strictly ruled school environment isn’t as wild to you because you are from America. Meanwhile, as a German, I could never imagine paying for school, or more than 90€ per university semester. Having strict rules about dress code in schools and this general ideal of a very homogeneous society/ school, in terms of looks, opinions and behaviours also doesn’t sit right with me. Personally I want my kids to grow up with as much freedom to express themselves as possible – and I think they have more space for that in Germany.
Also, given both me and my partner are on the ADHD spectrum, there’s a good chance our children will be too. And even if that wasn’t the case, I don’t want my kids to suffer from that highly competitive environment. A little anecdote about that: My partner told me, both in his school and university, it was common practice to put up a public ranking list to inform the students about their grades. In Germany, or at least in Bavaria where I went to school, this isn’t even allowed to do at all.
I am studying to become a teacher, so I’m thinking about this kind of stuff a lot. The German education system has no doubt a lot of flaws too, but I consider the Japanese one to cause a lot more potential harm to children. German tuition might not pressure the students to their very very limit, but also doesn’t lose as many along the way.