Hey y’all. I’m 17, male, and I’ve been seriously considering moving to Japan permanently. I know it might sound like a pipe dream, but I’ve done a lot of research on visas, laws, the culture, and the process of adapting to life over there. I know I’ll need to be at least around N3 level to survive without needing a full-on language school, and I’m working on it.
But here’s the truth:
I’m not some remarkable student.
• I’ve got a 3.16 unweighted GPA,
• Never played sports or joined clubs,
• Don’t have a job yet,
• Kinda just started learning how to actually study for real.
My home life hasn’t been the greatest, and Japan feels like the one dream I’ve got that keeps me focused and gives me hope for a better future.
I’ve been thinking about ways to actually make it work, and one idea was to:
• Get a TEFL certificate,
• Start online tutoring in English,
• Build some experience and income,
• Then move to Japan and teach while attending a Japanese university (maybe something in IT, CompSci, or cybersecurity).
But I’m also kinda worried… Like, is this actually doable? Or am I just being delusional trying to piece together a fantasy because I’m desperate to escape?
If you were in my shoes — 17, average GPA, not much life experience — and you still wanted to spend the rest of your life in Japan, what would you do?
Is it worth investing all this time into? Or should I shift my focus to something more realistic?
Any advice from people who’ve done it (or are trying) would mean the world.
Thanks for reading.
by SuperDude986