Hello I just got an offer from a company in Sapporo. I am latin American, so culturally speaking me and my family will be very different and I am a bit worried about the integration. Also, It is 650.000 yen monthly enough to live a family of four?
- The salary is 650.000¥ net monthly. According to various calculations I made it will be like 500.000¥ take home. I don’t know if this is enough for a family of 4. No luxury, no traveling, just regular family life, rent, food, house expenses, 3 to 4 dining outside (no fancy restaurants). I just don’t want to be worried about money at the end of the month.
- Family life, I know we are culturally different, we’re from Venezuela, so very different. But the things that actually worries me are regarding my kids (9yr & 5yr). You know being a foreigner and not being able to speak the language how could this affect them. For sure it will be shocking at the beginning, but I am thinking more long term. If I made the move is to settle, but I want them to be happy and have a plentiful life. How is integration for kids? Is there bullying?
- Renting, how do you feel about living in buildings about neighbors? Having kids is noisy, one of my kids is adhd, so he is very hyperactive. Does the neighbors are usually people that complain to much? I will try to find a detached house or a 1st floor apartment, but it seems more expensive. Any advice regarding how to live in buildings in Sapporo?
- The job is a wonderful opportunity, professionally it is a great jump ahead for me. Finding a job in Japan is probably a dream come true for many people(it is an aerospace job), but I am actually a bit scared, not for me but for my whole family. Any advice?
by titanium_c5
2 comments
5OOK a month should be relatively easy. That is about what we spend as a family of 3 BUT that includes me paying for NHI and pension out of my own pocket as my employment is unconventional. Plus we take monthly overnight trips and spend a bunch on Japanese family obligations.
How integrated the kids are depends on how much you actually work at it. Put them in public school, get into the neighborhood group/kid group so they are around the neighborhood kids. If there is an afterschool program, think about it as the more exposure their peers, the better for their integration. They will always be foreigners but can be accepted if they integrate. Bullying is really going to depend on the school, the other kids and how much it’s accepted by parents. It happens but it happens everywhere in the world and yes, even Japanese children bully each other.
Language will be rough for a while with you and the kids, but kids are like sponges, being exposed to ti all day, plus the school should have tutors to help them catch up, if not look at afterschool lessons for them. Even something like Kumon, or any of the other multitude of programs will do wonders for their language ability.
Despite what you may read on the internet, most neighbors do not mind children at all. Yes, there are grumpy and mean neighbors but most like to see kids in the neighborhood and there are likely a bunch around anyways. Two more is not going to cause a problem.
Definitely look for a detached house to rent. The extra space and not sharing walls with someone else is a huge improvement. They are likely not much more expensive than an apartment.
That’s a pretty high salary for Sapporo. You should be fine. Get a house. They aren’t that expensive in the suburbs. School will be a challenge and international schools are prohibitively expensive. If they get through the first year they should be fine. You should probably look at getting them some after school language instruction if possible
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