Thinking about moving back to Japan after 10 years in the U.S.

28 comments

1. Move back. You’ll feel content. Yes,maybe not as much disposable income, but much more fulfilling things to do that don’t cost much anyhow.

2. I think you should follow your heart, which seems like it’s in Japan. Living the life you actually want to live is worth more than money. I don’t believe in having to wait until retirement when we’re old to live the life we want to live.

   I moved back to the States last year after 10 years abroad, and I really don’t like the trajectory this country is on. The future seems bleak here for everything other than making money. I wish I could easily move to Japan and live there but it doesn’t seem to be in my future, so I will just enjoy traveling there as much as possible.

3. Im an Australian who, with my wife, has been to Japan 3 times (in fact, I’m currently waiting for our Shinkansen to arrive as I type this), and we feel like were coming home everytime we arrive.
   You only get one life, and if you want to live some of your strongest, bestest years here rather than wait for your retirement years, then do it.
   If you need to and its an option, leave enough aside to move back, but I know from experience that I would never leave here if I could.

4. I think you should move back because the most valuable thing we have is our time/happiness. You can’t get that back.

   Money comes and goes…

5. Been in the States for 9 years. My wife and I made much more money here. But when given the opportunity to go back we did. Well they did (Japanese wife and dual citizen kids), I’m waiting on my visa, and fixing and selling my house.

6. Do you want a front row seat to the dumpster fire that is the US right now? Moving is the best option if you can do it. I’m in Japan, will buy a house within the next year, and sort my life out here instead of trying and flailing in the US. It’s about to get really bad. Save for 6 months and move after next summer. No one misses Summers in Tokyo.

7. RNでも若くもないのですが、お気持ち分かります。I would move back to Japan in a heartbeat if I didn’t have children (they’re adults) here. It’s not clear you’re a green card holder or a naturalized US citizen from your post, but how about living in Tokyo for a period your status allows you as a trial? If you don’t feel right, you can always go back to the US, where your profession is always in demand. Good pay is nice, but お金が全てじゃない, imo.

8. America is crumbling. Make plans to move back. My Japanese spouse lived in US 20 years. I followed her back 5 years ago. We both couldn’t be happier. There’s no comparison.

9. I moved back to Japan and cut my pay in 1/2 and also 1/50 upward mobility (well any mobility). I’m not sure if it’s better… But the career aspect is a real dead end.

10. I noticed a lot of people have this mindset of doing what makes sense in their life rather than doing what resonates with them in their heart. Ultimately, we all have a very limited time on this planet in these physical human bodies experiencing this physical life.

    Only you know you best, but from your post, it sounds like you’re back-and-forth between doing what makes sense and doing what your heart truly wants and there is no higher sense of resonance and fulfilment than doing what your heart wants. That would be my advice to you. All the details and semantics will always figure themselves out as long as you’re following your highest excitement and your passion.

11. Sounds pessimistic but I mean it in the most positive way…

    None guarantees that you will live to retirement age. The only thing you have is “now” if you don’t live the life you want in the present you might never get the chance to do so.

    Go for it! You got this! Just leave fear and doubt behind.

    As you say in your language, Gambate!

12. I’m new in Japan, still trying to forge my path. As a parent, many of my friends are international couples with kids. In almost all cases, they lived abroad and returned to Japan recently to raise their family. Perhaps their decision to sacrifice earnings over QOL and cost of living reinforces your thought to do the same.

    There are people in Japan who have also told me that the dream of America is essentially dead now.

    Obviously as a native Japanese person who is fluent in English, you’ll be able to land a nice job in nursing with one of the international clinics and not be stuck doing nursing home or hospital work!

    Hopefully, after 10 years in New York, you’ve had some financial achievements, whether equity in a condo or a 401K. Anyway, my friends mostly have used the equity in their home to buy property outright in Japan, which makes living much less expensive to coincide with the reduced income. Though if you’re really set on Tokyo, it can be quite expensive.

    I have several nurses in my family, and it is a career my daughter has considered. Might I make a suggestion? I don’t know if it is the same in Japan, but in USA, a nurse practitioner is practically a doctor, and many institutions will pay for the continuing education to move from RN to APRN/ARNP. You’ve mentioned 2 potential options: Move now or wait until retirement. Would a synthesis of the two be reasonable, formulate a 2-3 year plan to become a nurse practitioner while aggressively saving money? I have no idea if this is a good idea or not. One serious risk is the constant appreciation of property in Tokyo. If you were able to cash in on something and make a down payment on a condo now, it might be advantageous.

    I apologize for the vague, incomplete and incoherent thoughts. Good luck!

13. Depends on what you’re able to save in the USA. The reality is, your after tax savings after everything could easily be 5-10x what they are in Japan. Japan is great, but do you want to work 5-10x as long?

    FWIW, we recently moved back, but on very strong compensation packages and very good scope in our careers…despite this, we will probably come back to the US at some point to sweep up some more $$$ before logging off.

14. Money is always not enough. Just enjoy yr life as u seems fit. Life’s short!

15. I have a similar personality to you. If I could move like you, I certainly would. Please post an update in the future, if you can. It would really be cool to see.

16. As a few mentioned in, the work environment would be a downgrade especially as a nurse. Could you work it out so you spend a few months a year in Japan ?

17. Won’t you need to attend the school 3-4 years and pass the national exam to be a nurse in Japan?

18. Also Japanese here and living in U.S. I think living in japan and visiting are two totally different things. Have you considered that there are external factors (mental state of being solo, possibly maybe try to make more friends here?) that are contributing to you thinking this way?

    Even though quality of life in some areas may increase (ease of transportation, better food, maybe for you making friends?), the financial aspect and work life culture are very strong reasons of why you shouldn’t move. Have you considered relocating in the U.S.? Don’t limit yourself to having only two options (US/Japan)- US is a huge country and different cities have different vibes.

    I personally don’t want to move back to Japan for the financial/work culture alone (prob would make less than 15% of current income in Japan).

    Anyway good luck on figuring it out

19. I’m living in Tokyo now but thinking about moving back to the US.
    I love Japan but Tokyo feels so claustrophobic and I can’t stand this time difference with my friends and family.
    Japan used ti be the country that I loved and wanted to be in but now I’m realizing how much I had to sacrifice for it.
    I think there will always be a sense of the grass is greener. Fortunately with the world becoming more global you can find a piece of Japan in the US or the other way around.
    Personally I’m giving myself a year to think about it. I believe the people are what make a place worth living in more than anything else so personally I plan to choose based on that.

    Edit: People talking about staying clear of tokyo. The university I’m at is in Tokyo. It’s either transfer somewhere else in Japan away from all my friends or go back to the US where I’ll at least be near some. It’s not quite as simple as just work somewhere else for me unfortunately.

20. save up for as long as you’re willing to stay here, then go back. no one wants to wait till retirement to fulfill life’s desires!

21. That’s funny. I thought I partly wrote this post.

    I am Japanese and a US-trained RN. I have lived in the US for about twenty years. At one point I worked in Tokyo (a non-nursing job though). I did not enjoy working there. I moved back to the US. I visit Japan for vacation every a few years.

    Did you go to nursing school in Japan? To me, it is a pain in the ass to get licensed to become an RN in Japan.

    I personally choose to live in the US because I am with medical disability which is barely accommodated in Japan. Also, I am with a partner who does not speak Japanese. Furthermore, I will early retire in a couple years, and I wanna go back to school for my PhD in the US (I have a non-nursing STEM master’s degree already).

    If you wanna live in Japan and you are from the country, why not moving back?

22. Grass is always greener

23. I am Japanese living in Canada. I’m also introverted like you, and how many times I thought about moving back to Japan.

    I get what you’re saying though. I really do. It’s like a constant comparison of both countries. I keep telling myself to be grateful to be here, but my heart craves Japan.

    We always talk about how much we can make here vs Japan. Yes, we make more money here, but also the cost of living is higher, isn’t it? We make less money in Japan, but the cost of living is lower than here.

    It’s really fascinating to think about when we left Japan. It was easy. We just packed up our luggage and went. Now? It’s not easy to go back because we built our lives here.

    I can’t offer you any advice or guidance (sorry!), but I understand what you’re feeling and thinking. All the best.

24. [removed]

25. Similar thoughts except I won’t move back until I have enough to retire in Japan. I do plan on working but maybe part time. Interesting as I’m also an introvert. What I did to scratch the itch was to travel back as often as possible. I used to return every 1-2 years but now I go every 3-4 months. It helps.

26. OP, you already answered your own question. Move back to Japan, you asking is just to validate what your thinking but also considering your options. It doesn’t have to be Tokyo, you could move anywhere in Japan. “Anywhere.” The future is not guaranteed and unlike many who jump at the opportunity to move to Japan (myself included), why wait on it? Just make sure you have everything in order and start to position yourself to move over there soon, don’t just jump right away. Assuming you also have some finances saved up from the past years including now working as a nurse, you should be able to manage your money even buy a house for low cost somewhere and renovate it to your liking.

    Either way, your manifesting what’s going to happen in the future and that’s you moving back sooner rather than later. Don’t sit on it too long because you already have your answer, it’s time for your to prepare and exit.

27. Maybe try taking a long holiday and feel the Tokyo vibe first. If you don’t have any complaints after about a month, then move back. Assuming you didn’t revoke your Japanese citizenship, you’d have no problem re-entering Japan anyway.

28. Money wise, you might consider staying in the US long enough to get your 40 credits – ten years of full time work. Then you can collect SS in retirement while in Japan.

    Japan also has a reciprocal agreement with US social security, it might be worth looking into.

    SS is complex though, best to work with the administration.

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