I'll be leaving a stable job in Software Development in Romania just to go to Japan and study Japanese. I originally told my managers but it spread around the entire office and now everyone is asking me what the hell hit me in the head. Truthfully, I despise the job, it has caused me numerous health issues, and I don't really get along with my colleagues due to my poor social skills. But I have to work 3 months notice and almost every day, someone is asking me why I'm doing what I'm doing.
At one point I blew up and said "If we can focus on work, that would be great." And my colleagues replied that they were concerned about me because the job market is horrible and there's a chance I won't be able to find another software development job soon.
But then I just told them I'm okay with rummaging the bins if it meant fulfilling my childhood dream, and then a colleague said "You should be realistic and not cling to childish dreams. At least that's what I think, you know you."
Still… I'm okay with burning my bridges.
I see many online are doing the same but even though I'm getting cold feet now, it's too late to turn back. My notice has been accepted and they've hired a new guy to replace me.
What has your experience been?
by StrengthInMind
17 comments
Same situation as you, leaving a stable work to fulfill my lifelong dream but I haven’t tell a word about it yet and I’m moving there with N3 already.
Sure I might have regrets but the one regret I don’t ever wanna experience in my life is to wake up, and tell to yourself that you should’ve done things sooner. That regret alone already overshadows the regrets I will have. I only have one life and I’m gonna spend it the way I want it to be.
Left my job in dec 2024 joined language school started from n5 and got n2 in December 2025, Started working for a Japanese software company this year. The job is quite interesting, but still at my current japanese level reading or making japanese technical documents is the hard part. While I can get by day to day meetings etc but still face language barriers.
Take the chance you live only once
I did something similar but with Chinese instead of Japanese. Gave up a well paid steady job early 2000s with a plan to learn Chinese and earn a (few) million dollars. It all worked out as planned.
You should do it. You might earn a million too. Yen that is.
Planning on doing this in 2028 so I can save up for some cushion. Best of luck!
I’m a software engineer too, and I’m planning to do this in the future as well. I was debating what reason to tell them when I leave but after reading your post I now know for sure not to mention the reason.
Good luck 🤞 Keep strong remember that in three months you won’t have to see them anymore!
I did the same. It was a mix of people congratulating me for having the balls to do it and other people looking at me strangely, trying to work out if I’d lost my mind.
I’ve been here over 5 years now, with the best job I’ve ever had.
Just ignore the negative comments. It’s your life and you only get one go. Even if it doesn’t work out, it will make for one hell of a story/experience.
“If you want something you’ve never had, you must be willing to do something you’ve never done” – Thomas Jefferson
If it’s your childhood dream, and you have the capacity to do it now, do it.
Personally, I am also a software engineer considering moving to Japan (for work though, not school), but I just can’t do it because I am on really good money and I love my job/colleagues are nice. I’ve compromised and said I’d just keep going back for holidays.
I quit a job as a robotics technician and left. I came back 4 months later and got another, much better job. Worked out and gave me clarity. The months between getting a new job were hard on my mental but I had plenty of money left over.
M32. I left my whole life in fashion in Paris for study japanese in Tokyo from july-november. I dont know where ill end up but i feel like the only place ive been happy in recently is Tokyo when i visited
Wow.
Big jump there.
The most important thing you can do is learn Hiragana and Katakana. If you don’t have this basic literacy, you are in trouble.
If you need hiragana and katakana, check out Kana Challenge. It’s free and will get you fluent in the most important parts of learning Japanese.
As someone studying jp in America and dreaming of doing the same, I would also deeply encourage you to study and try to understand the current political and economic climate you’re getting into. I think out west it’s lesser known and understood that jp is facing a worsening economic climate, growingly elderly population with no prospects of addressing the worker shortage/birth rate crisis (think long term social security and taxation impacts) and near impossible permanent residency path for most immigrants plus long term viable retirement options. Most people end up coming back to the US basically. Not to mention I think average annual income in Japan amounts to like 30k usd so no matter what it is you’re doing and in what field you’ll be taking a massive pay cut . Seriously not trying to dissuade you but I did heavy research when I started learning n5 months ago and really immersing myself in Japanese current events and news gave me a more realistic idea of what it’d mean to drop everything and leave. Now my plan is to save mad $$ while continuing to study Jp and maybe purchase a cheap akiya one day with hopes that maybe they’ll lax on immigration in the future.
They are deep down jealous that not everyone wants to just slave away their life for some shareholder, go make your dreams bud.
Honestly there is no reason that you should be personal to your manager , telling them your real motive. Just say i don’t find the work here good for me, or just flat out say i don’t like my colleagues if you trust your manager that much. No reason that you should consider them that close, if you already don’t get along.
Life is short, fuck everyone’s opinion.
I just wanted to say thanks for posting – I’m in a similar boat, slowly considering leaving a stable software job that’s left me exhausted and burnt out, and going to language school for a year or two as an “adult gap year” as I decide what’s next. Something I would have liked to do when I was younger and it made more sense career-wise, but I wasn’t in the position to do so.
It encourages me to hear I’m not alone in considering it and it’s worked out for others, even if we do seem crazy to some.
A) They are not concerned about you, they’re concerned about themselves.
B) A lot of people get freaked out when someone does something for themselves, and they want you to not do the thing because they’re scared shitless of doing the thing or have no thing to do.
C) You are completely invalidating what they know about life.
D) If you can afford to do it. Do it!
You’ve got this.
I’m about to move to Japan in 2 weeks, and also by following the Japanese Language School route. I’m also in the same boat of adding removing some stability in my life by moving to Japan.
Never once in the whole process I was anxious about my decision. I could have lived an ok life had I just stayed in my country, and worst case scenario I could genuinely end up in a really bad spot if everything goes wrong for me in Japan. But in the end I realized I would actually rather ruin my life going for the life I desire, than to live a stable but boring life.
People like to think that those who are able to pursue their crazy dreams in life are the anomalies, and yes some people are just naturally gifted or born very wealthy, but there’s a trait you share with those people, and it’s the drive/motivation to go for what you want. You mentioned your colleague said “to be realistic,” and it’s because they’re don’t have the same drive as you. You already are an anomaly who can achieve the life you want.
Comments are closed.