MMoving to Japan

I’m planning to leave my job and master’s degree to study Japanese in Japan. However, many are telling me it’s a bad idea. Any advice?

  • September 19, 2025

I'm currently working as a software developer, doing a master's degree in the UK but I'm not enjoying myself. It is the beginning of my first year of my master's in Data Science and I'm already regretting it. I signed up to improve my job prospects but I don't want to do it, honestly.

It has always been my dream to live in Japan, I have already visited once and I really want to see what it's like to study there. I only recently realised I can apply to study Japanese in Japan and I'm kicking myself for signing up for the masters. If I knew that was an option, I wouldn't have signed up… But you live and you learn, I guess.

I have £25000 in savings so I can support myself for a year, and I've already started applying for one of the schools. My plan is to drop out of my master's or put it on pause if I get accepted and hand in my one month notice to my boss.

Is it bad planning, all because of a childish dream I have? I really can't let go of it, and I will probably regret it if I don't do it… Though I'll probably also regret it if I do it. Any advice? Anyone been through something similar?

by ZoloftPlsBoss

9 comments

  1. You will regret it because your desire to go to Japan is likely a coping mechanism like many others. Not trying to hurt your feelings, but if you can’t gather the will to pull through the first year of your masters, then you will move to Japan being the exact same person and not much will change. Finish your school, learn Japanese on the side, then decide later if you want to move or not.

  2. That 25k will go faster than you think. I’d save more or just try to land a job here where you don’t need Japanese and study on the side.

  3. Why don’t you quit your master (if you really hate it) and stay in UK to work and learn Japanese? There isn’t really any advantage when trying to find IT job while you are in language school really.

  4. With the current job market it is a terrible idea. You have stable employment in tech in the UK which has a shrinking and dire market right now.

    You won’t be able to easily just find another job if this don’t work out.

    I’m moving to Japan but I don’t have a job in the UK and the job market here has been completely brutal and I can get better paid work in Japan because there are actually jobs instead of minimum wage jobs in high cost of living areas or dole money.

    You are going to regret this if you do.

    Please honestly take a step back and see reason because you’re making a really stupid decision right now.

  8. Hell nah bruh. Finish masters while learning Japanese on the side. This will give you a major head start if you still feel like and end up going to language school anyway.

  9. It’s always being said that visiting Japan for travel is very different than living in Japan.
    Also IMHO a software developer career is not something worth throwing away for studying Japanese. A bit better option is why not looking a job in Japan?

    Then about the language:
    Have you tried studying Japanese? Do you have fun after learning approximately 300 Kanji and the grammars? If yes then feel free to chase your dream.
    If not, then you probably won’t enjoy living in foreign country where you can’t speak and read the language.

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