Hello, long time lurker 29M here! I’ve been in Tokyo for a few years now and on paper things are going fine. The job pays well, career is stable, and I’m planning to apply for PR next year. Tokyo processing takes forever, but it is what it is.
Lately though, I’ve been having these moments where I stop and wonder what the point is. My weekdays usually finish around 11:30pm, and I also work on Saturdays. By Sunday, I am too tired to even leave the house and even when I do, it’ll make the following days: Monday, Tuesday feel even more draining. It makes me question why I’m living in Japan when I barely get to enjoy anything here. I pass by cafés, parks, events, seasonal stuff, and keep telling myself I’ll check them out but never having the time or energy to do it.
Then I see influencers living in Japan emphasising how magical everything is compared to the monotony of their own home countries. And I get it, Japan can feel amazing when you have the time and freedom to enjoy it. I don’t have anyone bankrolling my weekdays, so my version of Japan mostly happens after 11:30pm.
I chose this job, and I know I’m in a better position than a lot of people. Maybe I’m just tired and maybe a bit spoiled. But these thoughts have been sitting in my head and I felt like putting them somewhere.
If anyone has been through this phase where life looks good from the outside but feels pretty empty day-to-day, how did you handle it? Does it get better after getting PR, or am I just coping.
Thanks for reading.
by Glum_Power_5530