MMoving to Japan

29M Have a Tech Job On the Precipice Having Second Thoughts

  • December 31, 2025

So Im 29M, work as a tech worker. I have a job offer from a company in Tokyo. And a COE in hand. Planning to leave in 3-5 weeks. But am having second thoughts.

Background:

  • 29, tech worker (data-engineer), in a non-tech sector.
  • Am Japanese American, been to Japan 7 times. Love visiting and have wanted to live there.
  • I speak semi-fluently and have JLPT N2.
  • No kids, no relationship.

Opportunity:

  1. Japanese AI Startup Data Engineering Job

Pros:

  • Potential AI career pivot and growth.
  • Move to Japan finally and work there for 1-3 years.
  • Move on from current situation (feeling stagnant with life and job).
  • Remote work. Been told, for Japanese standards, it's a chill work environment. And that people do overtime very rarely.
  • If it really sucks, then I can bail after 6 months-1year and come back home.

Cons:

  • 50% pay cut to $51,056 (8,000,000 yen). Though I've been told that this Japanese salary is high for my age there? I mean would love to be a inter-company transfer for an American company with a bigger salary, but I guess I'm trading the salary for AI related project experience.
  • Moving over stresses (finding an apartment which is DUANTING, getting apartment furnished and set up with internet also DUANTING, city hall stuff, bank accounts, medical stuff, etc).
  • Goodbye meaningful US retirement contributions.

Career wise when I come back, assuming I got meaningful project experience, it's possible I can make much more with AI experience under my belt. And even if I don't get super good projects at the Japan job, I can still fib my resume as necessary saying I worked at an AI company.

Also, I have maybe 4-5 Japanese friends from high school and college, etc. that are still around in different places of Tokyo. I know I will need to build up a local community again.

Though I do have Kendo which I've been practicing for 10 years and am decent at it. I plan to continue training. So meeting elder people and the occasional younger person through there isn't nothing.

Discrimination-wise I'm Asian American. And even among Asian Americans I'm not typical. I don't think I'm not too bothered by being discriminated in Japan beyond a housing application denial. And I know I'm a foreigner and will make cultural blunders, language mistakes and accept that.

Is the salary good enough? Am I tanking my career doing this? Does this seem like a worthwhile life experience? General thoughts?

In conclusion should I just stfu and do it for a year and see how it goes?

by xFujinRaijinx