OOkinawa

Challenges of US citizen moving to Okinawa

  • February 16, 2026

Hi All,

Looking for insight from anyone with firsthand experience.

I’m a 37 yo American from Kansas, living in Los Angeles for the past 11 years working in the film industry. My girlfriend of four years was born and raised in Okinawa, and last year we took a trip to Japan and went to Okinawa to see her mom. I loved it (minus American Village, haha).

With the decline of the film industry in LA, I’m questioning my long term future here. She works in real estate for a Tokyo based company and is also facing uncertainty. We’re both feeling burned out by the rat race and have started seriously discussing a move to Okinawa.

She knows what to expect, but I don’t…

I want to continue working and building a life, just in a different environment. My biggest concern is employment without speaking Japanese. With a bachelor’s degree in film, I assume film related opportunities are limited or non existent…

Realistically:

Like what job opportunities exist for non Japanese speakers?

Would I be treated as an outsider?

How does healthcare work in this situation?

What challenges should I be thinking about or be aware of?

Any practical advice or personal experience would be greatly appreciated. I’m trying to make an informed decision. ✌️🤙

by Free_from88

9 comments

  1. Are you wanting to stay in the film industry? Honestly the easiest route maybe if you guys get married then she can sponsor you. Otherwise, Tokyo would be your best bet with the film industry.

    Okinawa is a small island and very much exhibits true island life. Small villages, towns, beaches. You can check out websites like gaijin pot, SOFA jobs through the military on usajobs.gov, or try to find a company that would hire an American. Maybe teach English for a while? That’s always needed at schools.

    I grew up in Okinawa and then lived in the mainland. I am a white woman and I have no Asian descent. I was treated as an outsider but once you find your people it kind of evens out. In my experience, it was always the older generation that did not like Americans (and bullies at school who were a bit racist).

    Healthcare would be tricky, I don’t know about that unless you marry your gf. I feel like that would help.

    Otherwise, just culture shock probably. Going from LA to a small island like Okinawa will be a big change. Driving on the other side of the road and not speaking the language are two barriers to overcome. It’s also a very different culture. Okinawans are not Japanese and they have a culture of their own that is to be learned and respected. There’s probably stuff I’m leaving out but over all, it’s doable but challenging.

  2. Assuming you move out here as a spouse, you would be able to enroll in the National Health System sponsored by your wife. If you’re on a spouse visa, you would be legal to work in Japan. Note that opportunities are limited for non-Japanese speakers and the overall compensation is going to surprise you (not in a good way). Agree w/ the previous poster, look at all those sites for opportunities. SOFA status has its pluses and minuses, but it doesn’t appear you currently have any military affiliation.

    Okinawa is international enough that you won’t feel completely out of place. But being able to speak Japanese would open opportunities up for you.

    Okinawa is a great place to be, but you definitely need to do research about expat life and expat finances. If you move here on a spouse visa, be smart about tax obligations on both the US and Japanese sides and be aware of Japan Pension Service requirements. Also, assuming you’re a CA resident, a CA driver license does not automatically convert to a Japanese driver license. You’ll likely have to go to driving school to get a driver license and it’s not cheap. Good luck!

  3. Realistically, job opportunities will be limited to teaching English and bar/restaurant work. Pay will be very, very low and you’ll need to consider a sponsored visa. Unless you can secure a job on base but they are generally quite competitive and tend to favor military-related folks.

    You will be treated as an outsider because you are an outsider. Maybe not with hostility but you will stand out.

    National Healthcare is great for residents and out-of-pocket costs are relatively inexpensive compared to the US.

    Other considerations from my perspective… people move countries for many reasons. I’ve noticed a trend of immigrating to islands to escape whatever current life stressors. Those stressor will likely catch up to you in different forms.

    Do with that however you want.

  4. You need to figure out your visa. Then you can considered options.

    Healthcare is easy. You either pay the city or your job pays for you. You MUST pay. And you also need to pay pension (or have a job that pays pension).

    English teaching is the best option since you have a college degree but competition is fierce. Even when I lived in Tokyo and applied to some jobs in Okinawa I was informed they’re not interested in hiring anyone from off the island for all the positions I heard back from. Also expect the pay to be horrible with no potential for growth. That’s the reality of the industry nationwide. You wouldn’t be teaching at an international school, most likely but an eikaiwa or an ALT.

    Also: minimum wage is the lowest in the country in Okinawa. And cost of living is not cheap. Most people who live there comfortably with just English have well paying remote IT jobs that sponsored their visas.

    My advice to you: find a job in Osaka, Tokyo, Nagoya teaching English for a visa, or get married. Don’t go to Okinawa yet. Then get your Japanese to N2-N1. Then you might have a chance at getting back in film or do a masters in film to get into the industry easier. Just go on vacation to Okinawa, it’s only a 2 hour flight away.

    I live in Tokyo greater area and go to Okinawa 1-2 times a year.

  5. Hannahchann gave spot on advice.

    Without some Japanese, the job opportunities are limited. And without networking, finding work in the media industry is difficult as well.

    Some specifics: Teaching English is a good start. Every year around December the local Boards of Education will post openings for Assistant Language Teachers, with jobs start the next April. It is a fun job working in either an elementary school or junior high school.

    You could reach out to an IB school like Okinawa International School and see if they want a Film Studies program for their IBDP group 6.

    You will not be treated as an outsider, but the language barrier will naturally lead to some distance. But Japanese in general, and Okinawans in particular are very welcoming. The work culture might come as a shock, but daily life won’t have any huge cultural barriers in Okinawa. Of course, if you are a jerk or inflexible, things might be different. That being said, the work culture, for many, is vastly different.

    As for health care, it would depend on your work. If you were working for a company contract, usually you join that company’s insurance system. If you are part time or not working you join the public insurance. They are basically the same; you are responsible for premiums (I am not sure, but I think it is around ¥15,000 a month) plus 30% of costs. For example, an X-ray will be somewhere around $40. 2 months of high blood pressure medicine, cholesterol, and diabetes type 2 medicine is $30 (I know that value from experience 😉 ) A typical visit for the flu or something like that will be $30-50. It is not cheap, but it is affordable. If your married partner (have to be married I am afraid) has a job with a company, you would join under theirs.

    As for challenges, the aforementioned work culture clash is something to consider. Just about every blog or YouTuber you read or look at is going to claim how oppressive and horrible it is. If you look at it through the lens of a typical American who is unwilling to try and understand why things are the way they are, you too, will become counter-productive to your own well-being. If you go in and try to understand, look at the glass as half-full instead of ignoring that the glass is a foreign glass in in foreign country filled with foreign culture, you too, will beat jaded and confused. A good Japanese word is 素直(Sunao) which means “uneffected” or “genuine.” Most definitions are going to lead the translation as “obedient,” but it is much more nuanced than that. Basically, if you are open about your lack of understanding, use your beginner’s mind to approach each challenge with a positive attitude and you will easily impress even the most dour, hard-core “Japanese” style manager. Humility is key.

    If you really want to make a go at working in Japan, I can’t stress this enough: Learn Japanese. Make it a goal. All of the confusion, frustration, discombobulation caused by feeling like a square peg in a round hole fades away once the cultural content of the language becomes evident to you. I always thought if I learned Japanese to a close to native level, I would “lose” parts of my identity. That has proven to be one of the greatest misconceptions of my life. You will learn more about yourself than you had ever thought possible.

    Feel free to keep the questions coming. I have lived here for 25 years now, and it is about time I start paying it forward a bit. 😉

  6. Fellow ex-Angeleno living in Okinawa with my Okinawan partner here…whatever you’re getting paid in LA, expect a tiny fraction of that here, if you can even find a job.

    Without Japanese knowledge, you are going to face a lot of hurdles, unless you want to pivot and become an English teacher or something.

  7. Better to stay in mainland Japan or the states. You’ll work 25 years here and still will not be management.

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