How I Moved to Japan at the Age of 31 without Being an English Teacher

Whenever I tell people back home in Singapore that I live and work in Japan, people become somewhat envious of me — at least superficially. But I have sacrificed a lot to walk this path, and it’s not one that I can recommend to many. Quite a number of those who move to Japan initially do so through the path of teaching English. For many, based on my experience, there are only 3 exit plans — continue to teach English, move on to recruiting (usually for foreign companies in Japan), or go home. Unfortunately, English teaching in Japan is not particularly highly valued. As  <a href="https://medium.com/u/7423b187074?source=post_page-----d435acaa82e2--------------------------------" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Rahil C.</a> , shares in his piece “<a href="https://medium.com/digital-global-traveler/why-im-leaving-japan-1a2580d93574" rel="noopener">Why I’m Leaving Japan,”</a> his annual salary in Japan as an English teacher on the JET program is only 3,600,000 yen (before tax) which converts to USD 24,758 at current exchange rates (USD/JPY = 145). The alternative — apart from becoming an entrepreneur — is to pursue a regular corporate career in Japan. Obviously, this is fraught with <a href="https://medium.com/japonica-publication/why-japanese-employees-are-not-interested-in-promotions-babd95292677" rel="noopener">difficulties that make it extremely difficult for Japanese people — let alone foreigners — to succeed.</a> If you are keen to move to Japan and make a life out of it, I hope the path I have taken can be of reference to you. A major caveat though — it requires extremely long-term planning, networking, sacrifice, and even a bit of luck to fully execute. <a href="https://medium.com/japonica-publication/how-i-moved-to-japan-at-the-age-of-31-without-being-an-english-teacher-d435acaa82e2">Read More</a>