10 pros of living in Japan from a Japanese perspective

Hi guys, it's Sally!

In this article, I will share with you 10 pros of living in Japan from my perspective as a Japanese. 

I've lived both in Japan and the States, in addition to that, I have experience of living in Singapore for a while. So, I/ve decided to kinda compare how it is like to live in Japan and the States, and I figured out 10 good things about living in Japan!✨

I hope you all enjoy reading this article!

1. safe to go out 24/7

It is very safe to go out at night or even after midnight in Japan. A lot of stores, restaurants, Izakaya (bar-ish) are open until late at night and so you will see a lot of people everywhere even after midnight. 

You don't need to worry about gun shooting or thief because these are not really common in Japan in your daily life. Convenience stores are open 24/7, there are so many lights outside... it is safe to go out anytime in Japan!

Also, Japan is known as one of the safest counties to live in, so you don't have to be nervous (especially ladies!) to go out at night. I used to finish my work at 10:00 pm in Shinjuku (the center of Tokyo) and walk back home alone. 

2. people are very polite

People are generally polite to anyone even though you are from different countries. 

This is called "omotenashi" spirit (as you might know), so people working at restaurants or stores are insanely nice to you! We have the customer-first mindset all the time, so you are always prioritized at stores.

Even just a stranger you met, he/she is I guess kind and nice to you. I will say this is our habit as Japanese, and I am proud of it!

3. transportation system is great

You can literally go anywhere without having a car. Train, bus, taxi, shinkansen(fast ver of a train), airplane, etc... The transportation system is super useful and developed in Japan.

The ticket price is a little bit expensive, but trains/ buses always come on time, inside train/ bus is very clean, people are quiet on train/bus so once you realized that, it is worth paying that much money to take trains/ buses!

Trust me, taking the train/ bus is comfortable than you imagine!!

4. you can experience 4 seasons

As you might know already, we have 4 seasons (Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter) in Japan!

You can sightsee so many beautiful things in Japan over the year, and you can also enjoy fashion according to the weather.

I love experiencing 4 different seasons instead of 365 days super hot like Singapore. It's my opinion tho!

5. everywhere is clean

EVERYWHERE IS CLEAN!

Public toilets, shopping malls, trains/ buses, anywhere... it is very clean and sanitized, so I never felt the uncomfortable feeling of using a public toilet (it happens to me a lot in the States). 

Compared to any other countries I've ever visited, toilets are the best quality at the Japanese airport (either Tokyo or Kansai). No smell, warm toilet sheet, clean sink, etc... I miss that!

6. healthcare is cheap

If you have lived in the States, you know how expensive healthcare is... but here in Japan, it is very cheap.

Unless you have health insurance, the insurance got covered your medical fee up to 70% including your medicines! 

Surprisingly, dental health is insanely cheap in Japan. When I went to clean up my teeth, I paid only $6 (about 700 yen). 

7. easy to travel over the country 

Since Japan is a small country, not like the States, it is easy to travel over the country. 

You can simply drive to go to different prefectures (ex: Tokyo to Chiba - where Disney Resort is- takes about 1 hour), take a train to travel, take shinkansen to go a little bit farther, or book a flight ticket to fly over. 

You have a lot of options to travel around. They are all easy, fast, and cheap! So that you can enjoy the entire Japan trip when you move to any city in Japan. 

8. do not need to give tips

When you go out to eat, you are not required to give a tip. Even at bars or expensive restaurants, no one in Japan gives a tip because of our culture.

You will simply pay the price of food with tax, then you can leave!

9. food is delicious

In Japan, you can enjoy real Japanese food at a cheap price of course, and you can also enjoy many different cuisines all the time. 

Mainly Asian food, such as Korean, Chinese, Indian, etc.. but also you can try American, Italian, French, Mexican. 

In addition to that, eating outside is not that expensive compared to the States!

10. whatever you lost is coming back!

Let's say you left your phone at a public toilet, if someone luckily found it, he/ she won't steal it. The person will bring it to the nearest station or lost-and-found center.

Any variables like phone, wallet, your train ticket, etc. will most probably come back to you when you lost them!!

I used to lose my train ticket (it was an annual one so it's about $600!) a couple of times but it always came back to me no matter what.

These are the 10 main pros of living in Japan.
How do you feel about that? Isn't that awesome!?

I hope this article is helpful for those considering moving to Japan! Also, let me know if you have any questions so that I might be able to help you :)