# Culture Shock



## jm2224

So my employer has offered me a position in Tokyo and after a lot of thought I have decided to take it. The thing that worries me the most is the culture shock I'll have when I move there because of how much different things are there compared to the United States.

Any American expats living in Japan have any advice on dealing with culture shock in Japan? What's the expat community like there? Is it big/unified or small/fragmented?


I would appreciate anyone's advice, thanks!


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## larabell

Big and fragmented, as far as I can tell.


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## jm2224

have any advice on dealing with culture shock in Japan?


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## Kumamon

If you like an adventure, the culture shock is no problem. Sure, everything is different and probably extremely strange when you first get here, but that's all part of the fun of moving countries.

Tokyo is an international city so will be able to survive without knowing much of the language. 

Just enjoy the change.


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## larabell

If you're living in the boonies, things might be different but if you're in one of the major cities, things aren't all that different from any other major city. Transportation is pretty easy to figure out and things like banks and post offices work more-or-less the same way everywhere. Addresses might be annoying but, as a techie myself, I found the Japanese system more logical once I got the hang of how it works (I believe I have an explanation on my blog).

The biggest "shock" for me was not being able to read hardly anything -- like the advertisements hanging in the train, labels on products, menus at small restaurants, etc. It did made me feel somewhat "cut off" from my surroundings and it's harder to use things like ads to get in some extra study time while commuting. But, other than that, I really didn't find it a problem. If you make a few local friends and stay in touch with the ones back home, you should have plenty of opportunities for human interaction (which is usually the biggest contributor to culture shock). And if you get out and explore your new surroundings whenever you can, the feeling of "different" should fade pretty quickly.

Another annoying thing (not really a "shock" for me but you might find it so) is products. You can find stuff you're used to back home because there are several supermarkets around town that import foreign goods but it's a pain to have to travel just to do your shopping. My advice would be to experiment with local goods as much as possible. You may have to bring a friend along the first time or two to help read the labels but there's nothing you will need that you can't find in a normal neighborhood market if you know what to look for.

One thing that's also interesting... if you stay here for a couple years and then go back, you'll also feel a bit of a "shock" as you'll start to miss some of the things here that aren't the same at home.

And don't be afraid to try the futuristic toilet seats. Once you've gotten the hang of it, you may never be satisfied with the old low-tech toilets .


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## Raffish_Chapish

You'll be fine mate - I find it quite peaceful wandering about not being able to read the advertising etc that is all around me - you can just let it wash over you and get on with your day. The expat scene in Tokyo is lively - you could easily go out by yourself and have a great night, meeting lots of people (and I do).


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## larabell

I'm not sure where the OP is from originally but it might be worth pointing out, in reference to the last post, there is no place in all of Japan which would qualify as unsafe as long as you have your wits about you. It's no problem to wander around at night by yourself. There are a few places in Tokyo where you might not want to wander randomly into the strip joints unless you know what you're doing but, other than that, especially in smaller local neighborhoods, you can wander into a bar or restaurant at random and know you're going to be treated well and not get ripped off (and make new friends in the process). There aren't many large cities in the world where you could say that.


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## jimmulcahy

*culture shock advice*

Start reading about the culture; especially books that compare your culture with that of Japan. You'll start getting culture shock even before you arrive that way. You can live for years here never venturing below the surface of things, never suspecting how different their values and perspectives are... because they are so bloody polite and accommodating. But venture below and you'll be in for a real shocker. Many of the things you thought were "universal values" are not. Etc. Good luck on your adventure!


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## larabell

No disagreement with you there, but... I'm willing to bet that's the same for all expats no matter where they decide to live. One of the more interesting aspects of living in a "foreign" culture (ie: not your own) is that you realize how many of the things you thought were just "common sense" aren't really _common_ at all. It's really more like "cultural sense" which depends highly on the culture in which one was raised and, for most people, remains largely unexamined for their entire lives. Living in a different culture provides an opportunity to examine these assumptions -- but it also shakes loose the foundation that most of our other ideas and opinions are build on. If you expect that to happen and you keep an open mind, you can build new foundations as you learn more about your surroundings. The "shock" part happens more when you're blindly assuming everyone all over the world shares those same assumptions (which is hardly ever true).

The fact that you're asking the question is a good sign. But try not to become so reliant on the expat community that you leave Japan after two or three years having learned nothing at all about the culture (unfortunately, I know several people who fall into that category). Treat it as a learning adventure and the "shock" part should wear off pretty quickly.


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## jimmulcahy

*Yup*

Great post, Larabell.
False expectations are what cause the shock, as with relations, etc.
With a truly open mind, adapting to any culture might be painless.
Of course, it's easier said than done...


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## NewDad

It's really not that bad. Have you travelled much before?

I found there are no 'shocks' as such with Japan, just a slow learning process of how things work. You won't usually get things explained to you in black and white, so be sure to enjoy sitting in the grey and accept that's just how things are done. The more new you are, the more accepting people are towards your quirks (yes, not the other way round). A little language goes a long way too.


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