How I've changed since coming to Japan
Hello again from Tokyo, where it has snowed twice in the past two weeks! It's been chilly, and that's been keeping me indoors for the majority of the past two weeks. I have explored a different shopping mall and had lunch with some friends, but aside from that I've just been cruising and trying to stay warm. Today I wanted to get a little bit personal and touch on a few of the ways in which I've changed since I've been in Japan, some good, some bad. I think living abroad anywhere will change you in ways you may not expect. So let's get into it.
1) I've become more self conscious of how I behave and how I look. I'm very much aware that I stand out as a foreigner here, and that I am being looked at and judged a lot more than if I was Japanese. I also feel a lot of pressure to always look put together and have nice clothes and do my makeup. Coming from small town New Zealand, no one really cares if you leave the house in sweatpants and a hoodie. You don't feel a lot of pressure to always look good and be fashionable. Even in the city in New Zealand, I think people dress a lot more casually. In Japan though, the women always look so well put together and fashionable, and I for one can't afford to dress like that and update my wardrobe all the time. I have slowly been trying to update my wardrobe bit by bit and become a bit more put together in how I dress, but it still doesn't measure up. Also, there are some clothes that are totally fine to wear back home (eg singlets that show your shoulders and short shorts) that people don't wear here. In summer you feel like you should always cover your shoulders and chest and not wear shorts that are 'too short'. Japan's still very conservative in that way. Another thing that can make not just me but many other westerners feel insecure or self conscious is that Japanese women are small. Clothes in Japanese stores are small (compared to Western sizes). Shopping can be a nightmare, especially if you're on the taller side (not a problem for me luckily), and you feel big compared to others around you, even if you were an average size back home. I'm not a big person (that's an understatement), but even I have days where I feel kinda shitty about my body, and end up comparing my body now to the size I used to be and the women I see around me. I was very fit and active back in New Zealand, especially at university, and I'm not so much any more. I try to exercise regularly, but the workout culture here is not big, especially amongst women, and gym memberships are expensive. I'd rather put that money towards other things, and exercise at home, but I miss the workout classes I used to do. There's a huge body positivity movement going on in the west right now, but unfortunately that has not reached Japan in any way. There's huge pressure on women to be thin here, and you don't see a lot of bigger women in Japanese media at all. They've got a long way to go here when it comes to accepting all shapes and sizes, and that can be a real issue for foreigners living in Japan.
2) On a more positive note, I think I've become a lot better at thinking on my feet and problem solving since I got to Japan. You really do have to learn to problem solve living abroad, and that sometimes involves thinking on your feet. This can be anything from going to the bank to going to the doctor. At the time it may seem difficult, but after a while, you realise how many challenges and obstacles you've managed to overcome all by yourself in a foreign country and you feel great! It's a great skill to have, and it makes you more independent. I think it's also partly because of my job that I've acquired this skill. Being a teacher requires you to think on your feet, particularly during the kids classes if things aren't going to plan (broken CD players, if kids are being disruptive etc), and you have to try and turn it around. It's taught me a lot about improvisation!
3) I've become more open minded to trying new things, especially new foods. I've definitely branched out when it comes to food since I moved here. When I arrived, I never imagined I'd be trying fried octopus balls (takoyaki) and liking it! You don't always know exactly what's in what you're eating, so you really just have to be open to trying anything. I also didn't imagine that I'd become fine with going into a hot spring completely naked with a whole bunch of other strangers! That's the onsen experience for you, and it's something you'll probably only ever experience in Japan. You really do just have to try these kinds of things at least once and be open to new experiences. It's part of living somewhere new and opening yourself up to the foods, culture and traditions of where you are.
4) I've become more mature. The majority of my students are blown away when they find out my age. Their reaction is always something along the lines of "So young!" or "Only 23?". I would like to think that this is because I act older or more mature than my age, rather than looking older than 23. :P I feel like my world view has broadened and that has made me more mature. I think living in a foreign country by yourself really forces you to grow up, be more proactive and make decisions for yourself. The fact that a lot of my friends here are older than me has probably partially contributed to this too. I think this is a good thing? Hopefully...
5) I've become really slack with cooking! I do try and cook for myself as often as I can, but I definitely keep it fairly simple. When I was living in a flat and cooking for a group of people, I'd be more likely to try out new recipes and put more time and effort into meals. Now, I tend to rotate the same 3 or 4 meals. Part of the reason for this is the fact that I only have one gas burner and a microwave, and very limited storage space for things like pots and pans. You can't have two things that require the gas burner cooking at the same time eg one pot for pasta and a pan for vegetables, meat and sauce. So it's a real process trying to get everything ready to eat at the same time. Also, when it's just me, I don't feel like I need to make big meals and go all out with trying new things. This is probably a bad thing, as cooking is a really good skill to have, and it's good to have a wide repertoire of dishes, but I think once I live in a place that has an oven again, I can work on that. :P
6) I've become more into trying out new cafes and restaurants ect. Since coming to Japan, I've been inspired to try out new cafes and restaurants and explore new areas of the city. This inspiration comes from a wide variety of places- recommendations from friends, Instagram, Youtube, the list could go on. It's all about getting out an about and exploring the city you live in, and I'm lucky that Tokyo has some great spots to see. You could spend a lifetime here and still not see everything, and that's something I really enjoy about living in a big city.
7) I've become less of a morning person! As I mentioned before, I used to go to the gym fairly regularly, and at university that meant going to the 7am classes on offer. Now, I struggle to wake up at 7, let alone be at the gym by 7. This is a result of my erratic work schedule, plain and simple. During the week, I start late, either 1.20pm or 5.30pm, and on the weekends I start at 10am. So it makes it a bit more difficult to get into a regular sleep pattern and get motivated to wake up early, especially during the week when you don't start work till later in the day.
8) I've become pretty minimal when it comes to the things I buy. I try not to buy things I don't need as I know I'll end up having to get rid of it eventually when I move, and I also don't have a lot of space to store things. I make do with what I have and carefully consider if I really need it before buying. Also having regular clear-outs of clothes I don't wear helps with freeing up storage space and only having things in my wardrobe that I actually wear on a regular basis. I think this is good, as many people have far too much stuff that they just don't use, so living in a small space forces you to be minimalistic and only have what you need.
These are the 8 ways that I've changed since I moved to Japan, some good changes, some bad. It's not all sunshine and rainbows, and the culture you live in and surround yourself with can have a huge impact on the way you feel and behave. Japan is no exception.
This was quite cathartic to write, and I hope you've enjoyed this wee insight. I want to get out and about more soon and do more day trips once the weather warms up, and I'm so excited for cherry blossom season to start again! Bring on the picnics and nice weather!
Thanks as always for reading, and I'll be back again soon with another update.
From Japan with love,
Hannah. xx
1) I've become more self conscious of how I behave and how I look. I'm very much aware that I stand out as a foreigner here, and that I am being looked at and judged a lot more than if I was Japanese. I also feel a lot of pressure to always look put together and have nice clothes and do my makeup. Coming from small town New Zealand, no one really cares if you leave the house in sweatpants and a hoodie. You don't feel a lot of pressure to always look good and be fashionable. Even in the city in New Zealand, I think people dress a lot more casually. In Japan though, the women always look so well put together and fashionable, and I for one can't afford to dress like that and update my wardrobe all the time. I have slowly been trying to update my wardrobe bit by bit and become a bit more put together in how I dress, but it still doesn't measure up. Also, there are some clothes that are totally fine to wear back home (eg singlets that show your shoulders and short shorts) that people don't wear here. In summer you feel like you should always cover your shoulders and chest and not wear shorts that are 'too short'. Japan's still very conservative in that way. Another thing that can make not just me but many other westerners feel insecure or self conscious is that Japanese women are small. Clothes in Japanese stores are small (compared to Western sizes). Shopping can be a nightmare, especially if you're on the taller side (not a problem for me luckily), and you feel big compared to others around you, even if you were an average size back home. I'm not a big person (that's an understatement), but even I have days where I feel kinda shitty about my body, and end up comparing my body now to the size I used to be and the women I see around me. I was very fit and active back in New Zealand, especially at university, and I'm not so much any more. I try to exercise regularly, but the workout culture here is not big, especially amongst women, and gym memberships are expensive. I'd rather put that money towards other things, and exercise at home, but I miss the workout classes I used to do. There's a huge body positivity movement going on in the west right now, but unfortunately that has not reached Japan in any way. There's huge pressure on women to be thin here, and you don't see a lot of bigger women in Japanese media at all. They've got a long way to go here when it comes to accepting all shapes and sizes, and that can be a real issue for foreigners living in Japan.
2) On a more positive note, I think I've become a lot better at thinking on my feet and problem solving since I got to Japan. You really do have to learn to problem solve living abroad, and that sometimes involves thinking on your feet. This can be anything from going to the bank to going to the doctor. At the time it may seem difficult, but after a while, you realise how many challenges and obstacles you've managed to overcome all by yourself in a foreign country and you feel great! It's a great skill to have, and it makes you more independent. I think it's also partly because of my job that I've acquired this skill. Being a teacher requires you to think on your feet, particularly during the kids classes if things aren't going to plan (broken CD players, if kids are being disruptive etc), and you have to try and turn it around. It's taught me a lot about improvisation!
3) I've become more open minded to trying new things, especially new foods. I've definitely branched out when it comes to food since I moved here. When I arrived, I never imagined I'd be trying fried octopus balls (takoyaki) and liking it! You don't always know exactly what's in what you're eating, so you really just have to be open to trying anything. I also didn't imagine that I'd become fine with going into a hot spring completely naked with a whole bunch of other strangers! That's the onsen experience for you, and it's something you'll probably only ever experience in Japan. You really do just have to try these kinds of things at least once and be open to new experiences. It's part of living somewhere new and opening yourself up to the foods, culture and traditions of where you are.
4) I've become more mature. The majority of my students are blown away when they find out my age. Their reaction is always something along the lines of "So young!" or "Only 23?". I would like to think that this is because I act older or more mature than my age, rather than looking older than 23. :P I feel like my world view has broadened and that has made me more mature. I think living in a foreign country by yourself really forces you to grow up, be more proactive and make decisions for yourself. The fact that a lot of my friends here are older than me has probably partially contributed to this too. I think this is a good thing? Hopefully...
5) I've become really slack with cooking! I do try and cook for myself as often as I can, but I definitely keep it fairly simple. When I was living in a flat and cooking for a group of people, I'd be more likely to try out new recipes and put more time and effort into meals. Now, I tend to rotate the same 3 or 4 meals. Part of the reason for this is the fact that I only have one gas burner and a microwave, and very limited storage space for things like pots and pans. You can't have two things that require the gas burner cooking at the same time eg one pot for pasta and a pan for vegetables, meat and sauce. So it's a real process trying to get everything ready to eat at the same time. Also, when it's just me, I don't feel like I need to make big meals and go all out with trying new things. This is probably a bad thing, as cooking is a really good skill to have, and it's good to have a wide repertoire of dishes, but I think once I live in a place that has an oven again, I can work on that. :P
6) I've become more into trying out new cafes and restaurants ect. Since coming to Japan, I've been inspired to try out new cafes and restaurants and explore new areas of the city. This inspiration comes from a wide variety of places- recommendations from friends, Instagram, Youtube, the list could go on. It's all about getting out an about and exploring the city you live in, and I'm lucky that Tokyo has some great spots to see. You could spend a lifetime here and still not see everything, and that's something I really enjoy about living in a big city.
7) I've become less of a morning person! As I mentioned before, I used to go to the gym fairly regularly, and at university that meant going to the 7am classes on offer. Now, I struggle to wake up at 7, let alone be at the gym by 7. This is a result of my erratic work schedule, plain and simple. During the week, I start late, either 1.20pm or 5.30pm, and on the weekends I start at 10am. So it makes it a bit more difficult to get into a regular sleep pattern and get motivated to wake up early, especially during the week when you don't start work till later in the day.
8) I've become pretty minimal when it comes to the things I buy. I try not to buy things I don't need as I know I'll end up having to get rid of it eventually when I move, and I also don't have a lot of space to store things. I make do with what I have and carefully consider if I really need it before buying. Also having regular clear-outs of clothes I don't wear helps with freeing up storage space and only having things in my wardrobe that I actually wear on a regular basis. I think this is good, as many people have far too much stuff that they just don't use, so living in a small space forces you to be minimalistic and only have what you need.
These are the 8 ways that I've changed since I moved to Japan, some good changes, some bad. It's not all sunshine and rainbows, and the culture you live in and surround yourself with can have a huge impact on the way you feel and behave. Japan is no exception.
This was quite cathartic to write, and I hope you've enjoyed this wee insight. I want to get out and about more soon and do more day trips once the weather warms up, and I'm so excited for cherry blossom season to start again! Bring on the picnics and nice weather!
Thanks as always for reading, and I'll be back again soon with another update.
From Japan with love,
Hannah. xx
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