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Filipino Expat Living in Japan - Interview with Vic
| Published: | 13 May at 12 PM |
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Filed: Interviews,Japan
What is the best part about an expat life in Japan? Studying, traveling, and living abroad at the same time! Vic's blog talks about his life in Kyoto and Japan. Where he reads, hikes, bikes, and eats! Vic is also an international student so his blog tells a very different story than most of the other expat blogs out there. Vic also has an ongoing project of capturing breathtaking time lapses wherever he goes! Vic's expat blog is called Vic Mabutas (see listing here)
Inari with my classmates!
Where are you originally from?
I am originally from the Pearl of the Orient which is the Philippines. Manila, to be specific.
In which country and city are you living now?
I am now living in Kyoto, Japan.
How long have you lived in Japan and how long are you planning to stay?
I have been living here for about 8 months already and will stay here for about 16 months more.
Why did you move to Japan and what do you do?
I moved here because of a generous offer to study in Japan. I am currently an MBA student.
Did you bring family with you?
No, I live alone.
How did you find the transition to living in a foreign country?
The first month is probably the most painful one. I did not know how to read nor speak Japanese and that was very frustrating. After a couple of months, gravity sets in and I became more comfortable. Living and touring are two very different things.
Was it easy making friends and meeting people; do you mainly socialise with other expats?
It was quite hard given the language barrier. Luckily, the school I'm in offers a lot of language exchange programs so it was easier to make friends after enrolling into that. Most of my classmates and colleagues in school are expats so it is very easy to socialize with them.
Kyoto from above!What are the best things to do in the area; anything to recommend to future expats?
The best thing to do here is to relax. If you're into living in the perfect balance between city life and the relaxed life, Kyoto is your city. Temples, shrines, and mountains should keep your personal harmonies healthy.
What do you enjoy most about living in Japan?
I enjoy reading books by the Kamo river or on top of Mt. Daimonjiyama. Biking all over the city is such a wonderful thing as well. The Japanese people and culture are very interesting too!
How does the cost of living in Japan compare to home?
It does not even come close. Compared to the Philippines, living in Japan costs about 3-5x more.
Baseball!What negatives, if any, are there to living in Japan?
Probably the language? But it's very fun to learn though! Imagine all the Japanese anime and great movies you could watch. Not to mention having Japanese friends!
If you could pick one piece of advice to anyone moving to Japan, what would it be?
Try to learn how to speak basic Japanese first.
What has been the hardest aspect to your expat experience so far?
I would say the daily struggles of living alone is probably the hardest part. Next would be, studying the language.
When you finally return home, how do you think you'll cope with repatriation?
Repatriation would definitely be an issue. The transition from a developing country to one of the most developed countries in the world was hard. But I think repatriation will be even harder since you have been part of a highly-developed society for a considerable amount of time.
What are your top 5 expat tips for anyone following in your footsteps?
Battling loneliness in Japan is highly dependent on what kind of person you are. So you would need to figure this one out. Japan has so many things to do though so get out there!
How can you be contacted for further advice to future expats coming to your area?
If ever you want to contact me, just send me an email at [email protected]. I'll try my best to respond in 24 hours.
Vic is a Filipino expat living in Japan. Blog description: Aims to be a collective of my travel experiences wherever I am. As a Filipino scholar in Kyoto, I also want to share my life experiences through a mixture of writing, photography, and short movie-making.
Inari with my classmates!
Here's the interview with Vic...
Where are you originally from?
I am originally from the Pearl of the Orient which is the Philippines. Manila, to be specific.
In which country and city are you living now?
I am now living in Kyoto, Japan.
How long have you lived in Japan and how long are you planning to stay?
I have been living here for about 8 months already and will stay here for about 16 months more.
Why did you move to Japan and what do you do?
I moved here because of a generous offer to study in Japan. I am currently an MBA student.
Did you bring family with you?
No, I live alone.
How did you find the transition to living in a foreign country?
The first month is probably the most painful one. I did not know how to read nor speak Japanese and that was very frustrating. After a couple of months, gravity sets in and I became more comfortable. Living and touring are two very different things.
Was it easy making friends and meeting people; do you mainly socialise with other expats?
It was quite hard given the language barrier. Luckily, the school I'm in offers a lot of language exchange programs so it was easier to make friends after enrolling into that. Most of my classmates and colleagues in school are expats so it is very easy to socialize with them.
Kyoto from above!
The best thing to do here is to relax. If you're into living in the perfect balance between city life and the relaxed life, Kyoto is your city. Temples, shrines, and mountains should keep your personal harmonies healthy.
What do you enjoy most about living in Japan?
I enjoy reading books by the Kamo river or on top of Mt. Daimonjiyama. Biking all over the city is such a wonderful thing as well. The Japanese people and culture are very interesting too!
How does the cost of living in Japan compare to home?
It does not even come close. Compared to the Philippines, living in Japan costs about 3-5x more.
Baseball!
Probably the language? But it's very fun to learn though! Imagine all the Japanese anime and great movies you could watch. Not to mention having Japanese friends!
If you could pick one piece of advice to anyone moving to Japan, what would it be?
Try to learn how to speak basic Japanese first.
What has been the hardest aspect to your expat experience so far?
I would say the daily struggles of living alone is probably the hardest part. Next would be, studying the language.
When you finally return home, how do you think you'll cope with repatriation?
Repatriation would definitely be an issue. The transition from a developing country to one of the most developed countries in the world was hard. But I think repatriation will be even harder since you have been part of a highly-developed society for a considerable amount of time.
- Try your best to learn basic Japanese before coming here. If you could manage to enroll yourself in classes, that would be fantastic. It will solve a lot of the early problems.
- Go around Japan! It is such a beautiful country! Personally, I recommend the countryside. All the cities are the same.
- Japanese food is so delicious but can be relatively very expensive as well. So eat wisely!
- Japan is a very active country. As an expat, running, hiking, and biking are awesome ways to explore cities while keeping fit!
- If you are studying in Japan, participate in language exchange programs as much as you can. Your Japanese network will directly increase.
Battling loneliness in Japan is highly dependent on what kind of person you are. So you would need to figure this one out. Japan has so many things to do though so get out there!
How can you be contacted for further advice to future expats coming to your area?
If ever you want to contact me, just send me an email at [email protected]. I'll try my best to respond in 24 hours.
About the author
Vic is a Filipino expat living in Japan. Blog description: Aims to be a collective of my travel experiences wherever I am. As a Filipino scholar in Kyoto, I also want to share my life experiences through a mixture of writing, photography, and short movie-making.
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