Hey everyone!

It's been a long time since I shared anything on this blog, and it has a lot to do with what was going on in my personal life as I was visiting India for about 6 months due to medical treatment.

However,  I am finally back in Japan and I have decided to document my life and experiences here under a new series 'TSD Life in Tokyo'. And while I was thinking about what could be the first topic I write upon, the challenges that I faced when I first moved to Japan seemed to be a good starting point.

I moved to Japan with my husband almost 2 years ago, out of which I wasn't here for the most part of this year. It certainly didn't help that we moved here right before the pandemic hit the world, which though didn't impact our move, but impacted our lives here in many ways - especially since we spent a lot of time indoors and didn't get a chance to travel within Japan a lot. 

But well, traveling domestically isn't one of the first challenges that you might face if you are new in Japan. Even though Japan is a fascinating country with unmissable tourist attractions and natural beauty, you may across a lot of culture shocks and unpredictable situations that will make settling down in this country a little difficult.

While I could spend probably a day talking about the challenges I faced when I first came to Japan, here are five major challenges that I think you might also face when you first move to Japan : 

• Language Barrier

When we moved to Japan, my husband's company was kind enough to connect us immediately with an English-speaking agent who showed us two apartments in the first week of our move and we chose the one without any second thoughts (also because she strongly claimed that we would not find a better apartment than that one).

But I was quite surprised about how small the rooms were as compared to the spacious houses and apartments we were used to seeing and staying back in India. 

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The apartments (known as 'apato' or 'mansions' locally) in Japan are abbreviated as 1R/1LDK/1DK - in which the 'digit' refers to the number of bedrooms in the apartment and the 'alphabet' refers to room type (eg. L- living room, D- dining room, K-kitchen). 

These apartments can vary in size from as small as 25 sq.m. to upwards of 100 sq.m(which would be crazily priced). But finding an apartment that has modern interiors, is located in an expat-friendly area, and is not exorbitantly priced could be a tough task to achieve. That's not all, the initial fees involved in booking an apartment can actually burn a hole in your pockets as this would typically include Reservation Fee + Deposit + Key Money + Service fee (and not to forget a lot of paperwork).

Thankfully, there are many real estate agents like KEN Corp, Resident First, etc. that provide English support and can help you find a house that matches your expectations. 

• Opening a bank account

Opening a bank account in Japan not only involved a lot of paperwork but I also found the process to be quite biased. As a foreigner, one is required to submit documents like a resident card, a Japanese health insurance card, and a business card or proof of employment to open an account with any of the major banks in Japan.

If this wasn't all, some banks also have a requirement of having completed at least 6 months of stay in Japan before one's application. And since I wasn't working full-time, I had to wait for six months to be finally able to open a bank account with Sony Bank which is one of the few foreigner-friendly banks in Japan. 

This definitely made things very difficult for me as I couldn't carry out any online transactions or sign up for projects that specifically wanted me to have a Japanese bank card within the first six months of my stay.

• Finding work opportunities

I had decided to leave my full-time job at Tiktok before moving to Japan, and since our move was kinda last-minute (we moved within 3-4 weeks of receiving our visa), I didn't have enough time to look for work opportunities before coming here.

What I wasn't prepared for was that finding a job or even part-time work opportunities are going to be really difficult here, especially considering I had zero Japanese language skills. While there are a lot of open positions here for roles such as English teachers and Engineers that don't require Japanese knowledge, most of the other jobs have a major requirement for native/near-native Japanese skills.

Since most of my work experience revolved around Content & Social media, I couldn't apply for any positions as I had no knowledge of the local culture or language. This made my first few months here really difficult as I often felt lost and dejected, and didn't know which step to take ahead in my career.

When I finally gained some motivation, I decided to pursue freelance writing, and successfully landed writing gigs with websites like Tokyo Weekender, Tokyo Night Owl, and more. While I am glad that my blogging journey and work experience helped me find these opportunities, I would still recommend that you look for a suitable job or at least research the job market before your move, so you don't feel lost and puzzled once you have moved here. 

Finding friends in a foreign land, where you don't even speak the local language is a daunting task. It took me a long while to get used to the fact that I didn't have my friends or colleagues (who made me feel the most comfortable) around me anymore. 

Since I felt too shy to approach any locals fearing that I wouldn't be able to communicate with them, I reached out to a few expat groups on Facebook so that I could connect with like-minded people. But I think making friends is easier when you are a child, as once you are a grown-up you need people that share the same vibe and don't disturb your inner peace.  

It took me about a year to find a few people whom I could trust, but they are definitely the closest people I have in my life now and I am glad I found them along the way. 

So, if you are also facing a tough time making friends in this country, I would say just give it some time - join a club or group of your liking and you'll definitely meet like-minded people sooner or later. 

Till then, make sure you are still in touch with your old friends. After all, if Covid has taught us one thing - it is that distance doesn't matter when it comes to healthy and strong friendships, and how important it is to maintain them.

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Dressing up like a millionaire is not a difficult task. People spend huge amounts trying to look like rich people, but you don’t have to do much. You can stay simple, neat, and clean and carry yourself well. That is how you will also look rich. The millionaires are not only about the brands, expensive clothes, high-end shoes, or expensive jewelry. They are above all these things. They focus on intellect. They focus on how you carry yourself, how healthy you are, and how well-mannered you are. These are some of the basics which will look better and above the rest. The best part is that you don’t have to be a millionaire to look like one.

So to dress like a millionaire, you will have to check out the following tips!

1) Wear Cufflinks

Whenever you wear a suit, always make sure to wear cufflinks. This settles the very slight difference present between a well-dressed and average-dressed man. Make sure never to wear French cuffs without cufflinks. Also, match the buckle of your belt with the cufflinks to give it a proper finish.

2) Statement Bag

You can invest in a statement bag or a briefcase if you want to make an impression and dress like a millionaire. The briefcase and professional-looking bags give an impression of a working brain behind the operation. The Prada handbags have taken inspiration from these briefcases to give women that professional feel.

3) Bespoke suits

The custom-made suits make you look more like a millionaire, but these custom suits do not have to cost you a kidney. You can very well enjoy the rich look by getting a decent suit for yourself. Do try not to look like a regular business person but a millionaire one. Opt for stores that offer good quality fabric and suits at affordable prices. If you wish to spend huge amounts on a suit, then Steve Cohen is your man!

4) Tidy and Shaved

Keeping yourself tidy and shaved at times is one of the very basic rules. You might have never seen a millionaire with a shabby look or out-grown facial hair. The expert says that the CEOs and millionaires normally have a clean shave or well-groomed facial hair. This gives a neat and clean look. You should also follow this!

5) Smell Good

You can never look like a millionaire if you stink. On the other hand, millionaires are always bound to smell good. By the way, it does make sense that rich people will look and smell good no matter what. You should also use fragrances that are concentrated and last longer. One of the best and long-lasting perfumes is Aventus by Creed. Millionaires often use that!

6) Grey is the new black!

The millionaires now prefer wearing grey instead of black. Grey is the new black that millionaires love these days. Ensure that it is not a pale or flashy grey; it should be simply attractive and appealing. Also, the waistcoat must match the suit!

7) The Watch

The best thing you can invest in is the classical watch. This is what you would do for yourself. The millionaires always have a watch in their hand as time matters to them the most. For them, time is money, and they just can’t lose it. You have many options to invest in, such as Breitling, Hublot, Gucci, or Burberry. These brands are highly expensive and they might be difficult to purchase until or unless you have great funds or huge investments, or you might have won an online lottery at Lottoland and received enough funds to buy an expensive watch. It will surely be an investment for the future.

8) Casual Clothing

Casual clothing will not make you look sloppy at all. The millionaires also wear casual clothes over the weekend or on vacations as nobody would want to wear a suit every day. To look like a millionaire, you can wear casual clothes such as jeans and a polo shirt rather than a tank top and shorts.

9) Groomed Nails

A well-groomed person is one of the basic norms of society. If you wish to look like a millionaire, you must always have well-groomed nails and clean hands and feet. Dirty or long nails always give a bad impression. So you should at times be neat and clean whether you want to be a millionaire or not. It is the basic rule for every single person. 

10) Sunglasses

A pair of designer sunglasses will be a win-win situation for you. If you want to look like a millionaire, then you must invest in a pair of sunglasses. They make you look rich, and you make a great statement.