Living abroad in Japan has been a dream of mine for years, but I was always somewhat terrified at the idea. The logistics. Culture shock. Missing my family and friends. The language. Moving to another country isn’t for everyone. It’s daunting, uncertain, and by far, the boldest thing I’ve ever done.

Now that I’m here, working, writing, exploring, I’m so delighted I took the leap and made it happen. Even just the daily walks through my neighborhood in North Tokyo are interesting. Everything is new, in reverse, and endlessly fascinating.

An extremely popular food stall, selling karage, yakitori, and other yummy looking things. Haven’t tried it yet because there are countless options for food just within a few blocks of my apartment.

My lucky thrift shop. I found the 1960’s sheath I’m wearing in this video for 100 yen!

I’m part lucky for getting to live here, but it did take a lot of preparation to make the move from San Francisco. I’ll be sharing some tips if you’re thinking about living abroad in Japan. Exploring the little things everyday makes life here so magical. Making a huge change in your life takes work- but it is so worth the effort. In fact, it’s everything.

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