23-year-old American pays $483/month in rent to live alone in Japan: I could never 'afford something like this' in the U.S.

I'd ideate radical usually consciousness anxious astir making a drastic beingness alteration similar picking up and moving to a caller country. But I retrieve sitting successful the airdrome successful Los Angeles, Tony Tony Chopper h2o vessel successful hand, feeling excited and anxious to commencement my caller life. All I could deliberation astir was uncovering a favorite matcha cafe to walk my mornings successful aft touching down successful Tokyo. 

Growing up successful Southern California, I had ever been funny successful Japanese civilization and cuisine. During the pandemic, I became obsessed with anime: the characters who ne'er gave up, the friendships, the quiescent slice-of-life moments. I was infatuated with the dependable of the connection and the minimalist aesthetic. The shows made maine privation to acquisition it each for myself. 

In January 2025, a small little than a twelvemonth aft I graduated from UC Irvine, I boarded that formation to move to Japan. 

I've ne'er been idiosyncratic who followed the "safe path." Even successful college, wherever I studied concern medication and management, I avoided internships that would pb to a 9-to-5 firm career. Deep down, I knew I wanted much state than that.

But state is costly successful America. I was moving 4 jobs aft graduation — arsenic a afloat clip ocular merchandiser astatine Lululemon, proprietor of a tiny sticker business, real property motion manager, and organizational manager astatine a lacrosse club. I felt weighed down by the fiscal unit of conscionable existing. It felt intolerable to beryllium capable to afford rent, wellness care, and different basics without getting a firm job.

So erstwhile I stumbled crossed an advertisement successful June 2024 astir teaching English successful Japan with an Eikaiwa, oregon speech school, I applied connected a whim. I went done an all-day interrogation process and got the job. I didn't hesitate. 

Although they were supportive, everyone astir maine thought I was brainsick for leaving down a seemingly unchangeable beingness successful California. Why wouldn't I privation to beryllium adjacent to household and a semipermanent boyfriend? But Japan had been calling maine for years, and this felt similar my chance. 

Six months of paperwork, packing, and goodbyes later, I was connected my way. 

My flat has plentifulness of earthy airy and adjacent a tatami country (a accepted country with straw mat flooring for beverage ceremonies), conscionable similar the ones I'd seen successful anime. In the U.S., I'd ne'er beryllium capable to spend thing similar this connected my own. In Japan, it felt attainable, adjacent comfortable, connected my 277,500 yen (about $1,800) a period teaching salary.

The outgo of surviving amazed maine successful different ways, too. A filling repast successful Tokyo — similar a accepted teishoku (meal set) with a beef atom bowl, miso soup, eggs, and a drink  — could outgo conscionable 1,000 yen (about $6), compared to the $20 I was utilized to paying successful California. My institution covered my commuting costs and groceries didn't interruption the bank. For the archetypal time, my basal needs were covered without maine perpetually worrying. 

Teaching was ne'er my passion, though. It was an "in" that allowed maine to determination to Japan, and for that I'll ever beryllium grateful. But aft astir six months, I realized I wanted thing different.

Now I marque societal media contented for a connection app for $175 a week and enactment arsenic a freelance integer selling adjunct for $25 an hour. The fig of hours for the second has varied truthful far from astir 50 successful August to 3 successful September erstwhile we were successful betwixt clients to 22 successful October, since I traveled to Hawaii and Okinawa that month.

Being present has freed up not conscionable money, but intelligence space. I tin absorption connected pursuing hobbies similar creating contented astir moving abroad, going to the gym, studying Japanese, and connecting with locals, alternatively of ever stressing astir however to marque ends meet.

And I miss my friends and household backmost successful California. There are days erstwhile I consciousness the sting of loneliness contempt being surrounded by millions of people. I'm an extrovert, but adjacent for maine it tin get tiring to spell retired of my mode to flooded the connection obstruction and marque friends. 

These struggles person made maine much autarkic and patient, though. And erstwhile I descent the doorway unopen connected my tatami country and measurement retired of my flat each morning, I consciousness a premix of belonging and gratitude. This is my accidental to unrecorded the beingness I dreamed astir portion watching anime arsenic a teenager. 

I don't cognize however agelong I'll enactment successful Japan. But for now, I'm cherishing each moment. I consciousness similar I'm precisely wherever I'm expected to be.

Ashley Peters is simply a integer creator and selling adjunct based successful Japan, sharing stories astir beingness abroad, connection learning, and originative growth. Follow her travel connected YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram.

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