Honest turning points from the international community in Japan.
Meet Chris Zhang, who chose to study in Japan for one clear reason: the culture. Chris didn’t come because family was already here. The decision came from curiosity about Japan’s way of life and the desire to experience it directly, not just through travel or media. In this interview, Chris shares what it felt like
Meet Lauren H, originally from Southern California and previously working as a graphic designer. After spending a short period living in Japan years ago and falling in love with the lifestyle, Lauren returned to Japan last year after finding a great organization to work for. Lauren’s story shows one of the smoothest paths: get a
Meet Hien, originally from Vietnam, who has lived in Japan for about one year. While studying, Hien started working part-time in Japan at a coffee shop as a barista. It’s a very real “starter job” path for students and new arrivals looking up work in Japan or jobs in Japan because it’s accessible, it fits
Meet Danmarl Butad, originally from the Philippines, who began his journey to study in Japan through family. Instead of coming through a long scholarship process or a study-abroad agency, Danmarl’s path started with a family move and that support made the landing in Japan feel much more stable. Still, even with that advantage, studying in
Meet Long, a Vietnamese student who chose to study in Japan because it offered something that felt rare: a strong education system at a more affordable cost, plus the chance to study in English while still living in a Japanese environment every day. Long’s story is especially relatable for people who want to know how
Meet Danmarl, originally from the Philippines, who has lived in Japan for six years. Danmarl did middle school and high school in Japan, which made daily life here feel more familiar compared to someone arriving for the first time as an adult. Today, Danmarl works in Japan as a software engineer—one of the most common
Meet Danmarl Butad, originally from the Philippines. Danmarl didn’t move to Japan alone as an adult he moved here with his parents and ended up doing middle school and high school in Japan. Today, he works in Japan as a software engineer, but his moving journey story starts much earlier: with family, school life, and
Meet Hien, originally from Vietnam, who moved to Japan to study at a Japanese language school. The decision came from two places: wanting to learn Japanese seriously, and a long-time love of anime that made the language feel more personal. Hien’s move was smoother than many newcomers because a language school agency in Vietnam supported
Meet Hien, a Vietnamese student who chose to study in Japan after starting Japanese at a language school back home. Hien didn’t begin with a complicated “master plan.” The first step was simple: learning Japanese in Vietnam, then using the school’s study abroad support to turn interest into a real move. In this interview, Hien
Meet Issa, originally from Kilimanjaro, Tanzania, raised in Arusha City, who came to Japan through a rare full scholarship route and later built a long academic path here—bachelor’s, master’s, and a PhD in Agricultural Science. Issa’s story is a powerful example of moving to Japan through education, and what happens after arrival: culture shock, language
Joyn Academy
Live lessons from Tokyo-based licensed native teachers. Small groups, and Japanese you can actually use at work, school, and in daily life.
Explore Joyn AcademyPractical reading for decisions you should not leave to chance.
A driver spent a week cruising Hokkaido and called it the most relaxing road trip of his life. Another took a mountain route from Kusatsu to Kanazawa and described it as “like being dialled into an F1 race car.” Both were experienced drivers. Both were in Japan. Both are right. Honestly, driving in Japan is
People who went to Japan five years ago will tell you cash is king. People who went last month will tell you they barely touched a note. Both are telling the truth, they just had different trips. The honest answer for 2026 is this: Japan has changed significantly. Most major establishments in cities now accept
Sheila Cliffe is a longtime kimono researcher and the author of Kimono Style. In her new book, The Kimono Closet, she looks beyond kimono as fashion or art objects and instead explores their deeper place in family life, memory, and identity. She spoke with JoynTokyo to give us an exclusive look at the new book,
Driving in Japan may not be the first thing you think of when considering moving here. Even if you already live in Japan, you may not think about driving much if you live in a big city with convenient access to trains and buses. But, it’s a useful skill to have, and almost certainly essential
Japan exports two things that the rest of the world cannot seem to get enough of: technology and philosophy. The technology is obvious. The philosophy is subtler, but arguably more influential. Words like ikigai, wabi-sabi, and kaizen have migrated into business books, wellness retreats, design studios, and everyday conversation far beyond Japan’s borders. They appear
Greenery Day (みどりの日, Midori no Hi) falls on Monday, May 4, 2026 — right in the middle of Golden Week, Japan’s longest holiday stretch. Combined with the surrounding holidays and weekend, most workers get a solid block of consecutive days off. If you’re living in Japan or planning to be here during Golden Week, here’s
You have been studying Japanese for months. Your grammar is solid. Your vocabulary is growing. And then a Japanese colleague says 「七転び八起き」 and everyone in the room nods knowingly while you smile and nod along, understanding not a single thing of what just happened. This is the idiom problem. And it is one of the
A New Zealander moves to Tokyo, hops on a bike, and immediately realises that everything they knowknew about cycling is useless. Roads are narrower. Sidewalks are fuller. Mamacharis barrel around blind corners with toddlers in the back seat and zero regard for oncoming traffic. Elderly women cycle the wrong way down one-way streets at a
If you’ve been in Japan long enough, you’ve probably wondered whether going freelance is worth it. More money, more freedom, no boss breathing down your neck. It sounds obvious until you realize the system here works very differently from back home. Japan now has roughly 13 million freelancers, a market worth over ¥20 trillion. And
What is Mushin? Mushin (Pronunciation: moo-sheen・Japanese: (無心) is a concept that you can find in many areas of life, as well as in spiritual practice. It means the relinquishing of your logical mind and your ego, so that you’re only left with your spirit without anything else getting in the way. As adults, we are
