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 job first, then relocate with company support. It also answers a very real question people don’t talk about enough: even when the big things go well, the “small setup problems” can still surprise you.
1. Could you tell me a little about your background? Where are you from, what did you study, and so on?
“I’m from Southern California, and I used to work as a graphic designer.”
2. What was it that drew you to Japan?
“I had lived in Japan for a short period many years ago, and fell in love with the lifestyle here. It was a place I considered moving back.”
“I was able to find a great organization here to work for, and moved back last year.”
3. What was the moving process like for you?
“I’m so grateful my work helped with much of the moving process! They helped me look for an apartment and recommended a few areas to live in that would be convenient.”
“When I arrived, I was able to settle into my apartment with some rental furniture to start with, while I got settled in.”
4. Did you encounter any difficulties when moving into an apartment in Tokyo? What were they? How did you overcome them?
“The only difficulty I remember encountering was setting up WiFi for my apartment. When the technician came to set up the router, I learned that my apartment could not accept that kind of router, so I had to return it and begin a new WiFi process.”
“Thankfully my Japanese friend was able to help me with translation and understanding the issue, and I purchased a new WiFi plan.”
5. What were some nice surprises you encountered when moving?
“The rental furniture was a great help while I was setting up my apartment.”
“I also found that shopping for furniture and appliances was relatively easy at stores like Nitori and Labi1.”
6. What advice would you give to people in a similar situation to yours?
“Having Japanese speakers who you can ask for help from is a life saver! Also, be prepared for many overwhelming decisions as you settle into a new life here.”
“However, those times will pass as you adjust and create a life you really enjoy in Japan.”
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Final thoughts
Lauren’s move shows a practical version of how to move to Japan that can reduce stress: relocating with employer support, moving into an apartment with rental furniture, and building your setup gradually. But it also shows something important—Japan is smooth in many ways, yet one small thing like WiFi can become surprisingly complicated without language support. If you prepare help in advance and accept that the first weeks include lots of decisions, the move becomes much easier—and eventually, it starts to feel like home.
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