Meet Jacob, originally from China, who moved to Tokyo to do a Master’s in Marketing Development with a focus on cosmetics. Today, work continues in the same world. Jacob now works at a cosmetics trading company, handling sales and product development, and the busiest season is the annual beauty trade shows.
Tokyo was chosen for a simple mix of reasons: the desire to live abroad, the appeal of a different culture, and the fact that Japan felt close to home and good value for money. In this interview, Jacob shares what the move really looked like from overseas apartment searching to the shock of the first night in an empty room, plus the practical advice that would have saved a lot of stress.
Interview
1. So who are you, and what brought you to Tokyo in the first place?
Sure! My name is Jacob, and I’m originally from China. I came to Japan to do my Master’s in Marketing Development, specifically focusing on the cosmetics field. Right now, I’m working at a cosmetics trading company where I handle sales and product development. My busiest time of year is definitely during the annual beauty trade shows!
It’s a very Tokyo kind of path: study, specialize, then end up working in an industry that’s huge here. The cosmetics focus also explains why Tokyo makes sense as a base. It’s competitive, but it’s full of opportunities if you’re in the right field.
2. Why Japan, and why Tokyo?
I always knew I wanted to go abroad to experience a different culture and lifestyle. Out of all the options, I chose Tokyo because Japan offers great value for money and it’s actually quite close to home, which made it the perfect fit for me.
Tokyo wasn’t chosen randomly. It was practical. Close enough to home to feel manageable, but different enough to feel like a real “new life.” And compared to some other global cities, it still feels like you can build a life here without it being impossible financially.
3. What was the moving process like, especially finding housing from overseas?
It was quite a process! I started by contacting real estate agents in Japan while I was still overseas. I looked at tons of photos, but it was tough because there aren’t many apartments that allow foreign tenants. Plus, since I wasn’t in the country yet, my “credit” was lower in their eyes, which limited my options even more.
That’s the hard part people don’t always realize before arriving. When you’re overseas, you’re not only “a foreigner,” you’re also someone with no Japan-based history yet. That makes the options feel narrower, even if you’re ready to pay.
I got lucky and found a great, affordable place in Nerima, though I did have to pay the standard key money and deposit.
So the apartment did happen, but not without the usual upfront costs that surprise a lot of newcomers.
4. What do you remember most about arriving in Tokyo for the first time?
I still remember my first day in Tokyo. My Japanese was pretty rough back then! I was dragging three huge suitcases and a ukulele, traveling three hours by train from Narita Airport. A really kind Japanese local eventually helped me find my station. Looking back, I still can’t believe I pulled it off, haha!
That first-day image is so real: exhaustion, heavy luggage, confusion, and then one stranger being kind enough to save the day. It’s also a reminder that “arriving” isn’t the same as “settling.” Sometimes arriving is just surviving the route from the airport.
The first win is simply making it to the apartment door.
5. What was the biggest shock once you actually moved into the apartment?
The biggest shock was the very first night. My agent met me at a cafe near the apartment at 9:00 PM to sign the contract and collect the fee. When I finally walked into the room, it was completely empty, literally nothing. I didn’t even have a futon or a blanket, so I spent my first night in Tokyo shivering under my heavy coat!
It’s funny now, but that moment hits hard when you’re living it. You finally arrive, you’re exhausted, and then you realize your “home” is an empty box. No bedding, no curtains, nothing.
My agent was actually really helpful, though. He helped me set up the electricity, water, and gas, but since the water heater wasn’t ready yet, I didn’t even have a hot shower that first night.
So even with help, comfort took time. The first night wasn’t “Tokyo dream,” it was “Tokyo initiation.”
6. Was there anything that surprised you in a good way, or at least taught you something fast?
Actually, the biggest “surprise” (or learning curve) was the train system coming from Narita. It is incredibly complex! Even if you do your research beforehand, if your Japanese isn’t great, the trains can be a nightmare for a newcomer.
The “surprise” wasn’t something cute or charming. It was a system lesson. Tokyo trains are amazing once you understand them, but arriving from the airport with luggage and limited language skills is the worst time to learn.
My advice for anyone arriving for the first time: just take the airport bus directly to the city center. It’ll save you a lot of stress!
This is the kind of advice that sounds too simple until you’ve suffered through the alternative.
7. What advice would you give to someone moving to Japan alone for the first time?
I’d definitely recommend staying in a school dormitory or a share house for your first few months. Having roommates you can turn to for help makes a world of difference when you’re navigating all those initial problems.
Living alone is a great challenge for self-growth, but it’s tough, so, good luck to anyone starting that journey!
It’s honest advice. Living alone can be empowering, but at the very beginning, having people around you makes everything easier: figuring out utilities, buying essentials, understanding the neighborhood, even just having someone to ask “is this normal?”
Independence is great, but support is priceless in the first month.
Final thoughts
Jacob’s story is a reminder that moving to Tokyo is rarely “smooth,” especially when it’s done from overseas with limited Japanese. Finding an apartment is hard, arriving is exhausting, and the first night can be surprisingly rough. But it also shows how quickly you learn here, and how far a little support, a helpful agent, or even a kind stranger at a station can go.
