22 Years in Japan: Why This South African Still Wants to Go Home-Ep 87 with James WhelanEp

<p>James Whelan was born and raised in Johannesburg before moving to London in 1998. Five years later, after meeting his Japanese partner, he moved to Japan for what was supposed to be one year.</p><p>More than two decades later, he&#39;s still there.</p><p>James is now married, has three children, works in recruitment and has permanent residency in Japan. But despite building a successful life in Tokyo, he still feels a powerful connection to South Africa and says that if circumstances allowed it, he would move back home tomorrow.</p><p>In this episode, James shares the reality of life in Japan as a South African.</p><p>We talk about moving from Johannesburg to London and then Japan, the culture shock of arriving in Japan, living there without fluent Japanese, finding work, Japanese working culture, raising children in Tokyo, safety, healthcare, the cost of living, public transport, Japanese food and what it feels like to remain a foreigner after more than 20 years.</p><p>We also explore whether Japan has really become home for James, his connection to South Africa and his thoughts about eventually returning.</p><p>_______________________________________________________________</p><p>SABLE INTERNATIONAL</p><p>For over 30 years, Sable International has offered seamless solutions that simplify the complexities of cross-border movement and financial management, so that you can focus on what matters most: building your future beyond borders.</p><p>Find out how Sable International can support your journey:</p><p><a href="https://bit.ly/3R3g1sy" target="_new" rel="noopener">https://bit.ly/3R3g1sy</a></p><p><br></p><p>_______________________________________________________________</p><p>TIMESTAMPS</p><p>00:00 Introduction<br>00:23 Growing up in Johannesburg<br>03:05 Moving to London<br>03:11 From London to Japan<br>05:00 Learning Japanese<br>08:43 Culture shock<br>11:32 Settling into Japan<br>13:00 Permanent residency<br>14:46 His children and South Africa<br>16:23 Working in Japan<br>18:31 Visas and red tape<br>20:23 Japanese work culture<br>24:02 Life in Tokyo<br>25:43 Safety in Japan<br>28:14 Food and adapting to Japanese cuisine<br>31:19 Healthcare<br>33:03 Cost of living<br>35:24 Public transport and cars<br>37:16 Family and leisure<br>40:14 Is Japan home?<br>42:52 What James would tell his younger self<br>45:01 Final thoughts</p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p>CONNECT WITH THE RELOCATED SOUTH AFRICAN</p><p>The Relocated South African is the show for navigating emigration from South Africa for a better future.</p><p><a href="http://www.therelocatedsouthafrican.com" target="_new" rel="noopener">www.therelocatedsouthafrican.com</a></p><p>Listen, subscribe and explore more stories from South Africans around the world.</p><p>If James&#39;s story resonated with you, please share this episode with another South African living abroad.</p>