Welcome back to another episode of the KoreKara Podcast. In this episode, we speak to John, a veteran English Teacher in Japan who has been living there since initially coming over as a study abroad student. However, it hasn't been all fun and games for John since coming back to Japan as a worker. He has had to face the reality of living in Japan alongside the weight of a culture that shuns individuality.
About John:
Splitting time growing up in Chicago and Phoenix, Arizona, John had spent most of his life in the United States. He was always curious in exploring new countries and cultures, but never got the chance to live elsewhere. It wasn't until his senior year of university where he finally had the opportunity to live in a different country which came in the shape of a study abroad program to Japan.
Living in a new country for the first time didn't come easy for John. After spending his entire life somewhere else, it was a little bit overwhelming having to adjust to numerous cultural differences. Especially, when the country he was in spoke a completely different language. However, all these obstacles didn't stop him. Instead, he took it upon himself as motivation to improve his language skills and explore this new country. With his comedic personality and sincere attitude, he quickly made more and more friends and enjoyed the most out of each day. Slowly but surely, this completely foreign place started to feel a little bit more like home. But, this idea of a home away from home solidified when he met the love of his life. It was at that moment, he knew he was coming back to Japan. No matter what it took.
His return back to Japan, however, was a different story. With limited job opportunities to come back, John took up a position as an Assistant Language Teacher (ALT) at an elementary school (through a dispatch company). This proved to be one of the most difficult experiences he faced, as he had to deal with Japanese societal pressures, Japanese working culture, poor treatment from dispatch companies, alongside many other issues all at the same time. However, he was able to persevere with the help and support of his now wife, and becoming an even stronger person out of it. Despite still having to deal with the many realities of living in Japan as a foreigner, John has a positive outlook moving forward and is excited to pursue new opportunities with the vast amount of experience under his belt.
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