Isn’t the above photo glorious? That’s what I’m hoping to be doing later in 2024.
Japan has become a hugely popular tourist destination this year, with the weakness of the yen making it much more affordable than in the past. When I watch YouTube videos shot in Japan over the course of 2023 I am absolutely shocked at the number of foreigners, not only tourists but (apparently) people living and working in Japan.
In the past, it was difficult to get a work visa in Japan unless you were teaching English. In fact, I’ve seen a number of reports that the way to transition into working in your profession is to first get a job teaching English. I personally think this is questionable advice, as speaking English is not at all the same as teaching it! And teaching is hard, hard work. You may just hate your life if you dive into doing something you have no credentials or enthusiasm for.
[I have a close American friend who has worked full-time as an English teacher for years in a Japanese school, and the struggle is real: Japanese students have to study English in a very tightly scripted, grammar-based way, because that is how they test. I think it’s a very tricky job to transform our naturally spoken and written English into grammar-based curricula such that you get good test results AND usable English at the other end.]
Lots of people go through shenanigans in order to get that coveted work visa because, well, they love Japan. I can’t speak to why or how since I’ve not been there in forever, and since my mom is from Japan I didn’t have a choice about my connection to Japan. But for some reason, foreigners seem to be eager to not only go there, but live there.
Enter the digital nomad visa. A number of countries have this category of visa, which allows someone to live in a foreign country while remote working. There are lots of countries that offer this option, or some version of it. Japan is apparently slated to offer a digital nomad visa at some point also. According to The Japan Times, this type of visa program may be ready to go by the next fiscal year, which begins April 1.
I assume that if this actually happens, Japan will see even more people going to Japan and settling down for awhile. Historically, Japan has not been known to love the idea of permanent immigrants to their country, but maybe this other category of resident will cause them to shift their thinking a little. Japan is struggling with low birth rates and population decline; they need immigrants in order to survive as a nation. However, outside of the big metropolitan cities, foreigners remain intimidating to Japanese, who are notoriously bad at foreign languages and shy about interacting with strangers in general, not just foreigners (this is my own very general observation, if you feel differently, I would love to hear about it).
Maybe things will change if more foreigners with remote jobs spend time in Japan, especially in the countryside. Instead of just hitting the tourist sights in Tokyo and then zipping to Kyoto on the bullet train, someone who is planning to actually live in Japan but doesn’t need to take on the stress of a Japanese workplace (again, from my own observation, Japanese workplaces seem complicated and stressful for us non-Japanese) can enjoy the many wonderful aspects of Japanese culture that you find outside of well-touristed areas. My favorite Japanese activities are seeking out obscure temples and shrines to visit and grocery shopping! If you’re on a packed tourist schedule, these are things you can’t do. And also in my experience, people are more inclined to interact with you as you hesitate over unfamiliar produce at a small vegetable shop or try to figure out how to properly bow and make a shrine offering. These friendly interactions are good for everyone, in so many different ways.
Here are two useful websites if you are curious about digital nomad visas. Many countries have them!
https://citizenremote.com/blog/digital-nomad-visa-countries/
https://nomadgirl.co/countries-with-digital-nomad-visas/
https://nomadlist.com/fastest-growing-remote-work-hubs
I don’t personally feel the urge to relocate to another country, as I have too many ongoing obligations here at home, but I’m generally in favor of more people learning more than stereotypes about any culture, and I think that being able to observe things on your own schedule without the pressure of a limited amount of time and budget is a great advantage to remote work. What do you think?
The emergence of the digital nomad visa reminds me of the working holiday visa, which started in 1980 in Australia. I also used the working holiday visa, but the digital nomad visa has a different impact. You have more choices and freedom. I wish I could enjoy the privilege.
The increase of such people would have a powerful impact on Japan. It has the potential to have a strong influence on tourism in Japan.
"I’m generally in favor of more people learning more than stereotypes about any culture." — Totally agree!