Americans moving to Japan for safety and affordability
![[Post New]](/jforum/templates/default/images/icon_minipost_new.gif){kind=icon}
Anonymous
|
https://www.businessinsider.com/americans-moving-to-japan-safety-affordability-2023-7
The number of Americans living in Japan has grown slightly from 2020 to 2022, from 57,214 to 60,804. Some Americans cite Japan's cheaper healthcare and greater affordability as reasons for moving. - She said a lot of the expenses in Tokyo, like groceries, are comparable to the US, but the safety — which was her number one priority — is priceless. "One of my favorite parts about Japan is safety," she said. "I am honestly so appreciative of the ability to be able to live in this safe community." - We have one insurance card and we go to the town hall and get it," he said. "You basically just show that you're a resident of that town and you get handed your insurance card." He recounted a minor surgery he had to remove a cyst on his face. He said all in all it took about 45 minutes and cost some 8,500 yen. - The quality of goods and services in Japan is exceptional," she said. "Japan's public transportation system, in particular, is efficient, clean, and punctual." |
Anonymous
| Anybody who can move to Japan for safety was probably going to be pretty safe in the US |
Anonymous
Not true. Japan is significantly safer in many aspects, including accessibility to healthcare. |
Anonymous
Do you hear that loud whooshing sound? |
Anonymous
| Wow, a whole 60k people per year |
Anonymous
| Yes. My Japanese friends living in the US are thinking of retiring there, specifically for the healthcare. Safety less so, since as PP said, we’re all safety conscious and we’re not going to live without notoriously dangerous parts of the US. But healthcare is a big reason. |
Anonymous
| Excuse above typos! |
Anonymous
| But the tradeoff is employment, housing, transportation, schooling, taxes, language, and a whole host of other factors that collectively don't really make it a good tradeoff to uproot yourself (and family) and move....all bc you feel safer and a mole removal cost 8500 yen? |
Anonymous
not true. Random shootings at malls, churches, schools.. Sandy Hook ES is in a nice CT town. I read another article like this, except it was a man who moved to Spain with his family. Basically same story: it was about safety. They had been visiting Spain from MO, sitting in an outdoor cafe, and not once did they think about a mass shooter. He said in MO, mass shooter thoughts go through his head whenever he's at a large gathering. His wife is a school teacher, and they did not want their kids to grow up doing lockdown drills for shooters. And I totally agree. We went to the UK last year, and not once did we think about mass shootings; whereas, when I now go to the mall, movies, even church here, I think about "what would I do if a mass shooter came right now". What a difference. |
Anonymous
|
Probably many of those 60,000 some Americans living there have some Japanese ancestry or have a spouse who is Japanese. My spouse’s company has a number of people based in Japan, and they all either have Japanese ancestry themselves or their spouse does.
|
Anonymous
whoosh... Feeling and knowing you are safe.. priceless. |
Anonymous
|
So do Americans become ex pats? Then Jap citizens so they can access employment and insurance and housing?
Re: safety - I'd argue the proximity to China, typhoons, tsunamis, and nuclear fallout don't make me feel "safe" so not sure the article covered all aspects. |
Anonymous
Why are people so terrible at estimating risk? |
Anonymous
Really? “Feeling and knowing you are safe” is the absolute only thing that matters to you? The rest of your life can be sub par as long as you “feel safe”? |
Anonymous
| Name one developed country more dangerous than US. This country is wild wild west. shoot anything moves! |