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Oct 11, 2025

Are you happier in Japan than your home country?

Saw a list today via TimeOut which covered their "Happiest Cities" for 2025. (https://www.timeout.com/news/the-20-happiest-cities-in-the-world-in-2025-according-to-locals-101025) A couple of cities in my home country made the Top 20 (Melbourne and Sydney), but Japan was noticeably absent. It got me thinking. Would you say you're happier here than you were in your country of origin? Would love to hear your arguments for or against, and why that's the case.

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genkidesu

genkidesu

Love to travel, interested in J-beauty products and consider myself a convenience store snack aficionado. Navigating the ever-present challenges of expat life, particularly about my TCK's (third culture kids).

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3 Answers

  • BigfamJapan

    BigfamJapan

    on Oct 12

    Very interesting that the rankings are very different to the Happy City Index. I'm happy wherever I am so long as I have some of my family with me - being an International Family means we never have our whole family in the one place at the same time! I have really great friends in Japan, but I miss my lifetime friends from childhood / teenage years when I am there. There are pros and cons to both, but I don't feel overwhelmingly that I am happier in one over the other. I am probably most myself in the city I grew up in though - Dublin.

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  • genkidesu

    genkidesu

    on Oct 12

    @BigfamJapan I really like how you said that you're happy wherever you have your family with you! That's what makes a place feel like home, I think, and provides that stable base feeling no matter where you're located in the world.

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  • TonetoEdo

    TonetoEdo

    19 hours ago

    I meditate on this question often. Sometimes ruminate... No city in Canada, my native country, made the list. I'm not surprised. Cost of living and a tight employment market in some sectors make Canadian cities unappealing, no matter how beautiful and rich in culture. I'm spoiled here - decent income in a field with stable employment, a decent cost of living, and chances to connect with amazing people, both foreign and Japanese. I also have some agency here, even as a non-citizen, thanks to initiatives of prefectural and municipal government projects that welcome my input.

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3 Answers

Are you happier in Japan than your home country?

Saw a list today via TimeOut which covered their "Happiest Cities" for 2025. (https://www.timeout.com/news/the-20-happiest-cities-in-the-world-in-2025-according-to-locals-101025) A couple of cities in my home country made the Top 20 (Melbourne and Sydney), but Japan was noticeably absent. It got me thinking. Would you say you're happier here than you were in your country of origin? Would love to hear your arguments for or against, and why that's the case.

genkidesu

genkidesu

on Oct 11

1 Answer

Do you see dekotora in recent years?

I feel like in the last 20 years I see dekotora less and less. The only place I see dekotora regularly now is at two festivals I tend annually where they have a dekotora display. But the number of dekotora participating in those events also seems to be dwindling in recent years. So my question; do you still see dekotora in the wild, so to speak? Or do you only see them at special events?

BigfamJapan

BigfamJapan

on Oct 10

3 Answers

If not Japan, where else?

Several of my expat friends here have also lived in other countries outside their passport country -- not just Japan! If you had to pick another country to be an expat in outside your home country (and not including Japan, of course), is there anywhere that sounds appealing? Let me know where and why! I'm personally really interested in Finland! I've heard that the work culture there is very good and there are lots of good social support programs, which I think make the integration process easier!

genkidesu

genkidesu

on Oct 10

3 Answers

All about drones

Do you own a drone? Have you ever used a drone in Japan? Do you know the drone regulations in Japan? My two cents on the future of drones; https://www.city-cost.com/blogs/BigfamJapan/G0oer-living_tokyo

BigfamJapan

BigfamJapan

on Oct 8