Not trying to be negative. I just want honest opinions.
Online videos always show the good side, but I want to know what was actually difficult after arriving in Japan.
Was it:
language?
work culture?
loneliness?
salary vs living cost?
bad company?
long hours?
And if you had the chance again, would you still come?
Anonymous
I work at a food factory in Saitama.
Honestly, the work itself is not complicated, but it’s repetitive and tiring. We stand almost the whole shift, and during busy seasons overtime can be 2–3 hours a day.
The hardest part for me was not the job. It was:
- cold environment
- early morning shifts
- fast work speed
- body pain for the first month
But after a while your body gets used to it.
Anonymous
I don’t regret coming, but I regret not preparing more before coming.
The hardest part was language. At work, people speak fast and use many words that are not in textbooks. Even simple things like reporting a mistake or asking about a shift change were stressful at first.
Salary is okay if you live carefully, but it is not “easy money.” Rent, food, phone, insurance, tax, and sending money home add up quickly.
If I could choose again, I would still come, but I would study more Japanese before arriving.
Anonymous
I don’t fully regret it, but Japan was harder than I expected.
The company was not bad, but the work culture was strict. You must be on time, follow small rules, report everything, and be careful with mistakes. At first I felt like I was always being watched.
Loneliness was also difficult. After work I was too tired to go out, and on holidays I just slept.
I think SSW can be good, but people should not believe only social media. It is real work, not a dream life.
Anonymous
I came to Japan under SSW in accommodation.
I don’t regret it, but the first 6 months were very hard. The job was not only cleaning rooms. Sometimes we had to help in restaurant, laundry, and guest service too.
The difficult parts were:
language with customers
very polite Japanese
standing and walking all day
changing shifts
not having many friends nearby
The salary is better than my home country, but after rent and living cost, it is not as much as people imagine.
Still, I would come again because I learned many things and I can support my family. But I think people should come with realistic expectations.
Anonymous
For me, the biggest problem was the company, not Japan.
Some companies are good, but some only care about having workers. Before signing, please check:
how many overtime hours
dorm fee
deductions from salary
whether paid leave is easy to use
who helps when there is a problem
whether other foreign workers already work there
I changed company once, and my life became much better.
So I don’t regret coming to Japan, but I regret trusting the first company too easily.
Anonymous