Interview three

Anonymous emigrated from Canada to Japan

Why did you leave your country?

I wanted to work as an engineer in a country famous for engineering skills.

What have been other peoples reactions to your arrival in Japan? They’re dishonest, they’re racist, they only care that you’re a foreigner.

Is it hard to cope with cultural differences?

Yes. It is hard to learn the language and not too hard to learn customs, But both of these are irrelevant. The inherent dishonesty both in legal practices and social practices, and the inherent dishonesty both, in legal and social practices, and the inherent racism in both, are far harder to cope with. Besides, even if I could learn the language Well, no one would ever care that I could behave almost like a native. They would only care about my foreignness.

Have you had to learn a new language? What was it like?

Yes. Very difficult

Would you ever go back to live in your old country?

I expect to. Don’t know when. Most of my belongings are still there. I came here to work but didn’t except to spend the rest of my life here. Language housing since most landlords refuse to rent to foreigners.

What has been the best part about emigrating?

Well, if I had not been tricked into leaving the job I came here for, that would have been the best part. Second is that salary minus taxes is still about double what it was in my old country. (Course the cost of living is a lot higher too, but I don’t need to buy a car in order to survive so maybe my cost of living isn’t really higher.)