Job Discussion Forums

[japan_01]

Anybody got any good homesick remedies besides the obvious of throwing it all in...

[Chris21]

Go to Costco or some other foreign food store, and buy loads of food from back home. Surround yourself with bagels, tacos, vegimite, pizza, pork and beans, or whatever comfort food does it for you.

Get satellite TV and high-speed Internet, so you can feel connected. If you don't understand Japanese, but only get Japanese TV, it could be rough (at least it would be for me).

Basically I think turning your apartment into a comfort zone where you can leave Japan at the door is a good strategy.

[Hoser]

I've never suffered from homesickness but I do enjoy listening to my Toronto radio station (Edge 102) stream on my computer.

[Ai]

I recently had a bout of homesickness. I found that calling home too often sort of made it worse. I got over it by trying to make my life here better and trying to get involved with new things. I signed up for more japanese lessons and started going to community events on my days off. Once I stopped dwelling on what I missed about home, things started to look up.

[TK4Lakers]

A lot of people will probably write this, but I'll be the first to....

Try to get involved. Pick up some new hobbies, or search for places you can resume your old ones. Meet new people. Be proactive, friendly, and open-minded.

After the first few months I came here, I started feeling homesick. I felt lonely and lost and missed familiarity, friends, and family back home. But instead of sitting on my butt in my apt (which I did a lot), I decided to go out and see what I can find.

I started up surfing since I'm close to the beach. I found a european-style pub near my apt. I met new people, which led me to meeting more people, and I now tutor people from ES kids to adults out of my apt, and I also teach an adult English class on Saturdays.

Not saying it'll work for you or you should follow my plan, but just letting you know there are remedies =). Good luck!

[luckbox]

I'm of those not prone to homesickness. I left for good reason! However, there certainly were times in my first couple years when I missed my Canada, especially given that ice hockey is almost nonexistent in Asia.

One thing that really helped me stay connected was a mini short wave radio, which allowed me to not only pick up the CBC from back home, but BBC, and just about any other foreign station out there. You get various cultural stuff thru radio: music, news, sports, gossip, etc...., but you also get that all-important human voice. Look into picking a cheap one up at any electronics shop. The same principle applies if you have Internet at home. Sometimes I'm online so long looking at Canadian stuff, I forget I'm in Japan.

Big yes to import food stores.

Otherwise, focus on the activities and things you truly love about Japan and do more of it.

[kdynamic]

Stay distracted and busy. Get laid. Download TV shows from home from the internet. And if none of that works, book a ticket home for a week vacation.

[baasbabelaas]

I'm having some kinda session at the moment - not sure if it's homesickness, more 'thisplacehealthiness'.

I did three years in Taiwan and had my 'I love TW' and 'I hate TW' days, but nothing like this.

I'm in China, in a smallish city.

I don't miss the home country stuff too much, but more the variety, and having options.

One option is 'Big City-ing it' - head to the big lights in JP, or if all else fails a few days in Thailand should sort you out. That's my plan, at least..

[kdynamic]

Dude the Thailand thing totally works. Everyone needs a break from Japan sometimes. Thailand is so laid back - it's the perfect antidote.

[Glenski]

luckbox wrote to stay connected. I agree strongly. You don't have to buy a ham radio to do it, though.

Programs like Skype let you chat live computer to computer for free, and with a cheap web cam, you can have video conversations, too. Huge difference from just hearing someone's voice!! For a small fee, you can use Skype and other programs to call computer to phone, in case those other people don't have a computer.

Keep a blog or journal of some sort. Tell people about it!!! I write a monthly newsletter for friends and family. If nothing else, it educates them about what I see and do, and it gives me a deadline to meet every month.

Above all, don't expect people back home to maintain a strong daily interest in what you do here after the first few months. Their lives go on just as yours does. You are not forgotten, just out of sight, out of mind. It's part of culture shock.

[gaijinalways]

Very true, this out of sight, out of mind concept. Seems to be why some of my students still have culture shock when I come to teach them he's back again)!

I try to call home sometimes, that monthly blog or newsletter is a good idea Glenski.

Also of course, trying to get out usually helps, though I haven't been that good about doing it recently. Of course, the more language you know will make it easier to meet people. Unforunately, I've been a bit disappointed in Tokyo in finding like minded people, maybe just the circles I hang out in.

[callmesim]

Yup, agree. The regular emails from friends and family tend to dry up after about the first month.

I recommend a blog / online journal. It's a way of getting info to all who want it, include pictures to make it more interesting and most of all, it's a great motivator for getting out there and doing things! After all, you don't want you friends and family to think you've gone all that way and life is exactly the same!!

I would also recommend podcasts. There are so many now you're bound to find one by someone you enjoyed back home. It's also a great way of keeping up with local events. You'll be amazed how quickly your knowledge of popular culture from back home decreases!

[JimDunlop2]

I had the good fortune of coming to Japan with my spouse. It made a huge difference, as right there you've got someone off of whom to bounce feelings, experiences and ideas.

I find that having a good balance between "comforts of home" and immersing myself in Japanese culture works best. For instance -- we BBQ steaks. A LOT! Even in the dead of winter. I don't care what my Japanese neighbours think. I invite friends, and if anyone even THINKS of throwing a sliced pumpkin on the grill, I throw them out!

But at the same time, I don't go out of my way to keep up with what's going on at home. Political scandals? Don't care. Election? Don't care. Economy and budget? Don't care. Weather? Don't care. Day-to-day goings-on in my hometown? Don't care. Once I was talking to a Canadian who just arrived in Japan and he was asking me what I thought of Paul Martin as PM and quite literally, my response was, "Paul Martin is PM? Heck, I never even knew there was an election!" I DO know that Harper is PM now -- but the only reason I know that is because it was in the Daily Yomiuri newspaper, which I have been subscribing to for about two years now.

But that's just me. We each need to figure out the best way to cope with our internal demons, and I've only shared (very briefly) what has been sucessful for me.

Homesickness for me is a symptom of two things: 1. having an inability to relate experiences with people similar to myself, and 2. boredom. That's why I was very happy to start skiing again last winter, and doing that with some Canadian, American and Ozzie friends... Right now, on the weekends I'm in the process of pimping my ride. I'm installing a new stereo system complete with two amps, subs, head unit, etc... That keeps me connected with people who are interested in that sort of thing too. When that's all done, I anticipate a road trip or at the very least, a weekend out in Tokyo. I don't know how helpful all this is to you, but so far I think many of the suggestions in the thread so far have been pretty positive.

[canuck]

The key is not being bored. If you're bored, you will get home sick. For some people, heaving drinking is the answer. For some people, it's finding someone to spend the evening with, and heavy drinking. For some, it's the internet. For some, it's playing sports. For some, it's familiar food. For some, it's traveling and getting away for a while and taking advantage of how close Japan is to other asian countries. For some, it's learning Japanese. I think it's a combination of all of the above, but trying not to stay bored.

If the above can't get rid of the homesickness, take a vacation back to your home country. If that doesn't cure it, you aren't meant to be here and throw in the towel.

I think it's a lot easier to be homesick in Japan if you're stuck in the countryside. If you're one of those people, change jobs and move to the city. If you're in the city and stuck in the countryside, and can't find an activity or people that interest you....sayonara!

[Gordon]

Staying busy, like many people have mentioned, is a great idea. Go back to school and get a masters by distance. You will be so tired and be so busy you will forget about "home" for a few years.

Feeling homesick is a natural thing, we all have gone through it or are going through it as it is part of culture shock. Calling home, I have found, always made it worse. Christmas is usually the hardest time. Probably the best and worst Christmas ever for me has been in Japan. You do save lots of money being here then.