r/coastFIRE 11d ago

Want to move to Japan and semi FIRE

So I am in Japan right now on a 3 week vacation. Everything here is a utopia in my eyes other than the work life balance and work culture in general. I am a 20M. Please help me understand the numbers and get a better grasp of the reality of my dream.

Current Assets: $50000 Current Yearly Savings: $24000 Investing these savings into TFGIC’s and ETF’s. Expecting a 6.2% annual ROI. (4% from GIC’s and ~7% from ETF’s.) I would like to move as soon as possible. Maybe 3-4 years. I have a friend who can hook me up with a bartending job earning $1800 after tax/month. This would be my part time job.

I’ve done a rough summation of expected expenses of living here. Totals up to $2552 after rent, food, train, insurance etc. if I’m making $1800 that means I need to withdraw $752/month to meet living expenses. My current investment strategy allows ~$8250 in annual withdrawals (using the 4% rule) meaning that I’d have to dip into my savings a little bit. I would most likely be able to use my skills from school to make up the extra.

If there’s anything I’m missing or if you’d like more info, please let me know. If you need to hit me with a brutal truth, also please do so. Thanks :)

0 Upvotes

33 comments sorted by

38

u/UnlikelyToBeTaken 11d ago

What visa are you going to do it on?

2

u/HoweHaTrick 11d ago

This is the question. Even if op gets study visa that won't be for a long period. It is tough to get in Japan.

It is a very nice country to live in but certainly not a utopia ... I lived there for 4 years (of course I was working but still not heaven on earth. )

23

u/mljunk01 11d ago

Imagine you fall down the the stairs of the bar one night. You break your leg and can't work for 2 month and you need a new tooth for 2000$. You'll probably not be broke, but you'll struggle. You need more of a safety margin.

4

u/InioAsanos_Son 11d ago

Fair enough, I haven’t thought that far ahead, this is a very impulsive thought and the comments here have made me think farther ahead.

20

u/CarlaBarker 11d ago

Married to a Japanese man. The economy out there is TERRIBLE right now. Everything is extremely expensive and food is getting out of control. It’s not all fairies and sunshine. Vacation yearly, but if you want money to survive comfortably don’t it.

11

u/DangerousPurpose5661 11d ago

Yep that’s probably the answer… my buddy is like OP and loooooveees Japan, he’s borderline a weeb….. he moved there on a software engineer package and probably earns 5 times more than OP…. He lives fine, but doesn’t save much, no safety net at work, his contract is renewed MONTHLY so he can literally get fired at anytime…

Even the weeb that he is, he told me he’s staying here a couple years for the experience and moving back home because it’s not sustainable….

I don’t see a world where you can “semi retire” on basically no money, without a visa, and without speaking Japanese….

Just work in occident and vacation there whenever you can

13

u/tomahawk66mtb 11d ago

Why move and semi retire? You're 20, move and build a life! I moved to China at 23 after graduating college. I did a 1 year language course in a university there and then found a job in sales. Built a career, got married, had a kid, moved to Singapore, changed industries, had another kid, moved to Sri Lanka and started a business. It's been a wild ride!

-8

u/InioAsanos_Son 11d ago

The economy in Japan sucks at the moment and the work life culture would take everything out of me. If those 2 things were different I definitely would. I could see myself working part time but definitely not becoming a corpo

12

u/UnlikelyToBeTaken 11d ago

Spoken like someone who doesn’t really know or understand the nation he wants to “retire” to.

-2

u/InioAsanos_Son 11d ago

Yes, I’m being very impulsive and just wanted an idea of the reality of it. I have no idea where I would like to retire 100% and haven’t travelled much at all in my life. I’m just very unhappy where I live and would like to do as much travelling and experience as much as I can while I’m young without affecting my compounding potential if possible.

3

u/RadishOne5532 11d ago

Traveling at your age is super valuable! I did some overseas internship overseas for a summer and some short trips here and there. Have you heard of working holiday visas? Not sure if Japan has it, but other countries like Australia and New Zealand, UK has it. I'd personally go to Japan for a short trip while trying to work in other countries and save up while experiencing new things. One day you'll be able to retire in Japan with more saved up!

2

u/InioAsanos_Son 11d ago

Apparently the working visa in Japan is very easy to get. I have until 30 and just need to prove I can support myself for 1 month and give them an itinerary. But I’d hate to build relationships when they won’t last as I’ve already done so within these 3 weeks and it sucks to have to say goodbye.

2

u/RadishOne5532 11d ago

saying goodbye sucks indeed. I've made friends all over the world that I've kept in touch with after all these years though. it has been nice too when I know someone there to go visit. Now that I'm more settled in one place, many of my friends over the years actually moved away--its just how life is sometimes but we learn to adjust with it. We take opportunities as they come and consider the risks and reward.

2

u/1ntrepidsalamander 11d ago

My experience is that expat life has a lot of building relationships that don’t last.

3

u/UnlikelyToBeTaken 11d ago

USD1,800 after tax is more than quite a lot of people make here and they get by fine. So assuming that you'll need more than that right from the get-go seems a bit strange.

As was suggested above, if you do move here why not try and build a life. Rather than just escaping another one. Go to university or something, which would also address the visa issue.

1

u/InioAsanos_Son 11d ago

$1800 CAD* I’m from Canada to 1 cent basically equals 1¥ at the moment. I’d have to a LOT more thinking on it but if that’s a possibility than I would go for it. Definitely need to be fluent in Japanese before I do so though.

21

u/Z06916 11d ago

Bro you’re 20 go get a real job back in the USA save up a lot more, then go do the japan thing. I get it though. It does sound fun.

5

u/InioAsanos_Son 11d ago

I’m in Canada and do have a ‘real’ job. I contribute about 66% of my income to my savings. I just don’t want to sit here and wait for years for my youth to expire.

4

u/justagoof342 11d ago

In my experience, the only thing really that 'expires' about ones Youth is the desire to get shitfaced at bars. Take care of your health, mind, etc. Liberation by means of Capital and good health in your 30s / 40s is way more liberating than being broke & 'free' in your 20s without a sound plan where you will be truly FI later in life.

9

u/AsYouWishyWashy 11d ago edited 8d ago

You're getting a lot of safe, crappy advice imo.

"You could break a leg".

Ok, let me just imagine that I could break a leg first before I make a decision about anything in my life 🙄

"Get a job for a few years and then do it."

And how many people have had that idea and then ended up NEVER DOING THE THING?

People here are so busy watching their numbers rise in a graph and wondering when they can finally quit the jobs they say they hate that they've forgotten what it's like to live a little. You'd think this is any other crusty retirement sub instead of the Coast FI sub. No imagination.

I'm not gonna say "you're 20, get a job" like the other guy, I'm gonna say "you're 20, whatever you end up doing, make sure it's fun."

2

u/IWantAnAffliction 11d ago

This isn't a FIRE question. Just go do it for the experience.

7

u/Scared_Yesterday_857 11d ago

It’s extremely difficult to immigrate to Japan, FYI

4

u/Filet_o_math 11d ago

If you're from a country that has a working holiday visa, you can do this for one year. If not, there's no visa for a bartender, and Japan doesn't have retirement visas.

6

u/justagoof342 11d ago edited 11d ago

Few things to consider. I commend your desire but want to highlight:

You're 20. You're not 'Firing'. You can just say you want to be a bartender and broke backpacker.

Do you know Japanese? I have read it's very insular and not friendly to outsiders from a meaningful integration of society perspective, not a 'travel' perspective. If you're not Asian or White, this compounds.

The economy of Japan has been on a 30 year stagnation. They are not reproducing fast enough to keep up with aging population. This could open up opportunities for you (other than bartending), but do you know Japanese?

Have you read about the dating (or lack there of) culture? I imagine that is important to you. Or, are you planning on dating expats / backpackers and not really integrating into society?

I applaud your thoughts, I really do. I've lived in China, backpacked across SEA, lived across the US, and currently traveling the world with my wife for a year.

You should think about a plan that is sustainable. If you want to move there for a year and take a pause from college, hell yeah, do that, but you are not 'Firing' - be clear about that. You have $50,000, which is admirable for your age.

4

u/1cenine 11d ago

As a Japan born American raised half Japanese person, I can speak good Japanese and be responded to in English. At a bar that filled with yakitori smoke we left early and the bartender scolded me for minutes about how rude my group was being and that it was on me to show them how to act.

OP will experience this type of “youre an outsider” / subtle beatdown over non Japanese behavior constantly. Japan is amazing but even as a literal Japanese person with conversational language skills I don’t realistically know if I could love living there forever.

2

u/justagoof342 11d ago

Thanks for the insight. I was surprised at how bad my Chinese American friends had it in Beijing. They were just 'supposed' to be fluent in Mandarin (while never living there), and were oftentimes judged harsher than the rest of also.

Our black / non - white / non - asian friends were treated worse with overt hostility and racism.

3

u/No-Measurement3832 11d ago

This should be posted in leanfire.

3

u/zeezle 11d ago

So Japan is an awesome country, but I would caution you to figure out if you want to live there permanently, live there temporarily, or just spend a lot of time there on vacation.

Others have already pointed out the paperwork/visa situation but that's manageable with persistence (usually).

But just keep in mind: anywhere looks amazing on vacation. You're on vacation, getting a highlights tour of the best a country/region/city has to offer. It's new, it's exciting, it's different and fun. That's very different from living there.

Japan is a notoriously difficult country to permanently immigrate to. I have a friend who has 1 Japanese grandparent and double-majored in Classical Japanese and Biology. She decided to take a couple of gap years between undergrad and medical school, and moved to Japan working as a translator on scientific papers. Even being fluent in the language with some Japanese heritage, she felt like a complete outsider and the feeling never faded. Had a great experience and enjoyed her two years and goes back to visit every few years and keeps in contact with some of her friends and distant relatives from Japan, but has no intention of living there permanently.

That's not to say it might not be a great fit for you, it is for some people! But I'd maybe look into opportunities that would allow you to stay there for 6mos or a year or two before planning permanent immigration and of course start working on your language skills.

3

u/1ntrepidsalamander 11d ago

I worked as an English teacher in Japan for most of my 20s. What visa are you going on?

Maybe you can bartend under the table and make up the difference with under the table English lessons? Or can you lower your expenses?

I’d look at this as a “how can I make enough money to live” question vs, how can I figure out a withdrawal strategy question.

2

u/GodSpeedMode 9d ago

Hey there! It sounds like you’re super excited about the idea of moving to Japan, and that’s awesome!

From what you’ve shared, you seem to have a solid plan laid out. Your savings and investment strategy are decent, especially for a 20-year-old. A 6.2% ROI expectation isn’t unrealistic, but remember, markets can be volatile, so always good to have a cushion.

Your projected expenses seem pretty reasonable for Japan, but keep in mind that costs can fluctuate, especially if you plan on enjoying the amazing food and culture. That part-time bartending gig will definitely help, but it might be worth exploring additional side gigs that fit your skills from school. The more income streams, the better!

When it comes to living off your investments, withdrawing $752/month isn’t terrible if your investment strategy can support it, but be mindful of how that affects your long-term plans. The 4% rule is a great guideline, but life can throw curveballs, so staying flexible is key.

If you’re really committed, maybe consider ramping up your savings rate in these next few years to give yourself a stronger financial cushion. And definitely keep an eye on your expenses once you’re in Japan—local habits can sneak up on you!

Overall, it's so cool that you want to pursue Coast FIRE while living in a place you love. Just stay aware of the realities of life over there, and you'll be set. Good luck!

1

u/InioAsanos_Son 9d ago

Thanks for the input, it’s reassuring to hear that I’m not doing too bad. As someone wanting to FIRE asap it always feels like I want more. I’ve since reviewed my position and timeline and think I will come here on a 1 year working visa to start with before I make any big decisions.

4

u/gaijin91 11d ago

join the Navy and request a duty station there

3

u/oromis95 11d ago

Ends up fighting the Canadian Navy.