Living in Japan can be an incredible, challenging, confusing, and deeply rewarding experience.

After 13 years in Nagoya (and my first stay over 25 years ago in Osaka), I’ve learned one thing: your mindset matters more than anything else.

In today’s video, I share some factors that have influenced how I perceive Japan, from language ability to open‑mindedness to one of my favorite Japanese concepts: 守破離 (shuhari) — the journey from following rules → learning how to bend them → eventually innovating on your own.

For the first time, I also talk about something I’ve quietly observed. Japan often judges effort and improvement, not absolute ability. It’s a different way of looking at people.

Whether you’re thinking of moving to Japan, already live here, or are just curious about the culture, I hope this video gives you something real to reflect on.

And stick around for the Word of the Day at the end, today’s word is a good one.

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