Home Everyday Life Community Communities/Associations & Family Clubs

Communities/Associations & Family Clubs

Adjusting to Japan

Life in Tokyo can offer many wonderful experiences and opportunities. A good attitude more than anything else will help you get through some of the difficulties that come with living in any foreign country, especially one where you cannot speak the language. Once the children are comfortably settled into a routine at school, they will probably quickly make friends. Becoming involved and making friends of your own will make your stay more pleasant.

A good way to make friends and to learn your way around is to volunteer for a worthy cause. There are many volunteer organizations advertising for people in the local newspapers and magazines. Churches also offer volunteer and support activities for expatriates.

Your greatest difficulty will centre on not being able to speak or read Japanese. Most bills, invoices, shops and public transport signs are in Japanese. Communicating with the local people, who will try to understand you, is difficult. Prices are very high and once the expression "Tokyo's so expensive" is out of your vocabulary, life takes on another meaning. Japan tends to be very bureaucratic and routine. Getting things done, following the proper established procedures and handling unusual requests or matters can be time consuming, frustrating and often unsuccessful. Considering all of this, in spite of the challenges of living in Tokyo, most expatriates are sad when their assignments are up. Here’s some links of clubs and societies below:

American Chamber of Commerce

Foreign Correspondents Club of Japan Foreign

Executive Women of Japan (FEW)

College Women's Association of Japan (CWAJ)

Ikebana International

Women's Society

Tokyo International Players

Tokyo International Singers

Tokyo American Club

Tokyo Lawn Tennis Club

Yokohama Country & Athletic Club