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Becky Gillespie is originally from the US, but has been living in Tokyo for 10 years. As part of our pre-Japan preparation, we wanted to interview her about life in Japan.
Becky first traveled to Japan to teach English through a company called Nova, and at that point, she had only planned one year in Japan. One year turned to two, and then after a couple of years she made the transition into accounting. Now, she has made the transition back to teaching in a different capacity, and got her permanent residency in Japan.
On this episode, Becky shares what first brought her to Tokyo, what her life has been like in Tokyo over the last 10 years, what she has learned about Japanese culture, what she loves about living in Japan and what has kept her there. Becky also gives tips and recommendations for first time visitors like us, and much more!
If you are planning a trip to Japan, or curious what life as a foreigner is like in Japan, you don’t want to miss this episode.
Enjoy!
What we talk about:
- What brought Becky to Japan 10 years ago
- Teaching English with Nova (a company that still exists but famously went bankrupt)
- Why you should watch “Lost in Translation” before a trip to Tokyo!
- What it was like to first arrive in Japan with no idea what to expect and no Japanese language skills
- What teaching English in Tokyo was like
- A few interesting cultural things that Becky learned in Japan
- Reverse culture shock returning to the US
- What it’s like to get a work visa in Japan
- Making a career transition and getting permanent residency
- A love of karaoke
- Learning the 3 alphabets that make up the Japanese language
- “Sumimasen”
- Japan is a diverse country with 70% mountains, snow-capped mountains, and beaches
- Places you should visit in Japan: Tokyo, Kyoto, Hiroshima, Okinawa, Miyajima, Hokkaido
- The challenges of being a part of Japanese culture as a foreigner
- Why a neighborhood can make or break your life in city like Tokyo
- Skip the robot restaurant, and do something different with your time and money! 😉
- Why you should get a JR pass before your trip!
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Music Credits:
www.bensound.com
Connect with Becky:
Photos of Becky in Japan:
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