Why did you come to Japan?’ This is a question that many foreigners living in Japan have probably been asked numerous times. It comes up when making new friends, during school admissions or job interviews… Common answers might be ‘I wanted money’ or ‘I was interested in Japan,’ but my reason isn’t so specific, so I always have to explain a lot. Moreover, my Japanese is not very clear, so explaining can be a bit difficult. However, since my teacher will correct this essay, it will surely become easier to understand.
So, I’ll answer this question now.
In fact, there wasn’t a special reason why I came to Japan. I am Venezuelan, but before coming to Japan, I was living in Peru. As the economy in Venezuela is very bad, people who can live abroad move to other countries. So, when I had the chance to move to Peru, I decided to do so. My goal in Peru was to work hard, save money, and gain experience, planning to immigrate to Canada after a year.
However, while working in Peru, I met a Venezuelan living in Japan. It had been about six months since I came to Peru. I got along well with this person as we often worked together. A year and a half later, when I was thinking of moving to Canada, he asked, ‘Why don’t you come to Japan?’ I answered, ‘I’d like to, but I don’t know Japanese, Japan is very far, and I don’t know anyone there, so it seems difficult.’ He said, ‘Don’t worry. I’m here, I’ll help you.’ After discussing with my family, I made a positive decision a month later.
Thus, he helped me prepare for moving to Japan in various ways. And so, I came to Japan.
Whether to seize an opportunity or not is up to you. I seized the chance, but what about you?