En tant que professionnel britannique de 40 ans vivant à Tokyo, j'ai construit une vie ici au cours des douze dernières années, avec mon séjour actuel qui dure depuis deux ans. Je parle japonais couramment et je possède le certificat N1 depuis dix ans, j'ai bien adapté à la culture locale malgré mon apparence étrangère. Mon parcours professionnel a pris un tournant inattendu lorsque je suis revenu au Japon après avoir travaillé à Calgary pendant la pandémie. Bien que j'aie de l'expérience en informatique, j'ai accepté un poste de bureau pour obtenir une sponsorisation de visa, ce qui limite mon potentiel de revenus à 4 millions de yens par an. Cette décision affecte maintenant mes perspectives d'emploi, car les employeurs citent mon travail récent hors du domaine informatique comme un problème.
Sur le plan financier, je m'en sors mais je me sens contraint concernant la planification future. Bien que j'aie envisagé l'achat d'un bien immobilier au Japon, les incertitudes économiques et l'environnement difficile me font hésiter sur le projet de sédentarisation à long terme. L'alternative de retourner au Royaume-Uni présente ses propres complexités – bien que le logement soit abordable dans ma ville natale, je n'y ai pas vécu depuis vingt-cinq ans et je devrais faire un grand ajustement. La planification de la retraite ajoute une autre couche de considération, car mes cotisations actuelles aux systèmes japonais et britannique ne laissent peu de place à des épargnes supplémentaires ou des investissements comme le NISA. Avec les coûts de vie qui augmentent alors que mon salaire reste stable, je dois évaluer si le retour au Royaume-Uni pourrait offrir plus de flexibilité financière pour la retraite, même si j'admets le risque d'idéaliser cette option.
Your decision should depend on your employability in the UK and the types of jobs you can secure there. Keep in mind that the UK job market is also quite competitive.
Unless you’re a permanent resident, certain you’ll become one soon, or have other strong connections in Japan, I’d recommend leaving. The country doesn’t seem to value foreigners much.
You don’t have to limit yourself to just your current job or a high-paying tech position. Many standard office jobs offer salaries of 6 million yen or more. With that income, you could afford a home and save for a comfortable retirement. Earning 4 million in Tokyo is quite low.
What types of normal office jobs are available at six months without requiring qualifications?
I would also like to know, as the only positions I can find don’t even reach 3 million per year. I also speak Japanese fluently.
Since the UK doesn’t have a totalization agreement with Japan, your time in Japan won’t count toward qualifying for a UK pension. Assuming you didn’t take a lump sum, you have 12 years in Japan, which should provide at least a few thousand yen per month from the Japanese tier 1 pension. Given your professional work history, you’ll likely also receive a tier 2 pension, which is often larger than the public tier 1.
You may also qualify for a small Canadian pension, as you can use your years worked in Japan to meet eligibility requirements, though not the monetary value.
Regarding housing, Japan is significantly more affordable than the UK, with lower crime rates and generally greater safety. Unless you’re earning a very high salary—which seems unlikely—staying in Japan and focusing on your career may be the better option, as the difference in salaries is generally outweighed by the higher cost of living in the UK.
Regarding UK pensions, since you’re making voluntary contributions, you’ll receive a UK pension no matter where you live, provided you’ve paid in enough years. However, if you live outside the UK, it likely won’t increase with inflation.
The UK pension is also frozen for those residing in Japan, though this may not be an immediate concern.
If you can find a workplace where you enjoy the type of work and the people you work with, the rest will often fall into place. Sometimes that means moving around a bit.
When I was 40, I left a senior management role at a high-pressure Japanese company in the U.S. and joined a small six-person research firm. I nearly doubled my salary, earned multiple patents, published work, secured grants, and gained a great deal of professional freedom. That move set me up for a comfortable retirement and eventually allowed me to start my own company.
It sounds like you’re unsatisfied with your current job and salary. Settling will only hold you back. Now is the time to challenge yourself—waiting until you’re 50 will make it much harder to find a good position.