My name is Erika Castro, and I am currently an ALT working out of the gorgeous prefecture of Hokkaido, Japan. I’m 24 years old and I have a lot of interests, some of which include fashion, travel, art, literature (especially fiction), anime, language studies, dance, and martial arts. I have a bachelor’s degree in English and Psychology, and as a matter of fact, reading and writing have been a massively influential part of my life for as long as I can remember. I can confidently say that I’ve read about a thousand books in my lifetime. Even then, it still doesn’t feel like enough, as my list only continues to grow as I get older and become more and more exposed to “must-read” titles. I have a deep appreciation for words, literature, and the English language, and so the idea of playing a role in someone else’s English learning journey was an idea that excited me. I have a serious passion for travel, and I thought that teaching English in another country might be the perfect way to combine two of my loves. It was just over a year ago now that I received my degree in English and made the choice to take a year after my studies to teach the language in the country of my dreams, Japan.
When I decided to take this step and move across the world, I actually had no guidance or any idea as to where I should start. I didn’t know anyone in my social circle who had done this before, specifically in Japan, which is known for being considerably more strict with the visa process than some other popular English-teaching destinations. So I turned to Google to do some research and was guided to XploreAsia, who has honestly made the process a lot smoother than it might’ve been had I not done so.
I guess you could say that the reason I chose a company to help me with the move instead of going alone was that I really wanted to make sure that, since it was a serious matter that involved government documents and had no room for errors, I could entrust the responsibility to those who had the experience and knowledge necessary to help me achieve my goals.
I arrived in Japan on March 24, 2023 in Tokyo, where I then caught a train to Sendai, Miyagi to complete my orientation and initial training with the company I was placed at. I was then placed in a small town by the name of Fukagawa, which has a population of about 20,000 people. As someone who has grown up in a city her whole life, living in a small town has been a welcome experience. My contract is set to last for a full school year, so I will finish sometime during the Spring break of 2024.
I knew absolutely nothing about Fukagawa, but I had heard about Hokkaido, of course. I was familiar with the capital city of Sapporo, which is known for its snowy winters, beer, and noodles. Actually, Hokkaido reminds me a lot of Canada, which is where I’m from.
I was provided with a rental car by the company, since I have a rural position. The schools I work at are in the town over, so driving feels really nice and I enjoy the freedom…
The cost of living in Japan is, without a doubt, drastically cheaper than in my home country. My rent for a 230-ish sqft apartment including Wi-Fi, rental furniture, and a parking space amounts to about $385CAD per month, which is virtually unheard of back home. I’m also switching apartments soon, and I managed to find an apartment for double the size and half the rent on my own. I’ve seen 2L bottles of mineral water from grocery stores as low as 68yen, which is about $0.63CAD (also unheard of). Groceries are cheaper, eating out is cheaper, especially since Japan does not possess the North-American tipping culture I grew up used to. A few weeks ago I went to a conveyor-belt sushi restaurant, ate about 16 pieces of fresh sushi, plus a Coke and a dessert, and paid less than $20CAD. So yes, I would definitely say that living in Japan has been nicer to my wallet than back home.
A challenge that I did not expect to face was some issues with my housing, unfortunately, and is the reason for my moving into a new apartment soon. On my first night in my new home, I noticed tiny black specks or flakes in the water from all of my taps. It’s a good thing I checked my cup before drinking it, and since then I’ve been living off bottled water. Because I’m deterred from cooking, my diet has mostly consisted of items to go.
The original building I was moved into is from the late 60’s-early 70’s, and so upon inspection, I was told that there was rust in the pipes. This was the main stressor for me, and it definitely was a source of anxiety for me and certainly affected my quality of life. I want to emphasize that indeed, Japan as a whole is known for its clean and crystal-clear drinking water, and in every hotel I’ve stayed at, I did not see an issue. It just so happened that I had moved into a much older building with much older pipes.
I think that the experience one gains from being exposed to different lifestyles and cultures is invaluable, and that it can only influence your growth as a person in the most positive of ways. I’ve met some wonderful people here, and every day there is at least one interaction I have that can be described as wholesome or refreshing. It’s probably partially because of this that I’ve adjusted quite well and experience very rare/mild bouts of homesickness (I miss my cat, who is being taken care of by my amazing father). My goal is to make the most out of my limited time here—it goes by faster than you’d think! I learn something new on a daily basis, whether it’s about myself, the people around me, Japanese customs and culture, or life in general.
“This is by far one of the best decisions I’ve ever made for myself and I have absolutely no regrets. I’m confident that anyone else considering doing something the same would think so, too.”
– Erika Castro
