If you’ve spent any time reading about life in Japan, you’ve probably seen both extremes.

Some people say living and working here completely changed their life for the better. Others quietly leave after a year or two, exhausted and disappointed.

What’s interesting is that this split rarely comes down to talent, intelligence, or even Japanese ability alone. It usually comes down to expectations, interpretation, and how people respond when Japan does not behave the way they assumed it would.

This week’s edition looks at the patterns I’ve seen again and again in who thrives here, who struggles, and why.

One common pattern among people who do well long-term in Japan is that their first job was not their dream job.

Instead, it was a role that:

People who burn out often do the opposite. They hold out for a perfect role, then arrive with very high expectations about autonomy, pace, or impact.

In Japan, the first job often serves a different purpose. It is a learning phase. It teaches:

Those who treat the first role as a stepping stone tend to gain leverage later. Those who expect it to immediately match their ideal often feel trapped or disappointed.

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There is one interview question that reveals whether someone will struggle in Japan:

“Tell us about a time things did not go as planned.”

This question is not about problem-solving. It is about how you relate to systems.

People who thrive in Japan tend to describe:

People who burn out often frame their story around:

Japanese interviewers listen closely for this difference. They are not judging competence. They are judging tolerance for ambiguity and patience with structure.

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A big reason burnout happens is not overwork alone. It is the gap between what people expect Japan to be and what it actually is.

Some examples:

People who thrive tend to reinterpret these moments rather than resist them. They ask:
“What is this system optimized for?” instead of “Why is this wrong?”

This mindset shift does not happen immediately. For many, it takes six months to a year. But once it happens, daily stress drops noticeably.

Burnout is not just a foreigner issue. Japanese companies are increasingly aware of it across their entire workforce.

Recent trends include:

This shift is partly driven by labor shortages. Companies cannot afford constant turnover anymore, especially among skilled workers.

For foreign employees, this means the environment is slowly improving. Not everywhere, and not evenly, but the direction is different from ten years ago.

Cookpad is best known as a recipe platform, but from a work culture perspective, it stands out for a different reason. It has a long history of working with international teams and foreign employees, well before “global hiring” became trendy in Japan.

One thing people often note about Cookpad is the pace. Compared to fast-moving startups or aggressive growth companies, the environment tends to be calmer and more deliberate. Decisions are discussed, documented, and revisited rather than pushed through quickly.

That slower rhythm can be a big reason some people thrive there. Expectations are usually clear, managers are used to different communication styles, and there is less pressure to constantly prove yourself through visibility or long hours.

Cookpad also has a reputation for valuing sustainable work habits. The focus is more on steady contribution than constant urgency, which can make the adjustment period in Japan feel less overwhelming.

For foreign professionals, companies like Cookpad show that thriving in Japan is often less about intensity and more about finding an environment that allows you to adapt at a realistic pace.

If your goal is to actually start applying (or apply more efficiently), Japan Job List is the most practical next step.

It’s a weekly list of roles that are already filtered for international candidates, so you’re not guessing which jobs are realistic.

You can join here

If you prefer market context and longer-term strategy, Japan Work Report is the analysis-focused edition I write alongside it.

Some readers prefer starting with a one-time resource instead of a subscription. If that’s you, the Japan Job Search Toolkit is a $10 reference covering resumes, applications, interviews, and visas in one place.