Japanese passport. Japanese people's reactions when you speak their language. Russian dad is back...

SUMMARY

Sergey Kuvaev tours Japan's coastal towns like Zushi and Kamakura, interviews a Russian woman on her path to Japanese citizenship amid work and cultural challenges, and shares relaxed family experiences by the sea.

STATEMENTS

Zushi offers a refreshing, authentic resort atmosphere just an hour from Tokyo, with active local shops and a sense of real daily life away from heavy tourism.
Working in a Japanese company after a British one highlights physical contrasts, like feeling taller among Japanese colleagues, but also rigid societal expectations.
High taxes in Japan prompted the interviewee to prioritize citizenship for financial freedom and future business independence.
Japanese men often expect traditional gender roles, such as wives handling all household duties, clashing with the interviewee's desire for shared responsibilities.
Learning Japanese through immersion and conversation, rather than formal study, helped the interviewee improve despite workplace frustrations.
The startup environment in her Japanese company fosters a slightly more open mindset among younger, internationally experienced staff.
Obtaining Japanese citizenship required overcoming parental opposition and navigating visa limitations, especially post-COVID and amid Russian geopolitical issues.
The interviewee values Japanese citizenship for personal freedom, potential business ventures, and providing better opportunities for future children regardless of marital status.
Kamakura's relaxed, neighborly vibe contrasts sharply with Tokyo's bustle, making it ideal for unwinding during a family visit.
Coastal activities like swimming and hiking in Japan evoke a romantic, respectful interpersonal dynamic compared to Russia's harsher realities.

IDEAS

Coastal towns like Zushi feel more vibrant and lived-in when less touristy, revealing Japan's underrated local charm just beyond urban centers.
Height differences in multicultural workplaces can subtly boost or undermine confidence, turning physical traits into unexpected cultural shock absorbers.
Love for a country alone doesn't secure residency; bureaucratic documents and tax burdens often dictate long-term stays more decisively.
Traditional Japanese gender expectations mirror some Russian norms, creating ironic barriers for independent foreign women seeking partnerships.
Failing language exams repeatedly builds resilience, but practical workplace mishaps—like explaining anger in broken Japanese—offer real, humorous learning.
Rigid "one way of thinking" in Japanese society treats innovative ideas as system errors, yet startups with global exposure soften this conformity.
Geopolitical events like COVID and Russian tensions accelerate citizenship pursuits, transforming passports into tools for global mobility and security.
Not marrying a local doesn't preclude passing on a desirable citizenship, empowering single women to plan family futures autonomously.
Kamakura's communal greetings and relaxed pace foster illusions of neighborly respect, contrasting big-city anonymity and promoting mental recharge.
Swimming in Japan's mild seas, free of aggressive salinity, democratizes beach enjoyment, though surfers and early risers claim prime spots.
Hiking encounters, from wild boars to polite stranger nods, highlight Japan's blend of natural wilderness and ingrained social harmony.
Family visits to Japan reveal its diversity—from Okinawa's tropics to Kamakura's serenity—challenging monolithic views of the archipelago.

INSIGHTS

Citizenship transcends mere legal status, serving as a strategic anchor for entrepreneurial freedom and familial legacy in an unstable world.
Cultural rigidity in workplaces stifles creativity, but exposure to international perspectives in younger teams gradually erodes entrenched norms.
Immersive language acquisition through daily frustrations yields deeper fluency than exams, turning communication barriers into relational bridges.
Resort towns embody authentic Japan, where low tourism amplifies community warmth and counters the isolation of megacities.
Geopolitical shifts force reevaluation of national ties, prioritizing mobility and opportunity over emotional attachments to origins.
Shared household roles reflect broader societal values; mismatches in expectations can derail relationships unless mutual adaptation occurs.

QUOTES

"Видишь, поэтому любовь к Японии не решает. Решает документы в первую очередь."
"У них очень сильно, что, ну, вот такой же, как в России. Я мужик, а ты жена, рожай детей, знай своё место."
"Это даже не то, что японская компания, это просто society. То есть они только вот так и по-другому для них это как сбой системы."
"Я хочу, чтобы мои дети имели паспорт вне зависимости от того, какой будет у моего мужа паспорт. И поэтому я решила, что нужно думать о себе."
"Токио - это как Москва, это большой город. А Камакура - это всё-таки какой-то такой курортный большой посёлок. На расслабончике."

HABITS

Engage in daily conversations to naturally build language skills, even if imperfect, prioritizing understandability over perfection.
Hike regularly in natural areas like Japanese mountains to stay active and connect with locals through casual greetings.
Swim early in the morning at beaches to avoid crowds and enjoy solitary reflection amid mild, clean waters.
Discuss major life decisions, like citizenship, repeatedly with family to gain consent and align expectations.
Adapt to workplace frustrations by mixing languages when needed, turning communication errors into lighthearted team bonding.

FACTS

Zushi, a resort town, is reachable in just one hour from central Tokyo by train, blending urban access with coastal relaxation.
Japanese citizenship applications can take years but provide visa-free travel advantages, especially beneficial post-geopolitical restrictions.
Kamakura's beaches feature dark sand and low salinity similar to the Black Sea, making swimming more comfortable than in hypersaline spots like the Dead Sea.
Wild boars inhabit forests near hiking trails in Japan, while bear encounters with foreigners have increased recently.
Airbus planes on Chinese routes, despite being modern models, often lack USB ports and feel dated, reflecting variable airline maintenance.

REFERENCES

Rumanian repatriation program via Citipassport for EU citizenship.
Telegram channel for Japan news and consultations.
Boosty for exclusive content on Japanese life.

HOW TO APPLY

Assess your long-term goals, such as business independence or family planning, to determine if citizenship aligns with visa limitations.
Build language skills through immersion in workplaces or schools, starting from basic levels like N4 and progressing via daily practice.
Discuss citizenship intentions with family early and persistently, explaining benefits like better opportunities for children to secure their support.
Choose less touristy coastal towns for authentic experiences, navigating by signs and local vibes to explore beaches and shops.
Balance work in rigid environments by joining startups with international staff, where diverse ideas are more tolerated despite conformity pressures.

ONE-SENTENCE TAKEAWAY

Embracing Japan's citizenship offers freedom from visa ties, empowering personal and familial futures amid global uncertainties.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Pursue citizenship in stable countries like Japan for entrepreneurial flexibility, especially if planning independent ventures.
Learn languages conversationally in real settings to overcome formal exam failures and integrate into local societies.
Visit underrated resort areas near cities to experience genuine community life beyond tourist traps.
Prioritize shared responsibilities in relationships to bridge cultural gender role gaps.
Incorporate coastal hikes and swims into routines for mental recharge and social connections.

MEMO

In the sun-dappled streets of Zushi, a quiet resort town an hour from Tokyo's frenzy, Sergey Kuvaev ambles through lively shop rows, the air thick with humidity that evokes Okinawa's tropics. Unlike overcrowded tourist hubs, Zushi pulses with authentic Japanese life—vendors hawking fresh wares, no shuttered storefronts in sight. Kuvaev, a Russian expat chronicling his adopted home, captures the vibe: relaxed yet vibrant, a perfect escape where real residents outnumber visitors. As he heads toward the beach, the central avenue hums with unspoken invitation, proving Japan's charms lie not in neon spectacle but in these understated coastal enclaves.

Over a candid chat near the waves, Kuvaev interviews a fellow Russian, Anna, who recently secured Japanese citizenship after years of deliberation. Towering over her petite Japanese colleagues in a Tokyo startup, she laughs about the height contrast that once made her feel less "short" compared to British expats. But deeper challenges emerge: sky-high taxes that eroded her savings, and a dating scene steeped in traditional expectations—men assuming wives would solely manage home and hearth, echoing rigid Russian norms. Anna, fiercely independent, sought partnership in equality, not subservience. Her path to citizenship wasn't romantic idealism but pragmatic necessity, born from COVID isolation and Russia's geopolitical woes that stranded her passport.

Anna's journey underscores Japan's enduring insularity, even in the 21st century. She failed Japanese proficiency exams multiple times while weighing options like permanent residency, but bureaucracy demanded more. Parental resistance softened over three years of talks; her father, initially wary of visa entanglements for Russia visits, relented when she framed it as security for future children—irrespective of marriage. Now, on September 2, she'll claim her passport, eyeing business ownership unbound by work visas. In her startup, rigid "one-way thinking" persists, but a young, worldly team tolerates her innovative sparks, turning language flubs into office levity.

Shifting to Kamakura, Kuvaev joins his visiting Russian father for a seaside idyll, far from Tokyo's grind. The elder prefers this "relaxed big village," where neighbors nod greetings and the pace invites illusionary romance. They swim in warm, low-salinity waters—darker sand than Okinawa's but blissfully close—dodging surfers and early joggers. A 13-kilometer hike reveals forested trails teeming with wild boars, polite hikers exchanging bows, even an foreign mother backpacking her child uphill. Evenings bring serendipity: elderly women chatting animatedly by the shore, plying canned beers, their spirits unbowed by age.

As father departs after 10 days, bound for a grueling flight via Beijing, Kuvaev reflects on Japan's allure—respectful interactions, diverse islands from tropical Okinawa to serene Kamakura. For expats like Anna, it's home; for visitors, a mosaic of realities. Amid ads for EU citizenship alternatives, the narrative circles back: documents, not dreams, unlock borders, yet Japan's subtle warmth makes the effort worthwhile.