Gaining independence in Japan

Hi everyone,

I’m a 24-year-old woman with permanent residency in Japan. I spent most of my time in Bangladesh and am unfamiliar with how to navigate life in Japan. My father has supported me financially, but only under the condition that I stay at home without pursuing a job or further education. Now, I’m determined to break free from these restrictions and become independent, but I don’t know where to start.

I’m seeking advice on finding a job, improving my Japanese, and eventually renting a place on my own. Any guidance on how to navigate this process would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you for your help!

You can start by visiting your local international exchange lounge, If you're not confident with Japanese language.

If you speak Japanese enough to communicate with advisors and counselors, you can phone or email your local city hall for details on where to turn to. There usually is an organization helping young people gain independence.

Good luck!

Thanks a lot for your reply. I'm now in the verge of being homeless or going back bangladesh but i really want to be in Japan freely.So any guidance from anyone is so appreciated to me now .

Why you are homeless ?
Do you have japanese friend ?
Do u come japan with permanent residence
Visa?Do your parents still live in japan?
You are young.Do you study in college or uni?

Jim, read the original question at the top of the thread.

I think Uco-san’s advice above is good. You also have a great advantage being a permanent resident means you can work in anything. As you say you don’t have any money and potentially soon no house getting some kind of job would seem to be quite urgent.
I’d suggest you go to your local Hello Work agency and speak with them. Explain what kind of education and skills you have. Having been mostly at home (per your description) maybe you are a good house maker or you know how to care for an elderly or have some other skill. Eg you know English). However there is also unskilled labor in Japan. Not great in th eking run but if it is between being homeless or having a poorly paying job , that’s better.

There are jobs in Japan that come with (very simple) housing. I am thinking mainly about work somewhere in a factory in the countryside where they also have a dormitory for the employees. Such a job would bring you away from your father, give you some housing and some money. It’s not great in the long run, but you sound like you need a quick solution and once you situation has stabilized a bit you can take next steps from there.

I saw advertisements for such a job in Hakuba last year. Essentially in winter sport areas such as Hakuba they are looking for conbini workers for the winter and have a dormitory. The main target employee profile are people who actually want to go skiing but don’t have enough money to do that. So they work x hours a day in the conbini, live in their dormitories and ski the rest of the day.

Thus I’d say that Hello Work is a good starting point.

I interpreted the original question that the OP can indeed stay at home as long as she does not gain money by working but by being obedient to her father.

It's okay for her to go to Hello Work, but Hello Work doesn't really help a woman become independent from her strict father. Hello Work just helps people find jobs. And I'm not sure how much Hello Work can help on education for foreign residents lacking language ability.

On the other hand, there are sections in city halls or related organizations that would have a broader view on the whole situation and see what's best for that particular person. You can find that kind of support by searching for 自立支援 (jiritsu-shien) which means "independence support". You can also ask to see if there are any 自助グループ (jijo-group) which means "self-supporting groups" where you can share problems and exchange information with people in similar situations. Maybe those would be the two keywords the OP can use when asking her first question at her city hall or international exchange lounge.

By the way, I'm sure her father just wants the best for his daughter. But she has every right to persuade him.

I went to hhello work but it wasn't much help as i have some limitations and boundaries.Also Language barrier is a fact and I don't have university degree.Though Japan is a place where I want to settle down from my childhood but never get the chances.Thanks Uco-san for the details.Thanks for all of your replies it's giving me some way to explore at least without giving up.

Why you dont have japanese friend?
Being Alone, you cant survive in japan
When you go hello work,bring your jp friend,
Otherwise u cant solve your problem lonely

I know it was your dream to move to Japan, but it's clear that your current situation is far from what you may have wanted.
You are like a bird in a cage put on outside. Does it live outside? -Yes. Does it look happy? -Not at all.

Doesn't your dad even allow you to go to a language school? I think that going to a language school (open for anyone under valid visa) would be the first step for your independence, but what does your dad say?

it seems that it is your personal (family and/or cultural) problems.
in Japan, when children become adults, they are independent from their parents. also, parents want to let their children be independent from them.

Now you are young, 24 years old girl.so it will better for you to depended on your parents