Insights from Japan

Mose and Brooke Tuiali’i

Japan is a fantastic place to live, we are really enjoying our new lifestyle. Japanese people are so accommodating and kind. It is such a safe place to live which makes life very relaxing. The climate is great, although August is very hot!

Transportation is amazing and you can get around Japan so easily. We are near the beach so days off are spent there swimming & surfing. We love the fact that home is only an 11hr flight away. The best thing about playing here is the schedule, we have numerous breaks which means you can do lots of travelling, many players head to Thailand, Guam, Vietnam, Hawaii or over to Europe. Japanese laws are followed very strictly. This is one thing foreign players notice right away. There are heavy penalties so it's a good idea to avoid those situations. When we first arrived in Japan there were lots of things we missed, obviously family & friends but there were food items we couldn't find like marmite. We noticed that the longer we were here the less we needed to get sent over from N.Z. The food in Japan is awesome and we have Indian, French, Italian, Indonesian and American Restaurants so there is plenty to choose from.

Some useful advice we received before coming to Japan was to bring toothpaste from N.Z because Japan don't have fluoride in their toothpaste. Make sure you have a N.Z full drivers licence and have lived in N.Z for three months after getting it, then you can transfer it into a Japanese one when you get here. Bring sheet sets because the ones you buy here are too small.

The language is a barrier but we have Japanese lessons and once you pick up a few key phrases you can get by. Every team has a translator so they are always willing to help if you need them to organise something for you. We often phone our team translator or Japanese teacher if we are somewhere and want to buy something that requires conversation.

We would recommend Japan to anyone considering an overseas contract. It is a very different culture but it is a great experience and life here is very laid back. Having other foreign players at Yamaha made our transition really smooth and with so many foreign players now in Japan most clubs have that same advantage.

The key to an enjoyable experience is respecting the Japanese Culture, being open-minded and just getting amongst it!