Interview with Ms. L

"My work is more flexible than that of a regular office worker. I’m self-employed, so I can decide my own rest days and adjust my schedule freely. What I mainly do is currency exchange—converting between Japanese yen and Chinese renminbi. It’s not a nine-to-five job, which means I can balance family and work. I can still look after my children while earning a decent income, so it’s something I’ve continued with over the years.

I find this kind of life relatively free. I don’t have to deal with too much socializing. Whenever I go back to China, it feels lively—relatives visiting, constant gatherings—which can be nice. But in Japan, when I feel tired or don’t want to be disturbed, I enjoy the quiet of just focusing on my own small family and earning money steadily. Going back to China now feels more like taking a trip, like a vacation.

This all started back when I was a student doing daigou on the side. At first, it was just helping others, buying and reselling a few items. Then people began asking me to exchange currency for them. In the early internet era—before Alipay was popular—there were few reliable ways to do this, so demand grew quickly. What began as doing favors turned into a steady line of work. I realized it didn’t require heavy labor or clocking in every day, but the income was good, so I kept at it, and I’ve been doing it ever since.

That said, I do feel that Japan isn’t very welcoming to foreigners, especially ordinary workers. Japan’s economy hasn’t been strong in recent years, and from what I see in the news and in daily life, Japanese people may not hate foreigners outright, but there’s definitely some discomfort. For high-skilled professionals—like those in IT or advanced fields—there’s plenty of respect and opportunities. But for ordinary labor jobs, many Japanese people don’t want too many foreigners competing in that space.

Japanese society has a bit of a two-faced quality. On the surface, people are polite and kind, but underneath there’s often a lack of real acceptance. In contrast, when I’ve been to Korea, I’ve felt that if they don’t like you, they just say it directly—even if it’s harsh, at least it’s honest. In Japan, you don’t get that kind of directness, but you can feel the hidden resistance. My view is that for those of us in lower-level work, there’s always some barrier. But if you can become highly skilled or specialized, then it doesn’t matter where you go—Japan, the U.S., anywhere—you’ll always be welcomed. That’s why I think it’s important to keep learning and improving, to reach that level of talent."