When everyone thinks of Asia and cool things, they automatically say Tokyo, with its useless useful inventions, funky fashion, and interesting culture. Just an FYI, Tokyo is not a representation for all of Japan. I hardly hear anyone in the west talking about Korea even though Korea has proven to be more technologically forward compared to Japan. I use my laptop in the classroom where I connect to a large HDMI screen and use media in the classroom. Unlike Japan, we don’t use chalkboards in Korea. We use chalk pens and write on a green board.
Obviously, I had the whole Japan experience and I don’t want to knock it for anyone else who might have aspirations to live there one day. In my opinion, Japan is one of the most beautiful and lovely places to travel. Living there is a different story.
Seriously, Korea is super underrated and it’s a must travel place in Asia. After moving, the quality of my life has increased significantly. Here’s some reasons why I prefer living in Korea over Japan.
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Dating
Granted, I met Aaron before I came to Korea, but I have so many friends who are dating or married to Korean men. It’s so refreshing to be in a country where dating isn’t a nightmare for a lot of girls. In Japan, all I knew was you had a higher chance of seeing a unicorn over dating a Japanese guy. Which is true. I’m 99.9% sure I saw a werewolf on Tokashiki. Wait? What?
In addition, sometimes the interviews I see with ignorant Japanese men talking about dating foreigners makes me really wonder if they know a world outside stereotypes. They say things like, “She needs to speak my language” with no interest in learning his partner’s language or culture.
They also claim they love white skin, blonde hair, and blue eyes. If they want a girl like that, they may as well date a pretty Japanese girl who dyes her hair blonde and wears blue contacts. Not all foreigners fit that “bill” which ends up in a lot of broken hearts of foreign women truly looking for love. Myself included. Recently, I saw an informative interview by Yuta Aoki on his YouTube channel. Take the interview how you want, but I was reminded of one reason why I left. (P.S. I know it sounds like I’m always knocking on him, but I really respect his work, his research, and spreading the Japanese dating game. Kudos, brother.)
Let me reiterate not all women in Japan ended up like me! Check out Japan-aholic’s Just a Matter of Perspective, Maple Mochi’s A Kyushu Guy and Canadian Girl; Finding Strength From Culture and Felicity’s Love in Fukushima for girls who found their true love in Japan.
Food
I honestly cannot stress this enough. If you don’t like the food of your host country, you WILL be miserable and fat. I hated Okinawan food with a passion. It was too oily, greasy, and had too much pork. I like pork in moderation, but Okinawa’s food was on an entirely different level. They took a lot of their recipes and cuisine from China so that explains the why. I love spicy food and vegetables. Loving it runs so thick through my half Mexican veins. If it tickles my palette, I’m a happy camper. Korean food does that for me and I always want it. Seriously. I was over Japanese food by week two when I first moved to Japan.
I Like Korean
Have I ever told you one of my favorite words in the English language is the F bomb? Okay, well now you know. Unfortunately for me, Japanese doesn’t have as many colorful swears (if any) as compared to English or Japanese.
But no really. I’ve been learning Korean very quickly thanks to the fact I have the grammatical structure down. Japanese and Korean are very similar and also share similar words. In addition, hangul is so easy to read, you can sit down and learn it in an afternoon. Also, thanks to the Hallyu wave and the popularity of BTS, I there’s so many amazing resources around for learning Korean.
I highly recommend using Korean Class 101. You can sign up for free and they send you a Korean word of phrase of the day straight to your inbox. There’s also tons of lessons and tests to keep you accountable.
Foreigner Friendly
Japan very rarely had foreigner friendly services. Big corporations like airlines and remittance offered services for foreigners, but it was a nightmare doing anything else. I had to open my bank account with my Japanese supervisor because there were no bank documents translated into English. Even though we went to an “English speaking” branch of a phone company, it was still an ordeal even with a Japanese speaker.
In Korea, almost all services offer English and even make up shops can help me get what I need with minimal English on their end. I’ve never had to struggle at the grocery store because everything is in English as well. Seriously, god bless Korea. I honestly wished I had this when I first moved to Japan.
Easy Public Transport
Okinawa’s public transport consisted of a monorail and buses that are always late. Mainland Japan has confusing trains because they’re owned by different companies. Did I mention it costs an arm and a leg to go across and back from Tokyo? I once paid $20 for that round trip. That was awful…
In Korea, transfers are in the same station and I have never paid more than $8 round trip. It’s easy to navigate the buses and there’s apps for checking bus and train times. Thank you, Korea!
Awesome Skin Care
My skin has improved dramatically since I’ve been in Korea. I get some breakouts, but it’s no longer a constant struggle to keep my face clean and dirt from my pores. In addition to the dryer climate change, the diet has worked wonders for me. Korea carries anything and everything beauty. You want it, they got it. They have anything from foot peels to patches that reshape your boobs. Yeah. Wild.
And if you’ve ever wondered how the Kpop stars have their skin super beautiful, you can even visit the Whoo Spa and get pampered the same way they do… And maybe bump into a celebrity when you’re done.
Low Cost of Living
I have enough money to send home for my student loans, which by the way, I paid off in September 2018. Because I don’t have to pay for housing, I can save a bunch of money, and still have money to travel. Eating out is super cheap and I never have to look far for yummy and cheap Korean options if I don’t feel like cooking.
I’ve had many friends and family visit me, and they’ve raved about how affordable Korea is to travel. Korea has so many cool perks for foreigners like the Discover Seoul Pass which gets you into many popular attractions for a steal.
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71 Comments on Why I Prefer Living in Korea over Japan
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OMG! this article sounds as if you moved to Paradise!
I need a one way ticket there please!
[except, i can’t eat spicy foods – i have a sensitive stomach. I also eat much less oily foods for the same reason] -.-
in any case, it’s nice to hear you like it in Korea more than in Japan. :>
Sorry to hear you have a sensitive tummy! That’s no fun! I did notice the food here is much less oily as well which is why my skin has been so good. Did you know spicy food is also good for stress?
It feels like paradise here compared to where I used to live. However, I’ll take living on Okinawa as a great experience! I know myself well enough to know I prefer dryer climates, spicy food, and foreigner friendly places. (I guess that’s why so many expats are in Hong Kong, right? lol) Come join me in Korea! It’s really fun over here!
now girls do have it more difficult to date than man that i say… which is messed up but しょうがない but dating isn’t that bad i mean there are a loooot of formalities and stuff but is not bad for everybody… Here is 10 years of living in japan….. it is just their culture dating works different one cant just travel and expect the country is hosting to be the same and have similar ways specially Japan and specially Okinawa… expect to experience things that are new and unkown thats the grace of traveling and living in another country i have come to realize too that the city you choose and its people really have and impact on your stay you know, but japanese people are human too… sometimes we sin being a little naive and ignorant about it.. my recomendation for traveling to japan stay in kyoto and visit all around it then osaka tokyo an other prefectures..
talking about ignorant japanese people speaking about stereotypes c’mon doesnt korea live of stereotypes even worse than japan which resumes in one word almost k-pop plasctic surgeries shalowness i know koreans arent all like that… dont you find stereotypes everywhere its pointless bringin that out- .. and give me a break so you got out of the US wanting to experience similar US culture??? just like korea is??? thats a ridiculous waste of money SK is almost an extension of the US per say… everything is americanized because US help lifting SK….
i will say SK does have more affordable quality of living
but really and i mean reaaaaallly you never knew and experience japanese culture at all this comparison blog has really big missconceptions all that i felt is proyected resumed in one line was “i dont like japan gmtfo” camparisons have to be neutral one shouldnt be able to read projected feelings leave that to yourself otherwise then you help create stereotypes.. korea and japan are great countries.. their both outstanding on their own way expect flaws and imperfections and amazing things but you cant when visiting a country to have an everybody has to serve me and work for me attitude … no.. you are a guest there wherever you go honor and respect their ways
🙂
Been living in Japan (Tokyo not Osaka unfortunately 4years) and luckily I am back to Korea now. I do not see any misconception or incorrect statement in this post. First it is an opinion, second all facts are true. Btw as a man (no blue eye blond hair stereotype sorry) the same applies. Meanwhile in SK your personality will do it.
I guess JP / JP lovers will always play victims reading facts and blame others but hey that’s part of their culture and that’s part of the “experience” you get while living there. Let’s respect and move out !!!
Can I join you in Korea.
That is no problem if spicy food is an issue. Korean cuisine is vast and has plenty of non-spicy dishes perhaps introduced less in regions outside of Asia. There seems to be a stereotype of Korean cuisine as only being comprised of spicy dishes, which isn’t true.
I have only visited Japan briefly so I have no real experience of the country like you do. You have really made me NEVER EVER want to teach there. I am quite interested in the “higher chances of seeing a unicorn”. I had no idea that it was that hard to date Japanese men. Korean guys are SO easy to date lol. When I was in Japan I met this nice Japanese guy over some chatting application before I went there. He showed me cool parts of Kyoto and we ate dinner together but nothing romantic. So it’s very interesting to hear the dating aspect of Japan.
Hahaha. I think the unicorn aspect is definitely a lot cooler. As a matter of fact, I would rather see a unicorn over dating a Japanese guy. I had awful experiences dating in Japan. Trust me though, Japan is a beautiful, clean, and fascinating country to travel. I’ve been all around the country with fantastic experiences in every part. I wouldn’t recommend living there at all. Some people speak really good English while most people do not. Japanese guys like to take their time with knowing people and knowing for sure. For example, if you were strongly coming on to him and he could for sure know there would be a definite yes from you, then he would have been bolder. But in my experience, they are too shy to do anything most of the time.
It’s nice to hear you are finding Korea to be such a great fit for you. We are considering living in Japan possibly, unless we strike it rich and can just travel there for a few months 😉 …Perhaps you would have had a different experience had you been living in a different city? I could see myself being very unhappy in Korea if I weren’t living in Seoul where they have almost everything to offer and you can easily get by not knowing any Korean. I understand what you mean when you say you love traveling in Japan, just not living there. We had the same feelings about living and working in Vietnam, although there are many happy expats living and working there. Anyways,there are places that just aren’t meant to be home for some people! Good luck with the rest of your time in Korea!
If you do end up moving to Japan, stay away from Tokyo. Rent is insanely high, the cost of living is high, food is expensive (even if you cook at home) and if you’re trying to be an English teacher, they don’t pay you nearly enough. I would recommend going to other cities like Yokohama, Osaka or Fukuoka. My experience would have for sure been different had I been living in a different city. If I was living in Fukuoka or Osaka, it’s quite possible I would have liked it more. I did love being in both those cities, especially Osaka. Currently, I’m in a small city outside of Seoul and this is MUCH better than were I used to live in Okinawa. Granted, where I lived was stunningly beautiful, but there wasn’t much to do besides go to the beach. I totally agree with you. Different strokes for different folks. Japan was never meant to feel like home for me. Vietnam was never home for you. I definitely think I’ll be staying in Korea awhile!
I live in Okinawa at the moment, but previously lived about an hour north of Tokyo in a smaller city/town and I LOVED it. I much prefered the mainland experience of living to Okinawa. I do like Okinawa, but it really isn’t anywhere as convenient as the mainland…
Interesting post! I haven’t seen a direct comparison like this between Korea and Japan. When I was first thinking of teaching in Asia, I was looking at Japan, but ended up going with Korea for a number of reasons. Just from this post, it seems like I made a good decision.
Thanks for sharing!
You definitely made a great choice in choosing Korea. The accessibility, liveability, and overall quality of life is better here. Japan will always have a special place in my heart and I’m glad I had the experience. Would I ever go back and live in Japan? Most likely not.
I liked reading about your experience and comparison. How long did you live in Japan, and where are you from in the states?
Because for me, when I was young it was the same I only knew of Japan, but nowadays it’s totally different. At least in Toronto, so many people know Korean people, and have learned at least somethings about the culture. Seems most people love the food too. (There are lots of Korean restaurants in Toronto)
Anyway, Korea rocks! Welcome. Hope you’re adjusting well, sounds like you are.
Ps. I noticed your ‘About Gina’ box on this blog still says you’re an expat living in Okinawa. ~
Thanks. I look forward to reading more of your thoughts on Korea in the future.
I lived in Japan for 3 years. I was living on an island 300 miles south off the coast of mainland Japan called Okinawa. It’s where half of America’s Pacific Fleet is stationed. I’m from a small town called Chicago. Maybe you’ve heard of it? In Chicago, we have a Korean neighborhood, but it’s on the north side and far away from most of the main places. Before moving to Asia, I never had experience with Korean people. Korean food is and always will be the bomb. It’s so good. Korea is awesome, I’ll have to give you kudos there. I’m gonna have to change the box! Thanks!
“A small town called Chicago” hahaha
I’m from St. Louis! So hello neighbor. But small no, lol. Isn’t Chicago like the 3rd largest city in the U.S.? Anyway, I really have enjoyed reading your blog.
It feels refreshing to share with your submissions in the write-up. I always tell my family and friends back home and other parts of the world that, Korea is a paradise on earth. Of course it is not a perfect society, but I have so many infinite reasons to love this country for its vibrancy, culture, friendliness and way of life. Enjoy the wave to the fullest.
I totally agree! We have it so good here and I honestly have no complaints about the quality of my life in Korea. This country is an excellent place for expats to live! I’m glad you enjoy it too!
I like the contrast you’ve made between the two. This is a great post. I’m jealous of your good skin here! As soon as I moved here I developed adult acne or something. My skin can’t handle the air pollution/water. Luckily the skin care products are great so it certainly helps a bit. I definitely think the services here are great and foreigner friendly as well. Everything is so orderly and clean when it comes to public transportation (aside from local buses but whatevs) and it’s wonderful.
I think my skin is used to pollution because I come from a big city and a dryer climate. Chicago dreamin! What’s up, girl? 😉 I was the exact opposite! I developed adult acne from Okinawa’s harsh and humid climate, the hard water there, and the oily diet change. Korea is so foreigner friendly and I haven’t run into huge, frustrating barriers yet! It’s amazing! The local buses could definitely use a good clean down for sure! Totes agree!
Yay! I totally agree, I feel like this compared to China and Korea. It’s so much easier to live life here comfortably than it was in China. Your post gave me some inspiration to share my point of view 🙂
I hope you share it too! I’ll be looking forward to hearing your point of view on what makes Korea a great place to live. I’m also interested in what your struggles were in China.
I have been applying to jobs in both Korea and Japan but reading your posts lately, you make me want to stay put.
While I haven’t lived and worked in Japan (only here in Korea) I can say that the pro’s that you mentioned are quite lovely, One thing that I whole heartedly agree with you on is the skin care. Even with dark skin the products work perfectly for me. My skin has never looked better.
If I were you, I would definitely stay here. Japan’s skin care products aren’t that impressive and they have absolutely no English on them. I always used my own products from home or base and when I discovered the Korean skin care shop, I bought skin care products from there. Everyone always thinks the grass is greener on the other side, but having been on both, I can definitely say from experience, Korea is the better choice.
Girl, I just watched the videos by Yuta Aoki and I have a lot to say, but Youtube has said it all by putting Louis C.K.’s “Nobody Touches Their Genitals!” in the recommendations. Seriously, I don’t think he’s doing a good job, unless his job is scaring foreign women away from dating Japanese men.
I’m happy you’re doing well in Korea.
Csemege, thanks for reading my blog! I’m really excited you did and to open a conversation on some of these topics. On the contrary, I think Yuta is doing a great job because he’s finding real guys and seeing what they say. Some of the mentalities they embrace are actually widespread. For example, the stereotype all foreigners from America have blonde hair and blue eyes, are skinny and fashionable. This could be furthest from the truth, but everyone else is an outlier and something else. Of course, there are Japanese who know better. Unfortunately, this stereotype is pretty rampant. Not all men are like the ones Yuta shows in his videos, but I have to agree with him in the fact many Japanese men I had met shared in the views of the men in the videos. I really love Korea and I’m planning on staying awhile.
Cool post! Really interesting to hear thoughts about the Japan/Korea living thing for an expat.
I think in terms of living in Japan, where you live in Japan specifically is really important.
I live in the northern suburbs of Tokyo as a JET ALT and I didn’t feel like many of these points applied to my situation. I love the Tokyo public transport system, the food is far cheaper and less greasy than my home country (New Zealand) and rent is about on par with Wellington (NZ capital). I also kind of like that there isn’t a huge amount of English everywhere, otherwise I’d never learn Japanese (my progress is already super slow I feel due to how much English is spoken to me on a regular basis).
I guess it just shows the subjectivity of something like this. I’m already in a happy relationship with someone in my home country so I’ve never had to deal with the dating thing. We both love it here and regularly discuss living here in the future. I think it have to be in Tokyo and Yokohama though. Like I said, where you live in Japan seems to make a difference, especially after reading your post about Okinawa I think.
Haha, apologies, I ended up rambling a bit there!! Just wanted to add a different perspective about the whole “living in Japan” thing.
Also, disclaimer, I’ve never been to Korea and I’ve only lived in Japan for 8 months so take all the above with a grain of salt 😉
Living in a big city definitely makes a world of difference. I find the JETs living in more rural areas (like myself) had the toughest time. We don’t get many of the conveniences JETs living nearer to bigger cities do. When I applied back in 2012, going to Tokyo wasn’t even an option. Now with the changes and the Olympics coming, Japan is pushing for more English proficiency.
I knew food was insanely expensive in New Zealand, but compared to my home country, food was ridiculously expensive. I’m super glad you like Japanese food, but I hated it. It’s too bland compared with Korean, Mexican, and Italian cuisines. I learned Japanese rather quickly because of my situation and while that’s cool, I would have liked a bit more English especially when doing official paperwork or going to the city offices. Compared to Korea, I can do everything alone and most paperwork is translated into English.
It’s also super lucky you have a boo bear with you. Doing the expat thing solo is really tough. When you move to a foreign country, it’s easier to be with someone who loves and understands you. As a duo, you can support each other and that’s what really matters. I found being alone after my best friend left was the hardest thing I ever had to cope with.
Don’t worry about the rambling. 😉 Sometimes I feel like I do the same.
Hey Gina, thanks for the post!
I just visited Japan for a week and now I’m in Korea, and although my experiences won’t be as in depth as yours due to my short visit, I found a lot of the comparisons you made were spot on. For example, concerning Korea’s technology, the buses we took in Japan were very minimalistic with little light bulbs indicating the stops, but the buses in Korea for some reason have wide screen tv to play the news, etc… The people here are also much funnier and wear their heart on their sleeves more (whether for the good or bad). If you ask a Japanese person about a certain location, they will recite with pride, the history and importance of whatever lake or mountain you had asked about. But when we asked a Korean man managing duck-boat rentals at Han River what kind of animals live in the river, he responded “alligators and sharks!” We laughed and asked more specifically, what kinds of fish are in the water and could you eat them? He responded “beef”. XD. Just from these few experience we could already tell the cultures were very different. Transactions in Japan are very predictable, and the people very polite as trained to be, but whenever we tried to communicate with someone, they tried to appear as polite as possible, but still uncomfortable, and probably wanted the interaction to end. in Korea, you could tell if the cashier was tired or bored, but they were more willing to chat with us about non-business related topics and very visibly light up when engaged. And one cashier ended our transaction with “yeah! Bye-bye!!!” (Waving both hands frantically) And once, a korean guy came up to ask if I was feeling okay ( I had looked very tired) so I had really appreciated that. All-in-all, the two countries were very interesting, each with their own beautiful history, but the people vastly different. My interest in both countries has gone up quite a bit, so I’m keen on reading up on your future posts of your experiences, keep it up!
Yes! I love all the technology Korea has. It’s such a relief to be in a more modern setting, especially with public transport. I remember the first time I got on a bus in Okinawa and I had to remember all the stops and listen so I wouldn’t get lost. Needless to say, it was great for my Japanese skills but not so easy on my patience. Lol. I completely agree with you on how Koreans wear their heart on their sleeves. It’s important for me to see people for who they really are so I can get a good grip on their personality. Koreans have a pretty good sense of humor and I love that about them as well. The story about the duck boat rental guy tickled my funny bone.
I also agree with you on Japan 100%. One of the things I miss was the great pride Japanese take in their history and culture. I love learning about that stuff. Japanese are super nice, but I wanted to see the real person underneath the rigid routine their society grooms into all people.
Wow! It is really interesting post!
Actually I was analyzing (kind of…) where to live and start my career as an accountant. Japan and Korea are two countries which makes me hard to choose.
Can you speak Korean or Japanese? Which country do you think you’ll go to?
Wow, this is great. I’m a high school student considering studying abroad in either Japan or South Korea… I still haven’t decided, but I want to go to a country where I feel like I’m apart of their country. I heard that Japanese people are a bit more xenophobic than Koreans, and it is easier to form close friendships with Koreans than with Japanese. Ofc, these are probably just stereotypes, not sure. I may just choose South Korea for the food! I am half mexican too, and I love spicy food and vegetables… Thank you for taking the time to share your experience, I am intrigued!
Chris, the general idea you have about Koreans and Japanese are in some sense accurate. They’re similar but also very different cultures. As a Korean-American, I hear many foreigners point out how Koreans are very outgoing, friendly, and direct (sometimes “too direct” and “blunt,” but never meant to harm. It’s just part of our culture. We’re candid and hones to each other, the way true friends who care for each other would speak the truth), whereas the Japanese are seemingly “polite,” but are hiding many feelings underneath. When it comes to choosing which country, it depends very much on what you’re interested in more. There are pros and cons to each country. Tokyo in comparison to the South Korean capital Seoul is far more expensive in terms of housing (For cheaper rent, an apartment is much more spacious and is of better quality in Seoul than in Tokyo), food, transportation, entertainment, and many other aspects.
Also, seeing that you like spicy food, you’ll absolutely love Korean food! However, Korean cuisine is vast, so there are plenty of delicious non-spicy Korean dishes as well.
You’ll come across pleasant and unpleasant people wherever you go. While there are surely hospitable and welcoming Japanese, in general they tend to be more reserved and closed off than Koreans, and while they may be seemingly friendly and polite, a lot of foreigners as well as Japanese themselves complain about the barrier and extreme privacy that the Japanese have. They’re not as genuinely open and will often say empty words of invitation to hang out, then will not keep their words when concrete plans are to be made. There’s a special type of camaraderie/sisterhood and a sense of communal living in the S. Korean society, and if you really get to know the culture, you’ll learn that Korean hospitality is incomparable. I’ve heard from myriad foreigners who were touched by something called “jeong” (정) during their experiences in S. Korea. It’s a cultural word that doesn’t quite translate accurately into english. The closest would be a mixture of “friendship, hospitality, and caring.”
I’ve seen a few foreigners who came to S. Korea first and went to go live in Japan and preferred Japan, because Japanese lifestyle just fit them better. There are also plenty of foreigners who preferred S. Korea over Japan like Gina. Everyone has a preference depending on what they’re looking for.
Wherever you go, your expectations and your mindset will shape the outcome of your experience. Good luck choosing! 🙂
How interesting & very true that living in a country is much different from just visiting. It sounds like Korea is the better place to live while Japan is the better place to visit – would you agree? It sounds like you’ve found a home away from home in Korea, do you have plans to stay permanently?
Which country is LGBT friendly?
Korea or Japan?
Are Koreans gay friendly?
And also are food spicy in Korea?
I really have interests about Korea and was wondering if it’s LGBT friendly?
I want to go to a LGBT friendly country and live there.
Hi Jason. Both countries have their pros and cons when it comes to being LGBT friendly. Every country has their own community and both countries don’t really talk about homosexuality. It’s not accepted in either country, although the young people are changing their minds and their outlooks. Korea is all about the spicy food, so if you like it, come here. 🙂
Good to know tour reasons for Korea. I haven’t lived in either of them. But my awareness of Japan is more. And I have known it to be a beautiful country. May be I should visit both and decide for myself. 🙂
Hi Gina!
I lived in Japan between 2006 and 2009 in Osaka, and what you wrote reminded me of my life experience there. I agree with everything you said (although I don’t know the Okinawan cuisine), especially in the geographic and cultural ignorance of the Japanese men.
Even though I was raised in a Japanese environment in my family, my essence has always been to question and eventually confront ideas and thoughts. So I was shocked by the insular mentality of the Japanese and the difficulty of making friendship with them.
About Korea, it’s my dream to travel there some day. I like the country thanks to my parents, because they loved Korean culture a lot 🙂
I’m so glad that your family taught you to question the world. It’s important we don’t accept everything as fact and learn to make our own thoughts and opinions. Japanese want the answer and expect that as truth. I hope you do get to visit Korea one day so you can enjoy this beautiful country!
your post made me laugh I think that depends what you are looking for for exmaple when you have to choose between Peru or Mexico of course MOST people will choose PERU
I beg to differ. If I had to choose somewhere to live, I would live in Mexico as it’s an incredibly beautiful country and my family is there. It depends on the person, I guess!
Wow! I have never heard of this before that Korea is a better place to live in. Both the countries are on my bucketlist still. However, I do know that Korea is big on skincare. I am into K dramas and the skins of actors are so flawless. I mean even guys are prettier than girls. So it is not only the products but also Korea itself working on the magic of beautiful skin. This was a pretty fun read too 🙂
Interesting read. I always thought one would naturally prefer Japan over Korea when it came to setteling in a foreign land. But your post showed an altogether different side of the story 🙂
I honestly don’t think that living in Okinawa is representative of living in Japan. Island life as a whole is far different than living on the mainland. Aside from that, I personally found a lot of discrepancies with the things you said. I’ve never seen a late bus or train in anywhere in Japan. I’ve lived all over and it rarely ever happens unless there is an accident (suicide). I also find the cost of living to be entirely subjective. I have always said that : “it is not expensive to live in Japan, its is expensive to live liked a westerner in Japan”. Japan is a place of homogenous living . To conform to the every day norms means to have a lot less trouble. I agree that things can be difficult in terms of finding reasonable employment as a teacher, a cheap place to live in Tokyo, etc. but there are many beautiful places to live all over Japan that are not expensive. Honestly, I find that he best experience would be to live away from the bigger cities, but within close enough traveling distance to visit. When I lived in a remote town in Kyoto, I have never met more friendly people in my life. They are eager to please and accommodate and show great appreciation for people who try to abide by their customs and learn their language. In Tokyo, there are so many foreigners that this aspect of life here is almost non existent. I love Tokyo, it’s an amazing city, but if you want to experience the real Japan, live somewhere else. Don’t write off Japan. It’s lovely 🙂
Everyone can have different experiences and varying opinions on the same subject matter. Gina doesn’t limit her comparison to solely Okinawa. She actually does introduce her opinions on the bustling capital Tokyo. Tokyo in comparison to the South Korean capital Seoul is far more expensive in terms of housing (For cheaper rent, an apartment is much more spacious and is of better quality in Seoul than in Tokyo), food, transportation, entertainment, and many other aspects.
You’ll come across pleasant and unpleasant people wherever you go. While there are surely hospitable and welcoming Japanese, in general they tend to be more reserved and closed off than Koreans, and while they may be seemingly friendly and polite, a lot of foreigners as well as Japanese themselves complain about the barrier and extreme privacy that the Japanese have. They’re not as genuinely open and will often say empty words of invitation to hang out, then will not keep their words when concrete plans are to be made. There’s a special type of camaraderie/sisterhood and a sense of communal living in the S. Korean society, and if you really get to know the culture, you’ll learn that Korean hospitality is incomparable. I’ve heard from myriad foreigners who were touched by something called “jeong” (정) during their experiences in S. Korea. It’s a cultural word that doesn’t quite translate accurately into english. The closest would be a mixture of “friendship, hospitality, and caring.”
I’ve seen a few foreigners who came to S. Korea first and went to go live in Japan and preferred Japan, because Japanese lifestyle just fit them better. There are also plenty of foreigners who preferred S. Korea over Japan like Gina. Everyone has a preference depending on what they’re looking for. I don’t see her as “writing off” Japan, but rather honestly and pragmatically voicing her opinion on these two countries.
Wherever you go, your expectations and your mindset will shape the outcome of your experience.
It is very interesting to hear about your experiences living in Japan vs Korea. To be honest… I must agree with you in many ways. I know that many travelers have LOVED visiting Japan and seem to not struggling traveling through the country. I am a super experienced traveler, and years ago I visited Japan and really struggled. The language barrier was the first thing – I found it not that easy to get around because everything was in Japanese. And a lot of times, customer attendees just could not speak the language. To be honest, I don’t blame them as I am visiting their country. But I was less then prepared for this to be honest.
I must say, I love Korean food and their skin care products are fantastic. Plus as you’ve said, the cost of living is more affordable in Korea. I’d love to visit one day!
I learned Japanese so traveling and dating in Japan would be easier. Many travelers complain about the lack of English or the Engrish. Korea is much more convenient when it comes to travel and Koreans speak pretty good English.
Gina, I’m glad you feel great about your excellent choice of choosing S. Korea over Japan, and I agree completely with all of your points, not just because I’m Korean-American, but objectively analyzing your points. 🙂 I have visited Japan and was among many who were disappointed by the expensive price and the quality that wasn’t up to par with the cost. It just felt like an “expensive version of S. Korea.” For the same amount of money, we could do so much more in S. Korea! Some famous vloggers once said “The cost of living in S. Korea is low, while the standard of living is high.” I’ve lived in S. Korea for 10 years and visit there from time to time, and the country never fails to disappoint me. People work diligently, are efficient, and the customer service is something I have never seen anywhere else in the world. They’re just on top of it all. It’s a fast-paced and rapidly-growing country, and there’s always something new the country has to offer every 1-3 years I go back to my country.
There are definitely things that Koreans can improve on and and learn from others as well. What I appreciate about Koreans is that despite the rivalry that S. Korea has with Japan for many of the *unresolved historical reasons, Koreans are very honest and accepting of their own shortcomings or things they must learn from other cultures – even certain things to learn from the Japanese. In general, they’re seeking for ways to better themselves. (*To give a brief idea of these “unresolved historical reasons” mentioned earlier, Japan oppressed Korea for decades during the first half of the 20th century through colonization, during which there were genocides, forced sex slavery of Korean, Chinese, and women of other Asian countries, forced change of Korean names into Japanese ones, prohibition of use of Korean and adoption of Japanese identity and language, brutal human experiments, etc. These crimes are still denied by the ashamed Japanese government, which fabricates history and omits important facts from its history textbooks. In fact, a lot of the newer Japanese generations don’t even know of these atrocities. Many of my Japanese friends say they first learned about Japanese oppression of Korea and Rape of Nanjing in the U.S. history classes.)
Koreans are generally very direct and “blunt” sometimes even with strangers, which is actually a difference with the Japanese, who may not be entirely candid and honest to keep a good face, which I myself as well as many others have observed. However, it’s just part of Korean culture, and not meant to be of any harm. We are honest and direct, because we care in the way true friends would be honest to one another. 😉
One of the aspects I really wish the S. Korean society would improve on is the work culture, especially in the major companies – the overtimes, pressure, hierarchy among the employees and superiors, gender gaps, the endless stages of social gathering after work during which employees drink until they drop.
This may also come across as a bit of a controversial topic, but as an animal rights advocate, there are still some spaces for improvement with the Korean dog and cat meat industry. We’re doing much better than back when I was living in S. Korea, but there are still some work to be done on this matter. However, I do have to be thankful that S. Korea came a long way in improving animal welfare through protests, shutting down inhumane dog and cat farms/slaughterhouses/markets, establishing many animal shelters, and spreading awareness. I come across more animal lovers and pet parents in S. Korea than I did before. Unfortunately, some ignorant people think of dog-eating to be ubiquitous in S. Korea, which is absolutely false. Majority of Koreans are against the cruel practice, and we’ll just have to continue our efforts in ameliorating animal rights in S. Korea. Speaking of furry ones, the cat/dog/raccoon/sheep cafes in S. Korea are amazing to check out too!
Every time I’m in S.Korea, I just never want to come back to the States. The food, transportation, entertainment, medical services (inexpensive, efficient, easily accessible, excellent hospitals, which also makes S. Korean women a demographic group who will have the highest life expectancy in the future. I never go to the hospital in the U.S., and get my general check-ups to any treatments in S. Korea). haha
I thought I’d share my thoughts and experiences as a Korean-born Korean-American who loves S. Korea more than any other place in the world.
Best of luck in your future years in the “hidden gem of East Asia”! (I suppose it’s not “hidden” so much as it was in the past when the Hallyu hadn’t quite swept through the globe. hehe)
Korea is amazing for all the reasons you stated. The food, transport and medical services are fantastic. If I go back to the US, I won’t be covered in healthcare and that’s not cool. I can get medical services here for a fraction of what they would cost in America. The entertainment is great and Seoul definitely never sleeps. My Korean life is definitely awesome!
The stomach situation that happened shouldn’t have . But can relate to you!! Japan seems to be really intrusive as some points mentioned!! Easy public transport and good foreign services are two things which I loved about the place!! Pics captured are really nice.
I’ve never heard about all these tips, thanks for sharing!
I’m still in shock with the “dating” issue – it’s the opposite in South America, where we love socializing! So if you wanna make new friends, just come over here 😉
I’m honestly about to buy a one way ticket. I love how conservative their woman seem to me as an American. They just open legs here and I have two boys. What do you do for a living? I want to speak korean very well and teach English. Looking up salary, I could swing it with a part time job some where and have a better experience. America is kind of too far gone for me to enjoy. I’ve been all over USA and it just isn’t for me.. my children speak quite a bit of korean already! Any first hand advice would be appreciated for the move.. loved this post ❤❤💯💯👌👌
As an American woman, I find your comment super rude and offensive. If a woman wants to have sex that’s her prerogative. There are also women who are conservative and that’s fine too. Who cares what other people do? It’s not your business. If you’re not happy in America, I doubt you’ll be happy here in Korea.
Both countries are similar yet different. As many stated Koreans are much more straight forward but friendly. While Japanese are more polite and friendly. In Japanese there is a word for their politeness its called tatame. They won’t exactly tell you the truth so they won’t offend you. Sorta like white lie in America. Personally I like to be told the truth good or bad.
Korea is more affordable than Japan and many ways have superior infrastructure. Better WIFI, better transportation system,easier to navigate around major cities. Better housing for your money. More English signs in public. And overall Seoul is more entertaining than Tokyo. I personally like Busan its less hectic than Seoul but still a major city and it has a beautiful long beach.
As everyone knows fashion in both countries are top notch. And for you ladies that like cosmetics Korea is heaven. As for dating since Koreans are more passionate people so you see much more show of affection than Japan but less than Italy.lol.
Both very safe countries but still use your common sense.
South Korea being underrated? Wow, guess I hang out with a different kind of people. When my friends and fellas think of Asia, they instantly think of Japan and South Korea. Perhaps they’ve also heard cool stories about Taiwan, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Macau and Singapore. But I’ve literally never heard anything about mainland China though or Laos, Myanmar, Mongolia, etc. At least nothing interesting or positive. People know what China is (obviously) but they all have this hatred towards it without any real experience and to be honest I don’t even know if people KNOW the other countries I mentioned.
In comparison to Japan and China (even though most mostly have a very bad image of China) I guess South Korea is a little bit “underrated” but… nah, I don’t know. With their technology, their pop culture and cuisine it’s hard to not recognize South Korea today.
I wish I had the chance to learn more about Asia and its different cultures and people. I really want to look more into the negative impression people have of mainland Chinese and I’d aso really like to go to North Korea if that’s possible/not too dangerous. They must be very underrated if anything. People can’t differ between politics and people, and I’m rather convinced that mainland Chinese and North Koreans are one of the most hated and misunderstood people in Asia.
I have been living in Seoul for over 2 years, after living in Beiijing for 5 years, as well as canada, usa, and europe in the decades before china. I have to say Seoul is the LAST place i will choose to return and live again!
The key as said “travel is great but living is hell”. True transport is efficient and cheap. But i do Not like spicy food -and korean offer no other asian food then the killer spicy korean food. Thus it’s a perfect place for lossing weight.
We are a family so dating doesn’t apply.
Thirdly koreana are nice on the surface but if you start living here you’ll realise it’s one of the most aggressive cultures and driving behaviors in thhe world.
Beauty product – yes lots but all chemicals and commercial. They even sell kids cosmetics for 3 and under. And it’s statistically proven many wouls have cosmetic surgery just for job interviews. It’s a very hierarchical and superficial society.
All in all, like every city in the world, the city and your personality/ stage of life has to fir and there’s no one best city for all. For me i would never ever want to live in seoul or korea again in my life!
If you are a foreign girl looking for a man then Korea could be better choice than Japan. However if it is the opposite then Japan is way better. Also one has to love Korean food because it’s spicy and sometimes smelly. Apart from those both countries are comparable
I’m a guy who’s been in both countries and I found dating much more pleasant in Japan. In Korea on a couple of occasions I had dates who were verbally accosted in public, plus a lot more unpleasant stares. Almost all other foreign guys I knew there seemed to have had similar experiences. It seemed to me Koreans still have far more hang-ups about mixed race couples than other Asians including the Japanese and Chinese.
Personally I found Japan considerably more enjoyable just in general, in a number of different ways. The food is probably the main plus in Korea, but most other things I liked better in Japan, being completely honest.
Like most white men, for you, dating is definitely more fun in Japan. Japanese women seem more interested in dating foreign men than Korean women do. I noticed that Korean women expect their men to look good because that is a standard of Korean society. A lot of western men (not all) don’t take care of their skin or their bodies. Hence why most Korean women tend to date Korean men.
Even ugly white guys have a shot in Japan as Japanese guys are too shy with girls. Why do you think so many Japanese girls come to Korea?
Koreans girls aren’t impressed with white guys just because they are white. You gotta have looks, good style and future goals.
If you’re looking for a demure Asian girl Korea isn’t the place as Korean girls have character. Better yet go to Philippines or Thailand they are dying to snag a white guy and leave.
Anyone who have lived in both Seoul and Tokyo would know Seoul is much more vibrant especially at night. This city never sleeps. Everything is still open. Tokyo shuts down too early at night. Hardly any English signs to accommodate tourists. Tokyo subways and buses are a nightmare. Seoul is laid out intuitively easy to get around.
Also, Koreans speak better English and are more outgoing than Japanese. While both nationalities are polite Japanese are over polite. It gets too annoying to a point you can’t be yourself always minding what others might react if you don’t walk around prepared to say excuse me, sorry, thank you 100 times a day. That’s tiresome.
And no. Korean food is not all spicy. Actually most aren’t. Bulgogi, bibimbap, kalbi, kimbap, japchel, samgapsal, mandu, etc. they are all non spicy foods and there are plenty of foods from around the world in Korea. Its just that Koreans like spicy food.
The link to 101 ways to be frugal goes to an American website about yoga, I think it’s a mistake?
Thanks for catching this mistake. I just checked the link. It looks like the original owner allowed the website domain to expire and someone else purchased it to make their SEO and website DA stronger. Blogging is all about backlinking.
I’m interested in how you feel about all the establishments banning foreigners even if they speak Korean? I’ve never been there, been to Japan twice, so can’t compare but I really want to visit Seoul. I would be so bummed if I lived in a city where a bunch of places discriminated against me though. Does it affect you? Do you feel people in Korea have a negative outlook on foreigners in general (even those that speak Korean)? Do you have Korean friends or only hang out with expats?
Funny you been to Japan and didn’t see anti foreigners signs when there are more there than in Korea. Then chance of you being banned by an establishment is less than .0001% in Korea.
Wonderful article! I will say though I’d have to disagree on the skincare aspect. Japan has a variety of well loved lines throughout Asia and outside of it too (just check Asianbeauty reddit). Perhaps it was the brands you used? Honestly though very few products work on my skin, Korean or Japanese. Sensitive skin struggles, haha.
I digress. SK II for example is well known in Korea, and has multiple dupes from Kr companies trying to imitate its essence. I highly suggest looking into Hada Labo and Kose for skincare. And Japanese sunscreens hands down are amazing (better regulated too than Korean ones, as the latest news has it).
I will have to agree on the English bit though, Korean skincare generally has a bit more English on it. But I find that with most things compared to Japan, Korea is more adept to western culture.
Hi, I’m Karen, a law school student from Swissland! I’d lived in Pusan for 2 years and now I live in Tokyo (5th year). I completely have an opposite experience. I liked Korean culture, the living style and of course people, but I feel more comfortable here in Japan. People here including the men are really nice to me. I had no chance to date any man in Korea but here I got two boyfriends. Is it because I have natural blonde hair, blue eyes and white skin? No way! Skin color or races don’t matter as I’ve seen so many Japanese men and non-white foreign women couples here! Most of men here like us, they are just worried because they think that we are going back to our countries someday. Most of them only want serious relationships that is why they hardly try to date foreign women in the first place. Most Japanese men are very serious when it comes to dating. Of course there are men who always look for ONS though. But they don’t do casual dating. Apparently you had some bad experience in Japan or you just have wrong stereotypes about Japan.
YUP. Spoken like someone with very white privilege. I’m gonna go out on a limb and guess that because you do HAVE blonde hair, blue eyes, and blonde hair that is PRECISELY why you’ve had boyfriends. Even the plainest women who fit the bill have gotten Japanese boyfriends. IMHO and experience, they don’t care for anything much unless it’s white.
But please, continue to downplay the three years I lived there and my fluency in Japanese. GTFO.
I agree that any comparisons of this kind are subjective to one’s perspective and experiences, so yeah there isn’t really a right or wrong answer to these sort of questions. Based on my personal experiences I had a more favorable experience living in Korea over Japan but was the opposite in terms of travel. I can’t really bring up a lot of specific reasons but I felt more comfortable with the infrastructure in Korea for the average resident, while Japan had a lot of memorable tourist spots. Plus, in Korea the food was more agreeable to my lifestyle (I like spicy foods) although I still love Japanese cuisine.
Of course, it’s entirely possible to have different experiences/opinions. I think it’s cool that this comment section had a lot of those different views in it (even though there were several salty towards those that they disagreed with)
P.S. It’s really cool this comment section has been active for such a long time since the original article was posted!