Why am I still here.. (Japan Update)

Summary

In this video, the creator discusses their four-year struggle to move to Japan, detailing the emotional and logistical challenges. Despite securing a preliminary visa and exchanging over 700 emails, they remain unable to enter due to Japan's strict border closures. The creator expresses frustration with the uncertainty and the impact on their mental health, empathizes with the estimated 350,000 others in similar limbo, and calls for transparency from the Japanese government. They also highlight the irony of being approved for a five-year stay yet being denied entry, and the broader implications for those separated from family and opportunities.

Takeaways

• 🌐 The speaker has been trying to move to Japan for four years but is currently not there.
• 💔 Leaving behind friends and life in their home country was a difficult decision for the speaker.
• 📧 The visa process involved over 700 emails of correspondence, highlighting its complexity.
• 🚫 Japan's strict border control due to COVID-19 has been a significant obstacle, preventing entry even with a visa.
• 😔 The speaker feels it's inappropriate to complain about their situation given the global pandemic's broader impact.
• 🔄 There's a constant internal struggle between giving up and continuing to pursue the move to Japan.
• 📉 The lack of updates on border reopening from the Japanese government adds to the speaker's frustration.
• 🏢 The speaker has established a company in Japan, including an office and an employee, despite not being able to enter.
• 😓 The uncertainty has led to a limbo situation affecting around 350,000 people, as reported by The New York Times.
• 🙏 The speaker expresses empathy for others in similar situations and wishes for more transparency from the Japanese government.

Q & A

How long has the speaker been trying to move to Japan?

The speaker has been trying to move to Japan for four years.

What was the speaker's initial difficulty in deciding to move to Japan?

The initial difficulty was the decision to leave behind everything they had built, including friends and connections.

How many emails were exchanged during the speaker's visa process?

The speaker counted 700 emails exchanged during the visa process.

Why has Japan kept its borders closed?

Japan has kept its borders closed primarily due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Why did the speaker avoid making a video about their situation?

The speaker avoided making a video because they did not want to appear as someone who is well-off complaining about COVID-19 affecting them, and they felt it was a complicated issue.

What is the speaker's main frustration regarding the border closure?

The speaker's main frustration is the lack of updates and certainty about when Japan will reopen its borders, leading to a guessing game and uncertainty.

How has the speaker's situation affected their daily life?

The speaker's situation has caused them to oscillate between wanting to give up and feeling determined to move to Japan, causing emotional distress.

What is the estimated number of people in a similar situation as the speaker, according to a New York Times article?

According to a New York Times article, approximately 350,000 people are in a similar limbo situation as the speaker.

What does the speaker have to show for their efforts in Japan despite not being able to enter?

The speaker has an approved visa for five years, a company set up in Japan, an employee, and a house, despite not being allowed to enter the country.

Why does the speaker feel a sense of responsibility towards others in the same situation?

The speaker feels a sense of responsibility because many people in similar situations have reached out to them, hoping for some influence or advocacy.

What is the speaker's final message to Japan regarding their situation?

The speaker's final message is a request for Japan to provide an update on border policies to give people in similar situations some clarity and peace of mind.

Outlines

00:00

🌐 Struggling with Visas Amidst Pandemic

The speaker discusses their long-standing desire to move to Japan, which has been a four-year journey fraught with challenges. Despite leaving behind a supportive network of friends, they are determined to embark on this adventure while young. The process of obtaining a preliminary visa involved a staggering 700 emails, highlighting the complexity and effort required. However, Japan's strict border policies due to COVID-19 have prevented their entry, even for those in the midst of the visa process. The speaker expresses frustration at the lack of updates and the uncertainty of the situation, which has led to a state of limbo for many, including themselves. They also touch upon the emotional toll of this ordeal, oscillating between giving up and persevering, and the broader impact on approximately 350,000 people in similar situations, as reported by The New York Times.

05:02

🏠 Ready but Barred: The Irony of Closed Borders

In the second paragraph, the speaker laments the irony of being approved for a five-year stay in Japan yet being unable to enter due to ongoing border closures. They describe the additional frustration of seeing Japanese citizens travel freely to other countries while foreigners, including themselves with business interests and investments in Japan, are barred from entry. The speaker details the extensive preparations made, such as establishing a company, securing an office, and even having a house in Japan, all while being physically unable to enter the country. They express a sense of helplessness and the desire for clarity from the Japanese government, hoping that sharing their story might provide comfort to others in similar predicaments and possibly prompt some form of update or resolution.

Keywords

💡Japan

Japan is the intended destination for the speaker's relocation, as expressed in the script. It represents the central theme of the video, as the speaker discusses their desire to move to Japan and the challenges they face in doing so. The country is mentioned repeatedly, highlighting the significance of this goal in the speaker's life.

💡Visa

A visa is a permit allowing someone to enter, reside in, or leave a country. In the context of the video, the speaker discusses the 'preliminary Visa' process as a significant hurdle in their move to Japan, indicating the bureaucratic and legal aspects of international relocation.

💡Correspondence

Correspondence refers to the exchange of messages or letters, often used in a formal context. The speaker mentions counting '700 emails' of correspondence, which underscores the extensive communication and effort involved in their attempt to move to Japan.

💡Border closure

Border closure refers to the act of a country restricting or prohibiting entry to non-citizens. The script mentions Japan keeping 'their borders closed for everyone,' which is a critical obstacle for the speaker and others in similar situations, preventing them from entering the country despite having a visa.

💡Adventure

Adventure is a thrilling or exciting experience, often involving travel or new challenges. The speaker expresses a desire to 'take on this adventure while we're still young,' which illustrates their motivation for moving to Japan and seeking new experiences.

💡Limbo

Limbo refers to a state of uncertainty or suspension, often used to describe a situation where progress is halted. The speaker identifies themselves and others as being 'stuck in this limbo situation,' indicating the frustration of being unable to move forward with their plans due to border closures.

💡Covid-19

Covid-19 is the disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which has led to global pandemic measures, including border closures. The script mentions 'covet' (likely a typo for Covid) as a reason for Japan's border closure, showing how the pandemic has affected the speaker's plans.

💡Update

An update is a piece of new information or a report on recent developments. The speaker expresses a desire for 'an update' from the Japanese government regarding border policies, indicating the lack of information and the impact it has on their decision-making process.

💡New York Times

The New York Times is a well-known American newspaper, often cited for its authoritative reporting. The speaker references an article from the New York Times, which 'estimates about 350,000 people stuck in this limbo situation,' providing a broader context for the speaker's personal experience.

💡Office in Japan

Having an office in Japan is part of the speaker's business setup as part of their visa requirements. The script mentions the difficulty of 'getting an office in Japan if you're not even allowed to enter the country,' highlighting the logistical challenges of setting up a business in a foreign country.

💡Emotional toll

The emotional toll refers to the psychological impact or stress caused by a situation. The speaker describes the 'emotional toll' of the ongoing uncertainty and the effect it has on their mental state, which is a significant aspect of their narrative.

Highlights

The speaker has been trying to move to Japan for four years.

The decision to move involved leaving behind a supportive network of friends.

Obtaining a preliminary visa was a challenging process involving over 700 emails of correspondence.

Japan's strict border closure due to COVID-19 has prevented entry for many, including those with visas.

The speaker avoided discussing their situation publicly to not appear as complaining about COVID-19's impact.

The uncertainty of Japan's border reopening has caused significant stress and indecision.

The speaker feels they are living a cautionary tale, unsure of its moral.

The difficulty of making a choice to move to another country is emphasized.

The lack of information on border reopening has led to a guessing game and frustration.

The speaker has been approved for a five-year stay in Japan but is still not allowed to enter.

The speaker has established a business and home in Japan despite not being able to enter.

An estimated 350,000 people are in a similar limbo situation, unable to enter Japan.

The emotional toll of being in limbo is highlighted by the speaker's interactions with others in the same situation.

The speaker expresses sympathy for those who have given up hope of entering Japan.

The frustration of seeing Japanese citizens travel freely while foreigners are barred is noted.

The speaker calls for an update from the Japanese government to help those in limbo.

The speaker concludes by expressing gratitude for being able to share their experience and hopes for others in similar situations.

Transcripts

you may have noticed I am not in Japan

you are correct congratulations for

those who don't know me and my say have

been trying to move to Japan now

for quite a while

four years

uh even just make oh God ow

even just making the choice to move

there was really difficult we obviously

would be leaving everything that we

built here behind all these amazing

friends but we just felt like we really

want to take on on this adventure while

we're still young

just getting the preliminary Visa just

that was a huge process but it didn't

matter because we wanted to go so badly

I counted all the emails with with the

correspondence and it's 700 emails like

we're not able to enter Because Japan

has been kept their Border close for

everyone uh even people going through a

Visa process during this most of this

time at least and you know there's

probably because of covet and and that's

the reason why I avoided making a video

even talking about this usually I I

share what's going on with you guys but

it just felt like uh I don't think the

world needs someone who's you know well

off complaining how covet is affecting

them and it's also a complicated issue

and I just felt like this is going to

complicate it more if I talk about it

and I don't want to read a bunch of

headlines I can already see them like

PewDiePie complaints about not being

able to enter Japan I get it it sounds

entitled but at this point I just wanted

to give an update and sort of talk about

what we've been through these past two

years make because it's kind of driving

me a bit crazy

I bother my friends and family about

this like 600 times and be like what

what did you think I should do

by the way what do you think I should do

okay

um because every day I swear at this

point because it's been so long it first

year was fine whatever uh every day I go

from we should just give up this is

ridiculous like it shouldn't have taken

this long you know maybe it just wasn't

meant to be they're not giving us any

updates on when they're planning to

reopen you know why should they change

their mind all of a sudden it's

obviously what if it takes another two

years like we can't just wait forever

and then we go from that to we spent

three years all this money we're all

these things we're gonna go we probably

and I just jump in between that every

single day and it's it's awesome it's

great and that's the thing like I feel

like I'm living a cautionary tale and I

don't know what the meaning behind it is

is it never give up or is it don't give

up because you never know how close you

are I wish I knew this is the hardest

choice I ever made and I don't know one

of the most difficult part about this

whole thing has been not knowing if I

knew that they were going to be close

for two years then at least we couldn't

have made some choices around that we

could have made trips to see our family

more we could have not stayed in my

office for two years we thought we'd be

here for a couple months Max we could

have avoided playing this guessing game

of oh the Olympics that surely they're

gonna open up for the Olympics they're

gonna have to have an audience okay no

um okay maybe maybe now the cases are

really low uh and they weren't giving

any updates it's just like maybe next

one okay well maybe next one maybe next

month and maybe next month and do that

24 times it's like maybe this is my

fault for being so crazy about it but it

is a big choice to make when you make

the choice to move to another country

and it's hard to get just strongly and

as it turns out I'm not alone in this

situation uh there was a New York Times

article estimating about 350 000 people

stuck in this limbo situation the same

as I am not people entering with

business Visa like I am but uh students

as well who have already paid their

tuition but they're not allowed in just

want to make it clear like it's not

tourists it's not people going uh

they're still closed

guess I'll have to re-schedule my flight

again you know it it's people who made

this difficult choice and and they don't

even have a choice at this point of them

having to wait and honestly reading

their stories online because a lot of

them have been trying to contact me and

send me messages it breaks my heart

because if this has been heavy for me I

can't imagine for all these people and

I'm honestly just so sorry now that they

close their border for everyone in

December I think that was the last straw

for a lot of people seeing messages of

people giving up it's just so sad and

another sad part is like all these

people riding me that are in this limbo

situation are hoping that I'm gonna like

urge on the Japanese government of like

do something but it they just closed

down for everyone like even not now not

even Japanese people can accidentally

turn you know people that were hoping to

see their family abroad can't do that

now and sucks for everyone so you know

obviously it's not gonna matter if I

talk about it that's just not the case

and I guess that's the point people are

so desperate that their their last hope

is literally some Swedish YouTuber

complaining online which I'm sorry I'm

not even doing I just wanted to explain

my situation I will say it has been

frustrating also seeing that other

Japanese people can travel to other

countries as they want but their own

borders have been closed for everyone

this entire time

kind of like that's there's no one else

talking about this should am I the one

am I the only one seeing this shouldn't

countries like call this out I don't

know if I'm allowed to show it but I am

approved to go for five years which is

amazing uh I would love that but I'm not

allowed in but as part of part of me

acquiring this I had to get an office in

Japan do you know how hard it is to get

an office Japan if you're not even

allowed to enter the country but thanks

to our friend sir we were able to do it

this is part of our view so I had to

have that I have a company in Japan a

business ready to set up I'm gonna pay

my taxes whatever I have an employee in

Japan I have a house in Japan I'm

approved to go but I'm not allowed in

and it's like damn we're still here huh

I keep meeting people here and they're

like you're still here and it's like

yeah still here I don't know what to

tell you I'm almost like sorry for even

making this video it feels it just feels

super lame I don't like talking about

this it feels like I'm complaining and I

feel entitled but you know I appreciate

being able to talk about my situation

and I hope that other people in my same

situation can find some comfort that

you're not alone and Japan if you can

give an update at least a lot of people

would appreciate it and that was it for

my update still not in Japan but I'll be

fine and I'm happy either way so thank

you for listening that's it bye