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Moving into a new home is, in many ways, a challenging process — and sometimes downright stressful.  On top of that, moving to far away and foreign Japan can take things to a whole new level of complexity.  A good way not get overwhelmed by things and keep pushing ahead to the finish-line is to maintain (as best as possible) a positive attitude.  Japanese culture emphasizes being practical and optimistic in solving problems — which may come from a long history of having to often repair and rebuild damages caused by earthquakes, typhoons, and floods, etc.  There are some old Japanese proverbs which relate to this, and here are three of them:

(1) Ame futte ji katamaru … 雨降って地固まる .... The literal meaning is: “After rain the unsettled/dusty ground gets firm” .... So,  it is possible that good can come out of evil, and things get better once a problem is solved.

(2) Go ni makete shogi ni katsu .… 後に負けて将棋に勝つ .... “Go” and “Shogi” are Japanese board games somewhat similar to checkers and chess .... So, the meaning of this proverb is: “Lose playing Go, but win playing Shogi” …. In other words, to experience a bad result in one thing but gain in another …. Always be aware that life is filled with both happiness and disappointment, wins and losses.

(3) Waratte kurasu mo isshou, naite kurasu mo isshou …. 笑って暮らすも一緒、泣いて暮らすも一緒 …. “It is the same life, whether we spend it laughing or weeping” ..... Better to go joyfully though life, without being too vexed by cares.

We hope your move to, and living in, a Japanese home will be smooth and happy — and if there is anything our company can do to help, please let us know.　Written by Goodfield