LWIF EP104: Japanese Quality of Life: My Family’s Experience in Tokyo

I often get asked “How’s Life in Japan?” What I think they’re really asking is what is the quality of life like. I live in Tokyo, the biggest metropolitan area in the world. It’s got to be a hectic life, right? The easiest answer I can give is “I bought a house”. There’s a lot that factors into quality of life: health, family, education, environment, social belonging, recreation and leisure time, and a bunch of financial stuff that influences the cost and standard of living. What’s the quality of life like where you’re from? Sources

• https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2017/02/19/national/japans-buckling-health-care-system-crossroads/#.WujyFohuYuU
• https://www.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2018/02/20/commentary/japan-commentary/new-entrance-exam-isnt-right-answer/#.Wukb7ExuIuV
• MEXT (Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology: Japan) Guide for foreign students to start school – http://www.mext.go.jp/en/policy/education/elsec/title02/detail02/1373857.htm
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_in_Japan
• http://www.mext.go.jp/component/english/__icsFiles/afieldfile/2016/06/24/1303764_008.pdf
• http://ncee.org/what-we-do/center-on-international-education-benchmarking/top-performing-countries/japan-overview/japan-teacher-and-principal-quality/
• https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2017/04/17/reference/japans-private-schools-fill-niche-cost/#.WukQOohuYuU
• http://www.oecd.org/pisa/pisa-2015-results-in-focus.pdf
• https://www.thestar.com/vancouver/2018/04/25/buying-a-home-in-vancouver-is-getting-easier-but-only-if-youre-a-millionaire.html
• https://www.reuters.com/article/us-japan-pharmaceuticals-prices-idUSKBN1480SF
• https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/tmi
• https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2017/jul/25/us-healthcare-system-vs-other-countries
• http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/09/06/AR2009090601630_3.html?sid=ST2009102805439
• https://library.solari.com/the-popsicle-index/
• Quality of Life – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quality_of_life
• Standard of Living – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standard_of_living
• Infographic: Proud to be Canadian https://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/11-627-m/11-627-m2015002-eng.htm
• Downtown East Point Georgia By Vincerelli86 – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0,
• Your Lie in April
• Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
• Office Space
• https://www.nhk.or.jp/homesweettokyo/
• http://www.bbc.com/news/world-33362387
• http://www.newsweek.com/japans-suicide-rate-finally-falling-new-report-finds-617309
• https://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/22/health/us-suicide-rate-surges-to-a-30-year-high.html
• https://www.economist.com/news/asia/21741215-activists-see-turning-point-resignation-senior-official-rare-victory-metoo
• https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2018/01/overhauling-japans-high-stakes-university-admission-system/550409/
• Science class in Japanese elementary school By NJo – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=17763691
• JapaneseClassroom2 By tony cassidy from Nottingham, UK – Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1661437
• Japanese classroom By Bobo12345 at English Wikipedia – Transferred from en.wikipedia to Commons., Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1142375
• http://www.oecd.org/pisa/pisa-2015-results-in-focus.pdf

Diet of Japan Kokkai 2009 By Wiiii – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=10972089