r/movingtojapan • u/kattysunday • 1d ago
General Is it worth migrating to Japan with my family, even if it means starting over financially?
Hi everyone,
I’m a software engineer working for a large company in Japan under an engineering visa. My wife and our two daughters are currently still in the Philippines, and we're seriously considering bringing the whole family to Japan and settling here.
The thing is, we’ve already built some roots in the Philippines. We have a car and a lot that are both still under mortgage, along with the usual household belongings and commitments. Moving the family here would mean leaving much of that behind for now and essentially starting over in many aspects of our lives.
Financially, I know we can manage, but I’m struggling with whether it’s the right decision long-term. On one hand, there may be better opportunities, safety, and quality of life for the kids. On the other hand, it feels difficult to walk away from assets and progress we've already worked hard to build in the Philippines.
For those who have migrated with a family, especially from the Philippines to Japan (or elsewhere), was it worth it? How did you evaluate the trade-off between keeping what you already have versus pursuing a potentially better future abroad?
Did you ever regret starting from the bottom again, or did the long-term benefits outweigh the sacrifices?
I’d appreciate hearing your experiences and perspectives. Thanks!
6
u/kanata_tycoon Permanent Resident 1d ago
Before you decide to move your family to Japan, you may want to consider how stable your life is in Japan at the moment. Is your job stable and your income high enough for your whole family? Do you have PR? These are things you can consider before making a decision, considering how much your wife and children will have to leave behind in your home country.
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u/komiCWords 1d ago
The 'starting over' part is mostly a psychological hurdle—you aren't losing those assets, you're pivoting them. Since you can manage financially, consider renting out the PH property to cover the mortgage while you test the waters in Japan for 1–2 years on a Dependent Visa for the family.
The real dealbreaker isn't the financial reset; it's your kids' ages. If they are under 8, they will adapt to local public schools and the language quickly; if they are older, international school tuition in Japan will absolutely swallow a standard single-income SE salary. Focus your decision on the language/education timeline rather than the material roots back home.
3
u/zilentworld 1d ago
We just moved here too, but me and my wife discussed these for almost a year.
As others said, main consideration is your child. How old is your child? Is the child comfortable changing environments a lot of times? (Rent are usually 2years unless you extend)
Who will be teaching the language? Will you let the child learn on their own? What's the school setup? What is your salary capable of? Is your wife ok with the move? Does she have experience on Japan life (not a tourist)?
Assets in your country is something you can either sell now or let it grow. You can still sell your car, you can have your house/land be rented, or sell it for a higher value in 5years or so (Philippines land never go down from what I see)
What's your career stability? Are you sure your salary can support your family in JP? That's one of our main concern, as JP living cost is very different from PH. How are you going to pay mortgage AND rent in JP? (Including wiring/transferring of money) And who will handle the payments?
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u/beginswithanx Resident (Work) 1d ago
While I agree with most of your points, the point about moving every two years isn’t necessarily a thing. Yes, leases are normally two years, but most people just renew without issue, staying in the same rental for years and years unless they decide they WANT to move. It’s not like you’d be forced to move your kid around every two years.
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u/RathaelEngineering 1d ago
What do you mean starting over financially? Are you giving your house and car away or something? Why would you not recoup the value that you own from them?
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Is it worth migrating to Japan with my family, even if it means starting over financially?
Hi everyone,
I’m a software engineer working for a large company in Japan under an engineering visa. My wife and our two daughters are currently still in the Philippines, and we're seriously considering bringing the whole family to Japan and settling here.
The thing is, we’ve already built some roots in the Philippines. We have a car and a lot that are both still under mortgage, along with the usual household belongings and commitments. Moving the family here would mean leaving much of that behind for now and essentially starting over in many aspects of our lives.
Financially, I know we can manage, but I’m struggling with whether it’s the right decision long-term. On one hand, there may be better opportunities, safety, and quality of life for the kids. On the other hand, it feels difficult to walk away from assets and progress we've already worked hard to build in the Philippines.
For those who have migrated with a family, especially from the Philippines to Japan (or elsewhere), was it worth it? How did you evaluate the trade-off between keeping what you already have versus pursuing a potentially better future abroad?
Did you ever regret starting from the bottom again, or did the long-term benefits outweigh the sacrifices?
I’d appreciate hearing your experiences and perspectives. Thanks!
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u/beginswithanx Resident (Work) 1d ago
How old are your children? What will they do for schooling? Will your salary support your family?
These are the key concerns. I moved my family here and it worked well for us, but my salary can support my family, my kid started early enough with Japanese to go to local schools, etc.