When Vibhor Jain moved to Tokyo in 2022, it wasn’t because he wanted to conquer the language or thrive in Japan’s demanding office culture. Just the opposite — he made the move because he wouldn’t have to do those things.
An IT engineer from Delhi, Jain, 46, originally left India in 2002 to study and work in Finland, Spain and New Zealand. He freelanced through much of that time, enjoying a high degree of autonomy and flexibility.
“I was also drawn to Japan, but I worried about adjusting to the work culture — especially the long hours, the lengthy commutes and the language barrier.”
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