The Lifer

The Lifer

"I'll probably die here; I'm cool with that"  lifer

*For more posts similar to this one, see The People in Japan

Here's the thing about lifers: they have resigned themselves to the fact that they are most likely never leaving Japan.

This is neither good nor bad. It's a simple fact that has been fully accepted and allows 'the lifer' to enjoy themselves to the utmost in Japan.

Lifers are great people to get to know, but finding them and befriending one is a fantastic challenge.

Much like the pod person, the lifer is difficult to spot. However, this is just because the lifer has long abandoned hanging out in places where short-timers and FOBs do. Lifers completely live and work in Japan and run in their own circles.

The lifer will avoid fellow foreigners like the plague because conversations with newbs and tourists have become so monotonous.

Here are the best ways to spot a lifer:

• Is the only middle-aged foreigner in a large group of Japanese people.
• Pushing a double stroller with a forlorn look
• Has been teaching at a Japanese university for more than 10 years
• Walks right by you without even a look or a nod
• Lives in a house, with a mortgage
• You notice a foreigner and think: 'Has that person been here the whole time'
• Japanese people walk up to them to ask directions

The lifer appears to wear camouflage. If you spend any amount of time in Japan, the chances are that you will often come into contact with them and not even know it. They are so comfortable being in Japan that they blend right into the scenery, even to the Japanese.

Don't confuse the lifer with pod person. The lifers usually have a great sense of humour about their situation.

Do you have a question about Japan or a topic that you are interested in that you haven't found on this blog? If so, please tell me about it in a comment. I will get a post up about it as soon as possible. Thanks for reading!!