There are plenty of platforms and social media that can help you make your life in Japan easier. For example, one of the biggest communities of foreigners living in Japan, TEN, can be found on Facebook. Another way to find communities to join in Japan is Meetup where you can find communities sharing hobbies similar to yours like language exchange, business, hiking, sports, and more.
One Platform to Improve Your Life in Japan
However, there is one social media platform that is often neglected, and that is Reddit. If you never heard about the 7th most visited website in the US, Reddit is a social media platform where users post content such as links, text posts (often in the form of questions), images, and more which are, upon posting, voted up or down by other users. Posts that got a lot of upvotes are usually shown at the top of a user’s feed. Reddit is divided into communities or subreddits based on the subject, which can vary greatly. There are communities dedicated to the discussion of news, politics, fashion, dating advice, language studies, and more.
There are also many communities that are related to life in Japan, and that is why we wanted to let you know about them to make your life in Japan easier. Here are the eight communities that you need to follow on Reddit.
Japan Life
Purpose: Mostly Answering Questions About Life In Japan
Number of Followers: 218k
Link: https://www.reddit.com/r/japanlife/
This is the biggest community of foreigners living in Japan on Reddit. If you look at their feed, you will see that it is usually a place for questions people have about living in Japan. For example, people ask questions about culture like “Pressure/Expectations from Japanese Inlaws?” or more practical ones like where to get a driving license and bank recommendations. The community also has weekly threads like “complaints” where people get off their chest the stuff that bothers them the most, “praise” thread where people boast about great things that happened to them, and others.
Learn Japanese
Purpose: Help To Learn Japanese
Number of Followers: 397k
Link: https://www.reddit.com/r/LearnJapanese/
It is easy to guess what this community is about by just looking at the name of it. They welcome all of Japanese levels, but it seems that most of the learners are at the beginning of their Japanese journey. Besides questions about grammar people also share funny stories like this one about “walking in the park”. Books and music recommendations are not uncommon as well.
Japan News
Purpose: News About Japan In One Place
Number of Followers: 14k
Link: https://www.reddit.com/r/japannews/
People here do not exchange their opinions – most of the posts have the number 0 next to the comment section. Still, if you want to stay updated on what is happening in Japan you should follow this thread. Today, most of the news is related to two topics – COVID and the Olympics.
Japanese Food
Purpose: Sharing Photos Of Delicious Japanese Food
Number of Followers: 105k
Link: https://www.reddit.com/r/JapaneseFood/
People in the Japanese thread usually share Japanese dishes that they cooked themselves. You may not get much from the thread except the photos with some occasional recipients but at least you can enjoy the looks because surprisingly, the food here looks pretty good.
Japan Photos & Photography in Japan
Purpose: Sharing Beautiful Photos Of Japan
Number of Followers: 261k
Link: https://www.reddit.com/r/japanpics/
If you just can’t get enough photos of Japanese scenery or cities, this community is for you. Most of the photos here look quite professional, but as for any images-based community, not much discussion is happening here – just a feast for your eyes.
Teaching in Japan
Purpose: Providing Information About Teaching In Japan
Number of Followers: 26.1k
Link: https://www.reddit.com/r/teachinginjapan/
Teaching in Japan is often a job that is looked down on by foreigners in other industries, but it can definitely serve as a good stepping stone in Japan. Here you can find information about the best schools to work at, problems teachers face, seek some professional advice, etc. Although most of the topics are related to English teaching, there are some posts about other subjects like science and math too.
Japan Dating
Purpose: Advice On Dating In Japan
Number of Followers: 895
Link: https://www.reddit.com/r/JapanDating/
Dating in Japan can be full of surprises, both bad and good. Japan Dating exists to help you to navigate your dating life in Japan and make it a bit less unpredictable. The thread is not very active, with only 895 people in the community. There are still a few new posts every week, so if you’re stuck in your dating life, Japan Dating might be a good place to look for advice.
Japan Circle Jerk: Living in Japan Since Before It Was Cool
Purpose: Make You Laugh
Number of Followers: 60.2k
Link: https://www.reddit.com/r/japancirclejerk/
If you are okay with humor that is sometimes on the borderline of being offensive, then you might find this community to be a place to get a good dose of laughter. Jokes about English teachers, weebs, politics in Japan, guys with yellow fever, and JBloggers are very welcome.
Which Life in Japan Community Will You Choose?
Whether you’re looking to improve your Japanese skills, get help on your dating life, or read relatable stories about life in Japan, there are a variety of communities to choose from. Reddit offers several community niches, depending on your needs and interests. Which will you join?
Want to know more about meeting people and making friends in Japan? Read this article next:
Where to find acquaintances and friends if you’re new in Japan
