Today I want to discuss a personal topic that has plagued my mind for many months after I moved to Japan, and that is my number 1 regret moving there. But first let me dive into the reasons why I lived in Japan for 1 year.
BiiBiiBeauty Japan…
I moved to Japan for the soul reason to achieve my bucket list dream. I had no plan to live in Japan beyond 1 year. My reason for doing this move was because it was my childhood dream as it was for many others as well. After I previously lived in South Korea for two years to be with my boyfriend, I realized how easy it was to live in different countries as a Canadian. So after many emotional decisions, I made the move to Japan alone. Of course I already had a couple friends there who I previously had met in Korea, so I was fortunate to not be alone upon arrival.
And so I begun my life dream of living 1 year in Tokyo Japan.
Why I Regret Living in Japan
Of course, I have many many many great memories and experiences made from my time in Japan, however there is 1 thing that ruined the experience for me, and that was choosing to film my life there. For me, I originally chose to film my life in Japan so I could look back on all the amazing memories, from the good days to the bad days, so I can remember what it was like to live there and share my experiences with my family and friends back home who always watched my videos.
However to my shock, deciding to share these experiences somehow dragged me deep into a world of internet slander, defamation of character and hate speech…
From what was supposed to be a diary of my life for my future self, family and whoever was interested, to suddenly become an onslaught of hate, and defamation of my personal given name online, has gradually begun to ruin my life to this day even after leaving Japan.
It honestly makes me sick to my stomach…
Before living overseas, I was able to enjoy social media peacefully, but ever since I lived in Japan my life changed in both a good and hugely negative way. Why? I couldn’t tell you to be honest.
Unfortunately in this world, not everyone will like you as a person, but because I lived in Japan, certain people decided to publicly slander and defame my given name online. Which in my eyes is wrong and now it will forever negatively effect my future career opportunities and much more.
Why is this happening to me? Because I lived in Japan and shared a look into my life…
My biggest regret in my life to this day is living in Japan, because the internet decided to slander me because of that choice, people online thought they had a right to slander those who decided to share with them a look into life in Japan. For what reason do they have a right to slander ones given name online?
Do these people not realize they are ruining the careers of those they so freely slander? And for what reasons do they slander for? Jealousy?
Turning Jealousy Into Something Greater
Not everyone will like me in this world, and that is normal. But jealousy and anger because other people are living a lifestyle you want to lead should not result in slander. Remember Youtubers and bloggers are normal people, we do not have security and lawyers to protect us like celebrities do. When you slander and defame our given names online, you take away our future, our careers, our chances to make a living & life. When we go to interviews for jobs and those employers decide to search our names, only to find a mass amount of online slander… what do you think will happen? We wont get the job.
And for what reason do we deserve to have our futures taken away from us? Because some people online felt enraged and jealous because we worked hard to live in a highly desired country? In my eyes, those actions are wrong and unjust.
I too once was jealous of bloggers who lived in Japan, but you know what I did? I worked hard, I studied, I saved and I created a path for myself that would allow me to one day achieve my goal to live in Japan. It took me all the way to the age of 24 to finally be able to make that dream come true. And guess what? It wasn’t easy, it was a long process and I worked hard for it.
I turned my jealousy of bloggers living in Japan into Inspiration. I felt jealousy, rage, and envy towards the bloggers that were living my dreams, but I turned those negative emotions into inspiration to drive me forward. I thought “wow, if they can do that then I can do that too!”.
I did not slander their names online out of jealousy and envy. I worked hard to be like them and only a few years later, I too finally was able to make my dream of living in japan a reality.
It makes me so extremely sad that my future has been compromised because of people turning jealousy and envy into online slander. It’s okay if you don’t like me, maybe I don’t like you either, but I will not slander somebodies given name online just because of something so small. I will not take away someone’s future because of dislike, jealousy and envy.
What makes me even more sad is that this post will make no difference. My life and those of others who shared their life in Japan is forever changed, my future is forever compromised because of small minded people deciding I do not deserve to have a future. All because I lived in Japan, shared my life and they did not like me…