Life Reset Journal by Sio When I first moved to Japan, I noticed something strange — the doorbell rings all the time. Nothing scheduled. No one expected. Then suddenly, ding-dong. Every glance at the screen shows a stranger. I freeze, holding my breath like hiding from possible kidnappers. Worst part? Footsteps already on the corridor, speaking Japanese I can’t follow. Robbery? Rape? Am I hostage? Too many random rings. I never got deliveries at home, only at work. Also I

Life Reset Journal by Sio When I first came to Japan, I really want to make some Japanese friends, but I was too shy for bars, and people at meetups were too young. So I went on HelloTalk, firing off a hundred friend requests like shooting in a video game. The first reply came fast, she even asked me out the next day. I said yes instantly, then the chat froze like a crashed screen. It was already Game Over, disappointed, yet I kept refreshing the page. Then came a young mom

Life Reset Journal by Sio Every Japanese procedure feels like defusing a bomb. A mistake on my residence card can block the bank, delay autopay, and cut utilities. Each step is a fuse, one slip, and everything blows up. Gas autopay dragged on: site rejected my name, I waited for codes, my card was refused. At last one paper form came. I stared at the boxes, sweating—one chance, no mistakes. My bank’s daily limit was 50,000 yen—absurd. The app failed, the site demanded approva

Life Reset Journal by Sio After moving to Japan, I thought I could open a bank account right away. Even with all my documents, they still asked me to leave. Newbies can only open a JP Post account at the closest branch near your home or office, so I went to the one 900m from my place. But once I showed my documents, the staff said to me, “You need to go to the designated branch.” I pointed at the map, showing both were the same distance. He looked at me like I was an alien an

Life Reset Journal by Sio When I first moved to Japan, nothing terrified me more than phone calls. The rapid fire Japanese on the other side felt like a monster charging at me. One time, the lash salon called. I panicked and passed the phone to my friend after saying hi. What should’ve been a quick confirmation dragged on and on to over 10 mins. He said was used to this, but I felt sorry for wasting his time. I didn’t want to trouble anyone, yet I still memorized a line in Ja

Life Reset Journal by Sio That day I thought a few cough drops could fix my sore throat. But it got worse day by day, until I was shivering in bed like a virus was throwing a party inside me. Seeing a doctor never crossed my mind. Making an appointment in Japanese terrified me. How do I start? What’d they say? Many clinics don’t accept foreigners without Japanese. For me, this was mission impossible. By day 5, I couldn’t hold on. I forced myself to call with my less than N5

Life Reset Journal by Sio My first lashes salon in Tennoji used Google Translate, but the result was so-so. Then I tried one in Namba and loved it. I decided to stick with it. But the 2nd visit I fell into a 4D black hole. The beautician fired off rapid Japanese. I showed her my phone, but she didn’t even glance. I pleaded in broken Japanese for her to check my phone, but she still didn’t care. Her lips kept moving, her voice drifting from a 4D space. Just as I spaced out, sh

Life Reset Journal by Sio I have chronic neck pain. After moving to Japan, I continue to swim weekly. Pools here feel like onsens—everyone changes together and locks up stuff. One day I swam, soaked, steamed—totally relaxed—and walked back naked. Typed “1234.” Nothing. Tried combos—still locked. I was naked, phone inside, no Japanese. Total panic: x$&@::;(😫😭🫠 After panicking, I looked around, just elderlies. Then a young woman came in. I rushed to her, said Locker, made a