A lot has changed in the four and a half years since I first started working in Japan. I’ve grown from a 24-year-old just trying to survive work life here into an almost-29-year-old who’s been humbled, shaped, and strengthened by a whole range of experiences. When I look back at the earlier posts from this series—the ones I wrote during my first six months—I can’t help but cringe a little. Not in a bad way, but in a “oh sweet baby Lauren, you had no idea what was coming but you were doing your best” kind of way.

Now that I have some distance, I can see how far I’ve really come. Not just in understanding Japanese work culture, but in finally finding a company that fits me in a healthy, sustainable way.

---

Finding the Right Fit Takes Time

I bounced around jobs a bit—some by choice, some not. I won’t get into the specifics of the companies or what happened, but in hindsight, none of those environments were the right fit for me. That said, I’m still grateful for them. Every difficult moment, every awkward misunderstanding, every uncomfortable growth phase helped shape the person and worker I am today.

Those places taught me resilience. They also forced me to become fluent in Japanese far faster than I would have in a comfortable company where I could hide behind English. The experiences weren’t always kind, but they were formative.

---

Rethinking What I Once Wrote

When I reread my early posts, I realize how much my perspective has changed. A good example is my old rant about the hanko “stamp rally.” Back then, I complained that documents sat on my desk forever waiting for signatures and approvals. And honestly… for that company, it was inefficient.

But after four different companies, I’ve learned that every workplace treats stamps, workflows, and approvals differently. It’s not a Japan-wide issue—it’s a company culture issue.

Here’s a quick look at how different companies handled it:

• Company 1: Stamp everything. Finance forms, outgoing orders, approvals, daily admin… it never ended.

• Company 2: Only stamped for time-off requests and occasional HR documents.

• Company 3: A tiny startup with basically no HR processes—no stamps at all.

• Current company: Only necessary for days off or monthly expense reports.

Now I understand it’s less about the hanko itself and more about the size of the company, the type of work you do, and the internal systems they’ve chosen. That early frustration came from being in a system that simply wasn’t suited to the role I was in.

Do I still think the rigid stamp rally can be inefficient? Yes.
Do I understand the nuance better now? Absolutely.

---

Looking Ahead

So where am I headed from here?

My visa is up for renewal later this year, and I fully intend to stay with my current company for the foreseeable future. I love my life in Japan, and I’m building a foundation that feels stable in a way my early 20s never did.

Professionally, I’m hoping to deepen my experience in digital marketing and business planning, and personally, I want to keep growing this blog and my Instagram. I finally feel like I have the clarity and the energy to share more about working in Japan from the perspective of someone who’s lived through the messy, confusing early stages and come out stronger.

Go to Part 5 | Go to Part 7

*Revised November 2025 for Grammar and Context