On a social platform, he met a friend, Dahe (a pseudonym), who moved to Japan with his family. In 2022, he settled in Japan on a management visa. After years of hard work, he purchased property in Japan, and his two daughters are attending public school here. Life was seemingly stabilizing, but he encountered adjustments to Japan's immigration policies. In the past six months, the thresholds for foreigners settling in Japan have been raised, putting those who have not yet 'landed' (referring to obtaining permanent residency) in a dilemma, and Dahe is one of them.
In 2022, the river, just past the age of confusion, faced a bottleneck in his domestic career. Considering the economic situation in Japan and his own realistic considerations, he decided to relocate his family to Japan to start a new life. He chose to first enter on a student visa to get a foothold, and after familiarizing himself with the local situation, he would switch to a management visa that allows family members, bringing his wife and two daughters over for a reunion.
First encounter with the dreamland, gradually taking root in Japan
In April of that year, he arrived in Japan, underwent quarantine, and started studying, temporarily living in a dormitory. He was surrounded by young friendly classmates, enthusiastic Chinese expatriates, and gentle Japanese people. The beautiful Japanese language and quiet streets were just as lovely as he had dreamed. At that time, he was full of hope and even determined that when his two daughters grew up, he would find a place in the Japanese countryside to live a quiet life.
In the same year, Dahe's eldest daughter graduated from high school. He assisted her in independently applying for a study visa to Japan. In September, the eldest daughter arrived in Japan and reunited with Dahe, starting her language school life.
In September 2022, he officially applied to change his student visa to a business management visa, which was approved in November of the same year. Subsequently, he submitted a family visa application for his wife and youngest daughter, and in December 2023, Dahe's wife arrived in Japan with their youngest daughter, starting a new life for the whole family in Japan.
The eldest daughter performed well during her language school studies and successfully passed the entrance exam for Rikkyo University in Japan. However, unexpected challenges arose; Dahe's eldest daughter developed bipolar disorder in her second year and had to take a leave of absence. During severe episodes, she experienced self-harm and suicidal thoughts. Although her condition has improved now, she still needs to gradually recover.
Dahe's youngest daughter is now studying at a local public middle school in Japan, which is only a 7-minute walk from the property Dahe purchased.
The property Dahe purchased is a 3LDK house, costing 9 million yen. In addition, for the business management visa, he bought an old and small property to use as an office for the visa application.
To clarify, Dahe's residence is in Hyogo Prefecture, Japan, which is a remote agricultural area, and property prices are much lower than in Tokyo and Osaka.
At that time, he was full of confidence about his future in Japan. Dahe sold his only property in the mainland, preparing to start his overseas life in Japan.
New policies coming: Anxiety of shattered immigration dreams
When the new immigration policy in Japan was introduced, he was not overly worried. He believed that the three-year buffer period provided by the new policy was sufficient for him to meet the requirements. Even if he could not meet them, he still had enough time to obtain relevant certificates or degrees and later convert to a skilled worker visa to find a stable job. However, this year, the first renewal after the new policy was implemented plunged him into deep anxiety. During the renewal, the authorities suddenly required a lot of supplementary materials, such as needing at least N1 level full-time employees — which he met, and he also possessed the other required documents. Since starting his business, unless absolutely necessary, he has always tried to be compliant and genuine, as a responsibility to himself and to reduce unnecessary uncertainties.
What troubled him was that the new policy retroactively affected previous applicants; despite promising a three-year buffer period, the review standards were immediately tightened. Especially after a renewal was rejected, the possibility of being required to leave within 30 days under the 'sudden death law' made him feel anxious — he clearly knew that such a situation could occur at any time. Although he firmly believed that this time he would be able to renew smoothly, the uncertainty of the future and the inability to cope with unexpected situations plunged him into deep anxiety. He had already cut off all escape routes for his family; even though he always tried to treat every matter seriously and correctly, objectively speaking, he still did not meet the new policy requirements and would find it difficult to meet them within 1-2 years. Each subsequent renewal would feel like waiting for a verdict beside the guillotine.
This uncertainty weighs heavily like an immediate death sentence. He does not know if he can regain the sense of security he once had, and he currently has no way to cope with the possible 'sudden death' departure notice that could come with only 30 days' notice.