My Japanese is decent enough for daily conversation, but put me in front of a government form or an insurance policy, and I’m completely illiterate. All those kanji combos swim around the page in bureaucratic soup. It’s harder than trying to decipher emojis.
Now imagine your family trying to deal with Japanese paperwork when you’re not around to help translate.
This isn’t just about language, though that’s part of it. It’s about understanding systems that work completely differently from what they’re used to. Like why you need a hanko for some things but not others. Or why some bank accounts require you to go to the specific branch where you opened them. Or why the post office is also a bank.
Even something as simple as your address can be confusing. Is it 1-2-3 Nagatacho or 2-3 Nagata-cho 1? Does your building have a name? Is there a room number? Is there a door code? Your family might know you live in Nagatacho, but good luck finding your specific apartment without very detailed instructions.
The reverse is also true, by the way. If you have assets back home, Japanese authorities might not understand concepts like 401ks or health savings accounts or why you have seventeen different investment accounts with names like “Aggressive Growth Fund” and “Conservative Bond Portfolio.”
Being bilingual and bicultural is great until you need to explain one culture’s systems to someone from the other culture while you’re not available to do the explaining.
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