Milestone: Obtained Permanent Residency in Japan

Perhaps it’s because there are so many brilliant individuals in the software industry that every time I feel I've achieved a milestone, it seems insignificant by comparison.

Surrounded by engineers with exceptional technical skills, who are also juggling various side hustles, parenting, and management roles; it’s the same with my Japanese skills. Even when I think I’m doing pretty well, I realize I’m just at an average level here. Watching everyone else excel leaves me feeling disheartened about my own mediocrity over time.

The same goes for applying for permanent residency. At first, I wanted to post a celebratory message, but then I worried that someone might think, "So what? It’s just permanent residency; it’s not that impressive."

Recently, I revisited Hunter x Hunter and began to realize that this mindset isn’t healthy and can be quite toxic. While Gon, Killua, and Kurapika are strong, they pale in comparison to the Chimera Ant King’s overwhelming power. No matter how you compare, there will always be someone stronger than you in this world. It’s like there’s a pyramid on top of another pyramid, and you’re at the base of one of them.

Although I’ve known this for a long time, recognizing it and accepting it are two entirely different things. There was a period when my mindset became twisted; I completely avoided social media and muted posts from those I perceived as stronger. Am I seeking validation, or simply wanting to document and share my journey? Maybe it’s a bit of both.

As long as I don’t see it, I can live in my little bubble, feeling like I’m doing okay.

If what I strive for is a better world and a better life, then seeing others excel should make me happy, because that means the world is progressing a little more, and it signifies that I still have room to grow.

I occasionally think of a memorable scene from Haikyuu!! featuring Ryunosuke Tanaka: “I’m an ordinary person. Although I’m confident in my athletic abilities, I don’t have any particularly outstanding traits in the volleyball club at this stage. This isn’t an excuse to give up. But about every six months, when my mental state tends to skew negative, I feel so ordinary. But ordinary me, do I really have time to keep my head down?”

Unlike Tanaka, I’ve never considered myself a genius; I merely absorb knowledge in certain areas faster than others. However, on average, I can’t reach the top in any particular field.

Timeline

• 2019.07 - Moved to Fukuoka, Japan for work (Technical Humanities visa; this is the standard work visa for moving to Japan)
• 2022.02 - Applied for a Highly Skilled Professional visa
• 2022.04 - Changed to Highly Skilled Professional (It took about 1.5 months from application to notification)
• 2023.08 - Applied for permanent residency (Highly Skilled Professional visa, 80 points for one year)
• 2023.09 - Received a notice requesting proof of income for the coming year (just submit it to the company; company seal required)
• 2023.10 - Received notification

It took about two months from applying for permanent residency to receiving the notification.