Why We Left Japan

Moving from Japan to Beijing

Kevin explains that his family left Japan for Beijing in 2017, mainly to improve their financial security and create better opportunities for their children. He loved Japan and hopes to return, but felt the move made sense for his family’s future.

International-school employment

Kevin describes the difference between being hired locally and being recruited internationally. International contracts may include benefits such as airfare to the employee’s home country, tuition for children, and a housing allowance.

Why Beijing worked for the family

Kevin’s job provided campus housing and a welcoming community of teachers and families. His children had safe places to play and English-speaking friends. For the first time, the family could afford to fly to Canada for the summer.

They spent two summers with Kevin’s father, who had Parkinson’s disease. Kevin later reflects that, although he sometimes wonders what might have happened if they had stayed in Japan, those visits were an irreplaceable gift.

Career progression

After speaking at an outdoor-education conference in Shenzhen, Kevin applied to a school there. The salary was nearly twice his Beijing pay, so he accepted the offer and moved after two years.

Looking back

Kevin notes that people cannot know how alternate choices would have worked out. Career moves often involve balancing family needs, financial stability, and professional growth.

His family spent four years in Shenzhen, including during the pandemic. An unexpected return to Japan and a later move to Malaysia are left for a future story.

Notable locations and people

• Locations: Kobe, Japan; Beijing’s Chaoyang district; Shenzhen, China; Ottawa and the area near Kevin’s family in Canada.
• People: Kevin’s father and brother; Michael J. Fox, whom Kevin admires for his work related to Parkinson’s disease.
• Podcasts: Supernatural Japan and Tales from Kevin.