I'm heading back to Canada after living in Japan for a year. I'm excited to return, but there are a few things I'll miss.

I moved to Japan nearly a year ago, and now, I'm getting ready to head home.

Alessa Hickman I'm a Canadian who lived in Japan for a year — and now, I'm getting ready to head home.

I'll miss Japan's transportation system and how affordable it is to have a quality dinner out here.

However, I'm excited to reunite with my friends and explore my home country like a tourist.

When I moved to Japan in 2025, I knew I wouldn't be here forever — but having a full year ahead of me felt like an infinite amount of time.

Now I'm getting ready to head back to my hometown in Canada , and I can't believe how quickly my year passed.

Since moving here, I've been lucky enough to live in Tokyo, Osaka, and Kumamoto, visit more than a dozen cities and towns, and become a version of myself I really love.

I'm excited to go home and see the people I've missed, but saying goodbye to the life I've built here feels a lot harder than I expected.

I'm going to miss how affordable my life has felt here.

I've found quality food to be more affordable here than it is in Canada.

Alessa Hickman One of the biggest things I've noticed during my time in Japan is how much less financial stress I've felt on a day-to-day basis.

Before moving here, my husband and I paid almost 2,000 Canadian dollars a month for our apartment in Ottawa.

In Japan, I've been living in Airbnbs and generally spending roughly 20% to 30% less on rent alone.

High-quality food has also been noticeably cheaper in Japan's major cities than in my home in Ottawa.