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.

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.

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. Sure, some fruit, like apples and strawberries, can be pricey, but I've found basics like meat, eggs, milk, and bread to generally be more affordable.

Then, there's eating out. A nicer date-night meal that would cost us anywhere from CA$60 to CA$100 back home might be around CA$30 or CA$40 here. Since tipping isn't really part of Japanese culture, my meals are even cheaper.

I'm definitely looking forward to getting back into a bigger kitchen, but I've eaten very, very well in Japan, and I'll miss how easy and affordable it is to do so.

I've been surprised by how much you can actually do at a convenience store in Japan. At a 7-Eleven, you can find bathrooms and ATMs, order hot meals and smoothies, and even pay your bills.

In Ottawa, I was much more used to gas-station convenience stores where I could only go in to pay for gas, buy a lottery ticket, or grab a very overpriced snack. (And good luck finding a bathroom you're able to use when you're there, too.)

I've especially loved how easy it is to find a printer here. In Japan, I can walk just a few minutes to a convenience store whenever I need something printed; meanwhile, back in Canada, I used to have to make a special trip to Staples.