Welcome to the eighth interview in my Adjusting to Expat Life series.  I’ll be running two interviews a week over the course of six weeks, writing about my own experiences adjusting to expat life in Peru, and rounding up the best expat resources on the web.

Today I’m talking to Karen about her life in the night-time entertainment industry in Tokyo.  She runs the blog SixTrees, and I highly recommend a browse through her section, Tokyo Stories, for a fascinating inside look at the Mizu-shobai.

How long did you live in Tokyo?

Lived there three times; the longest was for 15 months

What made you choose to live there?

The first time I went to Japan was on a stopover on the way to Australia. I found a job and changed my ticket to stay for three months. I went back six years later because I couldn’t stop thinking about Japan and felt that I wasn’t finished so stayed 15 months. I went back two years later for another three months and I still think about going back…. I have a strong attachment to Tokyo.

How did you make a living?

I worked in the Mizu-shobai or “nighttime entertainment industry.”

Have you lived abroad in other countries before? Where? Was it easier or harder to feel at home?

Yes, by this point (2005) I had lived in Australia, Chile and the Czech Republic before. I never found it hard to feel at home anywhere.

Were you part of a close-knit expat community, or were you closer to locals?

My close friends were mostly expats working in the clubs with me (Israeli, Swedish, Danish, Nigerian, Cameroonian, Russian, English) but I lived with a mix of locals and expats.

Did you think about your adopted country as home?

I felt it was my home – probably because I was in a routine of working etc. – but I always knew it was temporary. I did try to stretch that temporary situation as far as possible though.

To what level did you speak the language when you arrived?

Very basic. I learned a lot while I was there, but I’m still at a fairly basic level.

How did the language difference affect you?

It was rarely a problem. In fact my lack of Japanese (or exaggerated lack of Japanese!) came in very useful at work as I could claim not to understand a particulary annoying customer and ask to leave his table.

Did you have a local partner? How does or doesn’t that help you integrate?

There was no relationship long-term enough to affect me in this way.

Have you taken out or would you consider taking out citizenship?

This doesn’t apply to my situation in Tokyo, because it would have been impossible, but I am living in a different country currently (USA) where I’ve been told that I am supposed to apply for citizenship. I don’t want to though, because it would mean losing my British citizenship, so I am really trying to avoid it!

If you don’t have citizenship, what are your feelings on living in a country where you have no political voice? Is having a political voice important to you? Could you stay on indefinitely without it?

Yes. I don’t believe that I have no voice; I am quite active in a couple of issues that I care about and my citizenship doesn’t affect that.

Was there a moment when you suddenly realised the extent to which you had integrated? To which you hadn’t?

I never felt very integrated. I was always very obviously not Japanese and that was very difficult to ignore. There were a few times when this was very significant: for example being refused entry to places because I was foreign.

What advice would you have for ‘newbie’ expats? What do you wish you had known before moving to your new home?

I used to feel embarrassed to see foreigners getting frustrated and acting angry when things weren’t going the way they were used to. I think that you have to be able to adapt, and that gets easier as time goes on.

I’m almost jealous of Karen’s ease adapting – I think she does make a valid point, though.  You gotta be a bit zen – no point in getting worked up, just let the difference wash over you, and ease into things.

OK kids, I’m literally racing out the door to the festival of the Virgin del Carmen in Paucartambo – have a great weekend and I’ll be back sometime Sunday with photos.