Retirement?
Question by Beppe: Retirement?
After living in Japan for over 40 years, we’re nearing retirement! Japan’s high cost of living would eat up our retitement savings! where should we be thinking of retiring to? We like Asia and would like to settle down in the Far-East
1. Stay where we are(Okinawa) and make the best of it
2. Philippines
3. Return back to the U.S. of A
4. You don’t care
Best answer:
Answer by Rabbityama
Maybe you should just consider searching for a cheaper place to live in Japan. Perhaps you may even want to move to one of the other islands. The decision, of course, is yours. It doesn’t seem like you want to go back to the U.S., and why exactly do you specifically mention the Philippines? Is it because it is a cheap nation to live in, or do you have other reasons for choosing it?
You probably already know what you want to do. Just think it over. Where would you be the most happy?
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Already good answer from Rabbityama!!!
?First of all ?Congratulations? to you!
I envy you!!(^?^)/ and I DO care! I’ll hope to do the same someday in the future.
Well, to be honest, sounds like your heart is already set on Asia. If it’s your dream, GO FOR IT and BE HAPPY in your retirement!
??a??y ?^_^??
You can always go back to the USA if Asia doesn’t quite suit you…BUT!, you will have the added moving costs and the trouble of having your pension sent to you elsewhere… Think about it.
Sounds like you’re from the U.S.A though, right?
Believe it or not my hubby and I started planning our retirement the first year we married.
We’ll happily retire back in my hometown in So. CA. We managed to buy 2 beautiful homes in the time we’ve been married that are just waiting for us.
It’ll be easy to have our nenkin (pension) sent to us in the US or directly to UFJ here in Japan which has a ‘sister branch’ in CA. We can withdraw funds with our International cash cards. Easy…and more economical.
?Last point, have you actually checked the pension office to make sure your pension is OK?
(You’ve watched the news lately, right?)
My hubby and I requested the info via Internet to save the 3 or 4 hours we’d have to use waiting in the Pension office. (They send you a letter with the info you need to log on to check your pension status.)
GOOD LUCK! Whatever you choose?I’m sure you’ll be happy!?
Cyn’s answer is pretty good. Thumb up.
Since you live in Japan for more than 40 years, it sounds like you still love Japan and you are almost like another Japanese. If you leave Japan you might miss Japan very much. You have all your sweet memories for over 40 years you passed in Japan. I back from Japan, now I still very miss Japan I will never wanna leave there anymore. All the memories cannot be wash away. I have too much great time with everyone I met there.
Be sure you don’t make a wrong choice. Do make your life happy until the end.
Why not head out to one of Okinawa’s outlying
islands? Either that or a rural Philippine island.
If your spouse are Japanese national, she can get “Retirement VISA” or ” Long stay VISA” in nearly 15 countries.
Such as Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Australia, Republic of the Fiji Islands, Phillipines, and Mexco, etc.
She can stay in those countries for long term (usually 6 month to 1 year) , and can come back to Japan and enter the country anytime.
But I am not sure about your status. Please let her check this kind of special VISA.
The interest rates in bank in those nations are higher than Japan. You can manage your money and earn profit from there (of course Japanese are doing it in the local bank).
This goes to the OP and Cyn: I’m not sure where your savings lies, but if any of it is in the Japanese national pension and you are a US citizen, there was an agreement signed last fall I believe that allows US nationals to receive pension if they’ve been paying into the Japanese pension system. Something to consider if you thought receiving pension was a problem.
The Philippines is quite nice if you avoid the more volatile southern areas around Mindanao. If you don’t mind the heat, you can live cheaply and there’s a large expat community there to build ties with.