Cathy & Ron's Leap: Moving Family from Nova Scotia to Shizuoka

21 years ago, Cathy and Ron Stockermans were inspired to take their family on an adventure abroad.. After Cathy was offered a job at a high school in Shizuoka, they, and their three sons, took the leap of faith that changed their lives. 21 years later, they sit down with Take and, one of their sons, Joey, to discuss that decision, how it shaped their lives, and how it led Joey to where he is today. From adjusting to a new culture, to inspiring Joey to stay in Japan for university, to Ron and Cathy's subsequent 15 year world journey; it all started with that decision to seek adventure.

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Buying a House in Japan is a production of AkiyaMart. Find your Japan dream home at akiya-mart.com.

Hosts are Take Kurosawa and Joey Stockermans. The AkiyaMart Production Team is Carlos G., Devin S., and Lukas F.

Chapters:

00:00 Milk Mixup in Japan

00:52 Meet Joey’s Parents

03:51 Why We Moved Abroad

08:19 Family Decision and Planning

10:02 Arriving in Numazu

13:52 First Morning Food Hunt

16:46 Trash Rules Culture Shock

18:30 Adapting to Work and School

22:14 Safety and School Questions

23:20 IB vs American Schools

24:32 English Immersion Japanese School

26:12 Cleaning Duties and Discipline

28:15 Rules Beyond Campus

28:54 Family Life and Daily Routines

30:51 Fitting In Japanese Society

33:09 Costs Banking and Living

35:14 Oldest Son Ben’s Adventure

37:16 Language Growth and Friends

39:46 Leaving Japan Next Chapter

42:05 Advice and Final Wrap