What City Hall in Japan Is Really Like (From Someone Who Worked There)

Sam Hanada, half Japanese and half Kiwi, moved to Japan through the JET Program and spent three years working inside a Japanese city hall before a short, eye-opening stint at a "black kigyo" (exploitative company) sent him looking for something better. Now working with the team on consultations and leading the new Mocha Moko Ambassador affiliate program, Sam shares what daily life in a small Chiba town is really like, how he built deep community ties through a 300-year-old local festival, and practical advice for anyone navigating Japanese bureaucracy or job hunting from scratch.

Key Takeaways

• The JET Program has three distinct tracks (ALT, SEA, CIR) with very different Japanese-language requirements and levels of support 
• "Black kigyo" red flags include vague job descriptions, personal bank accounts used for company funds, and "we're a family" language during interviews
• Making an effort to integrate is reciprocated in rural Japan — the "unwelcoming countryside" stereotype didn't match Sam's real experience
• City hall work in Japan deliberately rotates employees between departments every few years to keep them generalists rather than specialists
• Joining a local matsuri (festival) turned out to be one of the most effective ways to build genuine community connections and even led to freelance work

In This Episode

• Sam's path to Japan: growing up half Japanese in New Zealand, learning the language later in life, and choosing the CIR (Coordinator for International Relations) track of JET
• What it's actually like working inside a small-town city hall, including the daily "chorei" morning meeting and generational mix of coworkers
• The population decline reshaping small Japanese towns, and how municipalities merge to preserve city status
• The full story of the "black kigyo" company Sam quit after one week, and the specific red flags to watch for when job hunting in Japan
• How Japanese overtime contracts (zangyo) actually work and why "family culture" language in interviews deserves scrutiny
• Practical tips for visiting a Japanese city hall: what to bring, the best time of day to go, and how to prepare paperwork in advance
• How Sam got pulled into his town's 300-year-old dashi (float) festival through a work connection, and why it became a turning point for his sense of belonging
• Sam's current role running the Mocha Moko Ambassador affiliate program and doing consultations for people navigating countryside Japan

Resources Mentioned

• Book a consultation and you may be paired directly with Sam for guidance on countryside living
• Learn more about the Mocha Moko Ambassador affiliate program
• Browse listings on the show's English-friendly property search site
• Follow the podcast on Instagram and TikTok for property tips and renovation updates

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