24-year-old American pays $238 a month for her house in Japan

In 2024, Lexi Smith, 24, was working as a trainer in Atlanta, Georgia, when she determined she was prepared for a change of surroundings.

Smith started exploring the opportunity of instructing English overseas and labored with Xplore Asia, a corporation that assists people in acquiring their TEFL (Instructing English as a International Language) certification to work and examine overseas.

“I wasn’t fairly loving the college system from having an overbearing administration that did not respect me to having a tough time dwelling on my wage,” Smith tells CNBC Make It. “Once I came upon that I may train overseas for a a lot simpler life and the flexibility to see extra tradition, I needed to bounce on it.”

Smith received her TEFL certification and taught English as a international language within the U.S. for a bit whereas Xplore Asia labored to search out her an employer overseas.

Ultimately, Smith landed a instructing place at an eikaiwa, a non-public language faculty centered on conversational English, within the Chiba Prefecture of Japan and moved in March of this 12 months.

The Chiba Prefecture is situated on Japan’s japanese Pacific coast to the east of Tokyo. It’s a few four-hour drive from the nation’s capital metropolis.

“Residing within the countryside of the Chiba Prefecture is sort of completely different than Tokyo. Issues are lots cheaper out right here. The tradition is extra respectful, and what you see if you go searching is rice fields,” Smith says.

One of many perks of Smith’s job was that her employer was capable of safe her an house earlier than she even received to Japan. It is a one-bedroom, one-bathroom house with a balcony and a walk-in closet that rents for 35,000 yen or $238 a month. The house can also be inside strolling distance of the college the place Smith teaches.

Smith admits she was nervous about transferring to the countryside, having grown up in a metropolis like Atlanta, but it surely was a a lot simpler transition than she anticipated.

“I actually did transfer right here on my own with out figuring out the language or anybody right here. My household is aware of that I am a little bit of a wild youngster, and I need to see the world. I am a free spirit, so that they accepted it,” Smith says. “They have been a little bit bit nervous for me, however after just about assembly my boss and seeing how properly ready I used to be, they weren’t that involved anymore.”

Smith’s employment contract contains her employer protecting the prices of some bills, like key cash —a one-time, non-refundable cost given to the owner when renting an house or home. Smith additionally did not should put down a safety deposit, which is often the case within the U.S. Her employer additionally pays for her fireplace insurance coverage.

The house additionally got here with a transportable washer in her toilet, and he or she makes use of the balcony to dry her garments. One of many distinctive elements of the house is that it got here with an emergency bag containing objects, like a security helmet, wanted in case of occasions like a tsunami, fireplace or earthquake.

A few of Smith’s different month-to-month bills embody water, fuel, electrical energy, medical health insurance, and groceries, which complete roughly $376 a month.

Although Smith is having fun with her time in Japan, she already is aware of she’s going to transfer again to Atlanta on the finish of her one-year contract.

“There’s a huge a part of me that does need to keep longer than a 12 months in Japan, however there’s a lot of the world to see. As a lot as I really like Japan, I can not wait to additionally increase myself to see the remainder of the world as properly,” Smith says.

“I miss my household. We’re actually close-knit, so it is exhausting being 7,000 miles away from them, but additionally being a Southern woman, I miss my soul meals a lot. Japan’s meals is nice, however there’s nothing like an excellent collard inexperienced on the finish of the day.”

Smith nonetheless is not certain what she’ll do when she strikes again to the U.S., however is contemplating pursuing a graduate diploma or a return to instructing.

“I am not fairly certain what the long run holds for me, however I am excited to take no matter path it has,” she says.

A technique that Smith is ensuring she will get probably the most out of her expertise dwelling in Japan is by documenting her journey on social media, which is she began doing three months after relocating.

“I made a decision to start out sharing my expertise as a result of individuals do not know what common life is like. I really feel that Tokyo will get numerous viewership, however all of Japan is not Tokyo. Plenty of us dwell within the countryside and dwell common lives, and I needed to share that with the world. Lots of people are fascinated with leaving the States and I needed to share my perspective on it too,” Smith says.

Since she began sharing her life in Japan on TikTok, Smith says the reception has been constructive.

“Lots of people who dwell in Japan do see themselves in me. They really feel like I’m sharing the genuine Japanese expertise and meaning lots to me that I can create that visibility the place it may not in any other case exist,” she says.

“And for different individuals who appear to be me, [they can] additionally really feel empowered that they will do it too. I really feel that figuring out extra concerning the place that you are going and seeing different individuals doing it might take a few of the concern out of doing that transfer.”

Conversions from Japanese yen to USD have been performed utilizing the OANDA conversion fee of 147 Japanese yen to $1 USD on August 30, 2025. All quantities are rounded to the closest greenback.

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