The Inevitable Crossroads of Middle Age

Day 976 of living in Japan.

It's been exactly 80 days since I stopped updating Xiaohongshu. After posting sporadically for over two years, suddenly stopping for so long felt liberating at first. But as time goes on, I feel increasingly uncomfortable, though I can't tell if I'm missing the sharing itself or the attention it brought.

Since the new business manager visa regulations finally landed mid-last month, discussions about this haven't stopped. Kind friends have reached out asking about my plans, anxious friends have called seeking advice on what to do, and acquaintances I've met once or twice have told me they're not planning to renew their visas. Chinese residents in Japan, especially those holding business manager visas or highly skilled professional visas in the management category, have all arrived at a crossroads.

Stay or leave?

Yesterday, I had hotpot at Yanma's place and discussed this with Shaowei. His mindset is better than mine, possibly because his business back in China is still running normally. But we both agreed on one thing: although the business manager visa has undergone significant adjustments, the core hasn't changed—it's still about making money.

Whether making money in Japan, China, or even other countries in Europe and America, as long as the business is running, there's no need to worry too much.

For wealthy individuals who came to Japan genuinely planning to take it easy, the new policy merely raises annual company expenses from around 100,000 to 200,000-300,000 yuan, or even slightly higher. But for them, this amount is negligible. A small gain in US stocks, gold, or BTC covers this increased cost.

In our small business manager visa group chat, since last month, the most frequent topic has been staying or leaving. Someone got visa rejected, someone's preparing to go home, someone switched to a work visa.

Everyone's immersed in an atmosphere of uncertain futures.

In middle age, you inevitably encounter crossroads.

Should I change jobs? Should I divorce? Should I have a second child? Should I immigrate? ...

These decisions feel critically important at every stage of life. And indeed, they're not trivial choices.

But every path in life can be walked, and each leads to different destinations.

As people age, they seem to increasingly believe in fate and destiny.

Which way to turn at the crossroads—I don't know either. I can only try, within my capabilities, to make choices I won't regret later. That's all.