Around the World with PayPay is a series of articles featuring our global workplace, with people gathered from approximately 40 countries around the world.
The article consists of two parts: “FROM OUTSIDE” (published every first Thursday of the month) focuses on a comparison between Japan and the interviewee’s home country. “FROM INSIDE” (published every second Friday of the month) focuses on experiences within PayPay.
In this article, we’ve sat down with Saad Burney from Pakistan.
*The Japanese version of the article is available here.
Saad Burney
Product Manager
Country：Pakistan ／ Years in Japan：2 months ／ What do you do at PayPay：Product Manager ／ Location (where you live currently)：Tokyo
Your own quote: It isn’t my own but one of my favorites：“Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.” -Neale Donald Walsch
Recommend a spot/thing in your region
Travel to Northern mountainous areas. There are multiple beautiful destinations and one of it is Gilgit. If I had to pick a spot, it would be Fairy Meadows which has spectacular views of the Nanga Parbat mountain.
For the adventurous folks, there are lots of hiking/trekking opportunities in the Northern areas including the trek to K-2 mountain base camp. Did you know K-2 is the second highest mountain on Earth? It is often regarded as the world’s toughest mountain to climb!
What places/things would you recommend in Japan?
In these 2 months I have only explored a few places around Tokyo so far. For a day trip and a short break from city life, I would recommend visiting Mount Takao which is located about an hour away from central Tokyo. Although there are options to reach the summit through cable-car/chairlift, I would highly recommend hiking to the top and back and taking a different trail each time. It is a relatively easy hike with beautiful views, temples and forest in the way.
Recommend a dish from your country
Biryani! The one I have had in Japan so far is very different from the Pakistani Biryani though. My quest to find the perfect Biryani in Tokyo will continue!
One of the many types of spicy Biryani we have in Pakistan
Best restaurants to feel like you’re at home in Japan
A few restaurants I liked in Tokyo so far:
- Marhaba Restaurant in Ikebukuro： (https : //goo.gl/maps/CF29FMZa74JXoxQ87)
- Nandhini in Minato-ku： (https : //nandhini.jp/)
- Annam Restaurant in Ginza： (https : //g.page/Annnam?share)
Biggest similarities with your country?
There are lots of people everywhere! I was born and raised in Karachi, Pakistan and the city itself has a population of over 15 million. This is why being part of big crowds seems very normal to me.
Biggest differences with your country
Infrastructure. Japan is a developed country with a great public transportation system.
Why did you come to Japan?
As a child, I was exposed to Japanese products pretty early; gaming consoles including Nintendo (NES), Sega and later PlayStation. And while growing up, I have always been a fan of JDM cars. Japanese culture, discipline and quality of products has always fascinated me. Traveling to Japan had always been on my bucket list but never had I thought I would move here.
What’s the thing you like the most about living in Japan?
- Discipline: everything including the people here is very organized
- Security: Japan is one of the safest countries of the world
- Public transportation
- 24 hour konbini (convenience stores) almost everywhere
What are the worst or most difficult things you encountered in Japan?
- Language barrier: everyday life is manageable with translation apps but socializing with locals is difficult
- The difficult process of renting an apartment as a foreigner. Luckily for me it was very easy as I had support from a relocation company arranged by PayPay but without that it would have been difficult
What are the strangest things about Japan?
- Jiko Bukken: properties where an occupant died of any unnatural causes have very low rent and no one wants to live there
- Maid cafes: cosplay restaurants where waitresses are dressed up as maids
Check back in next week for FROM INSIDE！
Don’t forget to check out past issues too.
See our currently available open positions here
*The recruitment status is current at the time of the interview.
Special Thanks：Saad Burney / Author：Anton / Managing Editor：Az
*Employee affiliations are as of the time of the interview.
