The “LIFE IN JAPAN” series showcases the lifestyles of PayPay employees from 50 different countries and regions who have relocated to Japan.
This special quarterly edition features insightful interviews with Mithila Kannan and Bukola Odunyemi, who, along with their families, relocated to Japan. Explore their journeys of joining PayPay and strategies to uphold their distinctive lifestyles in a different culture!
Mithila Kannan
Product Group, Payment Product Division, Payment & Mini App Department, Online Payments & Corporate Account
Hello! I’m Mithila from India. I work as a Product Manager in PayPay’s Online Payments Team, within the Payment Product Division. My team’s goal is to ensure smooth and hassle-free online payments for users, with features like auto charge and payment priority. I joined PayPay in September 2022 and moved to Japan the following January with my husband and two-year-old daughter. My hobbies are watercolor painting and cooking.
Bukola Odunyemi
Product Group, Financial Services Product Division, P2P
Hi! I’m Bukola from Nigeria. I am a Product Manager in PayPay’s Financial Services Product Division, specifically working with the P2P Team. Our goal is to enable PayPay users to seamlessly send and receive money to their family and friends. I joined PayPay in January 2023 and moved to Japan with my husband and three-year-old son in March of the same year. My hobbies include singing and reading.
Please tell us why you moved to Japan with your families
Mithila:
I was looking to enter the fintech industry while having the hybrid work style as a new mother. I came across PayPay on a website with many positive reviews about the work culture, work-life balance, career growth, and colleagues. The role seemed like a perfect fit for me, and my husband was excited to explore a new country and work style as he is a frontend engineer. We moved to Japan after receiving a job offer from PayPay, marking the beginning of a new phase in our family’s journey in life.
Bukola:
My introduction to PayPay unfolded as I casually explored potential career opportunities. As I read about PayPay’s story, I was genuinely impressed by its rapid growth within a few short years. My interest grew when I found interviews with Amit, the head of the Product Division, online. His descriptions of the pre-launch process drew me towards wanting to be a part of this environment.
Interestingly, my fascination with PayPay itself became the driving force behind my desire to relocate to Japan. And to my surprise, my initial excitement was more centered on joining the company than the idea of moving to Japan itself. Looking back, I’m glad that we took the leap, as it gave me the opportunity to work at PayPay while experiencing life in Japan—truly the best of both worlds.
Did you have any concerns before coming to Japan?
Mithila:
In addition to the language barrier, I was afraid of leaving behind my extended family who had supported me in raising a child, managing housework, and working. It was daunting to start a new life here only with my immediate family.
Bukola:
Transitioning into a new environment was quite daunting initially. Like Mithila, my primary worry was living apart from my extended family and losing the support I received with childcare. In Nigeria, hiring help is more affordable compared to Japan.
Did you face any challenges after coming to Japan? How did you overcome them?
Mithila:
Finding a house, processing ward office documents, and setting up utilities went smoothly with PayPay’s support.
One of my challenges though was finding a doctor for my baby. It was winter when we moved to Japan, and during the first month, she fell ill. I panicked and took her to the local hospital, but it was closed. Thankfully, office colleagues helped me find the helpline number to locate a hospital that could assist us in English. The next day, I took her to the recommended hospital and managed to get the care she needed.
In India, insurance coverage is limited, especially for surgeries, and medical expenses for children are high. After moving to Japan, I always asked about the cost of medical care whenever I visited a hospital. To my surprise, medical care and medicine are free for children up to a certain age in Japan (depending on the area of residence). Additionally, the prescribed medicine in Japan suited my baby better than the strong medicine prescribed in India. Now we no longer need to use over-the-counter medicines from India.
Bukola:
The biggest challenge was finding a school for my son. It was difficult to find an affordable English-speaking school that met my specific criteria, such as being close to our home or accessible via a school bus.
Finding a place to live was also a priority in order to settle in Japan. I was in a hurry to stabilize many things.
Fortunately, I was able to find a nursery center with a school bus. Although the language barrier was difficult, I have learned to navigate my daily life with translator apps.
Mithila:
For those of us with young children, there are many challenges related to child care.
Bukola:
Indeed, there are. I think PayPay, where hybrid work style is allowed, is a very comfortable environment for us as working mothers.
What’s it like working at PayPay?
Mithila:
PayPay is a very exciting place to work in, where you are always expected to tackle new projects. There is a lot to learn and new challenges keep coming every day.
We approach many of our features with a product-oriented mindset, which allows me to contribute to the growth of the product. Additionally, all teams work together on process improvements, and there is a high level of responsiveness and cooperation in the workplace.
Bukola:
The environment at PayPay is dynamic and vibrant, offering interesting challenges and ample opportunities for learning.
Although I had heard that Japanese companies typically have long working hours and heavy workloads, at PayPay, the working hours are flexible and can be adjusted to suit one’s lifestyle. This has been extremely beneficial for me as I juggle work and raising children.
A message to people who are thinking of taking the leap and coming to Japan!
Bukola:
I am eager to learn the language in order to fully enjoy the country. Japan is a beautiful and peaceful place with a high standard of living. When I relocated to Japan with my family, PayPay provided valuable assistance with various procedures. I strongly recommend coming to Japan and working for PayPay!
Mithila:
Japan has so much to offer in terms of exploration! Once you embrace the cultural differences and acquire basic Japanese language skills, life becomes peaceful and fulfilling. My immediate aspiration is to improve my language proficiency to improve communication with my colleagues.
With PayPay’s relocation support and the overall lifestyle in Japan, moving to a new country and settling in is less daunting and challenging than one might think. PayPay provides a fantastic opportunity to work in an international environment and learn extensively. It can greatly shape your career.
In our next edition…
We will chat with a PayPayer who made the journey all the way from the Netherlands. Stay tuned!
Current Job Openings
*Job openings and employee affiliations are current as of the time of the interview.