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 an insightful interview with Alvaro Parra and Leo Ishida, who are enjoying a suburban lifestyle in Japan. Alvaro, who lives in Suita, Osaka, and Leo, who lives in Otaru, Hokkaido share their experiences of life outside the hustle and bustle of large cities, and how PayPay’s working style has changed their lives for the better.
Alvaro Parra
Product Group, Payment Product Division, Technology Department, CoreApp & Growth, Growth Team
Hello! I’m Alvaro from Spain. I joined PayPay in 2021 as a Backend Engineer for the Core App & Growth team, and became a Tech Lead after one year. It has been an amazing three-year journey with PayPay so far, and currently I am taking on new challenges in our group company PayPay Securities.
Leo Ishida
Product Group, Payment Product Division, PMO Department, TPM
Hello, I’m Leo from New Zealand. I’m the Technical Program Manager for the Core App & Growth product line. I relocated to Japan in September 2023 to join PayPay, and it’s my first time living in Japan despite being half-Japanese and half-New Zealander.
Please share with us your experience living outside the capital!
Alvaro:
I currently live in Suita, a city in the north of Osaka Prefecture. The city is famous for hosting The Japan World Expo in 1970!
In 2013, I moved to Japan with my wife, initially settling in Osaka’s city center before moving to Suita. I moved here to enjoy a more quiet and comfortable family life, and I feel the city strikes the perfect balance between a quiet environment but not being too rural.
Osaka’s dynamic atmosphere and diverse culinary offerings are remarkably attractive, and since it’s located in the center of Kansai, it provides me the opportunity to explore nearby areas such as Kyoto, Kobe, and Nara. Osaka’s famous cuisines such as takoyaki (octopus bits inside grilled dumplings), okonomiyaki (savory pancakes cooked with meats, seafood, and vegetables), and kushikatsu (deep-fried skewered meats and veggies) are incredible!
Despite my limited Japanese, I don’t feel any difficulties in everyday life in terms of communication. However, I suggest newcomers to start in Tokyo if concerned about language barriers before exploring other regions.
Leo:
I currently live in Otaru, Hokkaido, a city just under an hour from Sapporo.
I was born in Tokyo but moved to New Zealand when I was three years old. Living outside of Japan for a long time, l have always been looking for the right opportunity to go back to Japan throughout my entire life and luckily joining PayPay allowed me to relocate to Japan.
I was drawn to Hokkaido for its nature, easy-going local culture, and the food—the luxury of eating high quality seafood, dairy, and organic produce on a daily basis is amazing. Hokkaido is famous for its snow, and it piled up to 80 cm on the snowiest day!
Since Otaru is near Sapporo, it has the perfect blend of small town vibes and buoyancy, plus I get to enjoy both the mountain and the sea as well. I got even more excited when I realized I could enjoy my hobby playing a unique sport called underwater hockey. I found out that the only underwater hockey club in Hokkaido is located in Otaru!
Most of all, when I left Otaru after visiting Japan to scout for housing, I missed Otaru, and that’s when I realized that I really wanted to live here.
Japanese hasn’t been a barrier for my family, since I can understand Japanese to a certain level and my wife is also studying Japanese. Nonetheless, despite my limited Japanese, the warm, welcoming, and incredibly accommodating atmosphere at Otaru’s city hall has been a pleasant surprise for me.
What are the similarities or differences between your hometowns?
Alvaro:
Well, since we’re on different continents, the culture is entirely different.
Leo:
Yes, absolutely! As long as it’s a different country, there are going to be enough differences, but you also see some similarities, I guess?
Alvaro:
Yes, I also notice similarities between my hometown, Madrid in Spain, and Osaka. They are vibrant cities with numerous restaurants, providing ample opportunities for socializing with friends over food and drinks. They are also similar in size, offering a comparable urban experience.
I believe adapting would have been more challenging and time-consuming if everything were completely different.
Leo:
I agree with Alvaro, too. I moved to Otaru expecting to be completely different, but it was interesting to realize the similarities between Otaru and New Zealand. The climate is completely different, but being able to access both the mountains and the sea are one of the similarities.
What are the advantages of living outside Tokyo?
Leo:
I think one of the advantages would definitely be the cheaper rent and living costs compared to Tokyo. I really like the fact that when I spend money here, my money goes into the local economy. It feels like it gets recycled into the town and creates a greater economic impact, which makes me want to spend more money here! There’s more openness talking to strangers and I like that interaction as well.
Alvaro:
I also agree with Leo that rent is cheaper compared to Tokyo. When I hear stories from my friends living in Tokyo, I’m thankful that living costs are cheaper, we have easier access to nature, and that it’s generally less crowded.
Everything seems economical in Osaka, which is nice for saving money.
A message to people who are thinking of coming to Japan and interested in living outside Tokyo!
Alvaro:
Working at PayPay is fantastic! You’ll discover a diverse environment filled with talented and kind individuals, all collaborating on an amazing product used by 63 million users every day.
Leo:
This is the crème de la crème of scaling tech enterprises in Japan. Joining PayPay may feel like a big challenge, but once you join… it’ll probably be the best company you’ve ever worked for!
In our next edition…
We will chat with a PayPayer who made the journey all the way from Indonesia. Stay tuned!
Current job openings
*Job openings and employee affiliations are current as of the time of the interview.