I moved to Japan 4 months ago. So far, the cost of fruit and the country's transit system have really surprised me.

• Moving to Japan improved my life in many ways, but it's also surprised me.

• Japan's strict trash-sorting rules and rental "key money" system were new adjustments for me.

• Although I'm not fluent in Japanese, I've been able to navigate daily life with ease.

Ready for a change of pace after living in Canada, I moved to Japan four months ago.

I spent my first couple of months in Tokyo before relocating to Osaka, and I'll be based here until the summer. I've been staying in long-term Airbnbs in both cities, and I plan to explore other parts of Japan over the next year.

Since arriving, I've noticed improvements in many areas of my day-to-day life, but there have also been a few surprises and lessons learned along the way.