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Time to Head Back to Japan!
After more than 10 years of teaching Japanese in Texas, it's time for the biggest change in Simple Gaijin's history.
Ayaka and I are moving to Japan.
Our last day in Flower Mound will be Wednesday, October 14th, and we expect to settle in or near Kaminokawa (栃木県上三川町) or Utsunomiya (栃木県宇都宮市) in Tochigi Prefecture.
It's exciting. It's terrifying. And, more than anything, it feels like an opportunity I would be foolish not to take.
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Why Japan?
This story actually started long before Simple Gaijin.
When I was younger, I was given a diagnosis that I later learned was incorrect. I won't get into the full details here, but it changed the course of my life and, in many ways, prevented me from getting a fair shake during my school years. It affected how people saw me, what they expected from me, and for a long time, what I truly believed I was capable of accomplishing.
Not many people, including family, expected much from me professionally. And when I became serious about learning Japanese, not many people took that seriously either. To some, it was just another hobby I would eventually give up.
I didn't. I kept studying.
Japanese eventually took me to Japan, where I studied, lived, and worked. After returning to the United States, I began teaching the language myself.
That eventually became Simple Gaijin.
What started as a small side business in 2015 has now survived for more than a decade. Through all the other jobs I've worked during that time, teaching Japanese has remained the one thing I've consistently been able to say:
I genuinely enjoy what I do.
Now I have an opportunity to see how far I can take it.Moving to Japan won't magically make Simple Gaijin successful. I've lost students. The economy has been difficult. My family has not always fully supported the path I've chosen. And I still have moments when I wonder whether I'm making the right decision.
I don't know exactly what is waiting for me on the other side of this move. Maybe Simple Gaijin becomes everything I've hoped it could be. Maybe it doesn't. There are no guarantees.
I do know one thing though...
I've spent enough of my life hearing what other people thought I could or couldn't do. Now, for the first time in a long time, I have the opportunity to find out for myself.
I refuse to reach the end of my life and never know whether it could have worked. So I'm going.
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What Happens to Simple Gaijin?
I'm not going anywhere. Even while I'm scanning the last of my books, driving Uber around DFW, and getting everything ready for Japan, I'm still teaching my students online.
While we prepare for the move, I'm rebuilding Simple Gaijin from the ground up. That means a new website, clearer services, a rebuilt Japanese curriculum, and an even stronger focus on what we've always done best: Private, one-on-one Japanese instruction built around you.
Current students will continue their lessons throughout the transition. And we are still accepting new students.
If you've been thinking about learning Japanese, you don't have to wait for the new website. You can call or text me directly at 214-892-3207 through October 15th, 2026, or email me anytime at mike@simplegaijin.com. After the move, our U.S. phone number will change, but email will remain available throughout the transition.
Private Japanese lessons are $42.50 per 60-minute lesson.
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Thank You, Texas
I've called Texas home since 1999. It's where I spent most of my life, where Simple Gaijin grew up, and where so many people gave me the opportunity to turn something I loved into something real.
Leaving is bittersweet, and I'll always be grateful for the opportunities, friendships, students, and memories I've made here.
For more than ten years, I built Simple Gaijin from Texas while teaching people about Japan.
Now I get to find out what Simple Gaijin can become from Japan itself. I can't wait to show you what's next.
また会いましょう！
— Mike Viscusi
Simple Gaijin