11.18.2025

Smiles Success Stories: Dao’s Dream Becoming Reality in Japan

Meet Dao!
Hardships and challenges that made you a stronger person
Proudest moment(s) since starting your journey living abroad
Life lessons and advice for living overseas
Join the Smiles Family
Be more inspired and read more success stories here

Smiles Mobile Remittance, known as Japan’s most popular global mobile money transfer service, is dedicated to supporting hardworking individuals who send money overseas to their families back home. Smiles helps create a better life for people working abroad and promotes peace and sustainability within the international community.

Loved by loyal customers since the beginning, Smiles is now excited to “Share Smiles” by telling inspiring stories from users worldwide. These stories showcase how Smiles Mobile Remittance provides its service to people determined to achieve their dreams and support their loved ones, no matter where they are.

Meet Dao!

Hello everyone, my name is Đào and I’m from Hà Nam, Vietnam. Since I was 18, I have had a dream to go to Japan. But at that time, the cost of working abroad was very high, and my family couldn’t afford it. Also, because I was small and skinny, my mom was afraid that I wouldn’t be strong enough to work and might have to return, which would mean more debt. So, I had to give up my dream.

After I got married, I was lucky to have two kids in three years. Only my husband was working, so our financial situation was difficult, and it created many disagreements in our marriage.

When I turned 31, I decided to go to Japan to work. My only wish was to save some money and build a small house for my family. At that time, my first child was 8 years old, and the second was 5. I thought for a long time before making the decision to leave my children.

Hardships and challenges that made you a stronger person

I left Vietnam on January 16, 2021. It was during the COVID pandemic in both Vietnam and Japan. Work was difficult, especially in the food industry. My monthly salary was only 80,000 to 100,000 yen. In Hokkaido, the weather was freezing, sometimes as cold as -15°C. I missed my children and family so much. Work was unstable, and so many times, I wanted to give up and return home. But I thought about the debt, and about my children’s future. That gave me strength. I also thought of my mom and grandma, even being able to send them just a box of milk made me happy and proud.

1 year, 2 years, 3 years, then 4 years passed. I really miss my kids, but I have become more positive. I focused on studying Japanese so I wouldn’t have negative thoughts during free time.

One day, I saw a post from Smiles about the “Reunion Flight Campaign”. I shared my story on their page, never thinking that my story would be noticed. But I was chosen as the lucky winner of a round-trip ticket to Vietnam. I cried tears of happiness when the Smiles Mobile Remittance staff informed me.

I thought to myself, “For 5 years I have been loyal to Smiles, and now I am blessed in return.” I got to meet the Smiles team, talk with them, and they supported me so much throughout the trip. My family was extremely happy.

Thank you, Smiles Mobile Remittance, and thank you, everyone, for listening to my story.

Proudest moment(s) since starting your journey living abroad

Thanks to my determination, the determination not to give up, the determination to build a new home for my grandma and my mom. I made it happen.

Life lessons and advice for living overseas

I hope all my fellow Vietnamese living and working in Japan stay healthy, strong-willed, and full of energy to keep building a bright future for yourselves and your families.

Join the Smiles Family

Smiles strives to “Share Smiles” all over the world and aims to connect migrant workers in the international community. To join the Smiles Family in Japan, Canada and/or Singapore and follow one of the Smiles Facebook fan pages: