[jasonbvr]

I'll agree with you Gloobey on the treatment of women in Japan. The porn, touch clubs or whatever you call them and restrictions in what sort of jobs they can hold is sad. I will also agree with you that Japan could be a lot more welcoming to the foreigners that they invite in to the country to work in their schools and companies. And you are right, a lot of times they look at us as a hassle. As for the police, I've never actually seen them do anything other than direct traffic.

All I was trying to do with my previous post was offer a bit of balance and help people understand where misunderstandings arise from. Obviously I haven't been working here as long as you have, but I am quite far from being a J-fanboy. I simply actively ignore a lot of the shittier sides to living here (like 600 yen Guinness) because it makes things easier just like I did in the US.

There is a lot of validity to some of the negatives presented in this thread, and its important for JF readers to hear these things because so many do seem to have an overly rosy portrait of Japan.