[adama]

Japan is far from heaven on earth. The sky doesn't rain Pocky, schoolgirls and Gackt. In many ways it's a backward, even primitive place. You like living where summers are hot, winters are cold and there's no central air or heating? You like hanging your laundry out on poles to dry? Like living in a country where you as a non-native comprise a whopping 1.5% of the population, will always be an oddity, and will be subjected to such fun as being turned down by realtors for not being Japanese and even photographed and fingerprinted each time you leave and return to the country just to make sure you're (still) not a terrorist? If so, Japan is the place for you.

Don't get me wrong -- I've planted roots here. My family is here, and for all the BS I have to put up with, I'm more at peace here than I was in my home country. But at least know what you're getting into before you start wishing you were as "good" as someone who lives here.

Enough of the "Japan is teh cool" nonsense. That's my 2 cents.