[MMM]

Nyororin, in no way was my post a dig at people who live in Japan. In fact, I don't use my dryer in the US for the very reason you said (and it is a big drain of electricity).

My point was to put an inkling of a notion in the head of those that say "I want to live my life in Japan" that there is much more to life in Japan that you don't ever even imagine affecting you. Some of those things are positive, and some negative.

As someone who has done it for a few years and is now back home, I don't feel the pull to do it again. I do keep Japanese and Japan as the prime factor in any work I do, and since college I have only had one non-Japanese boss (when I was a Japanese teacher). I love visiting Japan and look forward to every chance I have to go, but crossing the line to living there again is not on my to-do list.