[bELyVIS]

I think all of us who lived there liked Japan itself, but it is much different than our home countries and it is difficult to adjust to these differences. Like MMM's experience with the hospital, I too had an experience with this . I severly injured my back (herniated disk, cracked vertibrae) at work lifting a heavy weight. They took me to the hospital and I waited hours to see a doctor. They took an x-ray, but their MRI was made for small Japanese people and since I weighed 100 pounds more than I do now, I couldn't fit (plus my shoulders are broad). They gave me a liquid to put on my back for the pain. On a scale of 1 to 10 the pain was 11! This didn't help at all. I asked for painkillers and they gave me suppositories (if you are unfamiliar with this, look it up. I prefer medicine by mouth!) which did nothing but make me wonder if the makers had a good laugh knowing how people were cursing them for making the medicine this way. They finally found a MRI that was made in the US which showed my disc injury. The doctor wanted to operate, but I wanted a second opinion from a US surgeon since it is so dangerous. I flew at my expense to see the surgeon in the US and he said surgery was too risky. My Japanese doctor was angry when I refused surgery and that ended my treatment. Two people you don't question in Japan are police and doctors. Anyway, several years later I still am in pain but not crippled. I think Japan is afraid to give real pain medicine because they are afraid everyone will become drug addicts. I think medicine there is better than in most countries, but less than what we Americans are used to. The prices are very reasonable compared to the US. I had the National insurance, but even people who didn't could afford the bills.
If you can deal with situations like this, Japan can be a very nice place.