[steven]

I'd really like to make it clear that when I say that I'm considering pursuing a life in Japan, that doesn't mean that I'm miserable here in the States.
I'm content with my life and I adore my family. My parents and my sister along with my older brother and his girlfriend are my best friends. They're the most supportive, loving, and caring people I could ever hope to know.

So, I'm not trying to run away to this place that I perceive as a sort of paradisal and perfect place.

I apologize if I made it seem like something like that. On the other side of the coin, though, if things are perfectly fine where you then I think you will have a hard time living far away from that.

As far as books go, I think I would listen to suggestions people make and definitely read reviews of books (where reviews are available). Choosing at random might be dangerous as there are sometimes books that paint Japan as the "mysterious oriental far east land of wonder" to varying degrees.

Right now I'm in Japan with JET. I studied Japanese in high school and studied it in college because I had to study a foreign language. The more I studied it the more I liked it. I ended up majoring in Japanese instead of graphic design, which would have been a pain in the A anyways. Upon finishing up my major I realized there wasn't much I could do with it in America. I thought about going to Toyota and looking for jobs, but I'm kinda glad I didn't do that now! I then signed up for JET, got accepted, and moved here. I sold most of my stocks befoer I came (which was right before the market crash). So I've had some lucky timing. I ended up in an area that I love. I've made tons of friends and a lot of them are really into music so it's like everything I've ever wanted... but it just happens to be in Japan. I'm gonna try to stay here after JET by either getting a job with the board of education or city hall (which does happen around here with people who are fluent... contrary to what a lot of people say on the internet about the matter).