[Nyororin]

Judging who is fit or discouraging anyone from going to Japan? I don`t think that is what anyone intended.

Visiting a country to experience it is the best way to dispel any misconceptions. The thing is, there are a LOT of people who don`t want to visit Japan. They want to LIVE there. This is where the judgement and discouragement comes into play.

I would not consider someone fit to decide to MOVE to another country if they have never even so much as visited it. I will actively continue to discourage people from making that huge life decision without so much as taking the simple first step of visiting the country first.

If someone has been in Japan for a significant amount of time to actually know what life would be like (as in more than a few weeks of tourism...), then there is no reason to say anything if they decide they want to move to Japan.

I would do the same for anyone who is saying that they would do anything to move to some foreign place they have had little or no real exposure to. It doesn`t matter whether I`ve been to that country or not. If someone tells me that they want to move to, say, Paris or Rome - my first reaction would be to ask if they`ve ever been there and if they`ve experienced real life there (not tourism). If they have not, I would strongly discourage them from trying to move - instead suggesting shorter term stays.

There is nothing elitist about it. It`s common sense, in my opinion.