[Nyororin]

A year studying or working in a country is an extended visit. Long enough that it`s definitely better to have had a visit under your belt before committing to, but I do agree that if it`s only a year or so you can just go home at the end.

But that`s not really what I`m talking about when I refer to people who want to move to / live in Japan. There are plenty of people who want to work in / study in Japan for totally valid reasons. There is a huge difference from the type that confuse me, as there is a plan of sorts involving (at the very least) work or study - things that can lead to a legal stay in Japan. That`s fine. That`s a great way to experience the world.

When I talk about people who need to visit Japan before deciding to move there, I`m talking mostly about the nearly constant stream of users who want to find a way to live in Japan - ANY way - without going through the normal processes for immigration. Those who say they hate their home country and want to live in Japan forever, even if they have to live in a box on the street or hide from immigration doing under-the-table illegal work to survive. Or those who say they just want to move to Japan and will not accept anyone telling them that you will need a visa.

I find it absolutely stunning how many people seem to just think you can up and move to another country. That it`s along the lines of moving to another city.

It isn`t. You can`t just move. There are a lot of hoops you have to go through, a lot of red tape, a lot of requirements that have to be filled.

If you`re going to base your entire life around the expectation of moving to some other country ASAP - at the very least visit the place once... If you don`t and find that it isn`t what you expected, you`re not going to have much of a life to fall back on afterward.