[MMM]

I think Nyororin's comments are pretty spot on.

What I see sometimes is people saying "I don't fit in, in my hometown, so might as well go to Japan, where I like it [I think] and I am not going to fit in anyway."

Trust me, it is a WHOLE 'nother level of not fitting in. At least in your hometown (chances are) you speak the native tongue fluently, you look like your neighbors, you know your way around without asking a lot of questions, and you at least have family and some friends you can talk to.

When I was taken to my apartment in Japan, I was literally dropped off in the afternoon and told to be ready for work at 8 the next day (I got a ride the first day). That was fine, I found a restaurant to grab a bite and a shot bar to grab a beer and meet the locals. Over 15 years later I still visit that bar whenever I go back... it was my hangout for three years.

But I wasn't running away from anything, I was running to a new experience in Japan. There is a difference.