This post will be written later. If you have interest, come back later. この投稿は後で書きます。興味があれば、後に来てね。
The truth is simple, but many fail to understand: Japan is not paradise, it is like any other country with grave issues and of course qualities, the only question is if the pros and cons match your personality, and it did in my case. It is ok, even me who did not expected much from Japan also had to learn the hard way the reality, anime and Japanese culture in general kind of clouded the mind of many about Japan.
Among Japan Stone Age points in my opinion is the education (elementary, intermediary and junior) and japanese language school, politics (usually it is always the same party), LGBT, women, foreigners, people with disabilities and worker (a lot of overwork here and workplace abuse) rights, how companies work (many still are stuck in the post-war American model implanted at that time) and refusal to change even if it would lead to great benefits after the initial change instability. It is as if they do rather destroy themselves than making an effort to change, even if tradition and innovation could perfectly coexist if they really tried. It do is changing, because change is inevitable, but veeerrry slowly. It is famous how Japan still uses fax and a lot of paper letters for procedures. Japan even dropped some ranks with time as one of the world greatest powers, being now known as the “country of the future which now is the country of the past”. Let us not forget the natural disasters as well, in the back of your head there is always this worry of losing everything you achieved because of a big typhoon or earthquake for example, or even your life. A lot of crimes, specially against women go unreported, because if you speak you can get sued by the criminal and the criminal will still win (search in the internet for that). There was a Japanese woman who gained an international award for speaking about rape in Japan, and her documentary was actually forbidden in Japan(?). Japan is a country of appearances, if you really research about some things, you will see the real Japan.
I feel as if what still holds Japan together ironically is its people. They are very hard working, and most are helpful. Lost your wallet? In many places it will still be there when you come back (not all of them of course). Since the populations is so overworked, it is becoming a population of elderly people because few new japanese are born. One solution would be a more friendly workplace system (which they resist), the other letting more foreigners in (which they do not really want to).
If even knowing all of this, you still are interested in Japan, only then yes, it may be a country for you if you want to truly live here instead of just passing quickly as many do, people who only see the surface and praise Japan as some kind of paradise on earth.I feel you will have good opportunities if working as a language teacher, elderly care or with technology. Do not expect a really good quality of life however, it is still a good country in some aspects, but in others it akin to a third world country such as Brazil (where I came from), and sometimes even Brazil do better.
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