[MMM]

Originally Posted by Nyororin

Don`t worry. I don`t feel that you are taking a dig at me in any way. I just wanted to offer my perspective of it. And, well, also because some of the complaints posted had a lot more to do with how much was invested in life in Japan and not actual standards of living.
If you only invest in a b&w tv, of course you`re not going to see colors, so to speak. If you start out thinking of things in a very short term view, you`re going to be much much more willing to get by with something really awful - rather than invest in something that you`re going to have to eventually lose anyway. If the apartment was awful - you could have moved. But I`m almost 100% sure that the thought would have been crushed by "Why go to all that trouble when I`ll be leaving soon anyway." Which, in a short term situation, is surely the right choice. But when you change perspective, and had been thinking in longer terms it would have made sense and probably changed your quality of life dramatically.

Basically, I just see it as a bit unfair to pull out the phrase "quality of life" in reference to a whole country rather than your own life choices. It`s all very subjective, so there is no right and wrong, good and bad when it comes to this sort of thing. It`s all up to your personal choices and perception.

I agree that some of the more... naive... members could do with a dose of reality. The thing is, I`ve pretty much given up as 95% of the time they`re in no position to actually make it to Japan regardless of what they may say... And the law itself will prevent them from just "living" in Japan should they somehow manage to pull off getting over here.
I think the biggest thing they need to realize is that life in Japan requires just as much (if not more) effort as living elsewhere. Simply leaving your home country will not magically alleviate your problems. You will not be handed a perfect life on a platter.

On the other hand, if you do understand this and put forth the effort, there is the possibility that you will find your quality of life higher in the end.

The reason I don't want to live in Japan really has nothing to do with the apartment I lived in...that would be pretty short sighted if I did. Basically the sacrifices I would have to make in my lifestyle now are not outweighed by the benefits I would gain by living there.

A love for Japan is not necessarily realized in living there. I love Japan, and have never had a job since college that didn't involve Japan or Japanese. I visit as often as I can, but sacrifices I am willing to put up with on a vacation I am not as willing to put up with for a lifetime.