I've already visited the hospital here about 1-2 only and both with a Japanese who can also speak english. Nothing shocking on those occasion, just some basic check up. I have never tried their Dental services though, it is very expensive(for me), i did get some recommendations from friends but well dental floss is widely available and not that expensive :vsign:

Medicine being less effective, I guess it's up to what your body is used to. The first time I tried some medicine here, I already consumed more than 10 tablets and I was not getting any better, good thing I found some of the medicine I had with me so problem solved..Now I'm mostly using their medicine and it works just fine ...

Thanx for all the feedback on my question that was kinda bugging me, and now I see some things more clearly about the health-care, but doesnt change my mind that I want to visit..someday. I just like to hear about health-care in places, I also wonder does Japan have a low crime rate I don't hear much about places in Japan having high crime rates???

I hope you do visit! Japan is a great place.

The crime rate in Japan is lower than in the US, for example, but things are changing. Overall, it is a very safe place to be, and over 3 years I can count the times I felt the slightest bit unsafe probably on two fingers. Unless you are looking for trouble, chances are it will not find you. Unlike some other places, as a foreigner you are less, not more of a target for criminals.

Yeah, I must ^_^ someday

That's what alot of places say the crime rate being lower than most places that is. I wonder what drives less crime there, and wow seems that its pretty safe then huh? and trust me I never look for trouble especially in foreign places, and wow thats true I thought being a foreigner they'd prey upon you quicker because you might carry more of your money on you and things of that nature but that sounds pretty awesome. Sounds like I'd feel less safer walking down the street in New York. I always like to look things up especially regarding safety in any place. and its nice to hear peoples perspectives and things that happen to them when they experience first hand. Thanks for the answer.

I think the most simple answer is that culturally Japan is more about group harmony, and in the US it is personal gain.

The "group harmony" thing is over-stated often, and it makes Japanese sound like a giant beehive or anthill, and that certainly isn't true. However, I do feel like people think about their surroundings a bit more than people here in the US do.

In the US if you see a coin on the sidewalk you think "I found a coin". In Japan you think "I wonder who dropped that". That subtle difference is actually a big difference.

I don't want to overstate it, and have a dozen people relate crime stories in Japan to prove I am wrong. I have seen crime there, and been a victim, too (hit and run, car vs. bicycle). However if crime rates were the deciding factor of my choice of homes, then Japan would be high on the list.

Yeah, I always felt quite safe in Japan, even when I was travelling alone with hundreds of dollars in my wallet, or being out at night in a city I hardly knew. Really, only 2 things tend to be "borrowed without asking" very often: bicycles (especially if parked near a train station) and umbrellas on a rainy day, if you leave it in the bin near the front door when you come in a store.

U'll never know how it feels to be in japan,i viewed ur profile ur still young.Think about it.

On the plus side, the person has posted in this thread. So they just may have read it, if only to retain the parts that agree with their preconceptions.

It's a small step.

EDIT: Seeing as the person was just a troll and has been summarily banned, I retract my statements.

HAHA yeah that is so true, most of the people that want to live there are anime crazed.... but I dont understand why they would get the idea to live there especially when most of the anime characters are angry, depressed, crazy, or just plain horney all the time... wouldnt they get the sence that Japan is not a country for the faint of heart and the emotional?! ..you can see that in their anime. I do photography as a hobby and I would love to visit -especially since my grandma is from there, but that is about it. :)

I've had some really "interesting" experiences in Japan. I won't go into details because there are many underage members on this forum... not to mention the fact that my posts will pop up in Google.

Thankfully, none of them involved jail time but I did have my share of cuts and bruises with some encounters with Chimpira and members of a Bosozoku.

I also did my share of hard manual labor with illegal Iranians, lived in the scummiest home in Japan and I've even faced my share of discrimination as a second gen Japanese!

I also witnessed some sad things like the human trafficking of mainland Chinese girls.

But with that being said, no country is perfect. I still love Japan... almost as much as Canada. :vsign: