What do you think about Japan?

ngl go during late March/Early April. it’s the busiest tourist season but why go all the way to Japan if you’re not gonna see any cherry blossoms?

I live in Japan. It's mostly good. The healthcare and public infrastructure is fantastic. It's not as expensive as most people think (once you can live like a local). Most folks are reserved, conservative, and unobtrusive... So they make great neighbors. But, in the same vein, it can get pretty boring as making new friendships is tricky outside of the work sphere.

My next class isn't for another hour, so I can answer Qs if anyone has them.

is it easy to get weed?

I can't imagine. Most people wouldn't recognize the smell though. So win some loose some.

Do the brothels admit gaijin?

No. It's an extremely dangerous proposition as well. Minimum sentence of 5 years. And, Japan has 99% conviction rate (they can basically torture you until you confess).

How hard would it be to grow a couple personal plants?

Many don't, but if you speak Japanese well enough you can find ones that do. I know two in my old stomping ground that allow foreigners.

Where to live affordably?

Paris is to the Japanese as Japan is to Americans.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paris_syndrome

Easy. But the penalty if you get caught is awful. You'd be looking at jail for a very, very long time.

If you wanna be near Tokyo, then western Chiba or southern Saitama (an hour away by train). Similarly with Osaka (45 mins away prices drop). Any of the smaller cities are fairly cheap once you get outside of downtown areas.

Yeah. I moved here with very few preconceptions. It helps I moved around a lot (even internationally) as a kid.

After the bombs hit their cultural development was permanently stunted.

They are a nation with such an oppressive collectivist mentality that individuals are driven to suicide and perversion. If they're not trying to off themselves, they're working like dogs for a boss that hates them and hates himself too. When they aren't working, they are discouraged from having a healthy social life outside of the conservative norms. I say healthy from a Western perspective of course but still.

Due to their social ostracism and awkwardness, they as a nation retreat to infantile gratification. Their shows are childish, anime is a high school fantasy, they're obsessed with escapist activities.

Look at anime. 99% of them are a series of childish fantasies about escaping into an epic new world. This appeals to the Japanese because their existing world is fucked up.

Of course that frustration is expressed towards (and against) porn, sexuality, male-female relationships, etc. Why are the Japanese so fucked? It's a good question but no real answer.

What kind of preparations do you need before moving?

Depends on how you come here. The most common route is to get an English teaching job. All you need is a bachelor's degree from an accredited English speaking college or university. The school handles pretty much everything else (housing, train pass, etc.) It's not a bad idea to have a little rainy day money (a few grand) to get you started.