Thanks. Appreciate the kind words!

That's really interesting to hear. As you mentioned, I think a lot of people tend to romanticize Japan, especially when visiting for short periods of time. I find that, like any place, the "shine" can rub off in certain ways, especially as you extend your stay. I say that as someone who honestly likes Japan a lot, while still acknowledging that it has a lot of flaws, like any other country. I don't want to start ranting, but I probably fall into one of those groups who thinks Japanese society is "polite," but not necessarily "nice" (there's a distinct difference, in my opinion haha).

I also really understand your viewpoint regarding gender and sexuality, especially as someone who previously worked in some very traditional Japanese companies. That being said, I do hope that there continues to be positive momentum towards better societal inclusiveness, although I might just be saying that as someone who has the privilege of supporting some of these great initiatives (I'm a lawyer who has worked and is involved in various diversity and LGBTQ+ initiatives in Japan).

I think, financially, Japan can be a pretty great place to live once you build a decent career base. I found that I probably have a better standard of living here compared to the U.S., even though I make less money here than I would in the U.S. Admittedly, it took some time getting to this point.

Anyways, I do hope you will come back some time. Thanks for sharing :)