I hear that their gov literally will pay you and will give you a house to live in some of the countryside regions because the handful of major cities are far too overpopulated. Countryside Japan sounds pretty good.
This is true: there are towns with catastrophically declining populations where elderly people die and the houses will go to rot if no one moves in to them. Often these towns see their train station removed for lack of passengers, and once that happens, the real exodus starts. There was a world-famous story a few years ago about a train line up in a snowy northern Hokkaido town that kept making a stop in this tiny town because one high school girl needed to ride it, and when she graduated, they started skipping that town.
You have to live out in the middle of nowhere, and Japanese salaries aren't very good, but you're still getting a better deal than in most of the US.
Having lived in Japan for a little while myself it's nice being able to walk around and not worry much about getting jumped or hassled or mugged. And in general the cops and government officials don't mess with you if you're not looking for trouble. It's a different vibe where "the Policeman is your friend" might actually be true.
Fun anecdote: In a Tokyo pachinko parlor (similar to Vegas slot machines) I saw a woman put her purse with the equivalent of about $30k US cash openly displayed on the machine to "reserve it" while she left to go to the bathroom. It's almost unthinkable to do that anywhere in the US.
I have several Norwegian acquaintances and it's the same over there outside of the big cities. You would never do it in Oslo because there are too many tourists and immigrants, but in the smaller towns you could leave your purse at the bus stop and it would be there the next day untouched
In Korea I was walking home from work and noticed someone had picked up a lost credit card and left it on top of a small post so that it would be easier to spot when the owner came looking.
Another time, in Seoul, I accidentally left my phone on the table in a restaurant. After I left, I travelled by subway 2 or 3 stops before I realized. I rushed back and the restaurant staff handed it to me when I got back because they noticed I had left it.
High trust societies are amazing. It's what we used to have in Canada.
A lot of smaller countries can get away with cause, well, they are small (And an island in a couple cases) but they also have the U.S. kinda being big brother about their governments. Take the US out of the equation, how many of those no-gun countries end up in horrendous totalitarian slave states.
This. The Second Amendment is and should be recognized as a human right. Imagine all the wars we could have avoided if a country’s citizens could defend themselves, on their own.
Oh, the pictures of the countryside in Japan look absolutely beautiful! I really want to go there some day. It's sad to think of whole towns dying. Is it hard to make a living in farming there? Or do they have online working opportunities?
Moving to Japan would be great in that scenario, yes.
They were always the Eastern America.
They were patriotic in very similar ways -- willing to die for their country -- and very westernized by Asian standards. Christianity also spread there too. While Christmas doesn't mean the same thing to them as it does to us, they celebrate it and it can be very beautiful.
What amazes me is how we've been able to mend our relationship -- further under Trump -- after being the only nation we have ever seen nuclear weapons used on.
Japan is a great place and deserves to be treated as one of our closest allies.
I heard that a similar situation was happening in Italy. People just deserted their houses and they’re being resold for cheap, but you have to pay all the renovation costs, cause they’re already deteriorating.
I hear that their gov literally will pay you and will give you a house to live in some of the countryside regions because the handful of major cities are far too overpopulated. Countryside Japan sounds pretty good.
This is true: there are towns with catastrophically declining populations where elderly people die and the houses will go to rot if no one moves in to them. Often these towns see their train station removed for lack of passengers, and once that happens, the real exodus starts. There was a world-famous story a few years ago about a train line up in a snowy northern Hokkaido town that kept making a stop in this tiny town because one high school girl needed to ride it, and when she graduated, they started skipping that town.
You have to live out in the middle of nowhere, and Japanese salaries aren't very good, but you're still getting a better deal than in most of the US.
Only serious drawback: No Second Amendment.
Having lived in Japan for a little while myself it's nice being able to walk around and not worry much about getting jumped or hassled or mugged. And in general the cops and government officials don't mess with you if you're not looking for trouble. It's a different vibe where "the Policeman is your friend" might actually be true.
Fun anecdote: In a Tokyo pachinko parlor (similar to Vegas slot machines) I saw a woman put her purse with the equivalent of about $30k US cash openly displayed on the machine to "reserve it" while she left to go to the bathroom. It's almost unthinkable to do that anywhere in the US.
I have several Norwegian acquaintances and it's the same over there outside of the big cities. You would never do it in Oslo because there are too many tourists and immigrants, but in the smaller towns you could leave your purse at the bus stop and it would be there the next day untouched
In Korea I was walking home from work and noticed someone had picked up a lost credit card and left it on top of a small post so that it would be easier to spot when the owner came looking.
Another time, in Seoul, I accidentally left my phone on the table in a restaurant. After I left, I travelled by subway 2 or 3 stops before I realized. I rushed back and the restaurant staff handed it to me when I got back because they noticed I had left it.
High trust societies are amazing. It's what we used to have in Canada.
That's absolutely true, and the police (who assume guilt, not innocence) and justice systems are almost medieval.
But in general it is a polite civilized society.
Probably because the justice system is medieval.
A lot of smaller countries can get away with cause, well, they are small (And an island in a couple cases) but they also have the U.S. kinda being big brother about their governments. Take the US out of the equation, how many of those no-gun countries end up in horrendous totalitarian slave states.
This. The Second Amendment is and should be recognized as a human right. Imagine all the wars we could have avoided if a country’s citizens could defend themselves, on their own.
Oh, the pictures of the countryside in Japan look absolutely beautiful! I really want to go there some day. It's sad to think of whole towns dying. Is it hard to make a living in farming there? Or do they have online working opportunities?
That sounds great!
Trust me, my husband and I are seriously consider contingency plans if the worst happens........
Moving to Japan would be great in that scenario, yes.
They were always the Eastern America.
They were patriotic in very similar ways -- willing to die for their country -- and very westernized by Asian standards. Christianity also spread there too. While Christmas doesn't mean the same thing to them as it does to us, they celebrate it and it can be very beautiful.
What amazes me is how we've been able to mend our relationship -- further under Trump -- after being the only nation we have ever seen nuclear weapons used on.
Japan is a great place and deserves to be treated as one of our closest allies.
Man, I would love that. Not cause the money thing, I tried so hard to get stationed in Japan when I was in the service. 😤
Especially the tatami mats and sliding doors! Also, I heard the temples are gorgeous!
I heard that a similar situation was happening in Italy. People just deserted their houses and they’re being resold for cheap, but you have to pay all the renovation costs, cause they’re already deteriorating.