Living in Japan taught me something surprising.
The problem is not difficulty.
The problem is unnecessary complexity.
Japan has an image of being clean, safe, polite, and organized.
And in many ways, that image is true.
But if you actually live in Japan, work in Japan, or try to do something slightly outside the normal path, you may notice something strange.
Simple things often become complicated.
Buying a phone.
Opening a bank account.
Starting a small business.
Changing jobs.
Renting a room.
Helping a foreign student at school.
Trying to earn money independently.
In many countries, these things are not always easy.
But in Japan, they often come with layers of rules, documents, social expectations, invisible pressure, and quiet discouragement.
Japan is not only a country of systems.
It is a country where systems often come before people.
That is one reason I started writing about Japan from the inside.
Not to attack Japan.
Not to romanticize other countries.
But to explain what many people outside Japan may not see.
Japan is comfortable if you follow the expected road.
But if you want to build your own road, Japan can feel surprisingly heavy.
