Why Japan?

Why did I come to Japan?

That was the question I heard the most both before and after arriving here. Well... because I couldn`t think of anything better to do. I had lived in Costa Rica for a year and got a good feeling for the Latin culture. I had travelled western Europe and realized that the culture was similar to that of the US. I didn`t want to go to Africa to live, so Asia was next. I knew there were tons of jobs teaching english in Asia and that they were easy to get. China was my first choice, Thailand second, then I looked at the pay scale and realized that any mainland Asian country didn`t pay anywhere near what Japan, Taiwan or Korea did. The pay would be good within the country but once leaving the country it was virtually nothing. I had already experienced this kind of economic experience in Costa Rica and realized that if I was going to travel, I needed to work in a country that had a stable economy. So, of the 3 choices, Japan seemed the most interesting and the easiest because several companies held interviews in LA or SF and would process all visa work and other documents that allowed easy entry in the country.

I had no idea what to expect of Japan. I knew about geisha, sushi, and Tokyo being an urban, modern city, but that was about it. I really had no expectations.

I figured I could work for about 6 months and then travel around Asia. I must`ve lost track of time. Whoops!