@Domainace JB has an inquiring mind. Not sure if the question is sincere or a jab comparison. I haven’t seen the suicide stat referenced. Never heard of bullying in Japan.
I would have un-ignore JB to read his post, but won't bother since it sounds like the same old racist stuff about Japan or China. Some people think 5 minutes on Google makes them an authority on a country. The suicide jab is always funny, since Japan's numbers, while high, are far from the top. Also there is no religious taboo about suicide and, more importantly, life insurance is still paid out when there is a suicide. So there is no reason to disguise a suicide as anything else, as there is in the US - which would of course skew statistics. In any case, I am not going to get into a USA is better than China/Japan/Senegal...whatever. Every country has its problems, but the USA not a place I would want to raise kids. Kids shouldn't have to be dealing pregnancy, drug use, alcohol use, excessive social network narcissism, etc while still in school. I used to try to educate JB on Japan, but he wasn't interested.
Japan had loads of problems, but it's still a very nice place to be for the most part. And society mostly works. All societies are a balance of good and bad. Often newcomers will come to Japan and complain about something they think should be changed, without considering that the same something may also have positive aspects.
Honne and tatemae are a typical one. People are upset that honne seems fake. And of course it is - all forms of politeness are fake. But it means, for example, that you can get drunk and become a jerk in a bar and not end up getting beaten or killed. It also means that people tolerate a great deal of diversity as long as the honne is maintained when needed. As long as Taro or Kumiko show up at the office on Monday and are dressed and acting appropriately, nobody cares what they do in their free time.
There are lots of places better to live in than America, depending on the kind of life one prefers. I sometimes see "happiness" surveys, which are inherently flawed. I long ago noted that Americans seem to be the angriest people on the planet, ready to explode over the smallest thing. Other expats I know have notice the same thing. People just seem unhappy and angry everywhere. And then there is the widespread use of psychotropic drugs, prescribed and otherwise. Not a healthy sign.
