Thanks, I knew Japanese pay was bad compared to the US, but I figured it was probably in line with the cost of living in japan. I forget that the US’ draconian taxes restrict where someone can reasonably immigrate due to double-taxation though (and potentially 3x~4x or more if you’re a freelancer, since companies have to pay half your taxes from their own pockets in the US and you have to make up the difference as a freelancer).
Edit: also the drug/ADHD thing. I’m ADHD and you’ve basically told me I’m illegal in Japan since I can’t function without my medication. Though it looks like my specific medication is legal, albeit with a bunch of hoops to jump through. Apparently Adderall is illegal though, which is strange because it’s been around a lot longer than my medication has.
So the biggest problem, particularly with the currency and economy, is that Japan lacks a lot of resources so a ton of things are imported. This means that a ton of things used by normal people are going up in price, especially since corona opened the floodgates on that (Japanese makers were really resistant to changing prices but corona gave an excuse and momentum came in). For most Japanese, that’s just going to impact goods and services. For most foreigners, they want to go home to see their family sometimes and their wages mean much less and flight prices get higher. Overseas vacations in general are an issue here. If there’s an emergency, it’s even worse.
Two types of long-release ADHD medication are currently allowed for adult ADHD in Japan. Instant release and other varieties are very illegal. Concerta was the only option until fairly recently, but now another one is allowed (though English documentation is probably behind).
Thanks, I knew Japanese pay was bad compared to the US, but I figured it was probably in line with the cost of living in japan. I forget that the US’ draconian taxes restrict where someone can reasonably immigrate due to double-taxation though (and potentially 3x~4x or more if you’re a freelancer, since companies have to pay half your taxes from their own pockets in the US and you have to make up the difference as a freelancer).
Edit: also the drug/ADHD thing. I’m ADHD and you’ve basically told me I’m illegal in Japan since I can’t function without my medication. Though it looks like my specific medication is legal, albeit with a bunch of hoops to jump through. Apparently Adderall is illegal though, which is strange because it’s been around a lot longer than my medication has.
So the biggest problem, particularly with the currency and economy, is that Japan lacks a lot of resources so a ton of things are imported. This means that a ton of things used by normal people are going up in price, especially since corona opened the floodgates on that (Japanese makers were really resistant to changing prices but corona gave an excuse and momentum came in). For most Japanese, that’s just going to impact goods and services. For most foreigners, they want to go home to see their family sometimes and their wages mean much less and flight prices get higher. Overseas vacations in general are an issue here. If there’s an emergency, it’s even worse.
Two types of long-release ADHD medication are currently allowed for adult ADHD in Japan. Instant release and other varieties are very illegal. Concerta was the only option until fairly recently, but now another one is allowed (though English documentation is probably behind).