Wonderful. Frustrating. Exciting. Life-changing. All of the above.  

If you have never lived overseas before, you will find it wonderfully exciting and sometimes highly stressful.  You need to be open-minded, adaptable and curious to survive in any foreign country, and perhaps Japan more then most. If you delight in the new and different, you will always have something here to interest you. 

For some, it is too much. Japan can often push guests to conform, to "be Japanese." But of course you cannot be one.  And so, the stress of being different (being a blond in a sea of dark haired people or being constantly a head above the crowd) can wear on a foreign resident. You'll tire of being asked if you can use chopsticks and if you like raw fish.

But you'll also experience some of the warmest, most generous welcomes in the world. You'll find doors opened for you (although not literally, ladies!) into all areas, and be offered opportunities that many Japanese will never have. You may well find a new philosophy in Zen, a new hobby in flower arranging, or a new sport in aikido.   And you will be able to sample some incredible food and have an experience which will stay with you forever.  

The answer to this question will change for you day to day, and it will be different for everyone individual. Four Seasons will do everything we can to make the answer a positive one.