I’d love to hear more. This sounds good to me. How did you end up in Japan?
Quite simple. US became a nightmare towards the end.
As an immigrant grad student without much means, I couldn't support myself long. After my advisor cut off funding, I tried finding a job. I didn't have money to pay the bills soon after & US job process was getting long & convoluted with internal referrals, pointless rounds of interviews, HR meetings. I needed money to feed myself - I was skipping some meals to save money.
I had self respect not to work at a gas-station illegally or at one of the asian IT sweatshops by falsifying my CV. Japan government offered me funding at University of Tokyo & I grabbed the offer. Finished my PhD in CS with that opportunity. It has been 6 years and counting.
Here is one thing though: I earn comfortable now. But the trauma of poverty never leaves you. Even though I work in CS/ML, my life is pretty austere. I stick to the 'needs', and avoid the 'wants' as much as possible. Maybe it will take some years - or maybe these habits won't go. The one thing I never wish for anyone is hunger. Once you have lived through it, you won't want to be in that position ever again.
Congratulations on getting out of it tho! My father grew up pretty much piss poor with a single mother. His reaction to living in poverty is completely the opposite. He never keeps money and buys everything in excess. Probably a way to overcompensate and, as you said, to not want to love in that position ever again.
I wouldn't discount the difficulties of not knowing the local language. Living in Japan is not easy if you do not speak or understand Japanese. Every single form or application is in Japanese. All government related procedures are in Japanese. Banner signboards & instructions too. You'd miss out on several important bulletins e.g. tax instructions, license updation etc., if you read only the EN versions, as Japanese ones are more detailed & explanatory. One-to-one translation of information is not guaranteed with such documents.