I have no experience with Europe or the UK but do with Japan, and I do see this type of cultural whiplash and regret quite often from expats there. Very few are willing to speak about it due to the prevailing online opinion of Japan being amazing in all ways. I also spent over a decade living in Hawai'i and Guam, and see this type of issue there due to the much larger difference in lifestyle than most would assume.

I tend to think that those who get the whiplash were blind to what they were giving up as much as what they thought they were gaining, which seems to agree with the article.