Every situation is different, so don't take my experience as the norm. But I really love it here. I live in Sendai, up north. A decent sized city, but very different from Tokyo or any of the major cities down south. (Personally, I'd never want to live in Tokyo.)

It's expensive to visit, but I do think it's worth it. I'm here working as an English teacher so I don't have to worry about the cost of traveling so much.