I have a love-hate relationship with Japan. Japan embodies the best and worst of Stage Blue. The country's extreme collectivism provides a few of the most beautiful things in this world; peace and harmony (people on the streets are very respectful to you), safety (you can leave dop your wallet on the train or leave your bicycle anywhere), beautiful and feminine women, cleanliness and organization (the streets are clean and all activities are strictly scheduled and followed), unity (everybody shares the same values), etc.  But it's the same extreme collectivism which results to completely dumb and ugly things. A Japanese (just like any Stage Blue person) values "following the group" than "doing than right thing". How perverted is that? That was the exact worldview which resulted to Germany's Nazism. It's the same worldview which produced the Divine Wind (kamikaze), the crazy, senseless act which horrified the American soldiers during WW2. How could anybody fly a plane only to intentionally crash it into an enemy ship or plane; shattering everything, including the pilot's skeleton? It must have taken tremendous devotion and blind loyalty to the "divine" emperor (Naruhito), and, priority and importance of the country and countrymen (above the self) to pull it off. I have experienced both the best and worst of Japan's extreme collectivism.  I have experienced the good things I already mentioned. I was also given tremendous respect and importance because of my job (considered as authority). But because of my innate tendency to stand up for my principles, I also experienced the worst. I chose to quit rather than being forced to change my teaching style from being dynamic and creative to being dumb and robotic. I chose to resist propagating abuse to my juniors. I stopped my mother-in-law from bullying me and everybody in her immediate family. I was considered as crazy and problematic for destroying the harmony and established traditions. So, I lost everything (my Japanese wife, home, school, money, and Japan and its beautiful nature and 4 seasons). It was very mentally-emotionally painful. And I questioned myself many times whether being integrous and uncompromising was worth the tragedy and lost. But at the same time, I knew I still had the most important thing in my life; myself and me honoring my principles. Now I'm crying; not only because of the suffering as a result of the persecution and the big losses; but also because of the intense love and admiration I feel for myself because of the bravery and integrity I displayed and maintained until the end. I'm not out of the woods yet. But regardless of where I go from here, I won't regret my past actions. It was worth it. I'm not bullshitting.