If I had it to do over again (born/raised in the US, living in Japan), I might pick Norway or Finland over Japan, but overall I'm fairly happy where I am.
Not quoting Hitlerz but the "prime minister" did say about rent for a one bedroom apartment being over €2k that "people need to remember that one man's rent is another man salary".
The president is nice though, although he's just a decorative position, he seems like a very sensible Hobbit.
I don't know much about the politics and policies there, but what I do know is that if I drop the street view guy there, most places are green and pretty. That puts it pretty high up on my list.
New Zealand would be a fun place to relocate. While it does suck they're part of the 5 eyes as their government loves snuggling up to the US, the life outlook of the citizens is admirable. The money someone has or doesn't have isn't a consideration regarding how someone is viewed. A millionaire and a home-free individual are seen similarly when first met thanks to this mindset. Both mountain towns and island towns have a laid back approach to each day, which would be a nice change of pace. New Zealand is also both, as it's an island with a couple huge mountains. Snowboarding and surfing are a ton of fun, especially when the travel time is minimal. So ya, New Zealand would be a solid choice in my book!!
Norway. At least according to Germany I'm a Norwegian citizen. And I have a lot of relatives there. It's a stunningly beautiful country. And I think their politics aren't as braindead as the rest of the world's.
I'd like to live in Switzerland, beautful nature and they seem to have a very stable political system that is fairly responsive to the citizenry and its welfare. They know they have a good thing and they work to keep it that way, plus might run into Shania Twain so thats cool too!
Also easier to learn French and German since its everywhere around you and I guess the defaults
Singapore. One of the few (if not the only) developed country in the east/southeast Asia region where you can get by not having to learn a new language. Great public transportation. I’m an urban person so dense megacities are my thing. I’m also Asian so I blend in.
Yup, their draconian drug laws are definitely a big concern if you partake (regardless if for medicinal or recreational reasons). I personally do not, so it’s not a particular issue for me.
Can confirm, it beats the fuck out of Tokyo 99% of the time. Edit: no dog yet, though, as we want to do some rather long traveling before we get a pet. We do have neighborhood cats and one will come chill near us (though not let us touch him).