> This latter is more like it. Personally, I feel it offers a pretty 
> good balance between "familiar, modern, and convenient" and "different and
> foreign". 
> 
> S Korea might offer much of this now, but then you have  to worry
> about half a million crazed "Dear Leader" adherents on your border.

Japan is also within missile range of those nutters... doesn't stop 
every gaijin and his dog from wanting to live in Japan.

I still cannot work out the puzzle of Japanophilia. There are many 
countries that are modern, convenient, safe and with a rich history. 
Much of Europe for example.

I was going to mention the hotness of the women... but that could apply 
to Scandinavia, Korea and other places.