Tales of expat life in Japan all too often get blown out of proportion and quickly become picaresque adventures that little resemble real life.
For some reason, many writers can't resist the temptation to exaggerate things. In their stories — be them fiction or memoir — weird, exotic details abound, turning this country into a sort of Wonderland that, depending on the witness, alternate between sleaziness and the Theater of the Absurd.
Luckily for us, many comic artists who have lived here seem to be more level-headed and have tackled the subject with a more realistic, no-nonsense approach.