Yushi Katayama began to think seriously about leaving Japan after the birth of his son, Shota, in 2012.
The decades-long economic slump and poor social welfare system as well as lack of innovation made Japan less than an ideal place for him to raise his son, he thought.
"I can probably live through it, but I wanted what's best for my children," said Katayama, 32, who did not go through the regular Japanese educational system, instead attending international schools in Tokyo and college in the United States.