Thank you for this post, - being a Japanese major myself with, at the time of graduation, a strong desire to work and live in Japan, it really echoes the thought process I went through as time went by and working for a Japanese company seemed less and less attractive.
This very Asian thing of 'marrying your company' and conscientiously putting in long hours at no pay is really not something I think anyone should put up with, but apparently many Japanese and South Koreans still seem willing to trade in the long hours for the safety that lifetime employment provides.
頑張って!
RE: So I Quit My Day Job Series: Reclaiming My Time!