To all of you staying here long term, or for the rest of your life – what is keeping you here?

Hello all. This is my (permanent resident) 8th year living here with my family and I have been thinking about this a bit recently, as the situation in Japan seems to be (or definitely is, if you are a pessimist) on the decline with no positive upswing in sight. Whether it be the lagging economy, depopulation, shrinking workforce (future struggles to uphold the social systems in place), overly conservative/backwards ways of thinking, rigid education system, sexism, political clowns, etc. – I am unsure of what the future holds living here for the rest of my life.

Of course, in my short time here – I have absolutely loved it. I work remotely for a company overseas, so my working conditions are very flexible (work from anywhere as long as there is an internet connection). I have a wife and two beautiful children (just entered elementary school). We are financially well off and own a home/property. One of the main reasons that we are staying here long term is because my wife is a doctor (gastrointestinal surgeon) and I know that she put in a lot of blood, sweat and tears to get through med school and her residency (as with any doctor, but especially because she comes from a non-medical family background). Her entire network of family and close friends is also here. While we were dating, I agreed that I would definitely support her career and move here in the event that we get married. I have not regretted my decision at all as Japan is a truly beautiful country and it’s been an amazing life experience so far. For now, I will definitely be staying here for at least another 5 years.

On the other hand, I’ve been thinking about my family’s future and if the move back to Canada for junior high/senior high is the correct move. Of course, Canada has its wide range of issues – but it seems more ‘future-proof’ than Japan, for the lack of a better word.

Anyway, enough about my situation. I would like to know about your stories and why you chose or have chosen to make Japan your permanent home. Are the issues about Japan’s future overblown? Or have you also thought about you/your family’s position living here?