Most people who want to work in Japan don’t actually want to work in Japan. Instead, they want to live in Japan, and for almost everyone (other than students) work is the only way to make that possible. It’s also true that many of the jobs foreigners seek in Japan are not as work-intensive as those taken by native Japanese: Many people just teach English (not quite so many hours), and others aim for jobs with American companies.
(Sidenote: I don’t actually live in Japan, though I’ve studied there and would love to live there for a year or a few if I found the right opportunity).
As for why people want to go to Japan: There are many reasons. Below are some examples of reasons I’ve had myself or people I’ve known have had:
- They’ve become fascinated through Japanese culture and want to experience more.
- They have an overly-romanticized view of Japan from anime.
- They have an interest in learning Japanese.
- They want to date Japanese women (or men).
- They want to live in one of the biggest, most interesting cities in the world (Tokyo).
- They want to live in a place where they stand out and appear more interesting (as an “exotic” foreigner).
- They have a desirable job opportunity there.