The life of an expat in Japan can be interesting to say the least. At first it may appear straightforward but as time passes the questions snowball. "But Why - The Expats Guide to Japan" addresses the issues an expat will face as they begin their time on the ground both simply and practically. How when you think you understand, it's time to think again and famously it's not wrong, it's just different. In this new environment the successful expats often realize they don't understand faster than the unsuccessful ones and more than anywhere in the world business relations are personal not corporate. The peculiarities of the spoken and written language from a foreigner's perspective mean that it's good to remember yes can mean "yes," "no" or "huh?" and it's always more efficient to invest a little time in learning Japan than a lot of time in learning Japanese. And remember, sometimes you just won't.