But interestingly, despite the many ilies, don't be surprised if locals themselves seem critical, says McCagg. "You might hear a lot of pessimism, because we always hear about all the positive sides of other countries and compare that to Japan," she explained. "It's also a cultural thing, where you're supposed to 'talk down' about something that you identify with to seem humble. But I would say that Japan is a really nice place to raise children."
