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I left a big paycheck in Tokyo to start over in rural Japan. I didn't just want a new job — I wanted a new life.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Levi Pells, 32, a life coach and retreat leader in Japan. It's been edited for length and clarity. I spent five years as a recruiter in Tokyo.

My family, and my doctor, didn’t want me to go here. I went anyway

Adopting the philosophy that people are not their government, especially in a country with 17 distinct tribal groups, I ...