Anyone who lives in Japan here?

[dueda]

I've heard all the horror stories and I'm being careful.

Good. Consult (good) professionals, if you can find some.
Lately, NHK's series "The Honest Realtor" was a hit - For some reason.

... Tsunamis, earthquakes, landslips, radiation, industrial pollution, feral hogs, puffer fish and crazy neighbors shooting missiles at you--Japan has it all.

Also typhoons, polen crisis, gales, volcanoes, bear attacks (very popular recently), lotta taxes, and now inflation, not to mention the gangsters, perverted students, bullying bosses, and many filthy gaijin (foreigners) like me to steal your wallet and sell you a "cheap and excellent" used micro-car.

Oh and trash separation is a pain.
You gotta wash and orderly pack your trash, on the proper places and days.

[Ladyanne3]

Good. Consult (good) professionals, if you can find some.
Lately, NHK's series "The Honest Realtor" was a hit - For some reason.

Is there corruption in Japan? I mean, will it be difficult for me to just bribe someone to get paperwork?

The USA is a pain in the ass for the way it works.

I can buy crack on the streets without any problems but I can't find Anavar/Oxandrolone
I can go to Planned Parenthood and get a baby vacuumed out of me for free but I can't get fertility drugs
My local councilwoman wants me to eat her twat, she stalks me and there's nothing I can do to stop her
2 cops sell pot in my neighborhood and harass everyone who's not a customer because "only junkies" live on boats
I'm a video editor.. Hollywood's checks bounce & they tell me to eat shit while the porn industry pays me cash.
Christians scream at me that I'm going to hell for converting to Islam but Jews hooked me up with my fiance.
(nb: Those same Jews also chipped in to help us pay for the catering for our wedding)

But in the midst of all this insanity, I can't bribe anyone at the DMV to give me a license !
I can get a license in Mexico but I'll get arrested if I attempt to "walk" across the border by American border guards!

[dueda]

Well, I can say for sure there's corruption in Japan, problem is talking about it.
You need a "third party broker" for it, a direct approach will be a scandal and may result in cops being called; on a government agent, that's a ticket to jail.

Either you know some foreigner who is for some time around and has his ways, or you risk your own to find the mobsters. You'll probably be scammed and ripped for being silly enough.
Neither the street smart guys or the mobsters will deal with tourists, newcomers, or plain strangers. That's how it works here.

I suggest you hire a friend to give you a lift to Mexico. Or, if you're the athlete type, get on a bicycle, say you're making a video.
Btw, you don't really need a driver license in Japan, because nobody will ask it (except maybe insurance companies and landlords for newcomer foreigners).
A japanese man was fined recently, for driving over 50 years without a driver license that he never cared to get. Just learn how the locals do and nobody will notice.