I've considered trying to work in Japan for a year or two. Unfortunately salaries in my field are optimistically a fifth of what they are back in the US.

I might try to swing some kind of short term assignment with an American company (3-6 month). That seems to be the only way that makes sense in my industry. Make American wages, deal with a corporate politics I understand (as opposed to within a Japanese corporation) and let them deal with visas and such.

It's possible within the Silicon Valley tech giants if you know the right managers.