> Still haven't found a decent thai or indian restaurant in Japan, and probably never will, given the general aversion for strong spices.

are you not in Tokyo? Because “no decent Thai restaurant in Tokyo” is a wild claim

You can get spicy food in Tokyo! It’s just not going to be all the restaurants. You gotta to to the right place. But you don’t need 100 good thai restaurants to eat dinner, you just need the one.