To add insult to injury, I'm guessing the lawyers that help them enforce their IPs are paid better than their top engineers and artists, also because of a dispa

To add insult to injury, I'm guessing the lawyers that help them enforce their IPs are paid better than their top engineers and artists, also because of a disparity in typical outside options. My experience with Japanese people and some anectodes from a friend who worked at Nintendo is that bureaucracy, culture expectations that you shouldn't change jobs at all, and English ability are some of the strong limiting factors for Japanese rank and file employees to achieve high pay. It's a shame as Japan has so many smart people who are both down to earth and innovative.