The decision on a data center is also a cost vs risk issue. Sure the JP servers have stayed up better, but I've made characters there too, and they are nowhere near as full.

I'm not making excuses, it is how a company runs. Will they regret some of their choices to save on costs? Probably. These issues would have hit JP servers as well, as they have brought down JP servers to integrate the fixes from NA/EU ones.

It also does help being a Japan based company, they have better deals and offers. Also FFXI was not the most popular MMO in North America, they may have underestimated their audience, or the players need for something new.