Cost of Living in Japan

[spirit_of_town_hall]

I dont think there is anything wrong with the post, I am just curious, and the post is tongue in cheek anyhow. I think its only forbidden to advocate the use of them, not to ask what the potential market is like in another country. Unfortuantely its only mid morning here and I am at work.

 

STH

[Guest]

I'll leave that call to the mods and KS.

[khunsanuk]

Hi,

 

You are asking into the possibility of selling drugs in, and even suggesting ways of doing it, and you think there is nothing wrong with your post?

 

Think again!

 

It has been deleted and I'd better not see such crap on here again.

 

Sanuk!

 

[kamui]

An international survey just found out that Tokyo and Osaka are the most expensive towns of the world again .

 

In my experience nothing is cheap in Japan. How much you will spend definitely depends on your life style (as always) and your friends you are going to meet.

But there are some parts of the expeneses I did not have at home on such a high level:

For example: for 1 1/2 years I stayed in Japan I had been less than ten times in a Japanese house. This means you will spend most times with your friends in bars, restaurants and cafes, Karaoke:grinyes:, e.g. which is quite costly.

Transport: Japan has definitively the best transport system of the world (subway and train), but you have to pay for it. If you stay in Tokyo or Osaka for example everyday you have to go by subway and/or bus and train to commute to work and to meet people. And if you want to see a little bit of the country have to take this in consideration too. The bullet trains are very fast but costly.

 

[gobbledonk]

Thanks, Kamui. In their defence, the employment agency that placed the ad claims that they reimburse teachers for their train trips to/from work each month. I still think accommodation would be the killer - perhaps not so bad in some of the rural areas, but anywhere within an hour of a major city - too scary to even contemplate

[gobbledonk]

You are asking into the possibility of selling drugs in, and even suggesting ways of doing it, and you think there is nothing wrong with your post?

 

Thanks, KS.

 

STH, I am confused. I realise that selling drugs is one way to address the high cost of living in Japan (or anywhere...), but what possessed you to make the link ? I occasionally find myself removing references to terrorists from my posts, in deference to KS wishes, but drug dealing ?

[kamui]

I still think accommodation would be the killer - perhaps not so bad in some of the rural areas, but anywhere within an hour of a major city - too scary to even contemplate

---

 

It depends, if you want a western style apartment or are able to stick to Japanese style.

I had a ca. 24 sqm Japanese style apato with a plastic bathroom with seating bathing tub and a small built in kitchen in the entrance, AC and a small balcony to dry clothes. I slept on a futon which I could easily hide in the wardrobe and sat on the floor on a Japanese style low table. For certain time this is OK, but living there for many years is hard, because you never have enough storage room.

The rent was ca. 550 US$. To get the apartment I had to pay the same amount key money (non refundable, a gift to the landlord) and security (is this the right word?) which had been only partly refunded when I left. Because I found the apato through personal conatcs I did not have to pay a commission for the real estate agent.

 

The apato was not in some of the fun areas like Shinjuku but only 3 min walk from the subway near one of the centres of Tokyo (if you take a look on the map of Tokyo there is no real centre). Additional costs: electricity, water, sometimes gas too, phone, mobile phone, internet (there are not many internet cafes in Japan).

By the way my apato was the biggest in the building I lived .

And of course the costs for furnishing. Luckily I was able to take over the apato from another foreigner who left it furnished to me. Since Japan is in slump since over a decade second hand shops are easy to find for used fax, stereo, TV, heater, if you want save some money.

 

Depending on your size, clothes are very expensive and not easy to find - especially shoes and shirts/coats/jackets.

 

 

[gobbledonk]

Depending on your size, clothes are very expensive and not easy to find - especially shoes and shirts/coats/jackets.

 

Thanks, Kamui - I take so many things for granted when I go overseas. Surely the clothes issue is fairly easily fixed - jump on a plane to HK or even BKK once every 3 months. Unless you are a fashion victim, I'd imagine that this would suffice.

 

The Japanese style aparto doesnt sound like my (ahem) cup of tea, but I have lived in worse. I think the hardest thing for me to deal with would be the crowds and the fact that I would run the risk of being one of relatively few foriegners in a given area, particularly away from Tokyo. All part of lifes rich tapestry

[Guest]

The Japanese style aparto doesnt sound like my (ahem) cup of tea, but I have lived in worse. I think the hardest thing for me to deal with would be the crowds and the fact that I would run the risk of being one of relatively few foriegners in a given area, particularly away from Tokyo. All part of lifes rich tapestry

 

Artiew, when I was a student here I lived in a four tatami mat room (13 sq meters!) Tiny bar fridge, sink, toilet up the hall (Japanese style squat), public bath down the road. Cost US$250 a month.

 

Great memories. Had some shoulder to shoulder parties there with six people. Was also scared shitless many a time when an earthquake would threaten to bring the rickety old joint down.

 

Housing here really varies. Some swank expat joints won't leave you wanting for anything. Monthly rents can hit US$30,000 for a diplomat's house.

 

As for the crowds, hate the masses on trains, but thankfully I rarely have to join them. Anyhow, what's a city without people?

 

Traveling in the Japanese countryside by yourself is a great experience (much like any country). The friendliness is sometimes overwhelming.

 

Drop over sometime and see for yourself.

[kamui]

Fortunately I did not had to take the subway at 8 in morning. To do this daily is really terrible, but in general in liked the crowds in Tokyo. If you have not been there you would not believe how easy everything is. Tokyo is like a perfect, clean machine, completely different to BKK or Hong Kong or Taipei. For example if you enter Shinjuku station (believed the biggest station of the world) there are thousands of people, but nobody jostles or even touches you and nearly no noise. Aah if have to go to Japan again. I really miss the people....

 

Why don?t you go there to have a look?? Many tourist go to Japan to see the middle age Japan in Kyoto and Kamakura with the temples, Geishas and gardens (which are wonderful), I am very interested in contemporary Japan and its culture. It looks westernized on the surface but below many things follow their own Japanese rules and traditions.