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Big in Japan: The Myth About Money
Let's start off by dispelling a common myth - are you ready for this?(I know you're not going to believe me, but just bare with me for a few moments).
Japan is not astronomically expensive. There - I said it. In fact, compared with most major cities in North America and Europe, I'd argue that it's a bargain.
Are you still reading this? I fear that I may have already lost most of my audience with such a seemingly absurd statement, but if you're still reading this post, let me explain.
In March of 2007, the Worldwide Cost of Living survey released by the Economist Group lists Tokyo and Osaka as the 5th and 6th most expensive cities in the world. Truth be told, this year was a marked departure from previous lists in that Tokyo and Osaka weren't entrenched in the number one and two spots. According to experts (who know way more about economics than I do), this year's chart topping cities of Oslo, Paris and Copenhagen were given a boost thanks to a strengthening euro and the declining dollar.So what's going on here? How can I, in the face of experts, still argue that Japan is a bargain? Bear with me for a few more paragraphs - I'm almost there.
The biggest expense that most Japanese contend with is the soaring price of real estate, which is made all the more absurd by the total lack of developable land. The term 'shoebox apartment' has a whole different meaning in Japan, where 100 sq ft is arguably a palace. Indeed, when my Japanese friends first came to the states to stay with my family at our modest - by American standards - house in suburban New Jersey, they seriously thought we were oil moguls.
Assuming you can get over the lack of space, it's possible to live in a shared apartment in central Tokyo for only a few hundred dollars a month, which pales in comparison to the money my friends pay in New York City, London and San Francisco. Sure, a lot of the buildings in Tokyo are asylum-esque concrete monstrosities built in the 1950s and 1960s (hardly the Golden Age of architectural achievement). But, it's possible to find some great places out here if you know where to look.
Case in point - I'm currently renting a room in a two-story traditional Japanese house just a few minutes from Shibuya, one of Tokyo's most fashionable entertainment districts. My room has wooden floors and picture windows, and enough space to put on my writer's cap on and hammer out this column.
(Next week I'll go into detail a
bout apartment hunting, and give you some tips on what to look for).Of course, I haven't even touched on how affordable it is to eat out in Japan, particularly if you know how to avoid the expensive spots. One of the themes of this feature column is going to be Japan's unique (to say the least) cuisine, so we'll return to this issue several times in the near future. And finally, with the world's best public transportation system, and a bike-riding culture to boot, you don't need a car to live in Japan, which is a significant savings if you're moving here from North America.
Are you sold yet? If not, tune in next week for a posting about apartment hunting in Tokyo. And don't worry - there will be plenty of time to delve into the full culinary spectrum of Japan!
Filed under: Business, Asia, Japan, Big in Japan
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
AndyM Aug 19th 2007 8:02PM
The important thing to note about The Economist list is that it is comparing places that are expensive to live as an ex-pat, not as an ordinary person.
Housing in Japan is not expensive, depends where you want to live, qualitatively it is poor with only a 30-50 year life. Land is available for development but it is subject to manipulation to keep the prices high. Japan is not a small country, despite what many Japanese say, they just want to live in Tokyo or other large cities not the countryside where life can be decidedly inconvenient.
Tyler Aug 20th 2007 12:44AM
Newsflash: Expensive country is not as expensive if you know where to look.
What about the complete lack of a beer in a restraunt/bar for under 500 yen? Mandatory car tax(shaken)? Bullet train prices? Domestic airfare? Hotels?
My UK friends say how cheap it is and my US friends say how expensive... I dont think it is as bad as the reputation will have you believe, but lets be realistic.
playahater Aug 20th 2007 7:15AM
After recently coming back from Tokyo, i've found the experience to be not as expensive as many perceive it to be. Considering I pay up to $15 Aud for lunch in Melbourne, I found myself trying interesting new foods for half the price. Along with the occasional Mos Burger and Department store food, it was reasonably priced.
Taxis were expensive but were rarely needed. JR line train was cheap(ish), fast and efficient. Other things came to be very expensive such as some clothing items, restaurants and department stores.
Overall it's a city where you can choose to blow your money or be careful with it and live reasonably well.
binkotsu Aug 23rd 2007 1:09AM
There are people who have lived in Tokyo forever and survived the bombings of that fun time with the USA. I assume that with such variety living well is a matter of personal choice.
Jamar Aug 24th 2007 12:20PM
Tip for short-term travelers looking for a place to stay- use a local hotel-booking service like http://biztrip.livedoor.com because they can get you massive discounts (well, OK, if you're looking to stay somewhere like the Hyatt or the Sheraton, more likely you'll only get 20-30% off).
Twitchy Sep 4th 2007 4:51PM
From my (stop-over tourist) impression of Japan I have to agree that it is relatively well priced. Considering what it costs here in NZ to go out (a premium beer will set you back $8NZD, approx 710YEN).
Regarding the 'small' housing in Japan, I believe that the western living space requirement is retardedly huge. Houses today are many times larger than 40 years ago - uneccessarily so. The Japanese make do (comfortably I might add) with only half or less through efficient use of space (stress on the word efficient).
I think the rest of the world could learn a few things from how the Japanese have managed to make do with what little room they have.
M2 Sep 6th 2007 12:32AM
>>The Japanese make do (comfortably I might add) with only half or less through efficient use of space...
I don't agree.
The Japanese houses are too small and inconvenient.
I don't think the world needs to learn from Japan, about 'space'.
I have been to many houses in Japan, and it is sad.
Japan is interesting place to visit, but I would never want to live there,
unless you don't know any better, and come from a small town in America
or else.
Scooter Sep 6th 2007 7:30PM
I lived in Yokohama and worked in Tokyo for five years and loved it. We had a large house, admittedly, but no yard (of course - but folk abroad might not appreciate that!), and agree that it is not expensive. If you earn local money you quickly get used to the prices and can splash out when you fancy, but even as a tourist, if you can avoid high hotel charges and spend carefully (or do some research) it is cheaper than e.g. London.