Why is Japan So Expensive?
I found a website that tries to explain why Japan is so expensive. It makes me slightly suspicious, firstly because of the dodgy website design and hosting (on Yahoo! Geocities, no less) and secondly because I’ve seen things that are quite different to what the article outlines. The website is dated 2002 so it’s not terribly out of date but I feel it can be inaccurate at times. Firstly, I should say that I didn’t find Japan horribly expensive. There are horribly expensive things out there ($50 watermelons, for example) but you can also find affordable watermelons if you know where to look. Also, some things seem to be expensive across the board (transport, fruit and vegetables, movies) while others are dirt cheap across the board (cigarettes, electronics, everyday bits of plastic that can be found in 100 yen shops). Keep in mind that I’m comparing prices with those in Australia.
But generally, I was quite comfortable in Japan, despite being on a part-time salary with VERY expensive rent (about a third of my salary). If I had moved out into my own accomodation, then I would have had maybe $200 more a month to spend. With around AUS$2000 a month, I could live and eat, go out once a week or so, and usually travel to some part of Japan once every two months.
I didn’t drink much but I did eat out a lot. If I could walk somewhere instead of catching a train, I did. Alcohol from a bottle shop is cheaper than alcohol in an izakaya although nomihodai (all you can drink) was readily available and a great deal. I didn’t go to Roppongi twice a week and insist on the VIP treatment. That’s probably a clincher. Some people working and living in Japan complain about how expensive it is and how they run out of money quickly, but they’re also the type of people that must party at every opportunity. Any country would be expensive with that lifestyle.
Oh well, have a read. But take their info with a grain of salt, because I can tell you two things that are wrong with just the first section alone, at least compared to Australia. One: cigarettes are dirt cheap in Japan. Two, you’ll get better interest on your savings in a bank there than you would in Australia. Make sure that you compare the numbers with your own country, not just taking the word of American (or for that matter, Austrailan) based bloggers.
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September 12th, 2006 at 6:17 am
I agree with you. If you know where to look Japan can be affordable. It’s very easy to spend too much money there but it’s just as easy to find an alternative. I’ve found quite a few restaurants and markets that are quite low priced. Tokyo Food Show in Shibuya has great prices on all kinds of food. You can get a cheap hotel if you’re vacationing. You can get a relatively well priced apartment as well. You won’t get the space as you do in America and good living space costs a lot but if you try a little bit and walk out of the beaten path you can find great places with low prices. Helps to know a little Japanese as the cheaper places usually don’t speak english.
October 12th, 2006 at 7:12 am
i don’t think japan is so expensive….of course,like every city,it’s expensive in some places for some stuffs…
January 3rd, 2009 at 7:13 pm
Japan is a bit expensive, but it can be cheap. I am at APU and it is expensive and you can’t get around that. Transportation from the university to the city itself cost almost 540 yen. Doing anything is difficult and you go through an ichiman faster than you can say butter. But that’s beyond the point. I find myself at a point that if I did University in a bigger city that didn’t have the private bus companies fuck the prices up. I wouldn’t complain as much because in the cities getting around is cheap. Everything is convenient. I am not on top of a mountain in a city in Japan XD. THis is beyond the point though. Traveling in Japan is expensive, and for someone who only has a yr here this is a problem. I’ve found it cheaper to travel to other asian countries so far. And I still haven’t seen Tokyo xD due to the cost to stay there a weekend. Once I save up 1,000 dollars then I go.
October 23rd, 2009 at 3:55 pm
i disagree, i have lived in many countries in the world and can confirm japan is by far the cheapest. Why should you have to scrape around backstreets looking for fruit and veg? i dont want to i dont have the time, i want to buy products at a reasonably priced supermarket like i do everywhere else in world. Fact rice is 7 times dearer in japan (japans staple food!!!) Fact its 7 pounds a pint of beer in a bar (at least double the norm) so what if i can go to a cheaper bottle shop, sometimes i like to socialize in the bar!!! FACT its 1 pound an apple, FACT cheese is 4 times dearer for a quarter of the size!! it makes me laugh u people that live in denial. IT IS the dearest place in the world FACT, i dont want to run around looking for discounts all day i just want to pay a fair and reasonble price which i would in any other country. Hey I love japan but you cant argue with the facts its MEGA EXPENSIVE AND YOU KNOW IT – one more example – 130 pounds taxi from tokyo to yokohama 30 km haha give me a break japan isnt expensive – u are having a laugh!!!
October 23rd, 2009 at 3:56 pm
haha sorry last post should start by saying Japan is the DEAREST – sorry about that!! (freudian slip??? – not a chance!!)