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Japan
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DragonJade



Joined: 20 Mar 2011
Posts: 33

PostPosted: Sat Aug 11, 2012 12:33 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Let's say you get paid �250,000 a month. This is what my cost breakdown was roughly a month living just outside of Tokyo (20 minute walk to the border):

------------------------
Income tax 25,000

Rent 60,000 (40m^2 flat - bedroom, living room, dining/kitchen, separate toilet and bath, balcony)

Water/gas/electricity 5000 (plus/minus depending on time of year)

Groceries 23,000 (assuming you don't splash out on 10k Yen watermelons too often and you cook, not just buy premade stuff)

Eating out 10,000 (occasionally, excluding alcohol - meals range from 500 to 2000 depending on what/where)

Internet 5,000

Sky satellite 5,000 (English TV programs!)

Karaoke 5000 (got to have karaoke!)
------------------------

That's about �129,000 a month, so say roughly half of you salary goes on expenses and taxes, as Glenski said. And like steki47, I try to get abroad at least once a year, work schedule permitting.

You'll have to factor in another �10-20k for city tax as well. That might come straight out of your wage packet so you don't have to worry about that. Speaking of which, they might take out something like �5000 a month for health insurance and unemployment insurance (you can get dole if you loose your job or your contract ends and you're still job searching).

All in all, you (I) are looking at around �100,000 to play around with or save afterwards.

If you convert it in to � it might not look great, but you have to remember that you are living and spending in Japan. If you buy a camera in Japan I can guarantee you that it will be at least 20% cheaper than anywhere in Britain. If on the other hand you want to spend your money on Heinz Baked Beans, expect to spend about �3 to �4 a can. That's assuming you can find one.

So what am I saying? You should pack a suitcase full of beans to sell in Japan, and on the way back pack it full of cameras. Smile
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TokyoLiz



Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Posts: 1548
Location: Tokyo, Japan

PostPosted: Sat Aug 11, 2012 4:05 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

FYI, my budget every month is about Y150,000. For women, costs can be higher (long hair needs care, women's clothing costs are different, etc.). In addition, I pay tuition for martial training, and take trips to Tokyo or the countryside.

I live 20 minutes east of the Edo River, which means rents are reasonable. To live close to transportation and conveniences, expect to pay more for less space. I pay Y60,000 for an apartment smaller than DragonJade's, perhaps only 30 sq.m. I'm also only a 10 minute walk from three major train lines.

A lot of cities in Chiba and Ibaraki swallowed up villages and towns during restructuring. You'll find cities with dense urban areas and old farming communities in them. You can ask for urban and still find yourself living next to a rice paddy.
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kathrynoh



Joined: 16 Jul 2009
Posts: 64

PostPosted: Sat Aug 11, 2012 5:51 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

DragonJade, I don't see transport in your budget - that can be a huge expense.

Personally, I'd not include eating out, karaoke etc in my necessary expenses but in my leftover money... well okay, maybe karaoke is a necessity.

I used private lesson fees for my play money - eating out, drinking etc. But, like Glenski says, they are finicky. I had cases where I was actually out of pocket with privates - having paid transport and for a cofffee then getting a mail cancelling the lesson.
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Glenski



Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN

PostPosted: Sat Aug 11, 2012 8:38 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Don't be out cash from a private lesson just because someone stiffs you at the last minute. Make a business clause/contract that says no unpaid cancellations less than 24 hours before the lesson. If they must cancel, they will have to pay up at the next class.

Ideally, you will have them pay a month in advance and avoid this altogether.

I won't argue with individual costs (23,000 for food per month sounds skimpy by at least 10,000, for example), because in the end it all seems to average out like I wrote earlier. That is, for basic necessities, you will burn roughly half of a 250K salary.

Local transportation is often paid by companies, and if you get a monthly card for train or bus, you can use it for more than just commuting, but yes, there might be other traveling costs that you will have to pay for yourself. It varies (see below).

Anything else -- gym fees, special activities, subscriptions, trips locally or abroad, purchases for new or replacement items, etc. -- will eat into that second half, and that is where people will differ.
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DragonJade



Joined: 20 Mar 2011
Posts: 33

PostPosted: Sat Aug 11, 2012 10:55 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

As Glenski said, transportation is paid for by the company. Maybe it's a Japanese thing, but I've never had transportation money while working in England. If a Japanese company doesn't pay transportation, then there's something fishy about them, I would say. If you're teaching privately take transportation into account. Are you going to charge the student on top or are you going to take it out of your hourly rate? Or you could just find students who live near where you are.

Food prices will vary depending on where you live. I lived in one place in Kawasaki and the price of chicken was half that compared to the next place I lived in Yokohama, 20 miles away supermarket to supermarket.

The last place I lived had three supermarkets, and I'd know the best place to pick up whatever at the best price. �100 yen for a loaf of Yamazaki at Donqui, or �160 for the same loaf at Ito across the road if it wasn't on special.

Sometimes if you're out working and can't get home and don't bring lunch with you, you have no choice but to eat out. I usually buy a bento (�600ish) if I can eat at a client's place or outside when the weather's nice, or I go to somewhere like Matsuya. For �580 yen I can get a chunk of burger meat in demi-glace sauce, a fried egg, small salad, soup, and a bowl of rice.
http://www.matsuyafoods.co.jp/menu/

Eating out is an adventure, so don't skimp on that when you're there!

You won't need satellite TV for your first year at least. There's lots on the internet, and you'll be doing lots of sightseeing.
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kathrynoh



Joined: 16 Jul 2009
Posts: 64

PostPosted: Sun Aug 12, 2012 2:12 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

@Glenski - I got most of my private students through an agency who had a strict no upfront fees policy. In hindsight, not something I'd do again.

Sorry, I meant transport outside going to and from work. That can really add up.
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Glenski



Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN

PostPosted: Sun Aug 12, 2012 2:36 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

kathrynoh wrote:
@Glenski - I got most of my private students through an agency who had a strict no upfront fees policy. In hindsight, not something I'd do again.
Do you mean like findateacher.com? I don't know anyone who uses services like that. They just get students on their own.

Quote:
Sorry, I meant transport outside going to and from work. That can really add up.
Again this is variable. Get a bicycle if it helps. Or a scooter. My city has horrible bus schedules, and it is too small for anything except the main train station, so you get around however you can. Most families in it have 2 cars. Get a discount monthly train or bus pass if you can. How much do you spend, anyway, on traveling when not at work? If you figure 5 days a week not included because they are work days, I can't imagine a lot of money being used the other two just for personal travel in most cases. What is your city situation?
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rxk22



Joined: 19 May 2010
Posts: 1629

PostPosted: Sun Aug 12, 2012 4:41 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

TokyoLiz wrote:
FYI, my budget every month is about Y150,000. For women, costs can be higher (long hair needs care, women's clothing costs are different, etc.). In addition, I pay tuition for martial training, and take trips to Tokyo or the countryside.

I live 20 minutes east of the Edo River, which means rents are reasonable. To live close to transportation and conveniences, expect to pay more for less space. I pay Y60,000 for an apartment smaller than DragonJade's, perhaps only 30 sq.m. I'm also only a 10 minute walk from three major train lines.

A lot of cities in Chiba and Ibaraki swallowed up villages and towns during restructuring. You'll find cities with dense urban areas and old farming communities in them. You can ask for urban and still find yourself living next to a rice paddy.


On that last part, seems that happens quite a bit. If you go out a bit into the suburbs, they will develop an area around a station. It's like this, semi-high rises, smaller apartments, houses, and then rice paddies, all within a space of a few hundred meters.

Check out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C5%8Cami_Station

you can always get a really run down apartment in a nice area, and save money
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kathrynoh



Joined: 16 Jul 2009
Posts: 64

PostPosted: Sun Aug 12, 2012 2:02 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

@Glenski - was in Tokyo and transport costs can add up quickly there. Ok if you live, work and go out in the same area but otherwise costly.

And yes it was with one of those services. From memory, sensei-student or something like that. I think it's much harder getting privates in Tokyo especially when you are new in town and have no network so those services are good for that. Plus a Japanese company rep turned up to the trial lesson and dealt with the business side of things, but yeah the restriction on getting up front fees etc. make it harder once you'd actually got the students.
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JerkyBoy



Joined: 12 Jan 2012
Posts: 485

PostPosted: Sun Aug 12, 2012 6:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I need a firm to sponsor me for a visa from outside Japan.

I would like to come in November or January ... I'd rather not wait until April.

Can I jack a job in after only a few months without repercussions, just to get into the country?

Who can I get to fulfil this role for me? GABA?

I only want to be in Tokyo.
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rxk22



Joined: 19 May 2010
Posts: 1629

PostPosted: Sun Aug 12, 2012 9:14 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

JerkyBoy wrote:
I need a firm to sponsor me for a visa from outside Japan.

I would like to come in November or January ... I'd rather not wait until April.

Can I jack a job in after only a few months without repercussions, just to get into the country?

Who can I get to fulfil this role for me? GABA?

I only want to be in Tokyo.


Thing is, most of the hiring is done for the March/April, well really April start. You might leverage a job in before that, but they are rare on the ground imho.
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steki47



Joined: 20 Apr 2008
Posts: 1029
Location: BFE Inaka

PostPosted: Sun Aug 12, 2012 9:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

JerkyBoy wrote:
I would like to come in November or January ... I'd rather not wait until April.


Most jobs start in April, sometimes mid-March for training. There is another hiring season in August/September. That's the Japanese calendar.

There are a few large companies that hire throughout the year. Small companies at irregular times due to sudden departures (caveat emptor).

Tokyo? The Quality of No Life. To each their own.
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JerkyBoy



Joined: 12 Jan 2012
Posts: 485

PostPosted: Sun Aug 12, 2012 9:49 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

GABA is hiring now.

Surely I can take advantage of this situation?
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rxk22



Joined: 19 May 2010
Posts: 1629

PostPosted: Mon Aug 13, 2012 12:34 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

JerkyBoy wrote:
GABA is hiring now.

Surely I can take advantage of this situation?


They sponsor a visa? Not sure what it says on that particular ad.

If you go Gaba, you'll need a few months of expenses, even more so than normal. As you are commission only, and it may take a while to get a decent client base started
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JerkyBoy



Joined: 12 Jan 2012
Posts: 485

PostPosted: Mon Aug 13, 2012 3:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

rxk22 wrote:
They sponsor a visa? Not sure what it says on that particular ad.

If you go Gaba, you'll need a few months of expenses, even more so than normal. As you are commission only, and it may take a while to get a decent client base started


Yeah, they sponsor visas according to their website.

Commission only?? It states the salary is 275,000/ month.
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