Job Discussion Forums

[kanjizai]

Does anyone have any general knowledge of how well someone can do living and teaching in Tokyo. I often hear that it is very exspensive but there are many opportunities. On the other hand I hear that the bubble in Japan has burst and it is not what it used to be and Korea and China are the places to be to make good money.

Any responses will help.

[yeka]

Keep in mind that the whole world economy is not doing so hot right now. Japan has had to deal with several natural disasters recently so its economy has taken quite the hit.

I'm not in Tokyo, but I do have a few friends in the region. Japan is expensive, period. I am living in Toyama city, which is much less populated, but I seem to be spending about the same amount of money of food and necessities as my friends are. However, they are not saving a whole lot because they go out to bars quite often, which will suck your money away quite quickly. As for job opportunities, I'm really not sure, but I would guess the bigger the city, the more opportunities there would be... but there would probably also be a great deal of competition.

You can save a lot of money in Korea because it is cheaper to live there, but from the stories I've heard, your money can easily get sucked away by going out to bars and doing a lot of shopping. It seems many people in Korea tend to shop a lot more since there is the appeal that things are less expensive.

Now I'm certainly no expert on this subject, but I think as long as you are careful and a smart shopper, you should be able to do well financially...

[Nismo]

I'll just paste what I wrote yesterday in another thread:

I went to school and worked part-time last year in Tokyo. Saving money is not hard at all, just don't expect to go out drinking every weekend. You can find various resources on the internet that will give you an idea of how much you will be spending each month.

I'll give you my basic account from last year in Tokyo:
Rent: 70,000 Yen (16 metres squared living space, small bathroom, kitchenette, balcony, genkan/hall)
Food: 2000 Yen a day x 30 days = 60,000 Yen (you can go cheaper or more expensive)
Electricity: 3000 - 6000 Yen (average was 4000 Yen). (I don't use AC in the summer, but I am able to adapt easily to change)
Water/Sewage: 1200 Yen (you pay this every other month at 2400 Yen or so)
Gas: 2000 Yen
Internet: 5000 Yen for Yahoo BB! 42M ADSL.
NTT Phone Line: 2500 Yen
(I didn't pay NHK fee for TV)
Commute: 8800 Yen (although I had a 50% student discount bringing it to 4400 yen)
Mobile Phone: 6000 Yen with 50% student discount, but you can go cheaper than that, look to spend at least 4000 Yen, though.

Bringing the monthly living cost to:
157,500 Yen.

What you have left you will be spending on entertainment. I'll give you a run down of the cost of various things.

Train commute for one night (if outside of your teikiken): 500-1000 Yen.
Movie: 1500-1800 yen (or 3000 yen for baller status premier seats at roppongi hills)
Izakaya beer: 400-500 yen each ( Shocked that's 400 yen for a 150 yen beer - guess you're paying for the atmosphere)
Coffee: 300-400 Yen
CD: 2500-3000 Yen (new)
DVD: 2500-3000 Yen (new)
Clothes: Reasonably priced, sometimes cheaper than Canada/America has to offer.
Electronics: Same price as their Canadian/American counterparts, but better quality. TV will cost you around 25,000-30,000 Yen for a 20" flat-tube. Digital Camera about 40,000-50,000 Yen.

Here is why you will be broke in the beginning, though - if your apartment is not furnished, it's not furnished AT ALL.

You will need to buy EVERYTHING. I mean EVERYTHING. There will not be a single source of light in the apartment, except from your curtainless windows. Here is what you might want to purchase:

Ceiling lights, desk lamps, curtains, bedding, coffee table, pots, pans, kitchen utensils, bowls, plates, cups, silverware/ohashi, coat hangers, shower curtain, mildew removal (especially in the summer!), suihanki (rice cooker).

[Glenski]

Just so you know, a standard salary for an eikaiwa (conversation school) teacher is 250,000-280,000 yen/month. So, subtract that 157,000 yen that nismo cites (pretty much what I have been telling people for six years), and you have 100,000 yen/month to spend on everything else in life beyond the basic necessities.

Going out to bars and clubs twice a week will eventually run you 30,000 to 50,000 yen per month if you are a conservative drinker.

That leaves you with 50,000 to 70,000 yen/month for magazines, cable TV, sightseeing, film, batteries, haircut, calls beyond your basic phone service (even local calls cost money), snacks, emergency medical care not covered in your health insurance plan, trips home, stamps, gifts, etc.

Oh, and if you have student loans to pay, that money will come out of this.

There are some people who have managed to make more than 250,000-280,000 yen/month. Some string together several part-time jobs, or get private lessons, or simply have a better paying type of job (high school or university). You didn't state your qualifications or desires, so this general advice is the best we can give you.

[kanjizai]

Thanks for the responses. One other question is is there a suburb near Tokyo. Maybe I could commute to Tokyo and live in a cheaper area.

[Glenski]

Tokyo has 9-11 million people. There are many suburbs.

[Nismo]

Near Tokyo is Chiba, Yokohama, and Saitama - all of them are much sought-after locations.