Job Discussion Forums

Gouki · Joined: 12 Mar 2003 Posts: 65

Hi people,

Well I'm coming over (after a stint in China) and I have a few questions to ask :

1. How much do rice (say 3kg or 5kg bag), Maggie Mee (packet noodles) and a Big Mac Value meal cost?

2. Does anyone here own a car and how much is it costing you per month? I am interested in buying a 3 litre car that's more than 10 years old. How much do you think I'll be paying per month/year on parking and other form of road taxes?

3. I've been living in -15 to 0 degrees weather for the last 6 month and I hated it (snow was nice to see, but after a while it got too cold and I got very sick). I'm looking at warmer places like Yokohama (while working in Tokyo) or Fukuoka. I really can't stand the cold weather, and I'm comfortable living in a small town.

4. Who here is into car models (ie. 1/60, 1/24, 1/18 etc etc). I've been comparing prices between Australia, Singapore and Japan.

Japan, surprisingly is very competitive (ie. not as expensive as I thought they would be). Just looking for some good shops in Tokyo or other areas in Japan. I'm hoping to develop a collection of Nissan 300ZX/350Z (fairlady) stuff.

5. If I was living in Tokyo, does anybody know of any good places for pick up basketball? Like 3 on 3 or even 5 on 5 kind of thing on the weekends or even weekdays. I'm into basketball, and have played great pickup ball in Thailand, China, Malaysia and Australia (the Aussies are good, but I'm better :-p).

6. How much do cable internet cost? I absolutely need this as I'll be buying a computer monitor (I'm bringing my computer over) in Japan. My comp is cool, if I have time, I'll post some pictures of it. Its not riced or anything, just interesting Smile

I'm looking to save as much money as possible because I want to be able to afford a car. My salary would probably be the minimum, although I hope that I will also be able to find some kind of IT job out there (like trainer or something). I'm not a party animal, nor do I drink or smoke. I'm usually on the computer learning/developing something, watching anime or movies or window shopping. I think with this new hobby of mine, I'll probably be painting and glueing model cars.

Thanks to Glenski and PaulG(?) for your previous mails/advice. I don't really need the grocery list again, just specific pricing on certain food and cost of owning an older car as well as the other questions that I've stated above. I'm especially interested in owning a car, I won't buy one in my first year, but I hope to buy one the year after.

PS. Sorry for the poor grammar, spelling or whatever. I typed this in a rush as I'm using a friend's computer. So glad that Dave has finally upgraded to a better forum :-p

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

David W · Joined: 17 Jan 2003 Posts: 457 Location: Japan

Car taxes basically go on engine size (ever wondered why you have 1997 cc engines) and age. Over a 2 litre engine and your tax bill is boosted significantly. More than 13 years old and you need a roadworthiness check every year instead of every 2 years (for a 3 litre car think US$ 1000 plus every year). Tell me what kind of vehicle you've got your eye on and I'll give you a ball park figure. Glenski covered the other stuff.
I would seriously only recommend a vehicle if you are in a medium size city. What Glenski said about parking is true. A friend of mine in Hiroshima pays 7000 yen a month for a parking spot that is at least a mile from his apartment.

Sherri · Posted: Fri Mar 14, 2003 11:41 pm Post subject:

In Toyko except to pay around 15,000 to 20,000 a month for parking!

Gouki · Joined: 12 Mar 2003 Posts: 65

[quote="Glenski"]

Gouki · Joined: 12 Mar 2003 Posts: 65

David W · Joined: 17 Jan 2003 Posts: 457 Location: Japan

New cars don't need shakken until they are 3 years old then it's every 2 years up to 13 years old then every year after that. I don't know how much a 350z will set you back but I wouldn't expect much change out of US$ 40,000 at the very least. I would expect you to be able to pic up a 1996 300zx for less than US$ 8,000 in good nick. Second hand cars are cheap to buy but the taxes and charges are more. Currently petrol is running around the 100 yen a litre mark with high octane about 10% more.

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

For what it's worth, I can confirm David W's info about new cars and no shakken.

Gouki,
My Pajero is a small SUV with 1300 cc engine. I pay 70,000 yen per TWO years for shakken. (My wife says mid-sized cars would have a shakken running about 90,000 yen/2 years.)

I'm fortunate in that my in-laws use the car often enough that they have agreed to let us park the car at their home, and subsequently, they pay for parking. That runs 8000 yen/month. Petrol/Gasoline is 93-95 yen/liter here in Hokkaido for regular, but since we don't use the car much, certainly less in winter, it's practically impossible to give you an estimate on monthly gasoline/petrol bills.

I believe that your parking space can be up to 1.5 km from your home, so yes, you may need a bicycle to "commute" this distance. This is another reason why public transporation is used to much here.

If one totals my in-laws parking bill with my annual shakken, the total is 131,000 yen/year (about US$1000) if I were to pay for it all.

And, Gouki, PLEASE do not call me "Glenny". I hate that name and have adopted "Glenski" for a reason.

Gouki · Joined: 12 Mar 2003 Posts: 65

Sorry Glenski Smile

Didn't mean it, its the bad aussie habit that we have sometimes.

You can call me Goony then Razz

Gouki · Joined: 12 Mar 2003 Posts: 65

David W · Joined: 17 Jan 2003 Posts: 457 Location: Japan

I like cars and I'm interested in them but I'd be lying if I said I really knew much about them. I often get junk mail from used car dealers so the guess about the 300zx came from that. As for the roads, well as we're both from Australia I think I can put it into terms you can understand- mate it's an absolute nightmare. The speed limit everywhere is 50km/hr maximum except on the expressways where you pay through the nose (think 1000 yen every 50 kms or so). There is always traffic on the road, people, including the police, run red lights as a matter of course, park where-ever they want and pay only the most cursory attention to the rules of the road. The good news is is that because the roads are so crowded the speeds are lower so there is less scope for getting into trouble than in Australia where you can go much faster more often. The roads are very narrow, and where there are 2 lanes it's crowded. The police for the most part keep a low profile (at least where I live). No red light cameras, booze buses, multinovas, things like that. I yeah, did I mention the roads are crowded Very Happy

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

Not to defend Japanese drivers (up here in Hokkaido, they have the worst driving record in the country), but I have seen people break just as many rules in Japan as they do in the USA.

The four most common things:
1. Running red lights (not as common as David's post may suggest, at least not as common up here in Hokkaido.
2. Speeding (and, yes, there ARE cameras on roads, but people know where they are and slow down until they are past them).
3. Illegal parking. This seems to be enforced only in the downtown areas. By my suburban apartment, the street is labeled as non-parking, yet people park on it all the time and don't seem to be penalized.
4. Driving without seatbelts buckled, especially for children. What can I say? They will get what they deserve. I have no sympathy for people without common sense.

I repeat, you see the same things in other countries.

Gouki · Joined: 12 Mar 2003 Posts: 65

Gouki · Joined: 12 Mar 2003 Posts: 65

David W · Joined: 17 Jan 2003 Posts: 457 Location: Japan

Don't get me wrong. I think Japan is a safer place to drive than Australia (and probably the US/Canada) simply because the speeds are generally lower. Also the strict regime of roadworthiness inspections means there are no "old bombs" on the road so people's vehicle are well maintained and therfore safer.