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Gouki
Joined: 12 Mar 2003
Posts: 65
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 Posted: Fri Mar 14, 2003 11:09 am Post subject: Questions about food, basketball, car models, internet, car |
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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 
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 |
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Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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| Posted: Fri Mar 14, 2003 1:32 pm Post subject: |
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1. How much do rice (say 3kg or 5kg bag), Maggie Mee (packet noodles) and a Big Mac Value meal cost?
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5kg of rice runs an average of about 1700 yen. Prices vary a lot on brand.
Never heard of Maggie Mee, but if you want a package of instant ramen, you can get one pack for about 85 yen.
Big Mac value meals run around 500-600 yen.
| Quote: |
| 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? |
I own a car, but I paid for it in full. It is a 5-year-old car (Mitsubishi Pajero Junior), which cost me about US$5000. You have to figure on two other main costs: shaken (mandatory insurance/inspection fees), and parking. You can't own a car in Japan without owning a parking space and having a shaken. Parking varies on the city and location within, but plan on 5000-8000 yen/month.
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| I hope that I will also be able to find some kind of IT job out there (like trainer or something |
How good is your Japanese? If it's not nearly fluent, don't count on getting hired by any Japanese outfits. There are plenty of native Japanese programmers here.
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| How much do cable internet cost? |
There are a million options for accessing the Internet. I use NTT ADSL and pay 5000 yen/month. I bypassed the installation charges because my wife installed it herself. I believe there are somewhat cheaper options, but anything between 3500 and 5000 is pretty standard. |
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David W
Joined: 17 Jan 2003
Posts: 457
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Fri Mar 14, 2003 4:17 pm Post subject: |
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Car taxes basically go on engine size (ever wondered why you have 1997 cc engines) and age. Over a 2 litre engine and your tax bill is boosted significantly. More than 13 years old and you need a roadworthiness check every year instead of every 2 years (for a 3 litre car think US$ 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. |
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Sherri
Joined: 23 Jan 2003
Posts: 749
Location: The Big Island, Hawaii
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| Posted: Fri Mar 14, 2003 11:41 pm Post subject: |
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| In Toyko except to pay around 15,000 to 20,000 a month for parking! |
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Gouki
Joined: 12 Mar 2003
Posts: 65
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| Posted: Sat Mar 15, 2003 2:47 am Post subject: |
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[quote="Glenski"]
| Quote: |
| Quote: |
| 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? |
I own a car, but I paid for it in full. It is a 5-year-old car (Mitsubishi Pajero Junior), which cost me about US$5000. You have to figure on two other main costs: shaken (mandatory insurance/inspection fees), and parking. You can't own a car in Japan without owning a parking space and having a shaken. Parking varies on the city and location within, but plan on 5000-8000 yen/month.
| Quote: |
| I hope that I will also be able to find some kind of IT job out there (like trainer or something |
How good is your Japanese? If it's not nearly fluent, don't count on getting hired by any Japanese outfits. There are plenty of native Japanese programmers here.
| Quote: |
| How much do cable internet cost? |
There are a million options for accessing the Internet. I use NTT ADSL and pay 5000 yen/month. I bypassed the installation charges because my wife installed it herself. I believe there are somewhat cheaper options, but anything between 3500 and 5000 is pretty standard. |
Glenski, is the Pajero a big car (ie. >2lt engine)? How much do you have to pay for the shaken? What about petrol? Sounds like you're paying between 80,000-150,000 to own your car per year.
I studied japanese for 3 years, but that was some time ago. I don't want to teach in Japanese, but I do realise how handy it would be.
Thanks again Glenny. |
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Gouki
Joined: 12 Mar 2003
Posts: 65
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| Posted: Sat Mar 15, 2003 2:54 am Post subject: |
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| David W wrote: |
Car taxes basically go on engine size (ever wondered why you have 1997 cc engines) and age. Over a 2 litre engine and your tax bill is boosted significantly. More than 13 years old and you need a roadworthiness check every year instead of every 2 years (for a 3 litre car think US$ 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. |
Good point, actually I never thought of that (engine size). I want to get a Nissan 350z which has a 3.5 litre engine and is a new car (late 2002/early 2003). Either that or a Nissan 300zx (94-96 model). I won't get a car in my first year, but I'll be seriously looking at one the following year (or even the year after that). How old do cars have to be before they get charged for the shaken thing?
About the parking, is that true? Do I have to get a bicycle to commute between the parking lot and my house? :-p |
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David W
Joined: 17 Jan 2003
Posts: 457
Location: Japan
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