Do The Japanese Feel Poor? | Street Interview

[@AsianBoss]

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[@levelazn]

plaza accord doing it's thing

[@CorgiSamurai]

It would be awesome if there's a follow up video on this few months down the road. Japan has not experienced this type of inflation in decades and the upcoming shunto wage negotiation will likely see the highest increase in wages. Would be curious to how ppl feel about their income/wealth increase relative to prices increasing all around them.

[@earlysda]

@@levelaznlevel, Plaza Accords helped Japan face reality that their economy was not sustainable in the long run by keeping their currency artificially low. . It also made Japan incredibly rich.

[@INFP-T50]

Life in Japan is quite difficult. Wages are not going up, only prices are going up. In addition, the number of elderly people is increasing, and the amount of tax paid will continue to increase. I'm jealous because the salary in America and Australia is twice as much as in Japan. We recommend investing in fast-growing India. By the way, the reason Japanese wages are not going up is because the traitorous government is letting cheap foreign workers into Japan. Most jobs for foreigners in Japan include modeling, English teaching, and manual labor. However, there is also a possibility in Japan. That's when robots replaced manual workers.

[@earlysda]

@@INFP-T50INFP, your first paragraph is correct. Your second paragraph is far removed from reality.

[@charlene6306]

The interviewer is really good. She follows up with the right questions, so it doesn’t sound scripted. When an interviewee reveals something unexpected, she knows what to ask next 10/10

[@alexxenaosas2416]

I thought in Japan things are better for people ...but looks like is the same as Europe

[@jujugarcianyc]

Yo, underrated comment; this interviewer is GOLD. Very rare to have an all-around quality interviewer in almost any KZbin street interview videos. Unobtrusive, consistent but also reactive and humanistic.

[@lemon15960]

@@alexxenaosas2416 one thing I'll mention tho is that, while yes their wages are some of the lowest in developed countries the cost of good (while increasing) are still very low. The only thing really expensive in tokyo is the rent

[@sXsKidd]

"yeah I make katanas, Other time I was in the Mafia". That took a turn xD

[@beadnut]

Was that Japanese sarcasm? 🤔

[@ThePirateHunter]

@@beadnut I'm pretty sure he was serious.

[@marikouchiwa4093]

Sarcasm isn't something japanese use. You have to explain it to them and even so they don't really get it ​@@beadnut

[@TheWhippingPost]

What does "katana" mean?

[@JoelBergmark]

​@@TheWhippingPostSamurai sword making.... We that practice Iaido and kendo pay a lot for 1 single sword....

[@CoreyANeal2000]

It's not about how much you make, but how much things cost. This is why inflation is worse than having a small wage.

[@Dayvit78]

Oh you got that backwards. The income is more important, because (a) it's something you can control and (b) it has infinite upside whereas costs can only be reduced 100%

[@tman229]

They are both important. It's the ratio that gives the results.

[@CoreyANeal2000]

@Dayvit78 Have you seen the prices of the San Francisco Bay Area. Imagine if they built enough skyscrapers' apartment Complexes. The housing cost would come down for future generations. Deflation is good for the economy. As well as increasing the supply to outpace demand.

[@cocaineminor4420]

Income is definitely not important lol​@@Dayvit78

[@MrBombastic_007]

​@@CoreyANeal2000if they build all of that,the price of a house around there will go up higher😅..The more developed the area is,the more expensive its gonna be😅..Housing costs will never go down in a developed area.

[@mrggy]

As someone who lived in Japan until very recently, it always frustrates me when videos shows prices in Japan (converted to USD) and all the comments talk about how cheap Japan is and how they could live such a luxurious lifestyle. You can't look at Japanese prices through the lense of your American salary! For locals making local salaries, these prices are really hard to afford! Literally everyone I knew in Japan felt like they were struggling financially. I'm so glad AsianBoss decided to tackle the nuances of this issue rather than going the clickbaity route

[@anthonyfam5469]

Calm down angry person … everyone is struggling … low wages and high rent is a common problem in every country

[@seomei]

If so many Japanese people were struggling like you said, amusements parks all over the country wouldn’t be a destination to Japanese people every weekend etc, when people are struggling this much they barely have money to eat comfortably and do housing stuff and pay bills, people are not struggling as you said, it might be your own vision, I believe there are a significant number of Japanese people right now but it would be so naive to say “ everyone Japanese I know is struggling right now “

[@earlysda]

mrggy, why are you frustrated? If foreigners see how cheap Japan is now, why can't they be happy about that?

[@earlysda]

@@Cha4kChoog/Cha4, The desire to go back to the supposedly "good old days" is one big factor holding Japan back. . And no, low prices doesn't even out anything.

[@guitarem100]

Its Tokyo. Ofc they're struggling financially. I wish they did more interviews with suburban rural areas and see what they say

[@Wooster77]

The interviewers did an excellent job.

[@natnat_o3]

LMAO THE GUY SO CHILL 'AND SOMETIMES I WAS IN THE MAFIA'

[@ProPandaPlays]

It’s always the oldies like that that gotta lie he even said at the end they are pretending lol idiotic old man lolol clown who tf buying swords in todays age 🤡🤡😂😂

[@Shyzenth]

The chill types are often the real deal.

[@vernon121]

Bro said that with no hesitation 😂

[@Zeioth]

When you randomly bump into the most sincere person in Japan.

[@fckthemedia1649]

In his head: "the good ole days........."

[@raquel_loves_her_dog]

These interviews were so interesting and thought provoking. Japanese people can appear quiet and reserved, but once you speak to them they're so open, kind, and honest! 💕

[@Guccheese-j8i]

I'm a Japanese working on a pelagic fishing boat and I get about 9 million yen a year. These days, people don't want to work in the construction industry or other jobs that people call hard, and I think this is the same in other developed countries around the world. But what makes Japan different from other developed countries is that if you choose such a hard job, you don't have to live in poverty. I grew up in a place where a lot of lower-class people live, and a lot of them chose hard jobs, and a lot of them were despised by the people around them, but now I'm in my 30s, and the people who didn't run away from those hard jobs are all living happy What I'm trying to say is that in Japan, at least, those jobs are available to everyone, and if you don't run away, you can usually live a wealthy life. People I know who have been working hard jobs for 10 years earn around 8-10 million yen. If you convert this amount into US dollars, it seems small, but in Japan, I can say with confidence that they are rich. And in the 80s and 90s, when Japan was considered very rich, all the people in that period were doing what I call hard work.

[@frenchalien9108]

Lucky you, 90/100 of french working in construction sites are paid minimum wages regardless of their resume or skills

[@eddy-currents]

To be honest, I am not sure JPY 8-10M a year is enough to raise children and comfortably afford to support an entire family in Tokyo. If you don't have children JPY 8-10M is comfortable.

[@misubi]

Want to hear more from the Thai monk guy, what a story.

[@Antriksh1000]

Exactly

[@Erick-ev5zt]

For him 1,200 USD is enough to be able to get by in a very expensive city like Tokyo. This guy is a legend.

[@ARACNA]

@@Erick-ev5zt Probably because Buddhists have fewer desires.

[@michigandersea3485]

Yeah, you could see him almost tear up when he talked about it.

[@mrshaneyt43]

I’m in the Uk and watch vids from worldwide and it’s so clear that the whole world is broken . We are all getting squeezed dry with no end in sight . Here it’s food, petrol ,rent and electricity that suck the most . My rent has doubled also in just 2 years and my state sick pay( I’m disabled) hasn’t really kept up with these increases. I feel for the younger generation the most . All on here point out if they didn’t live a home and have family help they couldn’t survive. It’s so sad really .

[@TubeRobRoy]

Yep only USA getting rich, a UPS driver making 170k USD per year, a dream salary anywhere else in the world.

[@FlowersByIrene]

Businesses are making record profits, but wages never go up.

[@Richard-xu8to]

It's the globalists.

[@maukachauka8793]

Well that's the result of debt as money, which is employed world wide. Governments worldwide are in debted, America has 35 trillion dollars of debt alone, but so do all other countries have hundreds of billions or a trillion of debt. This is just the natural outcome of our system.

[@Meow3431]

I bought a house four years ago my mortgage increased 433% since then.... and my income has improved 3.25 % ... It's ridiculous.... I can't believe this, however I am still lucky I have a warm home and enough food.

[@alui5362]

man that katana yakuza guy is interesting af, lol. that samurai story is such a good one. I'm surprised that the wages are that low in Tokyo. it's good that they have a circular economy - if they had to depend on imports, they would be hurting a lot more for sure.

[@teeteetuu94]

That samurai story is a good example of this concept of 'face' in Asian societies. (In Chinese - 面子) A private one where only your closest family and friends see (your true self), and another for everyone else (strangers, acquaintances, distant relatives, your colleagues and superiors). And it is the latter where you want to make yourself look good so you'll seem respectable and people wouldn't think ill or look down on you (i.e. prestige and reputation). Sometimes, people do go out of their way to inflate that public 'face' even though it is beyond their means just to make themselves look like they're living "better".

[@ProPandaPlays]

Idiots lol

[@ProPandaPlays]

🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡😂😂😭

[@ProPandaPlays]

🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡😂😂😭ぉお

[@ProPandaPlays]

Kids like you gotta learn to know a lier

[@somerandomfella]

It seems like most of the interviewees are surviving instead of progressing. Same story in a lot of countries these days with increased living costs but not increased wages.

[@earlysda]

American wages have increased dramatically in the last 15 years.

[@din3832]

Yeah we have decades of central banking and FIAT currency printing transfering wealth from everyone to the richest and most powerful. No wonder everyone is struggling.

[@din3832]

So have prices! actually prices increased even more thanks to QE and the Corona printing extravaganza@@earlysda

[@busetgadapet]

@@Cha4k cheap in rural, very expensive in cities

[@eddenoy321]

@@Cha4k Have you ever lived in a cheap Japanese house ? You would be in for a surprise.

[@itssoaztek4592]

Thank you so much for this interview! Extremely well done interviews, very good questions (in particular the follow-up questions). I couldn't praise the interviewer more for making the effort to talk to many people with greatly differing backgrounds. This makes the information given by the people so much more interesting and illuminating. Again, thank you for the great work! It is so valuable and fascinating to me to watch, also because I don't speak Japanese and can't follow regular japanese media.

[@kjracing007]

This is really one of the best interviews. The interviewer did a really good job. Nothing spectacular but every question was well thought out and she was careful not to hurt anyone's feelings. Really job well done.

[@bradleypham]

The mother and her child were really touching at the end. The little girl was so well mannered and her mom said even without money they could go out and play. Just got back from Tokyo and there's just something so haunting yet addicting about life in Japan.

[@feylights166]

Prices increasing and wages stagnating are indeed an issue in many countries right now. Always like learning about issues in Japan.

[@din3832]

The root cause is Big government printing money causing inflation stealing the fruits of everyone's labor to keep it for themselves and their corrupt scum friends.

[@NoraMalia]

I live in Japan and i have decided to move back to Germany this year. It’s very difficult to get by on a Japanese salary. I barely have enough money to get by every month. My parents are the ones paying for my flights, despite me working full time in the business sector. If they wouldn’t, i would be unable to even afford to move back by myself.

[@killkamilka]

Nora, did you study in Hokkaido Univeristy in 2012-2013?

[@strawberrysoup202]

This needs to be talked more. I've been thinking about moving somewhere in Asia but it was a shock to me how little the salaries are in many of the countries there. It's so annoying that they don't even mention the salary range in any of the job postings.

[@chocoalmondfudge]

​@@strawberrysoup202 some are mentioned but very rare. They would ask you for a salary range but 🥴

[@FlowersByIrene]

what did you do in the business sector?

[@ImRezaF]

​@@strawberrysoup202 or maybe because everything in the West is super expensive that Japanese salary seems small to Westerners. I mean, JNG (japanese national government) collected data in their archive about annual household expense in Tokyo and the figure for 2022 was around ¥3,500,000. Sounds a lot of money but if you convert it to usd, that's only around $23,000.

[@Dhi_Bee]

The guy who lived in Thailand for 3-4 years is my favorite person you interviewed as well as the guy who makes katakana swords

[@din3832]

The thailand guy is a Ignorant fool LOL what do you think that makes you?

[@theboredprogrammer1114]

My husband is Japanese but he moved to my country, Philippines 4yrs ago because his income was just enough for everything and we didnt even live in Tokyo. He has a job in IT here in the PH and the salary is lower than Japan but it is high enough to be in upper middle class in PH. I also live very comfortably in the PH vs Japan, having my own house in those gated communities and lot in a major city and car. Japan has a lot of nice things but ngl it was very expensive. Also, I think wealth and socioeconomic status is so relative from country to country. I'm also a believer that one should go where one flourishes especilaly financially.

[@xyz-pg3zd]

Wow US sucks rn too

[@arlecchino248]

earning 20000USD in developing nations is better than earing 30000 35000 in developed nations which is way below per capita

[@MarkMark-h2f]

Earning 20k$ in developing nation is like earning 40k$-60k$ in developed countries grocery price are not so different but rent eduction and transport drives cost of living in most developed nation in California or NYC a 1500$ apartment could cost just 250$ in developing nations ​@@arlecchino248

[@MarkMark-h2f]

​@@arlecchino248a bachelors degree that cost 50k$-100k$ for entire program.would only cost 10k$ for entire 4years in developing countries example Thailand 350kbhat 4yrs at Bangkok university just around 10k$ for 4yrs tuition. Grocery prices and dining out we're almost close to prices in developed country though but there are ton of.things that's ridiculously cheap in developing.nations

[@busetgadapet]

I think what screwed is just in big city like tokyo where housing and rent is extremely expensive, if you live outside of tokyo it actually kinda good

[@AlinaMcleod]

That was a very eye opening video. Having spent a lot of time in Japan and briefly googled what average wages were, I was very surprised to hear all those people's answers being considerably lower than expected. As a foreigner you feel like Japan is so far ahead of other countries because of the incredible infrastructure they have there, the efficiency of everything and the abundance of choice of everything. It is good that their social nets seem stronger than most countries, but sad that the average person doesn't have the purchasing power to go beyond their basic necessities. Hopefully things will change for the better.

[@giantlabs]

wow i just realized you were in the "you know you're dating a russian" video.

[@AlinaMcleod]

@@giantlabs lol that I was

[@lineage13]

Alina, you totally skipped Naiyang Beach on your last trip to Phuket.... I am more shocked at how many Rich Russians there are in Phuket despite their war.

[@nazgual11able]

not surprising considering japan has been in deflation for 30 years.

[@bookinsights1092]

Things will only change for the worse because Japan is a rapidly aging population with a birth rate that is below replacement rate for many decades now so both Japan and many other developed countries will be in for some really tough times ahead. The future will not be better.

[@kaloiano1]

All of the participants had very interesting insights. I feel the guy that got disowned and had to spend 4 years in Thailand as a monk probably had the best takes.

[@earlysda]

Samurai/mafia guy was the most based. The backpacker monk guy had some good ideas, but some weird ones too.

[@ksoosk]

Hmm except the part when he said that young people can live in internet cafes. Even poor people should have a roof over his head and a place/room he could really sleep and feel safe.

[@din3832]

That guy that lived with the monk was the one that spew the most amount of nonsense! Their parents did right to disown him, he would probably just drag the whole family down.

[@earlysda]

@@ksooskksoosk, the internet cafe comment was about 10 years behind the times. Nearly everything that man said was from a different era almost.

[@myairspace121]

That comment about the samurai and their toothpicks was incredibly apt. That seems to be exactly how it's like for the Japanese.

[@PleasedPinoy]

The little girl was like I’m over this let’s go 🤣

[@Hanoitami]

No, she was like " go out and play?" we never do that....

[@krishnamurthyramakrishnan191]

Yeah, she was unimpressed by all of this …

[@Vayne-b4u]

That Katana old man so cool..looks like character from like a dragon game 😂😂

[@abhishekbhatt6414]

Love how the daughter is quiet and respectful while the mother is being interviewed❣❣

[@heidi-hu1tv]

One of the rarest videos you`ll find these days. It reveals why many gullible families and young people move to teach English in Japan and realise rather late that they`ll end up poorer than in their own countries because cost of living is high, taxes are high and pension payouts are too low to survive retirement. So many have to work late into their 60s. They cannot afford to retire.

[@nikkosr888]

I have lived in Japan for almost a decade. The labor wage is stagnant for almost 30 years, whilst tax and living expenses are increasing. That’s why more and more productive and young people would like to leave Japan and find better opportunities overseas.

[@julianzuniga8905]

It sounds like America, minus the last part

[@nelia039]

@@julianzuniga8905 It really does, which confuses why so many US people are giving advice on the comment thread.

[@dw620]

House prices in Japan are *much* less than in Western Europe, USA, Canada, Australia, etc., however, and having a roof over your head is priority #1. You can purchase a decent quality akiya in "walk in" condition in a pleasant rural area within easy commuting range of the big cities for *under* US$20,000. Try that the USA or UK. : )

[@crownsofhia9864]

@@dw620 not true, these places are not cheap because Japan is affordable, it is because nobody wants to live in these places cause these cities are dying. Not enough young people and lot of elders. Try finding a house within the city , it is pricey as well. And 20.000 USD you cannot really find a place to live that you won’t have to reform or so, which sometimes cost more than the price of the house cause in japan reforming is quite expensive.

[@dw620]

@@crownsofhia9864 Who said anything about "cheap because Japan is affordable" - it's because there are too many houses that people don't need (declining population) and being able to sell them for any money at all is better than leaving them to ruin while having to pay. I've seen plenty pictures: the majority are liveable, many are half-way decent and if you need to spend any money for upgrades it's *still* dramatically cheaper than any possible option for someone living in Oz, US, Canada, UK, etc. A factor anyone from Japan thinking about leaving the country to earn "big money" elsewhere has to take into account.

[@SuperMyacc]

Excellent video. Like one of the best I have seen on the channel and the interviewees were selected really well. Great job!

[@ultrakoichi]

I pay £1250 per months in London flat. My friend in Saitama spend £150 per month in a tiny block of flat with a loft.

[@DanielleWheeler-w6h]

The elder gentleman with the cap and glasses has a very realistic idea about hard times. He probably has a very interesting story

[@ファンp]

The problem with Japan is that even though the wages are so low and it is difficult to live, there are few Japanese people who go abroad unlike other Asian countries such as Korea, China, Vietnam and India. If more and more Japanese people go abroad, countries and companies will have a sense of crisis, and they will have to raise wages due to lack of manpower.

[@earlysda]

Japanese used to love to travel abroad. But not so much anymore.

[@AndIwandermuch]

Wow! These wages are so low, much respect to the Japanese for being able to manage in Tokyo. As a foreigner making USD living in Japan, this was very eye-opening and humbling.

[@chinavirus841]

@@AndIwandermuchreturn to your country

[@Clownk1ller]

​@@nidhirao7728 yeah I wanna know too, working remotely might help alot

[@AndIwandermuch]

@@chinavirus841Thanks! I will submit my transfer request to the US on Monday morning lol😂

[@chinavirus841]

@@AndIwandermuch Ty ❤️

[@xXIronSwanXx]

Lucky you! I should try looking for companies that pay in USD. Heck, earning a meager 50,000 USD is pretty much a high roller in Japan!

[@nazrinrahman]

Below USD 2k is painful in Japan especially Tokyo. Been to Tokyo last year and even the prices there not as expensive as western europe or Australia. But 2k salary......

[@IhsanIbrahim]

The last point about what make you feel your heart fulfilled even you are not rich is wholesome. I smiled.

[@ApexPredatorWithSungGlasses]

Interesting. And I was imagining they would average around 5000USD per month at the lowest end of jobs (as depicted by animes, comics, and such).

[@tartempion5414]

@13:38 He nailed it. Building wealth is not about saving fiat money.

[@Starstreak170]

I was in Japan last year. I was surprised how affordable everything was, but Japanese people thought the cost of living was high.

[@ProPandaPlays]

I’m curious how much I can get for 1715 I’m retired lol

[@BlackHoleSpain]

Here in Spain it happens the same. Foreigners say everything is cheap, but when you earn 20k/year for blue-collar jobs and 30k/year for white-collar ones... life is tough! I'm an IT Systems & Networks Technician and my biggest salary ever was €29k, so guess... in USA the same position is paid $85k+

[@b.i.g.g.u.s]

Yeah, that's the exchange rate for you. Last time I was there, £1 was close to ¥200 and it's almost there again now. Might be time to take a trip and put some more foreign currency into Japan :)

[@marukomax8688]

Rental is expensive in Tokyo.

[@sonny9054]

It’s a recent phenom actually. People were complaining about deflation and the appreciation of yen for the past three decades. Then suddenly we got both of those reversed. Still, necessities are generally affordable compared to other G7 nations, but naturally you rarely find anybody thinking in USD terms.

[@Sunabe77]

One of the best and insightful interviews so far

[@neoncorolla6917]

Wow! Im so relieved. At first, I thought I was poor. Turns out I am just Japanese. But I am happy.

[@asylnbola1445]

But Japanese people are not poor

[@earlysda]

Love your retro avatar!

[@liveiria]

I’m shocked at how little some of these Japanese people are surviving on living in Tokyo

[@yagruumbagaarn]

The reason that the average income sounds to high to the people in this video is that using the average is a terrible metric for an income distribution. An average can be heavily skewed when there are a few outliers with extreme values such as the extremely wealthy class. That's why when you ask such questions it's more useful to talk about the median income.

[@akita1934]

Correct 100%

[@Nswix]

The median salary in Japan, for 2024 is 471,000 JPY (3,470 USD) per month

[@rebeltheharem7028]

Median income in Tokyo alone is 574K (4,229 USD). So its even higher than the average income. Median income is not a useful metric either when using as a comparison either (since this graph would have an extremely high skew). Its actually better to use a 95% distribution average (i.e. the average income that the middle 95% of the population). If you need a hard number instead of a range of numbers.

[@woooshbait9696]

Japan doesn’t have a huge wealth distribution so average also fine.

[@R3negad3BB01]

Thank you for the fantastic and enlightening video! Also, kudos to the interviewer; they did an amazing job with the way they presented the questions and allowed the interviewees to speak freely and comfortably about the different topics. I was in the US military and spent the last 6 years living in Japan, so I was blessed to receive my income in USD. It was a modest amount, but compared to most of my Japanese friends, I understood how unfair the discrepancy was. That fostered an immense amount of gratitude and respect in me toward Japan's working class as they could get by with comparatively little yet still put in a degree of effort that is quite uncommon in the US. I'm actually leaving Japan tomorrow and flying back to the states, but I hope to eventually make my way back here and settle down. Until then, I'll for sure be using these videos to keep me on track and motivated.

[@sleepdeprived9181]

They are richer than the average household in US. Most of them do not have loans. Live in the family home, etc. Even if they have home loans, it's well within their means because the financial system protects them from going overboard. They also have lots of savings to top it off.

[@sakura7431]

Mainly because of depreciation of the JPY

[@carsonchan5102]

Big cities are poverty traps. The bottom of the food chain is agriculture and natural resources. As more people pack into big cities, you have more people competing for the same sized economic pie. If you want to have a chance to make it in life, then you have to move to an economy that has less competitors, more natural resources, and a favorable demographic. The ideal place is an up and coming growing country-side town; ideally when a new economic opportunity presents itself, such as a mine, oil, tourism, retirement village, etc etc... Look at income to rent ratios.... higher than better!

[@overtblowfish4439]

exyakuza dude was badass

[@duerf5826]

After COVID, my brother's company let him telework full time so he has been living in Japan for 3 years with his girlfriend while enjoying the California salary of $175k/year. I visited him 3 weeks ago and they were living like kings! I was so fricking jealous lol

[@earlysda]

Best of both worlds!

[@strawberrysoup202]

Let me guess, he's a software engineer right? I'm so jealous of the US salaries, us Europeans struggling over here

[@duerf5826]

@@strawberrysoup202 Operations engineer for some biotech.

[@AdriDwitomo]

It's very surprising too hear the low wages with all the branded stuff all the people wear ok the street 🤔

[@draryyy]

Prices is increasing meanwhile wages is stagnant and i feel bad now for buying taylor swift ticket concert when my wages is in average 👁💧👄💧👁

[@CAsaidit]

Helps that rent is so cheap in most of Japan. Groceries are quite cheap too if you’re buying domestic products.

[@openboxtherapy1010]

It's pretty impressive how honest everyone is with their thoughts!

[@GCMongolia]

That was wonderful episod.

[@Ianmundo]

most of these salaries are tiny, but they’re all mostly good with it. It helps when not every business is trying to maximise profits all the time, but rather is satisfied maintaining service

[@elburdeldelospandas]

I'm only 3 min into this video and is the wildest by far, how many interesting people in one interview!

[@MrBdoleagle]

yes, indeed. This interview is great.

[@chasedownblocks1736]

Japanese people deserve the most respect because of their hard working mentality and politeness. I recently visited there and would to live there someday. Most of everything makes sense there.

[@Steph1]

I’m currently on holiday in Tokyo. If you think it’s gonna be cheap: you’re wrong. I heard prices outside of Tokyo are lower, I’ve yet to see that

[@stevendiep6053]

great video topic, would love to see this topic extend to other countries as well. Korea, Thailand, China, etc.

[@cee_el]

Yes the wage is low in Japan but we also have to take in account that the cost of living in Japan is lower than many big cities in the U.S. Also, the yen is weak now so… Someone making 400,000 yen a month would be above average for sure (assuming they’re in their 20’s to mid 30’s). Also, for most companies, they pay bonuses 2-4x a year which I’m sure is not included in the video. For reference, my Japanese ex earned only 200,000 yen a month for his first year but he received 6 months of bonuses in his first year. For someone who just graduated from college, what he made was above average for a normal office worker

[@ryanhou162]

Please do more of those similar topics

[@containedhurricane]

The salary standard in Japan is very low compared to the one in the US. A dishwasher's wage in Massachusetts is $15 per hour

[@DeFroZenDumplings]

Dishies are the backbone of the restaurant industry, much respect!

[@loganflatt]

Which explains why tens of thousands of foreign nationals are clamoring to cross the border into the USA daily. Simply getting paid in USD for one’s labor is a life altering event for them. The treacherous journey to simply step foot into Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, or California is worth the simple reward of getting paid in USD, regardless of the job.

[@containedhurricane]

@@loganflatt Yes, the currency value difference is huge. A Southeast Asian could work as a dishwasher in Massachusetts for three years and buy a decent house in his or her country without having to take any loan

[@cboy0394]

A dishwasher making 15 an hour in one of the most expensive states in the country. How much are rents in Boston?

[@containedhurricane]

@@cboy0394 Many restaurants in the state provide housing and transportation for their workers

[@robertlangridge6596]

The shocking thing about this story is that the salaries quoted seem not much more to what was the standard when I was looking for work in Tokyo in 1989!

[@JuanitaGrande]

Well, that was a lovely slice of day to day Tokyo de. So candid and well-informed, globally too. Loved the blonde gentleman’s vibe. And what a perfect child. Bravo, Boss. 😙

[@MrHitotsumusha]

I loved the different perspective from people about being rich, middle, and poor. One interesting thing that was never mentioned was investing. It is something that can be done in Japan and you don't have to be rich to do it.

[@longbirteron8278]

That guy is surely doing yakuza or mafia style in real life 1:40 😮😅

[@snowcountry322]

the knife guy?

[@ProPandaPlays]

Idiots lolol kids are too easy

[@ProPandaPlays]

🤡🤡😂😂😭🤡😂🤡🤡

[@DropArum]

the end went straight to my heart, crying rn

[@killkamilka]

I'm a non-white woman from Russia's Far East. I have a degree in Japanese studies. I can speak Japanese. I thought about moving to Japan to work and live there for the rest of my life. I've actually lived there for 3 years when I was around 25 but then I decided to go back to Russia. now I'm struggling here because I'm against the war and nobody here can't live safely. this interview makes me feel like I shouldn't go to Japan. most of my friends live in Canada, US, New Zealand and Thailand now. what should I do? in terms of wages I think I should do my best to move to US. but then I think that unlike my friends I know Japanese very well and I could work there so maybe I should try moving back to Japan? but the economic situation there really makes me worry and I know that Japanese people don't like foreigners in their country and I accept that. I don't know. I'm so lost. I'd love to live in Russia but I'm against the war and I know people like me will be treated worse and worse from now on...

[@INFP-T50]

I think it's best to work in America and come to Japan for sightseeing.

[@anngo4140]

You say you're against the war, but if uncle Vladimir doesn't arrest you then you should be fine right? I'm sorry if that came across as naive. I wanna know more about what Russians are going through right now, what's the average pay and cost of living for example? And.... are most people okay with what's going on in Ukraine? Thanks in advance for the insight!

[@kirbyculp3449]

Japan

[@Dogsnark]

Go to Japan if you can.

[@coriolisky]

Both Japan and America have their good and bad points. America has the potential for higher salaries, but also much higher risk if something goes wrong. Japan has better social and public infrastructure. As for acceptance, that depends on where you are in each country.

[@chamcham5561]

This video was very interesting. I really enjoyed listening to all of the different people that you chose to speak say what they had to say. Each person shared such genuine thoughts and information - honest insight! Thank you to everyone who was involved!

[@Gmanweapon]

I earn about $4.3k USD after taxes etc. per month - I live in New Zealand. On my last trip to Japan in 2023, I took the time to compare my job's salary with its Japanese equivalent and found I'm way better off staying and earning in NZ! Compared to my 2016 trip to Japan, I could afford a lot more, but also because I had progressed enough in my career to have earned well enough. Still, NZ has its own issues, including very high cost of living, and some of the most expensive housing in the world so it all evens out. All in all, currently it's tough all over!

[@nrz197]

In the late 90s and early 2000s when I went to NZ, everything was cheap. When I went last year, I didn't bother going out. Just stayed at home and watched TV. 😂

[@Nswix]

​@@nrz197 you can thank Clark and Adern for that.

[@slothypunk]

@@nrz197 what is in NZ really that you need to go out? When I was there I just went to the beach, other than that everything seems boring! May be just me?

[@nrz197]

@@slothypunk This is true. Not a lot to do especially at night. Good restaurants and coffee shops though.

[@SynthwaveLana]

Very interesting and informative video. Thank you for these

[@anikizero893]

I make about 2200$ a month in Osaka and on that salary i have 1200$ to save or do as i wish depends on the city and job and where you decide to live in the city living in main Tokyo is expensive move to Saitama you can get an apartment for 600$ a month same in Osaka live outside the city higashiosaka, sakai, 20 min by train to "downtown " you are good with that money you bring in

[@mikicerise6250]

That katana guy has Yakuza written all over him. 😂

[@tuskanu]

Japan isn't poor, it just isn't rich anymore. Japan needs to innovate like it used to and create new products that people want around the world. Take risks and grow

[@crownsofhia9864]

Things that Japanese people don’t do , specially with the culture of having always old people on top… nothing changes.

[@chaoticheaven17]

Isn't rich? 4th biggest economy. Japan is still a rich country.

[@KaleunMaender77]

This is what pisses me off to a grand extent. Japan used to be the brains behind innovation. Japanese companies would vie for the most effective, most efficient, simplest, strongest, absolute best goods and services that made absolute sense. The directors of these companies demanded innovation themselves. Unfortunately, those directors were eventually replaced by successors who were some of the dumbest, densest, most absolutely inept idiots known to man - and don't think that I'm being offensive for the sake of being offensive, because it's a view that has gained tremendous weight as time has passed by. The original directors wanted innovation. They wanted light bulbs to be turned on in people's brains. Their successors (not limited to just the one next successor in each case, but passing through many successors) started to look more towards the American über-capitalist system. They didn't want innovation. They didn't want more nuances. They didn't want a shake-up in their businesses. They wanted to ride this one wave of one way to profit off one product (or one line of products), forever and ever and ever and ever into eternity. 'Eternal income'. Like a gold mine that never depletes. That meant that innovation doesn't matter anymore. If I'm not mistaken, someone in the highest echolons of Sony (possibly the director) wanted Sony to devise and manufacture products that people ten years into the future would want. That was the philosophy that drove Sony through much of the latter half of the 20th Century. That's why Sony came up with the Trinitron, the Walkman, the Discman, the PlayStation, a whole range of home entertainment goods that people remember with immense fondness. Unfortunately, today's Sony, much like the rest of the big companies in business (not just in electrical and electronic goods), is barely a shadow of itself. 'We don't want to think about the future. We want profits now, and we'll get that with products that are far too safe to fail with the common layperson.' (Or so I imagine these idiots are thinking). The passion for innovation is stifled far too much. The passion for taking risks and making mistakes and either falling out of the competition or having to fall back on what is making money, is waning, if not already about to be extinguished. I hate the way global society has gone in the 21st Century. This may yet serve to be humanity's second Dark Ages.

[@kingearth3672]

@@chaoticheaven17 Japan is 3rd isn't it?

[@chaoticheaven17]

@@kingearth3672 Germany recently surpassed Japan's economy.

[@mgill1996]

The opinion of the elders are always the most fascinating to me.

[@StrangeAttractor]

I've lived in several countries including Japan. average rent is around 50% of average take-home income in all of them. The problem isn't actually the rent, but a rapidly escalating epidemic of singledom. It's rife in America, UK, Japan, but rapidly rising in Latin America, China, Cambodia, Vietnam. Couple up, cool the market, save on rent, put the savings toward a deposit for your own place. It's a global social disaster - and nobody seems to have any idea what to do about it.

[@rayvillela2491]

A lot of Japanese live with their parents and their income they can do what they want. Japanese also get a bonus twice a year, that helps a lot. Many don't pay for transportation costs to and from work, so that helps. Many don't need or buy a car like in the states. Many Japanese get help from parents or grandparents for thier college expenses.

[@Goenie2005]

I'm always wondering if these amounts are before or after taxes

[@earlysda]

This was a very interesting video. Thank you. I ask many Japanese similar questions. Recently they say they can't travel overseas like they use to, and are basically just getting enough to live. Salaries have been flat for over 30 years now. One person I know graduated from university 2 years ago and joined a large comopany in Tokyo making a whopping 22,000usd/year. One other Japanese I know is going to become a registered nurse in 2 years. When I showed her the median salaries in America were 3 times what they are in Japan, she was in shock.

[@mamig3216]

But the cost of living in the US is very high, rent food and everything.

[@oldtwinsna8347]

@@mamig3216 it really depends where you are. Americans in general live a very large life, wanting lots of space and toys. Japanese are typically much, much, less consumed with that.

[@litongli5348]

I lived in Japan 26 years ago. When I traveled to US, I felt everything was so cheap. Last month I travel to Japan and surprised how cheap Japan is now. The yen to dollar ratio changed from 70:1 to 150 to 1. If we use the old rate, everyone in the video will have doubled income and that will be even to the us income.

[@earlysda]

jpy/usd highest rate ever was 79. That was right after the Great Hanshin earthquake in 1995. It hung around 110 for a long time, but 2 years ago start dropping. Japan is a fire sale now for foreigners.

[@eddenoy321]

@@earlysda I relocated to the USA about 1997 because even with the strong yen at that time, I could only make about 2400 USD and wasn't paying into US Social Security. I hated working and living in the USA. It is much harder and more expensive. Now thinking about returning to Japan in retirement. No need car, socialized health care, safer than the USA.

[@earlysda]

@@eddenoy321 edden, how do you plan to get a visa for Japan?

[@eddenoy321]

@@earlysda Was born there.

[@earlysda]

@@eddenoy321 edden, so you have Japanese citizenship? If so, getting income from the US, and living in Japan is probably one of the most comfortable lifestyles to be had anywhere in the world today, if comfort if your thing.

[@gardebot4710]

That random TITLE in the middle at 14:09 lol

[@yunusaminbari3060]

I like the fact that they appreciate their lives rather than being rich.

[@chocoalmondfudge]

They're known for their work ethics that's why they're like "it's fine"

[@Nswix]

That's what they say outwardly anyway. Japanese are notorious for saying whatever they have to to keep the peace.

[@charlemagnethegreat2916]

​@@chocoalmondfudge Its not because of "work ethics" that's why they feel that way. Honestly the concept of praising Japanese work ethics is overused and often misused. Because even if they're not fiscally richer as perceived by many outside Japan, the Japanese people are still living relatively comfortably. Their basic needs are met, they have a good healthcare system that wouldn't bankrupt them, their transportation costs are often shouldered by their workplaces, education is relatively cheap, and many more social net benefits they enjoy. They just feel comfortable, sure it could be better and they aspire being richer, they just don't see the necessity in needing more when their needs are met and their wants can be bought anyways as their disposable income is not wasted on college, mortgage, or any other type of loans unlike Americans do. The problem is they cannot really sustain these social benefits much longer with the aging population and lesser people who pay taxes as more rely on the pension fund and salaries are stagnant while the Yen is weakening and their purchasing power diminishes.

[@chocoalmondfudge]

@@charlemagnethegreat2916 k

[@ragsoh]

I am from Singapore. I was in Japan in 1990 and I was frightened of the high prices. Everything was so expensive and I had to check the menu (and the prices) before I even dared to go into a restaurant. I was in Japan again last month. Prices have definitely gone down and the country has become pretty affordable. The only constant is the Japanese's commitment to great customer service. They are extremely polite and hardworking. I am happy to read that many tourists are visiting Japan. It is really a good country. I love Japan.

[@aero.l]

Japan's economy used be so good in the 80s and 90s. I'm from Singapore and in the past we all think they are very wealthy. Now we think they dress well but they're actually quite poor. I'm in my early 30s and making about $8k/mth which seems to be almost 3x more than an equivalent profile in Japan. The Japanese have allowed their employers to shaft them for too long. In a country where loyalty is culturally entrenched, companies have been able to get away with underpaying workers for the longest time as they don't have to compete for talent. In return, this also causes their companies to become less competitive on the global market allowing competitors to surpass them.

[@killkamilka]

💯💯💯

[@earlysda]

aero, part of your analysis is correct. The other aspect is that Japanese workers don't quickly adopt new ways of doing things, so their productivity is very poor. Everything is done by the manual.

[@danielcalvert5260]

How much rent do you have to pay though? what porpotion of your salary does it take up? Isn’t Singaporean housing really expensive? The issue here is the yen has depreciated against the dollar so much so it sounds even worse than it actually is. Though none of the people they have spoken to here are well off, that’s for sure.

[@wanh3703]

That's so hell low😳. So great and raw interview from normal people

[@xjmmjbnqfstjdijoj2044]

Everything is considerably cheaper than in most western countries so their purchase power is actually higher in my opinion...for instance in my country we make even less and things are still much more expensive than in Japan Homeless people are very rare in Japan, and most people are in the middle class and enjoy good living standards... if you travel around a few western countries, and especially big cities, you will notice a striking difference😅 I talked with many young people (in their 20s) that said they lived alone and were able to save around 40% of their salary every month...in my country, this is completely unheard of

[@duartesilva7907]

What's your country by the way?

[@dw620]

Homelessness is rare when there is an abundance of akiya (vacant houses). Try finding anything in "walk in" condition in a pleasant rural area within easy commuting range of the big cities for *under* US$20,000 in the USA, Australia, UK, etc. Not a problem in Japan...

[@xjmmjbnqfstjdijoj2044]

@@duartesilva7907 Italy

[@slothypunk]

@@dw620 The question is how Japan can create such environment but you cant. You can always find the excuse of why other Country is thriving but you can't find solution for your own country? Pretty ironic and petty in my opinion!

[@dw620]

@@slothypunk Managed population decline is not a chosen solution in most countries.

[@zettaiengineer4202]

The interviewees with service and manufacturing jobs have little chance to ascend the economic ladder and amass wealth. However, they live in dignity in a safe and considerate society which makes them rich by comparison to living among the rude and violent in the US.

[@aay1727]

Japanese people say that our salaries are low, but the infrastructure is good and the food is cheap and delicious, so we are satisfied with that and don't think about making more money.

[@DonYang73]

Japan isnt a very expensive country to live in so its not too bad. However Japan has definitely become poorer compared to what it was in the 80s and 90s. When i visited Japan in the 90s, i felt that things werent cheap, but today with the weak Yen, it feels cheap to visit Japan

[@tsuivo]

Nice video, but I’d like to point out some context The exchange rate used to convert YEN to USD was about 147 Yen == 1 Dollar, or 1 Yen is equal to 0.0068 Dollars This is worth nothing because it has only spiked to this level since the beginning of 2022. The last time it reached this level was 1998. The average exchange rate from 2000-2022 was more to the tune of 110 Yen per 1 Dollar. The exchange rate makes their salaries look worse than they actually are. Moreover, purchasing power parity (PPP) is a better indicator of quality of life than just a gross number in relation to USD. Even then, it lacks some nuance Japanese PPP per capita has been steadily growing for the last 3 decades (albeit a bit slower than peer nations. This is where nuance is lost) While there are glaring issues with the Japanese economy, simply converting it to USD without context is misleading to an audience that is predominantly western

[@cee_el]

Yup. If it was 1 = 100 yen, their salaries don’t seem as bad honestly. I live in Osaka and am from NYC. If I make 300,000 yen here, I would consider myself making 4000 usd because the cost of living is much cheaper here. Taxes too. Normal lunch in NYC now would be 15-20 USD where as it would be like 500-1000 yen here

[@whitygoose]

yeah, i have lived in 3 countries and price per parity is the fairest way to understand how well people living. unfortunately, idiots just raw converted the salary 😂

[@earlysda]

PPP is a joke. How many PPPs does it take to buy an ounce of gold?

[@tsuivo]

@@earlysda And how many people buy an ounce of gold as a part of their daily routine? If that is the insight you can give into PPP, maybe it is better to not say anything at all

[@earlysda]

@@tsuivotsuivo, well, you have, perhaps unwittingly, just shown that PPP cannot purchase anything at all. So my initial observation that PPP is a joke is verified. . Hopefully you will learn about economics and start questioning so-called "scholars" who come up with odd ideas like PPP soon!

[@GGEZWPlol]

that proves that EDUCATION is JUST A BUSINESS!!!

[@usucktoo]

yeah, a 2000ish usd wage here can get you by and give some savings. it really just depends on how much rent you're paying. as long as rent is only 25% or less of one's income here, you'll have enough to go out every week and even travel. Japan is very affordable compared to other 1st world countries.

[@Wooster77]

They may make half of what a comparable job in the US pays, but cost of living in Japan is also about half.

[@dw620]

Much less. You can purchase a decent quality akiya (vacant house) in a pleasant rural area within easy commuting range of the big cities for *under* $20,000.

[@Dendarang]

@@dw620 I mean, you can buy a house in rural US for under 50,000$ too, you'll just be in the middle of nowhere in rural US. The real question is how affordable is Tokyo and some other major cities like Kyoto.

[@dw620]

@@Dendarang Actually, the examples I'm thinking of are *in* that rural area between Kyoto and Osaka and easy commuting range for both (~30km to city centre areas, with train stations much closer, of course). Check out the likes of akiya-mart and you'll see what I mean. Yes, there are decent rural houses in the US for that price but they are a *lot* further out in the sticks and $50k is still 2.5 times as much. : )

[@Aaron-bh5cp]

@@dw620 go to Japan and you'll realize those sub-$20k homes aren't fit for someone expecting modern amenities... like internet, hvac, and an earthquake proof structure.

[@lCaranorl]

You can buy an apartment IN Tokyo for ~200k....

[@TheTinKunt]

This was a really informative vid - thanks Asian boss

[@RXH88]

Kinda sad that they consider such small amounts to be "so much money" ...

[@xjmmjbnqfstjdijoj2044]

Everything apart from fruit is way cheaper in Japan, that's why...

[@MrMricecreamman1]

Very good interview. The interviewee was really good as following up questions on the fly it seems.

[@NCT127_y]

どこの国も今こんな感じじゃないんかな？ 日本は昇級していって給料上がる会社が多いはずやから、20代ではそんなに給料少ないと思う でもやっぱり円安の影響で海外旅行行きにくい！

[@dev9100-luv-the-world]

Extremely informative video 📷

[@alis1079]

What people don't realize is that everything is in relation to everything else. How much money you get is in relation to the general prices of goods and services it gets you. Then there is the general life quality aspect

[@earlysda]

alis, How many "relations" does it take to buy an ounce of gold? An airline ticket? A computer?

[@sleepdeprived9181]

@@hannesRSA It depends on how much stuff are imported. If most are sourced locally, there's no issue like this.

[@moahammad1mohammad]

Japan seems like a chill and easy country but these people can instantly lock in and get serious quick. Japanese aren't pushovers.

[@Heimdall1987]

04:28 She was paying 200,000 yen for a single room? That must have been in an incredibly posh area, because you can rent for WAY cheaper in Tokyo.

[@xjmmjbnqfstjdijoj2044]

You can easily find good rooms for a quarter of that amount 😅