Greetings form Japan

[pop pop]

Well, after 21 hours in the air, I've arrived in Japan for my house hunting trip. Here's some very short first impressions...

Undbelieveably clean. Including the airport, the 30 minute ride to my hotel, a walk through the city...I did not see one single piece of litter. Not one.

The people are extremely friendly and very helpful.

Expensive...a pizza is $30US, a beer $6.00

Only one english channel on the telly, and that's CNN.

We'll met with the realator tomorrow and find out just how expensive a place to live will be.

Sayonara

[PrntRhd]

Glad you made it there in one piece. Do you speak Japanese?

[jlreich]

Wow 21 hours is a long time to be on a plane. That means 21 hours to come back

Happy house hunting. And I hope you will have time to actually enjoy your trip.

[hockey man]

Hope your trip is profitable. Happy house hunting.

[classicsoftware]

$36.00 for a beer and pizza. No wonder they eat raw fish.. I hope you are making bookoo bucks for this.....


Enjoy and come back safely.

Stuck with CNN for one year, you'll go mad.

[LadyGrey]

So glad you made it ok! I've always wanted to see Japan, drop another line and tell all!! Hope you find the home you want!!

LG

[bassman]

WOW!!, a "Redneck Yuppie Geek" in a very foreign land. Sounds like a Dustin Hoffman movie
Anyway, congrats on your safe arrival and the begining of a new adventure. Please do let us know more interesting tidbits as you experience them. Real estate for example is VERRRYYY interesting to me, I would love to know what a typical home sells for.

Good luck and keep in touch

[stefanus]

21 Hrs in the air! Eisshhh! Did you go via Saturn, lol. Happy house hunting. You can always buy a roll of rice paper and build your own!

[pop pop]

The cultural differences are pretty extreme, but mostly pleasant, and in the context of their history and demographics they make a great deal of sense. For example, consider that all of Japan is about the size of the U.S. state of California but the population is around half that of the entire U.S. in that very limited amount of space. Everything here is very ordered and organized. It has to be, otherwise with that many people crammed into that space, you would vey likely have a lot of chaos.

Sure, things are expensive. But that must also be considered in context. Being an island nation, most natural resources are in limited supply. I don't know specifics, but my guess is there is little or no timber industry, which would mean anything made out of or from wood is likely imported, and therefore expensive.

The house hunting trip was very interesting. We are only looking to rent, and I believe that as foreigners we are pretty much prohibited from buying anyway. The cost of renting a house or apartment works in the reverse of what it does in the U.S. Meaning, apartments here are expensive, and houses are cheaper. This is because apartments are convenient--close to public transportation, shopping, and work--so you must pay for those advantages. We looked at houses today that ranged from $1100 to $1800USD per month. We also looked at apartments that ranged from $1500-$2300/month and there were others available that were over $4000. I settled on an very nice "western style" apartment that will go for $1800 including parking.

Parking is interesting...and vexing. You can't buy a car at all, unless you prove you have a place to park it...and that costs money too. For example, parking my car at my apartment will cost about $200/month. There is no real garage or parking attendants. You drive the car into a thing not unlike an elevator (sized for a small car), get out, and the whole thing is lifted up into a "slot".

I haven't found anything yet that is cheap, meaning inexpensive, except cigarettes. They're about half what they are at home, and you can smoke just about everywhere.

Although all of this "cost" is very intimidating for a westerner, I'm fortunate in a number of ways. One is expense accounts/COLAs are a wonderful thing and the other is I'm here (or will be when I return) with a government status. That means a number of things, but among them are the facts that I can and will be able to use the U.S. government/military facilities here to shop and buy some things --food, gas, some applicances and furniture-- U.S prices and exempt from taxes. I'm also exempt from certain Japanese taxes like their income tax.

Still, day to day life will be expensive and, yes Classic, I'm being fairly well compensated. I might even be making almost as much as you do.

I haven't checked out electronics here yet--you know, things like computers--but I will sometime during the week. You have to think that type of stuff has to have some kind of discount--I mean, come on, Taiwan, home of ASUS and others, is right around the corner.

More later.

[bassman]

Interesting on the perspective of expensive. The rent numbers you are seeing are relatively comparative to here in Santa Rosa. I am sure they are very close to comparative to San Francisco, which would be a better comparison, as that is the large city that feeds the bedroom community I live in. I wonder what average incomes would be there and how they relate to living costs.

Sorry, I am turning this into a financial discussion rather then an "I miss you already" conversation

[capequahog]

Be careful over there, 'Kill Bill Vol 1 and 2', beware of Women carrying Samurai swords and riding Ninja bikes, what, I so those documentries by QT.

[beerbelly]

The rent numbers you are seeing are relatively comparative to here in Santa Rosa. I am sure they are very close to comparative to San Francisco, which would be a better comparison, as that is the large city that feeds the bedroom community I live in.

WOW! Here I can rent a 1 bedroom, third floor, soso, appartment for what it is going to cost pop pop to park his car! And parking is free.

[halovivek]

I heared that Cost of Living in Japan is Very High. So please take care your Money. It will pour out of your pocket more than speed of Water.

[pentachris]

Turning Japanese
I think I'm turning Japanese
I really think so...

[hockey man]

Hey Pentachris, haven't seen you in a while. Welcome back .

[Whyzman]

malcore lived both in Taiwan and Japan. I know he was on top of all the latest computer releases whilst in Taiwan. If you are in need of any pointers you might want to email or PM him. I know he does check in now and then...

[saphalline]

Oh man, I would love to go to Japan! I might have to make some plans to visit there or something. If I could live there, that would be sweet!

The cost thing is very interesting, but I've heard as much before, if not in actual numbers. The difference in most of the other high-profile world-dominating countries is that, unlike here in the US, the cost-to-income ratio is relatively flat. Smaller countries are easier to manage. But I'll stop there.

YES!! Watch out for the samurai! Oh, and if you happen to see any good deals on anime series, let me know.

Well, good to hear you made it there safely. I hope you stay safe. Remember, you are your own worst enemy over there! The suicide rate in Tokyo alone would make me afraid to walk by myself at night!

[FrankSG]

Since the cost of living is so high, I'm wondering what kind of wages they pay for general factory work.

[Fruss Tray Ted]

$6 a beer? I'd be broke in a week!!

Try pijo or Kirin, which are what malcore drinks on occasion. Maybe the prices are more reasonable.

If you find this house knock on it, when malcore answers, tell him I said hello...