Moving to Tokyo

[larabell]

Originally Posted by tyr

That is a terrible wage, especially for Tokyo.

It's 2000 yen/hour or so -- that's about double what you get flipping burgers at McDonalds. And the job is apparently out in Saitama-ken (Irumashi) so the cost of housing shouldn't be as bad as it would be living in Roppongi ('cept the OP said he would prefer to live in the city and commute every day ).

But... yeah... a few students on the side in his spare time would make life a bit more viable, I would imagine. I've heard most schools frown on that but I haven't met a teacher yet who didn't take on a few private students to supplement their income.

Hilbre: That's one more reason you probably don't want to live in Tokyo. Unless you plan on spending your spare time out on the town every day, getting a cheaper place in Saitama and taking the train into Tokyo on your off-time seems like a better solution. And it would leave more money in your pocket for those times you did spend on the town.

[tyr]

Yeah, per hour its not bad, I would accept that wage if it was bumped up to a full working week, but 20 hours as an overall amount to live on....you're not going to be eating much steak with less than 200,000 a month in Tokyo.

Totally agreed with living in Saitama. You'll get much more for your money and Saitama is very very well served by trains and the metro. Living in much of Saitama is just as good as living in broad swathes of Tokyo.

[nevaeh]

With 180,000 yen a month I doubt you can live comfortably in central Tokyo. Doable but not fun.
That's slightly more than the scholarship the government gives to foreign students and they get it tax free, along with access to school dorms that are dirt cheap and return airfare among other things.

During my initial stint in Tokyo I stayed in guest houses and paid between 92,000 and 105,000yen a month (granted they were well located guest houses, you can get a room for half that). If you intend to rent a place by yourself you'll probably have some initial fees.... See if your company can be your guarantor and look for a place a few stops from Iruma, it'll be (much) cheaper and you can use your money for the weekend in Tokyo, in fact, if you can get a house 20 minutes from work and a bike, that will lower your costs considerably!

Your company won't subsidize your house!? That's unusual considering you are moving here to work for them and that they will sponsor your visa. Usually English schools will have an apartment they rent out to the teachers for a "lower" price than the market price... But it's the fact that you don't have to pay entrance fees that's convenient, that and they have everything ready for you (kitchenware, heaters, etc)

I've lived in a private apartment not far from Iruma (In Kotesashi) and it was a new 1LDK about 8 minutes from the station, rent was 80,000yen. Now I live near the Yamanote line and I pay almost double.
For train times and cost, you can use this site:
Hyperdia | Timetable and Route Search in Japan.
Surely someone in your school will go with you to the local bank/post office and help you set up an account. Citibank has English speaking staff and English phone service, but I wouldn't recommend them for a first/main bank account if you don't live near a branch (no branch in Iruma).

To be honest, I suggest you take the job and complete your contract and then look for something better. 20 hours a week is low, but your classes are most likely well spaced out, and they will be 40 or 50 minutes each... So they can easily keep you in the school from 13 to 21 everyday workday with several two hour breaks that are essentially a waste of your time.

Anyway, good luck!