thinking of making a new home in japan

[jasmine_ann]

i am thinking of moving to japan, i am disabled and get around $900 a month, can i live in that kind of money there?

[melina]

No. 25 yrs ago I had a truly no frills apartment in a small city and just my rent was 60,000 yen (that's approx $600USD). No heat, no a/c, no insullation. In the winter, I could see my breath in my apartment.
The cost of living in Japan is 4x greater than living in the US. I am quite frugal and adaptable and even if I were single it would be tough to live on $900 per week in a small city/town in Japan. Cost of living is one of the reasons my husband and I have not moved back.
b

[melina]

Of course the apartment was tiny and bare (appliances & furniture are quite expensive Japan). Standard Japanese apartment - all you get is the walls, floor and ceiling, oh and a toilet. Although most do, not all inexpensive apartments have a bath or shower. And if you have a disability and are not fluent in Japanese, it will not be easy to find a doctor you can communicate well with. I don't know about today but 25 yrs ago I could get health insurance reasonably through a national program. But with the problems Japan has had with immigrants over th last 15 years, I doubt this is still available to non-nationals. With out insurance, health care is outrageously expensive.
b

[synthia]

I think I responded to this long ago, but my response seems to have disappeared.

Japan is an absolutely terrible place for anyone with a disability of any sort. Japanese with disabilities (those needing crutches or wheelchairs or who are blind or retarded) are pretty much hidden at home. Children are encouraged to make fun of anyone who is different.

And $900 per month is not even close to enough to live on. I don't think you would be eligible for the national health insurance, and even if you were, they raise the premiums if you use the services a lot.

For anyone else contemplating this, it is a very, very bad idea.

[LexLuther]

Good points.

I have been to Japan several times. The city centers tend to be full of "beautiful people." One has to wonder where those less blessed spend their time. As stated, it appears to be somewhere out of sight.

I am not an expert. However, modern Japan comes across to me as a dichotomy. It is a beautiful, clean and efficient place - however, it also comes across as cold, even cruel at times. As I said in another post, if you offer value to those around you, they can be the greatest hosts in the world. The food and service are fabulous and one can start to feel like a movie star in short order.

However, the country also has one of the highest suicide rates in the world. The only reason I am considering relocating there is because my company will be sponsoring me. In my home in the U.S., I make what most would consider a high salary - however, it wouldn't go far at all in Japan.

[synthia]

I wouldn't bank so much on the clean and efficient, either.

If you are going to be transferred, make sure they provide you with adequate housing and other expat perks.

[beatnik]

Originally Posted by melina

No. 25 yrs ago I had a truly no frills apartment in a small city and just my rent was 60,000 yen (that's approx $600USD). No heat, no a/c, no insullation. In the winter, I could see my breath in my apartment.
The cost of living in Japan is 4x greater than living in the US. I am quite frugal and adaptable and even if I were single it would be tough to live on $900 per week in a small city/town in Japan. Cost of living is one of the reasons my husband and I have not moved back.
b

Yes, $900 would be an extremely tight budget but Japan is not 4x the cost of US living. I've lived in NYC and been living in Los Angeles and can say with certainty I could move my family to a nice neighborhood in Tokyo and live well for the same as it costs in Los Angeles. I do agree that 2500+ would be a better amount for a single person.

[beatnik]

Originally Posted by LexLuther

Good points.

I have been to Japan several times. The city centers tend to be full of "beautiful people." One has to wonder where those less blessed spend their time. As stated, it appears to be somewhere out of sight.

I am not an expert. However, modern Japan comes across to me as a dichotomy. It is a beautiful, clean and efficient place - however, it also comes across as cold, even cruel at times. As I said in another post, if you offer value to those around you, they can be the greatest hosts in the world. The food and service are fabulous and one can start to feel like a movie star in short order.

However, the country also has one of the highest suicide rates in the world. The only reason I am considering relocating there is because my company will be sponsoring me. In my home in the U.S., I make what most would consider a high salary - however, it wouldn't go far at all in Japan.

For me Tokyo is one of the least littered city but the air quality is not that great. There is a lot of beauty. Japanese are not cold but reserved and not outgoing which may seem to come across cold but I assure you japanese ar e truly some of the warmest people you'll ever get to know.

Also, once you get to spend some time you'll see Japan less as a dichotomy and more as an amazing harmony and balance of life, spirit and creativity. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying it's perfect but there is something really special about how Japanese culture is still infused in everything.

Whether it's hanami in the spring, having a perfect Starbuck's latte, being able to walk through a shrine or temple in the middle of downtown, there's so many beautiful parts of life that are existing so harmoniously.

[synthia]

$900 per month is not going to be sufficient, and the OP is handicapped, which I am assuming means mobility issues. Japan would be quite a difficult place to live, I think.

[FJCOM]

I'd say you COULD live in Japan with $900 (even subtracting for tourist visa runs) but I don't know why you would want to.
It might be a pretty crappy existence, but then 900 at home probably doesn't go too far either.
You could live quite nicely on that in India or Indonesia etc.