working in japan

georgeb · Aug 16, 2002, 00:00

A question for all the people working in Japan.
Can anyone give me a rough estimate of how much I will lose in stoppages from salary in Japan? For example if I earn 8,000,000 yen gross, how much can I actually expect to take home?

thomas · Aug 16, 2002, 00:25

Hi George, welcome to the board!

Just wait till Moyashi, Maciamo or some other of our J-residents drop by, I'm sure they can assist you.

moyashi · Aug 16, 2002, 01:18

possibly around 10% but the amount your talking it might go a bit more.

Is this a 1 off job or a year thing? If a year thing you got possibly other month deductions.

georgeb · Aug 16, 2002, 15:33

Thanks for the reply.
The job in question is a one year posting from my company in Europe.

moyashi · Aug 16, 2002, 22:27

hmm ... can your accounting staff help out?

There might be some differences since your salary might not be based in Japan but rather from your home company in Europe.

Maciamo · Aug 16, 2002, 23:23

Depends on where you stay, what you eat (if you cook yourself or eat out) and how much money you spend on leisures, clothes, etc. 8 millions yen is a very good salary, even for Tokyo. Language teachers (a big portion of the Westerners working in Japan) usually get 3 millions a year. Still, some can save up to half of their salary. The cheapest accommodation you'll get is about 50.000yen/month in a gaijin house or weekly mansion. I think it's more reasonable to count on 100.000/month + food and extras. I spend about 30000yen/month on food. So I think you'd be able to go back home with roughly 6 millions yen on 8 if you are careful without being stingy. Not bad at all. ;)

Maciamo · Aug 16, 2002, 23:24

Georgeb, don't tell me your company is SAP ? That's the only German company I know quite well in Tokyo - but we never know as it is recruiting all the time and the staff tends to move a lot there.

georgeb · Aug 19, 2002, 16:25

Thanks for the info, now I have something to work on.
I'll be bringing my wife so she will amuse herself spending the extra 6million!
No, I work for a much smaller company than SAP which means they don't have much of an idea for sending people overseas.
Again, thanks for the help.

grza · Aug 27, 2002, 06:51

If you need anyone to show you round...
You're paying by the way. 8,000,000? I gotta get a proper job...

moyashi · Aug 27, 2002, 11:12

grza, that's yen ... so drop 2 digits. Still around US $78,000 isn't too shabby. I think I'll join you in the proper job search ;)

samuraitora · Aug 27, 2002, 23:16

LOL...look for the highest salary you can moyashi, expecially with the bambino on the way

georgeb · Aug 27, 2002, 23:22

okay guys (girls), don't get excited i haven't got the cash yet. if it's way above norm then it's unlikely i will get it either.
i was just after some ideas on how much i should be aiming for. anyway, seeing as i'm here, it looks like i'll be in a place called Mito(?), does anybody know the place?

samuraitora · Aug 27, 2002, 23:33

Mito sounds familiar.
Mito wa doko desu ka.
Where is Mito?

thomas · Aug 28, 2002, 01:18

It's located in Ibaraki Prefecture

=> http://www.japanreference.com/cgi-bin/jump.cgi?ID=2074 (J/E)

Related links:

http://www.japanreference.com/cgi-bi...and&query=mito (disregard the Sumitomo links)

samuraitora · Aug 28, 2002, 01:57

arigatou thomassan

grza · Aug 28, 2002, 04:50

grza, that's yen ...

Yeah, I knew that!
Suppose that makes my excitement at such a high figure look even more pathetic...

samuraitora · Aug 28, 2002, 05:06

LOL...everything is perspective there grza.
at times $10. can be a hell of a lot of money, ya know?

grza · Aug 28, 2002, 06:42

Too right.

Anyway, the dollar signs ringing up in my eyes made me miss the part of the thread about the original poster going to Mito: the first time I went to Japan I worked in Mito for half the week so I know it as much as any other place in Japan.

It's pretty small-medium standard Japanese town. There's a small gaijin bar called New York Station (I always assumed after that Velvet Underground song) near the station, which I liked sometimes but which is obviously subject to its fair share of dickheads. The bar I went to most was called "Orange People", nothing special but noteable for its "Go-Go Dutchman's Bowl" menu option. For some reason I remember that as featuring sausages and pineapple...that can't be right....

Do you know where you'll be living? Is it in Mito or one of the nearby stations.?

There is a very good express train (Fresh Hitachi/Super Hitachi one of which stops less than the other, can't remember which) into Ueno station in northern Tokyo which takes about an hour. The non-express train however is very very bad, by Japanese standards anyway. The Jouban line. Definitely the oldest trains of any line I've seen in Japan (I suppose there are worse, undersubscribed, ones in the countryside like those ones you see on late night NHK clips which still have coal-burning fires to heat them) and the only one I've known to stop because of rain.

I can highly recommend the kitsune soba you can buy on the platform at Mito station.

OK, I have to stop writing now, I've been overcome by an attack of natsukashii.....梅干し食いてーべ！

samuraitora · Aug 28, 2002, 22:16

wow "grza"...that is a lot of info for being there about a half week.

Great that you shared though...thank you

grza · Aug 29, 2002, 04:46

That would be a lot of information for half a week!

I said half the week!

I was there for about a year altogether.

samuraitora · Aug 29, 2002, 05:17

OH!!! sorry...I misunderstood

georgeb · Aug 29, 2002, 06:16

Brilliant thanks, I also thought you had an action packed half a week.
Where are you living these days?

moyashi · Aug 31, 2002, 00:13

ugh I thought the same ... lolollololo

haha, I'm one of the group now

grza · Aug 31, 2002, 02:19

Wow, I'm gonna have to brush up on my English...

Now I'm living in the (very) outskirts of Tokyo.

I think Mito is a pretty good place to live, though (if you can afford to avoid using the slow trains for long journeys).
Mito is in Ibaraki prefecture as someone posted earlier on. For some reason Japanese people usually laugh when I tell them I lived in Ibaraki when I first came here....don't let that put you off though.

samuraitora · Aug 31, 2002, 02:24

@grza
What do you mean. You do not need to brush up on your english...You speak very well

Aug 16, 2002, 00:00	#1
georgeb Junior Member Join Date: Aug 15, 2002 Location: Now Frankfurt Posts: 8	working in japan A question for all the people working in Japan. Can anyone give me a rough estimate of how much I will lose in stoppages from salary in Japan? For example if I earn 8,000,000 yen gross, how much can I actually expect to take home?

Aug 16, 2002, 00:25	#2
thomas Decommissioned ex-admin Join Date: Mar 14, 2002 Posts: 4,209	Hi George, welcome to the board! Just wait till Moyashi, Maciamo or some other of our J-residents drop by, I'm sure they can assist you. __________________ Remember what the dormouse said, feed your head, feed your head!

Aug 16, 2002, 01:18	#3
moyashi Regular Member Join Date: Apr 15, 2002 Location: SonyLand Age: 40 Posts: 1,566	possibly around 10% but the amount your talking it might go a bit more. Is this a 1 off job or a year thing? If a year thing you got possibly other month deductions. __________________ crazy gonna crazy

Aug 16, 2002, 23:23	#6
Maciamo Decommissioned ex-admin Join Date: Jul 17, 2002 Location: Austrasia Posts: 6,647	Depends on where you stay, what you eat (if you cook yourself or eat out) and how much money you spend on leisures, clothes, etc. 8 millions yen is a very good salary, even for Tokyo. Language teachers (a big portion of the Westerners working in Japan) usually get 3 millions a year. Still, some can save up to half of their salary. The cheapest accommodation you'll get is about 50.000yen/month in a gaijin house or weekly mansion. I think it's more reasonable to count on 100.000/month + food and extras. I spend about 30000yen/month on food. So I think you'd be able to go back home with roughly 6 millions yen on 8 if you are careful without being stingy. Not bad at all. ;) __________________ Over 100 destinations in the Japan Sightseeing Guide + detailed Tokyo Guide and Kyoto Guide Eupedia : Your Guide to Europe in English Read the "Maciamo FAQ" "What is the use of living, if it be not to strive for noble causes and to make this muddled world a better place for those who will live in it after we are gone?", Winston Churchill.

Aug 27, 2002, 23:16	#11
samuraitora Regular Member Join Date: May 29, 2002 Location: Detroit MI Age: 35 Posts: 782	LOL...look for the highest salary you can moyashi, expecially with the bambino on the way __________________ ja mata samuraitora (^_-)/

Aug 16, 2002, 15:33	#4
georgeb Junior Member Join Date: Aug 15, 2002 Location: Now Frankfurt Posts: 8	Thanks for the reply. The job in question is a one year posting from my company in Europe.

Aug 16, 2002, 22:27	#5
moyashi Regular Member Join Date: Apr 15, 2002 Location: SonyLand Age: 40 Posts: 1,566	hmm ... can your accounting staff help out? There might be some differences since your salary might not be based in Japan but rather from your home company in Europe.

Aug 16, 2002, 23:24	#7
Maciamo Decommissioned ex-admin Join Date: Jul 17, 2002 Location: Austrasia Posts: 6,647	Georgeb, don't tell me your company is SAP ? That's the only German company I know quite well in Tokyo - but we never know as it is recruiting all the time and the staff tends to move a lot there.

Aug 19, 2002, 16:25	#8
georgeb Junior Member Join Date: Aug 15, 2002 Location: Now Frankfurt Posts: 8	Thanks for the info, now I have something to work on. I'll be bringing my wife so she will amuse herself spending the extra 6million! No, I work for a much smaller company than SAP which means they don't have much of an idea for sending people overseas. Again, thanks for the help.

Aug 27, 2002, 06:51	#9
grza Regular Member Join Date: Jun 19, 2002 Location: Manchester, England Posts: 26	If you need anyone to show you round... You're paying by the way. 8,000,000? I gotta get a proper job...

Aug 27, 2002, 11:12	#10
moyashi Regular Member Join Date: Apr 15, 2002 Location: SonyLand Age: 40 Posts: 1,566	grza, that's yen ... so drop 2 digits. Still around US $78,000 isn't too shabby. I think I'll join you in the proper job search ;)

Aug 27, 2002, 23:22	#12
georgeb Junior Member Join Date: Aug 15, 2002 Location: Now Frankfurt Posts: 8	okay guys (girls), don't get excited i haven't got the cash yet. if it's way above norm then it's unlikely i will get it either. i was just after some ideas on how much i should be aiming for. anyway, seeing as i'm here, it looks like i'll be in a place called Mito(?), does anybody know the place?

Aug 27, 2002, 23:33	#13
samuraitora Regular Member Join Date: May 29, 2002 Location: Detroit MI Age: 35 Posts: 782	Mito sounds familiar. Mito wa doko desu ka. Where is Mito?

Aug 28, 2002, 01:18	#14
thomas Decommissioned ex-admin Join Date: Mar 14, 2002 Posts: 4,209	It's located in Ibaraki Prefecture => http://www.japanreference.com/cgi-bin/jump.cgi?ID=2074 (J/E) Related links: http://www.japanreference.com/cgi-bi...and&query=mito (disregard the Sumitomo links)

Aug 28, 2002, 01:57	#15
samuraitora Regular Member Join Date: May 29, 2002 Location: Detroit MI Age: 35 Posts: 782	arigatou thomassan

Aug 28, 2002, 04:50	#16
grza Regular Member Join Date: Jun 19, 2002 Location: Manchester, England Posts: 26	grza, that's yen ... Yeah, I knew that! Suppose that makes my excitement at such a high figure look even more pathetic...

Aug 28, 2002, 05:06	#17
samuraitora Regular Member Join Date: May 29, 2002 Location: Detroit MI Age: 35 Posts: 782	LOL...everything is perspective there grza. at times $10. can be a hell of a lot of money, ya know?

Aug 28, 2002, 06:42	#18
grza Regular Member Join Date: Jun 19, 2002 Location: Manchester, England Posts: 26	Too right. Anyway, the dollar signs ringing up in my eyes made me miss the part of the thread about the original poster going to Mito: the first time I went to Japan I worked in Mito for half the week so I know it as much as any other place in Japan. It's pretty small-medium standard Japanese town. There's a small gaijin bar called New York Station (I always assumed after that Velvet Underground song) near the station, which I liked sometimes but which is obviously subject to its fair share of dickheads. The bar I went to most was called "Orange People", nothing special but noteable for its "Go-Go Dutchman's Bowl" menu option. For some reason I remember that as featuring sausages and pineapple...that can't be right.... Do you know where you'll be living? Is it in Mito or one of the nearby stations.? There is a very good express train (Fresh Hitachi/Super Hitachi one of which stops less than the other, can't remember which) into Ueno station in northern Tokyo which takes about an hour. The non-express train however is very very bad, by Japanese standards anyway. The Jouban line. Definitely the oldest trains of any line I've seen in Japan (I suppose there are worse, undersubscribed, ones in the countryside like those ones you see on late night NHK clips which still have coal-burning fires to heat them) and the only one I've known to stop because of rain. I can highly recommend the kitsune soba you can buy on the platform at Mito station. OK, I have to stop writing now, I've been overcome by an attack of natsukashii.....梅干し食いてーべ！

Aug 28, 2002, 22:16	#19
samuraitora Regular Member Join Date: May 29, 2002 Location: Detroit MI Age: 35 Posts: 782	wow "grza"...that is a lot of info for being there about a half week. Great that you shared though...thank you

Aug 29, 2002, 04:46	#20
grza Regular Member Join Date: Jun 19, 2002 Location: Manchester, England Posts: 26	That would be a lot of information for half a week! I said half the week! I was there for about a year altogether.

Aug 29, 2002, 05:17	#21
samuraitora Regular Member Join Date: May 29, 2002 Location: Detroit MI Age: 35 Posts: 782	OH!!! sorry...I misunderstood

Aug 29, 2002, 06:16	#22
georgeb Junior Member Join Date: Aug 15, 2002 Location: Now Frankfurt Posts: 8	Brilliant thanks, I also thought you had an action packed half a week. Where are you living these days?

Aug 31, 2002, 00:13	#23
moyashi Regular Member Join Date: Apr 15, 2002 Location: SonyLand Age: 40 Posts: 1,566	ugh I thought the same ... lolollololo haha, I'm one of the group now

Aug 31, 2002, 02:19	#24
grza Regular Member Join Date: Jun 19, 2002 Location: Manchester, England Posts: 26	Wow, I'm gonna have to brush up on my English... Now I'm living in the (very) outskirts of Tokyo. I think Mito is a pretty good place to live, though (if you can afford to avoid using the slow trains for long journeys). Mito is in Ibaraki prefecture as someone posted earlier on. For some reason Japanese people usually laugh when I tell them I lived in Ibaraki when I first came here....don't let that put you off though.

Aug 31, 2002, 02:24	#25
samuraitora Regular Member Join Date: May 29, 2002 Location: Detroit MI Age: 35 Posts: 782	@grza What do you mean. You do not need to brush up on your english...You speak very well

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