How they live and work in Japan. Japan is a rich country

“If you set out to fly somewhere to Mars, start with Japan!” - this is what many Americans or Europeans say who managed to settle in the Country rising sun. Indeed, moving to Japan for permanent residence is quite difficult, and not all those who have settled in such an exotic country for Russians can adapt to the way of life in Japan.

Traditional way of life in Japan

Life in Japan is in many ways similar to the traditional way of life in other countries. The typical Japanese day consists of work, personal affairs and family, and the difference between representatives of different classes of society is only in how much time each component takes up.

Most Japanese people rightly consider themselves workaholics. In the country, it is customary to stay late at work, maintain and develop connections with the team; you also cannot ignore corporate holidays, joint trips to nature and mandatory get-togethers after work or during lunch. The working day of a metropolis resident is on average 10 hours, another 1.5-2 hours are spent on the way home. Men, as a rule, work more, trying to fully provide for the family, so that the wife’s main task is only raising children and running the household.

Thus, family is extremely important for the Japanese, but the attitude towards it in the Land of the Rising Sun is fundamentally different from what is customary in Russia and European countries. Most people here do not marry for love. In Japan, there is a concept called “antei,” which literally means “stability.” This word implies the presence of savings (from five million yen, which equals approximately fifty thousand dollars) and a well-paid job with the prospect of career growth; having your own living space is also welcome.

It is a rare Japanese woman who will agree to connect her life with a young man who does not have anteas. A common situation is that a girl meets someone she loves and marries a guy who can provide stability. It is not surprising that cool relationships are more often established in families. At the same time, young people who have not yet started a family by the age of thirty lose prospects in the service, and single girls are shunned among friends and at work.

Another part of Japanese life, the importance of which is difficult to overestimate, is hobbies. By choosing a hobby, a Japanese becomes a member of a certain group. But an interesting feature here is that success is not as important as regularly attending classes, communicating with members of the circle and getting together. A Japanese person can spend years learning the same dance or studying a foreign language without progressing one iota.

Stages of formation of the Russian community

The first Russians appeared in Japan back in the mid-nineteenth century, but the main wave of migration occurred in 1917-1924, when Kolchak’s army officers and their families, Far Eastern merchants and industrialists flocked to Japan. Even then, the Japanese government strictly limited immigration, so many had to move to more hospitable countries. In 1918, a little more than seven thousand Russians lived in the Land of the Rising Sun, and by 1930 their number had decreased to two thousand people.

Even if it is insignificant quantitatively, but the steady growth of the Russian community in Japan began in the 1980s. Currently, the number of Russians in Japan reaches 12-13 thousand people, but many believe that the official figures are too underestimated, because the statistics do not take into account ethnic Russians who have received Japanese citizenship, and Russian citizens of other states (compatriots from Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan and other post-Soviet countries).

The attitude of the Japanese towards Russian immigrants

Because the locals are not particularly friendly towards immigrants, life in Japan will not seem easy for a Russian. The fact is that the country is mono-ethnic (more than 90% of the population are Japanese), and anyone who is not Japanese from birth, even after receiving citizenship, is considered an alien. There is no special attitude towards immigrants from Russia; discrimination against visitors extends to Russians, Americans, and Europeans.

You can’t count on a normal attitude from the local population without a good knowledge of Japanese and English. It will be especially difficult for those who are just learning Japanese - all official documents, receipts, tickets, signs, menus and product names on price tags in stores are printed in state language and are not duplicated in English.

Discrimination against foreigners exists in Japan at the official level as well. For example, an immigrant cannot receive a salary of more than one and a half thousand dollars (with an average Japanese income of 4 thousand dollars per family). You can also encounter problems when renting or buying a home. When concluding a contract, for example, it may be necessary for a Japanese citizen to become the foreigner's guarantor.

Typical “face” of a Russian in Japan

Most often, Russians go to Japan to work or get an education, and almost a third of the Russian diaspora consists of women of various ages who marry Japanese. Students adapt much better to differences in mentality, so many of them remain in Japan for permanent residence. But Russian wives of Japanese husbands are not always happy in marriage, but women are supported by children and a fairly high standard of living in Japan. The fact is that upon divorce, all property and children remain with the Japanese, and it becomes very difficult for a single woman to obtain a residence permit on her own.

A separate category of the Russian diaspora consists of scientists who come at the invitation of Japanese universities. They lead a closed life in Japan, communicate mainly in English, spend most of their time at work and have little contact with the local population. The families of Russian diplomatic workers, civil servants, various sales agents and consulate employees also live quite secluded lives.

Preparing to move to Japan

Permanent residence in Japan is quite difficult to obtain. In addition, moving to a permanent place of residence is complicated by significant cultural differences between Russia and Japan, not everyone manages to adapt to local mentality. That is why, before you start filling out the documents, it is worth going to Japan on an excursion. To do this, it is better not to use package tours, but to go to the Land of the Rising Sun as a “savage”. This is a very useful experience that will help you understand the level of preparation for independent life abroad.

A lot of everyday problems, and even without the help of a guide-translator, will have to be solved already at the exit from the airport. Catching or ordering a taxi, explaining to the driver where to go, finding a place to stay for a couple of nights, and then renting accommodation - this is just the tip of the iceberg. And if in Tokyo or other megacities you can safely use English in some situations, then in provincial towns you will immediately have to test your knowledge of Japanese in practice. In addition, before buying plane tickets, you will also have to obtain a visa to Japan yourself. This practice will allow you to prepare for the Russia-Japan move and be fully prepared.

Difficulties of immigration to Japan

If the test trip was successful and you liked everything, you can think about changing your place of residence. How to move to Japan for permanent residence? The idea is complicated by the country's strict migration policy and not particularly friendly attitude towards foreigners, but it is quite possible to settle in the Land of the Rising Sun and obtain a residence permit. However, first you need to get a long-term visa. There are a huge number of such documents, but conditionally long-term visas can be divided into two types:

1. “I left to work.”
2. “I left to study.”

Stable and highly paid work in Japan is possible for Russians if the immigrant has a diploma higher education and fluency in Japanese and English. In this case, the scheme is quite simple: you just need to find Japanese sites with vacancies, start sending out resumes and wait for a positive response. Afterwards, the employer must take care of all the legal aspects of the Russia-Japan move. This option, however, is effective only when looking for work in the field of education or IT technology - this is where Russians are most often hired.

If there is no diploma, but knowledge of the language is at entry level, it is worth thinking about obtaining higher education in Japan. You can go to study at a language school, college preparation school or university (to receive both first and second higher education). In the latter case, knowledge of Japanese is required. Without a language, you can go to a language school to study. Many people choose short-term language classes, but it is much better to complete a year's training. Firstly, a three-month visa does not give the right to work, and secondly, after its expiration, the foreigner is obliged to leave Japan without the possibility of extending the validity of the visa. The visa, which is given for a year, gives the right to work, make various social movements (rent cheaper housing, get a Japanese driver's license or try to go to college after language school), and can also be continued.

Renting and buying housing in Japan

Living in Japan involves renting or buying housing, because hotel services are quite expensive. The average cost of renting an apartment is thirty thousand rubles per month, but you can, of course, find a hostel or rent a house with someone. Buy a mid-level apartment around 60 square meters possible for 20-25 million rubles. Private houses are at the same price, but the area of ​​a cottage for that amount will be much larger than the area of ​​an apartment. By the way, the purchase of real estate in Japan is considered positively by the migration service when a foreigner obtains citizenship or a residence permit.

Employment and salary opportunities

Find Good work in Japan it is possible only if you have a diploma of higher education and excellent knowledge of Japanese and English. At the same time, it is difficult for a Russian to get a well-paid position - first the employer considers Japanese applicants, then pays attention to the Chinese and Japanese, and only then can they hire an immigrant. Work in Japan is available for Russians in the field of science and education, as well as in the IT field. Getting a low-skilled position (salesperson, concierge, cleaner) is almost impossible. The employer will explain the refusal by insufficient knowledge of the language.

The salary should be at least 70-90 thousand rubles to ensure a comfortable life in Japan alone. A family needs 120-150 thousand.

Cost of living in the Land of the Rising Sun

The quality of life in Japan is high, so food prices are significantly higher than in Russia. So, bread or milk will cost 80-100 rubles, vegetables are 60-80 rubles more expensive than in Russia, prices for pasta, cereals, cheeses, sugar and eggs are practically the same. The difference in prices is noticeable when comparing the cost of products in large cities and provinces, or when shopping at a local market or supermarket.

Given the high prices for gasoline and the quality of public transport, in Japan it is quite possible to do without a personal car. Buses run strictly on schedule, without delays, Not big cities tram routes are carefully thought out, the metro network is extensive. All this allows you to plan trips down to the minute (even if there are several transfers).

Prices in Japan for entertainment (for example, going to a cafe) are lower than in Russia, for example, the average bill in catering establishments is 150-200 rubles. True, drinking is not taken into account here. An expensive pleasure in Japan is cinema. Tickets for the session will cost 700-1000 rubles. But there are special promotions when ticket prices are much lower.

Citizenship Process

For Russians (as, indeed, for immigrants from any other countries), life in Japan is complicated by legal issues. A residence permit is only the first step towards obtaining Japanese citizenship. The latter can only be counted on if the following conditions are met:

• have resided in Japan for at least the last 5 years;
• be officially employed and have a source of income;
• reach the age of 20 years;
• have no fines or violations of the law;
• renounce previous citizenship.

To obtain citizenship, you need to provide a package of documents to the migration service, undergo two interviews with department employees, pass an exam for fluency in Japanese and confirm your financial solvency. A positive aspect when considering a candidate for citizenship for the migration service will be the presence of property in Japan, pension or government insurance.

Pros and cons of living in Japan

The advantages of moving to the Land of the Rising Sun include:

• the opportunity to obtain a highly paid position with prospects for career growth;
• the Japanese value personal peace, respect personal space and are generally very polite;
• The crime rate in Japan is very low, you don’t have to worry about security;
• Japan has a really high standard of living.

But there are also disadvantages:

• there is a significant difference in mentality between Japan and Russia, which, of course, does not allow you to quickly get used to it;
• it is quite difficult to get a job (even for the Japanese themselves) and obtain a residence permit, and subsequently citizenship;
• a foreigner will never become “one of our own” in Japan;
• Prices in Japan are high, life is quite expensive.

Of course, there are still many subjective assessments of moving to the Land of the Rising Sun. But for many Russians, life in Japan, the pros and cons of which are listed above, becomes the fulfillment of a long-standing dream, while others strive to finish their studies as quickly as possible and go home, where everything is clear and familiar.

1. Happens in Japan earthquakes. You probably already know about this. But they happen almost every day - small, such that you won’t immediately notice. There are also terrible, destructive earthquakes, such as in 2011. And the tsunami.
2. Working in a Japanese office- stress for a foreigner. Don’t even think that you will enjoy rushing headlong to the office in the morning (under no circumstances should you be a minute late - it’s just like at school) and sitting until the bitter end until the senior manager leaves. Despite the apparent efficiency of the Japanese, innovative ideas and initiatives are often met with hostility; as a rule, employees simply sit in the office from morning to night, stretching out the time before leaving and imitating activities.
   P.S. To be fair: foreigners are sometimes allowed concessions regarding leaving before the boss, etc.
3. Forget English- on the streets, in shops, even in hotels (!) almost no one knows him. Better learn a few phrases in Japanese. If you speak English, use as simple vocabulary as possible and speak slowly.
4. And if you still speak English, always and everywhere you will be mistaken for an American 🙂
   Some brave souls will try to practice their English with you by starting a conversation.
5. No matter how many years you live in Japan, you will always be a stranger. Even with a Japanese husband/wife, or with children. Even after 17 years.
6. Urban architecture in Japan (we're not talking about temples and Japanese gardens) leaves much to be desired. In general, these are pessimistic gray square buildings of 3-4 floors, with empty window sockets that evoke thoughts of loneliness and the frailty of existence. Networks of wires are strung above the gray boxes.
7. No sidewalks. The area for pedestrian traffic is simply separated by a strip of paint from the roadway. A pedestrian in Japan is less powerful than a cyclist - they ride both on the roads and in the pedestrian zone (in defense of the latter, I will say that there are not so many bicycle paths, despite the fact that Tokyo is a cycling city like Copenhagen, to example.).
8. Queues, always and everywhere. Queues for ramen at lunchtime, queues for the escalator in the subway, gigantic queues at Disneyland, queues in general in nowhere...
9. The Japanese are always very neatly dressed. A tourist in sneakers and jeans will feel acutely black sheep among tastefully dressed and combed Japanese people.
10. Incredible crowds of people in the morning on the subway. Try to avoid rush hours (7-9am and 5-7pm) and allow plenty of time for transfers at major subway stations such as Shibuya or Shinjuku.
11. Expensive transport. Japanese trains comfortable and modern, but ticket prices are very, very high. If you intend to explore at least a few Japanese cities, be prepared to spend some money.
12. Yours the driver's license will be invalid: both Russian and international driver's licenses too. You won't be able to rent a car with such a license. Some acquaintances (from those who live in Japan) manage to drive with a Russian international license in Japan for several months (in their spouse’s car, for example), taking advantage of the fact that inspectors can turn a blind eye to this for some time. I'm not sure it will work for tourists.
13. Prices for vegetables and fruits. In Japan, this is a very expensive pleasure: as elsewhere, local products (mushrooms, vegetables) are slightly cheaper. An apple costs 150 yen on average, and the same for an orange. It will be difficult for vegetarians, since there are almost no specialized restaurants. Even if a dish is said to not contain meat or fish, it may contain fish sauce, for example.
14. Japanese holidays - time for mass tourism: these are high prices for hotels that are snapped up 2-3 months in advance, these are crowds of people everywhere you can imagine. The Japanese wander around the country at the following times: “golden week in May” = our May holidays, a week in August, New Year and the beginning of January.
15. For the same reason enjoy hanami() or momiji () Not sure it's going to happen. During the cherry blossom period, places in the parks are filled up from early morning - one of the employees is sent under a tree, and he will sit on a mat, waiting for lunch or the evening until his colleagues arrive. It is difficult to move between the trees among the mats. The smell of beer and other alcohol is everywhere.
16. Difficulties with throwing out and sorting garbage. This will present difficulties for both the tourist and new arrivals to Japan who will have to deal with sorting. There are no trash bins on the streets: look for them at the konbini, sometimes on the platforms at large stations (for example, when you get off the shinkansen in Kyoto, you can throw a bento box into the bin on the platform).
    
17. Get ready unshoe many times a day. For example, when walking around the temples in Kyoto, you will have to take off your shoes every time. Shoes must also be removed before the fitting room in a store, in a gym, in some restaurants, etc. You will also have to change your shoes in the ryokan, and don’t forget - oh the horror! — about special toilet slippers.
18. Featured Japanese toilets with a thousand buttons. They are everywhere - in apartments, in the subway, in shopping centers. The presence of buttons instills horror in an unprepared tourist, who will rush around the booth in a panic in search of the flush button.
19. Strange Japanese foods, such as yuba - tofu skin, the film removed from tofu, or natto - rotten fermented beans with a terrible taste and smell.
20. Lovers of Western products will have a hard time. For example, in Japan there is a problem with quality cheese - all because this product became known to the Japanese relatively recently, after the Meiji restoration. The cheese here is very wonderful (made in Japan), or is astronomically expensive. The same goes for European meat (prosciutto and the like), various sauces - even pesto is not available everywhere. You will have to look for brands of chocolate that are popular in the West (and in Russia). Even Pringles chips are somehow strange, in narrower packaging. Deficient products include rolled oats, buckwheat and the like.
21. Size of Japanese apartments. Apartments in big cities like Tokyo are expensive and can be quite tiny. There are specimens of 20 sq. m.
    
22. Apartments for long-term rent are completely empty, and you will have to furnish everything from scratch. It is not possible to leave the furniture when moving out - the contract obliges the tenants to vacate everything completely. This means that for each piece of furniture, at your own expense, you will have to call a special service that will dispose of the item.
23. Rejection of tattoos: Of course, no one will associate you with the yakuza, but you definitely won't be able to use the pool or public onsen. If the tattoo is in a visible place, you may be asked to cover it up (in a ryokan, traditional restaurant or other establishment where it may cause discomfort to other guests)
24. Others follow from here appearance restrictions: It’s not appropriate for girls to expose their chest/shoulders/back - it’s the same as riding the Moscow metro in just a bra - everyone will stare. Men with hipster beards are also not held in high esteem. But short and even indecently short shorts are welcome (for girls, of course :)
25. In many Japanese restaurants you can smoke. Sometimes there are no non-smoking rooms at all.
26. People sleeping on the streets. These are not homeless people, these are just tired/drunk office workers - salarimen. There is no shame in sleeping on the floor (or platform) while traveling. Of course, not everyone does this :) but no one will call the police.
27. There are a thousand and one rules in Japan that are familiar to the Japanese, but which confuse foreigners. First time you will always be confused: how to properly eat Japanese food - noodles, udon, sushi? When and where to take off your shoes? How to sort the same garbage? How to wear a yukata in a ryokan, how to use an onsen, what kind of food is this and in general, is it really food?
    
28. Abundance of drunks At the end of the week. As a rule, this is Thursday-Saturday, but izakayas (Japanese pubs) gather revelers around them on any day of the week. There are entire streets and areas consisting almost exclusively of drinking establishments. Typically, drunk Japanese people are noisy but harmless. However, there are exceptions.
29. Foreigners may find the Japanese attitude towards personal space strange. Be prepared to line up in neat queues on the platforms while waiting for the train (personally I find this convenient), and on public transport forget about talking on the phone- this is not accepted here.
30. This also includes restraint in behavior. If you don’t want to seem rude, try not to bawle loudly or point your finger around; it is considered impolite to gesture aggressively and blow your nose (you can sniff as much as you like).
31. Insects: huge Japanese cockroaches and terribly loud cicadas, in summer months tearing the air with their songs. The sound of cicadas, like the sound of an electric drill, reaches the 20th floor.
32. Taxi drivers in Japan They almost always get nervous when foreigners sit with them. Firstly, we speak a language they don’t understand. English language, secondly, many are tempted to slam the doors, when they are fully automatic in all cars. It is better to print out the address or write it on a piece of paper in Japanese. In Kyoto, we once came across a driver, born in 1939, who could not read the address we needed from Google maps in the phone we showed him - even in Japanese.
33. Climate. Japan is located in the subtropics, there is high humidity and it rains often (in winter, spring, in June during the rainy season). There may also be a typhoon. Summer is very hot and stuffy. Choose the time for your trip carefully and take everything you need: sun protection, hats or raincoat.
34. When it rains, at the entrance to a store or supermarket you will need to use a special plastic bag for an umbrella (the so-called umbrella condom); in other public institutions, you will need to leave the umbrella in a designated place. This may also cause some misunderstanding at first.
35. In Japan, just like in Russia, it is customary to take a seat in a cafe, leaving your bag or outerwear behind.

The features of life in Japan listed in the post are our subjective opinion. We don’t want to offend anyone :) Japan has more pros than cons.
Come and see it with your own eyes 😉

Today it is fashionable to use the Japanese as an example in everything and dream of reaching their level of existence. At the same time, only the most devoted connoisseurs of its culture and special mentality and brave specialists who go there to work decide to live permanently in prosperous Japan. This is understandable - the country is too original for the average person to live comfortably in. However, not everyone is afraid of difficulties and successfully finds their meaning in life on the islands of Ancient Yamato. The main rule here for luck is to know in advance what exactly to prepare for.

If the decision to live near the Japanese came after a tourist trip or a personal trip to Japanese soil, it means that you have at least some idea of ​​Japanese reality, you can proceed to the next stages of preparation for. However, if you want to go to the Land of the Rising Sun from scratch, at random, you should take into account that the usual scenario for arriving abroad, which works for other countries, may fail here, starting from the airport. The only thing worth mentioning is that the traditional arrival and departure sheets for border control are printed entirely in Japanese, but are not duplicated in English. And without filling them out correctly, no one will be allowed into the country. Therefore, for beginners, before rushing to the islands for good or for a long time, it is more useful to go there for the first time as a tourist as part of a group provided with a guide.

Sample of filling out a Japanese migration card. Click to enlarge.

As a last resort, you should study in as much detail as possible different blogs, forums, thematic websites, where Japan is presented through the eyes of Russians who have directly visited it for a long time or currently living. Fortunately, there are plenty of their stories and videos on the Internet.

It is recommended for smart people who are confident in their abilities to travel to the islands on their own. Otherwise, according to the experience of experienced people, you will not only be able to get out of the airport, find accommodation for the night, and not get scammed, but also simply buy something to eat at first.

Will English help?

Those who speak English well may think that they can handle any trip abroad, much less developed, civilized Japan, because all advanced world knows English. The idea is incorrect and will let you down from the very first steps of your new Japanese life - the Japanese practically do not speak English. And those who speak are embarrassed by their pronunciation and also do not speak. Therefore, you can count on a more or less comfortable existence here only if you know the local speech. Better yet, both foreign languages together. Then there is a good chance to get a decent job, make a career, and make a useful circle of friends.

Japanese is one of the most difficult languages ​​in the world, but living in the country without knowing it is problematic

Without linguistic knowledge, it is also possible to move and live permanently. But this will be a life completely isolated from society, and it is better not to rely too much on the Russian-speaking diaspora, it is very small. Moreover, all official documents, indexes, newspapers, bills, announcements are written by the state only in traditional hieroglyphs. And they try to move away from someone speaking English politely, but quickly. So you will have to learn the language in any case, and it is better to start doing this not right on the spot, but a little earlier.

We rent housing

The state has created excellent hotel chains for short-term visitors. However, for long-term guests and migrants, it is cheaper and more reasonable to rent an apartment, because a hotel day costs up to 3 thousand Russian rubles. Those traveling for work are often provided with company housing.

Features of the local real estate market:

1. The cost of renting a separate, one-room apartment averages 30-40 thousand rubles.
2. The concepts of dimensions, due to population density, differ from the usual ones: a small living space - 6-15 m2, an average apartment - 20-35 m2, large apartments - everything that is more spacious than average.
3. The closer to the city center, the smaller the square footage of the apartment, the more expensive it is. More spacious housing in the periphery is cheaper.
4. When concluding a lease agreement, a deposit equal to 2-3 months of payment, a commission to the realtor in the amount of one month of payment, as well as a special gift to the owner “for the keys” - an amount equal to 1-3 months of housing payment are often required. When renewing the contract, you should “thank” again for the keys.

As for buying your own living space, there are some subtleties here:

1. How much an apartment costs does not depend on the condition of the building where it is located, but depends on the distance from the center.
2. Intermediate type apartments (average between “economy” and “business”) measuring about 60 m2 cost 20-25 million rubles.
3. A large, detached house within the city will cost the same amount as an ordinary, small city apartment.
4. Purchasing housing is possible at the expense of government mortgage programs, offering loans at 1% for 100 years (the debt is inherited).
5. When buying a house on separate area A land transaction is subject to six types of taxes and fees, which together add up to 10% of the total cost of the investment.
6. The acquisition of local real estate by a foreigner counts as a big plus when applying for citizenship or residence permit.

The main difficulty for immigrants who need to provide themselves with housing in Japan is that many real estate agencies specifically do not deal with foreigners. Those that provide such services tend to greatly inflate prices, hoping for a misunderstanding of the language and situation. Therefore, it is better to look for housing with a local intermediary, who can simultaneously act as a guarantor to reassure suspicious agents.

Work and earnings

A full life in Japan is impossible without work, unless you have a couple of free millions of yen in your accounts. But you shouldn’t match the earnings of the native islanders - the state allows foreigners to receive a salary equivalent to an amount not exceeding 1.5 thousand US dollars. However, you can live on this money. But only if you feed yourself alone. A family will need an income of 2-2.5 thousand dollars.

Statistics average salary in Japan according to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (yen per month). As of November 2018, it has increased to 321,210 yen/month.

Another question is how to find a normal vacancy. Low-skilled labor is not available to immigrants under two government regulations:

• do not hire foreigners for positions where there are many candidates among the Japanese themselves;
• do not take foreigners without knowledge of the language.

So even as a janitor, salesperson or cleaning lady, it’s not so easy to work for the Japanese.

Those who know the Japanese language well will be helped by local legislation obliging them to teach languages ​​only by native speakers - you can get a job as a Russian teacher in educational institutions. The rest are better off being smart IT people or talented scientists. It is in these fields that 95% of compatriots in Japan find themselves. Another area of ​​activity that can bring income to a foreigner is rare abilities in design and fashion.

What and how much does it cost?

A high standard of living does not exclude high prices. As of 2019, food prices are set as follows:

• bread: 182¥ or 109 rubles;
• milk, l: 175¥ or 104 rubles;
• potatoes, kg: 1180¥ or 704 rubles;
• rice, kg: 373¥ or 223 rubles;
• eggs, box of 12 pieces: 218¥ or 130 rubles;
• meat, kg: from 830 to 1800¥ or from 500 to 1070 rubles;
• chicken, kg: 644¥ or 384 rubles;
• tea bags, packaging: 218¥ or 130 rubles;
• oranges, apples, kg: 317¥ or 190 rubles;
• wine, 0.7: ¥787/470 rub.;
• beer, 0.5: 182¥/109 rubles;
• sake, 0.3: ¥462/276 rub.

• cigarettes, pack: ¥400/238 rub.;
• metro, day pass: ¥1000/RUB 596;
• gasoline, l: 103¥/61 rub.

In other words, to get approximate ruble data, you need to multiply the price of goods in yen by 0.6. It’s also worth knowing that a large number of Japanese stores reduce their prices a couple of hours before closing (in the evening).

Is a car a luxury?

Despite the leadership among automobile manufacturers, the Japanese themselves prefer to do without personal transport, with the exception of bicycles. The reasons for this: the high cost of gasoline (2 times higher than in Russia), heavy congestion on the streets, and lack of parking. Cars are used mostly by suburban residents to commute to work.

Taxis are available everywhere, boarding costs 200-300 rubles, but the final price increases significantly, since the following factors are taken into account along the way: call time, travel time, mileage, conditions. A kilometer costs about 50 rubles.

The most convenient way to travel is by public transport. His work is highly organized high level– metro trains, buses, trolleybuses, trams, ferries – nothing, it’s never late, even for a little while. Therefore, you can easily plan your journey and your day down to the minute.

Leisure and Japanese entertainment

The most common entertainments of the descendants of samurai:

• shopping;
• gatherings in cafes, bars;
• cinema sessions;
• TV;
• corporate events (especially outdoors);
• a day spent with family.

Relaxing with friends over a cup of coffee or a drink in a bar is quite affordable at prices, comparable to Moscow prices. But cinema is not cheap - from 500 to 1000 rubles per session. The solution is to catch discount days when either girls, or boys, or students, and so on, enjoy the privileges. Tickets are most expensive during prime time, cheaper during off-peak hours.

The Japanese love shopping, but not at all in terms of purchasing clothes and accessories, but in relation to new technologies, devices, and gadgets. The country loves and knows how to produce such goods, so they cost less than abroad.

Local television will most likely seem boring to a Russian person - a lot of advertising about food, a lot of talk shows, programs about choosing products. But there is no dominance of negative, political and criminal news.

Undoubted advantages

To summarize, we can say that in addition to the fact that the standard of living in Japan is very high, the following advantages await Russians:

• polite, timely service, regardless of the client’s status;
• cleanliness on the streets;
• It is forbidden to disturb others by loudly chatting on a mobile phone, especially in public transport;
• a small number of traffic jams, including megacities, since the system of road junctions is highly developed;
• a well-established catering network, many cafes where you can freely eat for a small amount;
• perfect toilets;
• responsiveness on the streets;
• The Japanese do not have the habit of stealing or pocketing things left unattended or accidentally forgotten.

These are the main advantages. There are also a lot of other features that can please foreign people, especially those of an oriental mindset.

Ineradicable disadvantages

What visitors to Nihon-go might not like:

• even having perfectly learned the language, customs, habits and become completely Japaneseized, a foreigner will still forever remain a stranger to the local population, although they will treat him well;
• residential buildings in the Land of the Rising Sun do not provide central heating; in winter you have to keep warm on your own;
• All purchased goods are subject to an additional government tax of 8%;
• Excessive initiative at work and openness are not encouraged.

However, Japanese pros and cons are very subjective, and for some they may change places.

People who elected permanent residence in Japan, they can count on citizenship or at least the right to permanent residence only after 5 years of devotion to their new homeland. Although this does not give them any guarantee of success. In order for the state to call a foreigner its subject, very compelling reasons and a lot of positive characteristics are needed, including financial security and good work.

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Faktrum publishes this fascinating post for its readers.

Sometimes there are posts in which people not only talk in words about visiting an ordinary Japanese apartment, but also show it in photographs. The residents of the Land of the Rising Sun themselves do not often invite people to visit them (when compared with Russia, for example), and there may be several reasons for this. Personally, it seems to me that the main reason is probably embarrassment: they don’t want to show their everyday life, living conditions not the same, and indeed for most this is unusual...

Some of my friends from Osaka (young married couple) do not have any special complexes about this, and I was able to visit their apartment and take some photographs.

I’ll warn you right away - you shouldn’t expect any artistic value from the photographs, these are just ordinary home interiors, from which you can get some idea of ​​the house.”

1. So, meet Kimura-san on the left and his wife, Eri-chan, on the right. They invite you to come into their home.

2. But let's start from the entrance itself. Their car is parked outside - a tiny Daihatsu.

3. Of course, they have an internal parking space under the house, but when they go into the city for a short time, they leave the car at the emergency exit.

4. There are not many floors in the building, but, unlike many other new buildings in Osaka, most of the apartments are multi-size apartments.

5. This is an emergency exit. The video intercom is also here.

6. There are mailboxes near the emergency exit and even a drinks vending machine.

7. And these white boxes are a kind of safes for storing undelivered parcels and parcels. They are installed in all new houses. How does this system work? For example, I am a resident of apartment number 601, and I should receive a package via Black Cat courier service. I left the house to go to the store, and at that moment the courier arrived. He rang the intercom a couple of times, realized that I was not there, and from the outside of the house he could put the parcel in one of the free compartments of this safe. When he puts the parcel in the box, he dials my apartment number, 601, and then writes me a notice: “So, they say, so, I arrived and didn’t find you at home, I put the parcel in box number 1.” I return home, read the notice, go up to this machine, attach my computer key to the entrance - the computer sees that the key is for apartment number 601, and opens for me a box in which there is a package intended for apartment 601.

9. Uncomplicated decorations.

10. Video intercom of the main entrance, larger.

11. On the first floors of buildings, there is a display next to the elevator showing a picture from the cabin. Well, for safety's sake.

12. The picture, by the way, is of good quality.

13. The elevator itself is comfortable, there are even signs in English. Indicates the next stop.

14. Some apartment windows overlook a common balcony. Of course, they are closed with special iron shutters, but this does not add comfort... My friends are lucky - all their windows face the external walls of the house.

15. This is what the entrance to the apartment looks like - a lamp with a number, a lamp below to illuminate the floor in the dark, an intercom. There is a special handle on the left to hang an umbrella or bag while opening the door. The door itself is made of metal, although not as heavy and durable as we have in Russia.

16. We finally got to the apartment itself. I'll try to explain the layout as best I can. On the right you can see the white threshold where everyone leaves their shoes - this is the entrance. I'm standing in the corridor leading to the rest of the apartment. There is also a closet in the hallway just ahead.

17. Now I have turned 180 degrees and the hallway is behind me. To the left is the entrance to a small room, straight ahead is the entrance to the toilet.

18. Open the door on the left and look inside. A small living room, a desk, a TV, a futon (they sleep on the floor)... On the left (not visible) there is a large closet. The lamps are all LED, large in diameter. Pay attention to the socket under the ceiling - the builders provided electrical and TV sockets even there.

19. Now we look into the door that was directly ahead. Here, as you can see, there is a toilet. I have never seen combined bathrooms with toilets anywhere in Japan (except hotels). Everything is always separate, and sometimes it’s not even next door. One more point - by default, all new houses are equipped with controlled toilets - a remote control with buttons on the left.

20. After photo number 17, the corridor turns right. There are three doors here. The door on the left is the door to the bathroom (the first part of it). The door leads directly into the living room and kitchen. The door on the right is another small room. Let's take a look at it first.

21. Another living room. True, they serve as a dumping ground for all sorts of junk.

22. Now let's go straight through the door from photo 20, leading to the living room and kitchen. Immediately on the left wall behind the door there is a kind of control panel for almost everything in the apartment. Joke. On the left are light switches in all rooms, in the middle is the gas control panel and hot water in the bathroom, intercom on the right.

23. Let's move on. By left hand- a kitchen where the hostess prepares a simple lunch. The kitchen has access to a small balcony. A large side-by-side refrigerator, an extractor hood above the stove... not a lot of cabinets for storing utensils - in fact, that’s why there’s a healthy saucepan in plain sight. Behind the refrigerator there is another door that leads to the bathroom. That is, there are actually two doors in the bathroom - one from the corridor (photo number 20) and the second from the kitchen.

24. Door to kitchen balcony.

25. Now let's take a look into the bathroom (shot from the kitchen door). Large sink, mirrored cabinets for storing cosmetic products. On the left on the wall is an auxiliary control panel for the bathroom - the functions of the dryer, sauna or air conditioner can be controlled from here. The door directly to the bathroom itself is reflected in the mirror.

26. We look to the left - there is a washing machine installed here (on a special pallet, of course) and a little to the right you can see the door to the hall.

27. And this is the bathroom. With a window, beauty. Pay attention to the shower head and the floor - in Japan, people usually take a shower not in the bathroom itself, but by standing (or sitting) here, on this rough plastic. Of course, there is a drain for water (a small hatch under the bathroom). In the mirror you can see the reflection of two more control panels - one for the bathroom, the second for other functions (sauna, etc.).

28. We return back to the living room. If you look again at photo number 23, with the kitchen, then right behind me I found another door - this was the entrance to the main bedroom. I didn’t go inside, the owners were too shy, so I removed it from the door. The room is large, spacious... European bed, computer desk, wardrobes, and also has access to the loggia.

29. There is a small sofa in the living room.

30. To the left of the sofa is something like a bedside table with the owner’s “treasures”. Comics, tea book, family photos...

31. They got married relatively recently, in August before last, and before that they dated for a year and a half. By the way, they work together in the same company as managers. We met at work. A small wedding photo can be seen at the bottom right of the photo - it shows Eri-chan in a red dress.

32. There is an armchair and a chest of drawers with festive dishes against the wall opposite.

33. To the right of the sofa is a TV and PlayStation 3.

34. Well, what about without toys?

35. There are supply and forced ventilation hatches on the wall behind the TV. The air in the apartment is very clean, by the way.

36. There are air conditioners in every room.

37. There is also a second exit to a large loggia (shared with the master bedroom). The doors are sliding everywhere - which, of course, is not very good due to poor sealing in the cold season. Eh, it’s a pity, we can’t glaze it, otherwise we could create another room.

38. Again, in all new houses there are washbasins with running water on the balconies or loggias - to make it more convenient to care for flowers.

39. Well, what about a Japanese house without bells and whistles? For example, this wireless robot vacuum cleaner. In Russia, by the way, it is sold with all its might.

40. It was time for lunch. The owners treated them to what God had sent... On this day, he sent them a large assortment of sushi, cold water with ice and some rolls.

41. I didn’t eat this.

42. But this cracked everything.

43. A small digression to the question that the Japanese like to hang things on their phones - this is one of the owners’ phones.

44. Kimura-san was fooling around and making faces all the time. But seriously and on the topic of the post, I will immediately answer some possible questions. The apartment is new, and they bought it the year before last on credit. Actually, the vast majority of Japanese new buildings are sold on credit for a period of 30 years. The interest is not very high, about three percent per year, probably even less - somewhere around 2–2.5%. The square footage of the apartment is about 90, the cost at the time of purchase was about 35 million yen, now it’s even less. Yes, yes, don’t be surprised, Japanese real estate has an interesting property of falling in price after purchase, so this option does not work as a tool for financial investment.

Alina is a wonderful mother who lives with her family in Tokyo, told a lot of interesting and surprising things about the peculiarities of life in Japan, about her son Daria and children's fashion.

You moved to Tokyo five years ago. Tell us about this event: why Tokyo, why did you move?

I found myself here completely unplanned. However, my husband (then boyfriend) had been planning our life in Japan for three years. And I studied my anthropology, crammed my favorite Spanish until the last moment and did not want to think about any Japan, even sitting at the airport with tickets to Tokyo in my teeth.

You moved not alone, but together with your loved one. Tell us the story of how you met.

We studied at the same university. He was 19, came from Uzbekistan and was a second-year economics student. I am 16, I am from Kazakhstan, I was studying in my first year of anthropology. We met at one of the student parties. Zhenya sat in the farthest dark corner with his inseparable computer and did not pay attention to anyone (as it seemed to me at that time). And I, of course, noticed him - for his silence, calmness and seriousness. I never liked bad boys, upstarts and “stars”. As it turned out later, my betrothed noticed me immediately. I just didn’t show it, because even then I decided that no matter how I rushed about, I wouldn’t get away from him. And sooner or later I would be his wife. But I tossed and resisted long and stubbornly. He set up his nets and barricades even more persistently, daily bouquets at my door at 6 o’clock in the morning, some ideal and unobtrusive surprises. And all this was accompanied by unbending patience and real masculine behavior. But I didn’t mind, I even “ran away” to Alaska - and he followed me there too. I even got it to the ends of the earth. At this point the “partridge” ran out of strength, and I decided to raise the white flag and surrender my weapon. As a result, we have been together for nine years, married for three years. We are everything to each other: mom, dad, partners, spouses, and best friends.

Japan is a country with a very different culture from ours. How quickly did you adapt? What distinct features of life in Japan have you noticed?

It’s hard to say that I have fully adapted here. We will always be here, as my husband says, “white monkeys.” Because in such a mono-ethnic country it is impossible to become one hundred percent “one of our own”. However, the benefits of being “different” are many. The Japanese have a strict hierarchy, from school to work. If you are a foreigner, then, of course, managers and bosses make concessions, because they understand that the “white monkey” is not to blame for not knowing the four types of bows and the five types of hierarchical grammar of the Japanese language. Well, it’s always very convenient to pretend to be stupid, not understanding anything, a tourist, or unexpectedly for those around you to start telling stories in Japanese. You get very used to it when people don’t understand you, but you understand everyone. One can probably talk forever about the distinctive features of life in Japan. The first and main thing here is cleanliness and the highest service everywhere! The Japanese have no concept of “star rating” of hotels. The Japanese set three, four or five stars for foreign tourists. But no matter what hotel you check into, what eatery or restaurant you go to, the service will be one hundred percent everywhere. They will say “thank you”, “come again” one hundred and twenty-five times and bow three hundred and forty-five times. Everywhere is clean, although there is not a single trash can on the streets. People take their trash to their homes. Very often I see the following picture: if there is a candy wrapper or an empty bottle lying at a station or on the sidewalk (in all likelihood, someone dropped it by accident), then a complete stranger can pick it up and put it in his bag. Because “clean is not where they clean clean, but clean where they keep clean.” Another one distinctive feature is that in public transport it is considered indecent to talk on the phone or talk loudly in general. But in even high-class restaurants, the Japanese usually exceed all permissible noise levels.

Your son Darius was born in Tokyo. Could you highlight some features of the management/course of pregnancy and childbirth in Japan. Anything you particularly remember or like?

In order not to clog the airwaves with long stories about how cool it is to get pregnant and give birth in Japan, I can tell one small story in one sentence. Two hours after the birth, when my husband, the nurse and the treated Darius returned to my room, I said: “Since we are all gathered here together, we can repeat it again!” Everything was so positive! Let me tell you briefly that pregnancy and childbirth here are quite expensive, but the care, management and everything else are appropriate. Pregnancy and childbirth are treated very calmly and naturally. Doctors don’t bother with any diagnoses, vitamins, diets, prohibitions, etc. This is not here! Even the father present at the birth is not wearing a robe or shoe covers. Our dad received his baby in what he brought me to the hospital at 12:00 at night: sneakers, torn jeans and a home T-shirt. Doctors say: the baby will live with you and with your bacteria, so there is no need to protect him from this, or more precisely, from you. He must get used to this right away, so that later, when he arrives home from the sterilely treated hospital, to which he has already adapted during the five days of his stay, small man I didn’t catch anything serious from the domestic bacilli.

Darius is a very beautiful and rare name. Who chose? Is it easy to pronounce in Tokyo?

I chose the name. Although the word “chose” does not fit the indifferent method that we followed. I didn’t think, I didn’t look - in the eighth month this name appeared like a lightbulb in my head. It is courageous, sonorous, and 100% pronounceable in Japanese. She said to her wife: “Here’s the name, if you don’t agree, think for yourself, I won’t invent or look for anything.” More name was not discussed, but was not approved either. The child was Barmalech until birth, and immediately after birth in the maternity hospital, Zhenya told the nurse to write Darius on the tablet.

How would you describe Darius? What kind of child is he?

Darius is the most ordinary and average child for the rest and, of course, the most unusual and beloved for us. I can say that we got a “convenient child.” Ours with him active image life that existed before his birth has practically not changed; on the contrary, it has probably become even more active, more diverse and larger-scale. Already on the seventh day after birth, we went on a trip to Mount Fuji, and since then every weekend - long trips around Japan, climbing mountains, skiing, the ocean, ships, swimming in mountain rivers, etc. There have never been any problems with sleep either - since he was a year old, he has been falling asleep on his own in his crib. Loves cars, birds, cats, dried fruits and milk (preferably all at once and with rice).

You spend time 24/7. Tell us what you do and where you like to go.

As I already said, we mostly spend weekends with the whole family outside the city. And on weekdays we meet with friends, go to parks and zoos, but often Darius accompanies me on my business affairs.

Since we have no options with gardens and grandmothers, he is always and everywhere with me. Once a week we go to my Japanese language classes together. If I need to fill out documents or purchase materials for a project, Darius travels with me and helps, helps, helps. Even if I had the opportunity to leave him with my grandmother or a nanny, I would not mind taking him with me on errands at least from time to time. It seems to me that a child should not be protected from the affairs of adults. Children watch, learn, develop and, most importantly, understand and appreciate the work of their parents.

Are you planning to maybe give it to the garden? Are there kindergartens in Tokyo?

There are gardens in Tokyo, but there are a lot of “buts” in this topic. State nurseries from 0-3 years old only accept children whose mothers have a certificate from their place of work, or with special cases in the family. And even if you have a certificate from your place of work, in some areas of Tokyo you need to get in line as soon as the child is born, otherwise even a certificate will not save you from everyday life as a mother 24/7. From three years old state gardens They take everyone, but there are also a lot of nuances. Outside of Tokyo, everything is much simpler, there is no such huge competition and prices are several times lower. The price tag for private and international gardens varies between $10,000-20,000 per year, and the stay in them is on average 4-5 hours a day.

You have your own blog and often talk about Japanese children's fashion. How would you characterize her? What do children wear in the land of the rising sun?

Fashion in Japan is different, there is a lot, a lot of it, including children's fashion. From Pokemon and Hallow Kitty to simple eco-friendly pieces with a loose fit. There is limitless shopping here for every taste, color and budget. The Japanese love to dress, so children are into fashion from birth. But in most cases, the Japanese style that is imbued with Japan is simple loose dresses and shirts in natural shades. This is, if I can describe it this way, a rustic-peasant style.

If it's not a secret, what are your future plans for life? What do you want to do? Where do you want to live?

I used to be a big fan of making grand plans for life. If it were up to me, I would gladly describe even my deep old age day by day. Fortunately, I have an adequate husband with a cold, sound and correct mind, who weaned me from this stupidity. Having met him, I would never have thought that in a year we would be traveling around Alaska and losing our last dollar in a Las Vegas slot machine, and in another three we would be living in Japan.

Life is an unpredictable thing, you need to live, work, enjoy it and dream. But you can’t plan anything, because you can be very disappointed if you don’t get what you want, even if life hands you the best piece.