Sure salaries are based on local market, but the issue is companies are pondering why the local market is having a "shortage" to begin with. You can argue peop

Sure salaries are based on local market, but the issue is companies are pondering why the local market is having a "shortage" to begin with. You can argue people must accept local market salaries if they want to live in a certain city or lifestyle. But why not live somewhere where you are compensated 3x as much, and travel to said city, and still have money left over? It's not as if Tokyo's cost of living is 1/3rd of San Francisco. Personally, I live in San Francisco. This wouldn't be my first pick if I was "retired" / didn't work. But, being a salaryman in SV, even with the higher cost of living, provides me a higher standard of living, insofar that I can travel to other places in the world, eat / live well, and still have money leftover. The reverse wouldn't be possible if I lived in Japan with this purported 1/3rd compensation. For me, traveling as a tourist is sufficient, I don't need years long "immersion".