Decent family houses in Tokyo are definitely more expensive than this, but not hugely (also Kyoto surprisingly). There's some interesting things about the Japan

Decent family houses in Tokyo are definitely more expensive than this, but not hugely (also Kyoto surprisingly). There's some interesting things about the Japanese housing market, for example, many homes become "worthless" after the end of the mortgage -- so they depreciate and are more like buying cars. Tokyo is also an absolutely enormous city with even more massive metro area. There's very few examples on the planet that come close. Tokyo is sometimes called "the infinite city" for good reason. This means that yes, you can pay huge money for a coffin in some areas, and little money for an entire house elsewhere in the same city. New York is kind of the same way in that respect, but is actually still smaller and less diverse. I could write a ton more, but I think this series from "Life Where I'm From" which is pointed out in the article is a fantastic overview of housing for a nuclear family in Tokyo. How an Average Family in Tokyo Can Buy a New Home - https://youtu.be/iGbC5j4pG9w https://youtu.be/iGbC5j4pG9w Brand New Japanese House Tour - https://youtu.be/Jv6SbFlZMbU https://youtu.be/Jv6SbFlZMbU Are Japanese Homes Really Worthless After 30 Years? - https://youtu.be/1SiPGP_BDS4 https://youtu.be/1SiPGP_BDS4 Old Japanese Apartment vs. New House - https://youtu.be/SI3_PJoAa04 https://youtu.be/SI3_PJoAa04 What a Very Old Japanese House is Like - https://youtu.be/r8zECc4JM1Y https://youtu.be/r8zECc4JM1Y Living in Traditional Japanese Townhouses: Kyo-machiya - https://youtu.be/NljSnaZ2WiY https://youtu.be/NljSnaZ2WiY Checking Out New Japanese House Design and Technology - https://youtu.be/5AiLSyNhEXg https://youtu.be/5AiLSyNhEXg I'd also point out this young couple who are expecting their first child (Paolo from Tokyo) What a Japanese Moving Company in Tokyo is like - https://youtu.be/q0RX59G2jaA https://youtu.be/q0RX59G2jaA $1500 Japanese Apartment Tour in Tokyo Shibuya - https://youtu.be/Qtc_zrpRIs8 https://youtu.be/Qtc_zrpRIs8 Average Daily Living Cost in Tokyo Japan - https://youtu.be/xrgrBJc-64c https://youtu.be/xrgrBJc-64c