Like many things, it depends. The housing is different in the senses that if you want to live in a “walkable” area close to public transportation etc. then almo

Like many things, it depends. The housing is different in the senses that if you want to live in a “walkable” area close to public transportation etc. then almost all areas for this description. In the US I think there’s a small pocket of areas like this where the costs are high then drop off dramatically when you move to the suburbs. So in Tokyo you have more choice where to live. Something that hasn’t been mentioned is the role of women. While many more women work there are still barriers, discrimination and the cultural tendency for women to be full time mothers/housewives. So $70k is household income. Lastly, one needs to take time into consideration. A couple hours on the train commuting and a couple hours of overtime can add up to long days. So on a $ per hour basis it might not be that good.