As others have mentioned, no, the costs in Japan are far lower than this. You could get a place twice as big for the same money, at a very central location, in

As others have mentioned, no, the costs in Japan are far lower than this. You could get a place twice as big for the same money, at a very central location, in a brand new building. Hell, you could get a bigger place for much LESS. My friend just rented a brand new place in Shibuya for 95000 a month, with beautiful interior, entryway, super-modern shower/bath, gas range, ample space for a proper washing machine, and the main living space is separated from everything else by a heavy door. The whole building is built from such heavy concrete that there is no worry about bothering/being bothered by the neighbors. This is utterly standard. I hope some day soon the US figures out how to build similarly awesome but affordable buildings.