On the other hand, I also occasionally run across social media accounts showing condos available for purchase, not lease, in some more affordable wards of Tokyo

On the other hand, I also occasionally run across social media accounts showing condos available for purchase, not lease, in some more affordable wards of Tokyo and I seriously question if I should uproot my life here in the Bay Area, find a job in Japan, and then buy there. The cost difference for buying just seems so much better. Of course that drastically over-simplifies the realities of moving to Japan and won't work for everyone but just a thought process I go through every so often.