It's hard to compare countries. Japan has a culture of lots of construction, and that housing is not an investment. They also have far less zoning rules and far

It's hard to compare countries. Japan has a culture of lots of construction, and that housing is not an investment. They also have far less zoning rules and far less housing requirements (less of "must have 2 parking spaces, must have N meters of space in front of lot, must have X size bathroom", etc. The result is there are plenty of inexpensive and small places to rent. For example, I just did a search on suumo.jp on one train line 1 or 2 stops from Shibuya. 36 units came up under $275 a month. (would be several hundred units if I search all lines that go through Shibuya). The units are small (7.5 to 15 square meters), Many don't even have a shower (you'd walk to a public bath). But, you'll have shelter. So even on a minimum wage part time salary you can probably afford to have a roof over your head. And, that was in Shibuya. Go out 10-15 stops and it will get even cheaper or they'll get larger with more amenities for the same price. Food can also be affordable in Japan.