Japanese economy... Good or bad?

[Kaspar]

A question for long term expats and local people: since I've been living in China for over 7 years, a period of time in which Chinese economy was (and still is) thriving and salaries benefited from a very favourable exchange rate, I'm a little worried to start living and working in a country whose economy has been stagnating for more than 20 years.

According to you, is this a good time to come to Japan to live and work? I'm just collecting opinions. Thanks.

 

[TAG Manager]

According to you, is this a good time to come to Japan to live and work? I'm just collecting opinions. Thanks.

It really depends on what you're doing for work or what business you'll be operating.

I will say that that the typical salaryman family is in a general struggle when you're looking at a salary of 4-7m/yen/year.
I have Japanese friends that struggle but I know others that are excelling with much higher incomes. That, really comes down to your skill set and what you bring to the table. If you have little motivation, your results will match...

The economic reports will tell you things by the numbers, which aren't so positive but those with stable jobs that come with a decent salary, don't feel it so much.
The only thing that bites me is the exchange rates when I need to travel. Sometimes it's good... sometimes it's bad.

If you develop a solid plan that can actually work in Japan, you'll be fine.

 

[User#8628]

Its definitely not what it has been once, and of course its gonna lose when comparing it to China, but that bubble can also burst any moment now.

But Tokyo is an underrated city, and Japan is actually the third biggest economy in the world (under America and China).

 

[Lukes]

You know what, that depends. If you're coming to Japan because you've got a great job lined up with a good salary and incentives, it's a good time as any to come. If you're going to be working for borderline lower middle class money, it's never a good time.

I'll share my own experience:

My spouse lives and works in Japan. I'm in the states. Her own salary on its own is barely enough to live on (that's the lower middle class salary I mentioned). If it weren't for the fact that I send money to her constantly she would not be able to maintain a living standard equal to that which she would otherwise have at home. Since I get paid in USD, I benefit from the dollar to yen exchange rate most of the time.

Conclusion:

With sufficient money (I'm not talking a fortune here), you can make things work really well, even in an expensive city like Tokyo, if you're smart about it. If not, you will struggle. That's irrespective of specific economic conditions.

 

[MikeH]

I know this one girl who has worked in the business for quite some time. I think she nailed it once when we were talking: "During the good times you could work in a club and get 10.000 yen tip for just holding a guys hand while he was drinking. Nowadays you have to fuck someone's brains off for that kind of money"

 

[User#8628]

I know this one girl who has worked in the business for quite some time. I think she nailed it once when we were talking: "During the good times you could work in a club and get 10.000 yen tip for just holding a guys hand while he was drinking. Nowadays you have to fuck someone's brains off for that kind of money"

This is why i don't understand when guys complain that p4p prices are too high or cheer when they get lower.
Of course there are many exceptions to the rule, but generally lower prices = more desperate girls so this usually means a worse economy than when the prices are high (of course there are many other factors but bad economy is definitely one of them).
It seems like the economy has been pulling up a little bit if i have to go off on business and prices of freelance locations althought i still hear that DH are strugging (probably because of how many there are).

As for you're friend's example, that is hilarious and holds some truth, but its not totally true of course. Mizu Shobai and Fuuzoku are two differen businesses. Guys seem to find it easier to spend bigger amounds in mizu shobai, but the girl's cut is smaller, and there is often a lot of manipulation and scam going on. Fuuzoku is just more straight up and get the kind of service you were expecting, but precisely the lack of mystery and manipulation makes it worth less to men. Still a lot of girls find it less stressful to earn money in fuuzoku, but the kind of girls who dont like sexual contact will opt for mizushobai.
Also it obviously depends on the girl how well she does, there are still plenty of kyabajo who get handed some 10.000 tip once in a while, and most girls who actually fuck a guy's brain out also get slightly more than 10.000, although i understand it was just hyperbolic.

 

[Manny]

This country is screwed. Yeah there's some people who are thriving but it doesn't mean shit. I know someone striving in Haiti.

 

[User#8628]

I just realized that some people may enjoy a "bad economy" if they are not the direct victims of it because it offers them many discount and more quiet places so they can enjoy their money better. Hm.

 

[MikeH]

I just realized that some people may enjoy a "bad economy" if they are not the direct victims of it because it offers them many discount and more quiet places so they can enjoy their money better. Hm.

There are quite many university level studies on the slump Europe went through last time. And most of it says if you manage to keep your job then the economic downturn actually makes you feel richer as everyone else around you drops lower and you get the benefits you mention; lower or at least stagnant prices all over and more expensive places like hotels etc. being less crowded.

 

[Wwanderer]

I just realized that some people may enjoy a "bad economy" if they are not the direct victims of it because it offers them many discount and more quiet places so they can enjoy their money better. Hm.

There is a cynical saying/jest among some wealthy people, "Never waste a recession."

-Ww

 

[TheScientist]

Nowadays you have to fuck someone's brains off for that kind of money"

Boohooo, now she has to work for money like the rest of us

This country is screwed.

Ah, the simplistic pessimistic view!

the slump Europe went through last time.

Personally I think Japan can pull through better than the Euro zone. At least its only one set of laws to get through structural reform required than the many nations of the Euro zone.

 

[MikeH]

There is a cynical saying/jest among some wealthy people, "Never waste a recession."

There was one rich guy who said he hopes gasoline prices would go up to 100 euros per litre. When the confused reported asked why he answered "Because then when I go for a drive everyone I see is a friend of mine"

 

[MikeH]

Boohooo, now she has to work for money like the rest of us

Well, I actually really doubt that! Girls of her calibre don't really have to work if they don't want to.

As I am quite sure she would be more than capable of fucking the brains out of any guy to support her for ever. Never tried though after that comment I bite my tongue not to go "well, funny you said that, I just happen to have a vacant 10.000 yen bill in my wallet"

But of course she was mostly jesting when she said that. As one thing at the boom times she was a very gorgeous 20-something and at the time of the comment she was a gorgeous 40-something. And even if the latter is more rare the former is more sought after.

 

[TheScientist]

As one thing at the boom times she was a very gorgeous 20-something and at the time of the comment she was a gorgeous 40-something.

The mentality of people who came of age during the bubble era is so screwed up.

 

[MikeH]

The mentality of people who came of age during the bubble era is so screwed up.

As is the mentality of the people who came to age during the recession. Just to the other way obviously! Better learn to accept we are all just hopeless fuck-ups and be happy with that.

Don't really know which way is better. I remember one day at the boom times when I worked at a company who did IPO and month later someone said "Our stock just went up 25% today" and the next guys answers with a straight face "yeah, hope it's better tomorrow" .

While nowadays in Europe there are people hitting their thirties soon who have never worked, and don't even have any friends who have ever worked. Even in Japan I know guys who graduated from the top universities and couldn't find a job. The ones who could afford it went to grad schools to kill time, those who couldn't got temp jobs at cram schools and stuff. And even when that pays very generously per hour they pretty much know straight out of uni they never make the same standard of living as their parents did.

 

[TheScientist]

As is the mentality of the people who came to age during the recession. Just to the other way obviously!

Also true. Most people never look at any history even short term.

I remember one day at the boom times when I worked at a company who did IPO

Yeah the mentality of some people during the various US tech bubbles was amazingly weird. When I was younger I remember a company I worked for that had been giving me options that I wasn't aware of. Eventually they got caught forward booking sales as present sales and their stock price tanked and I was up for restructuring. Thats when I found out I had all those options and that the strike price was above the market value of the stock. I didnt actually lose anything considering that I never actually had anything to begin with but it was a good lesson anyway.

While nowadays in Europe there are people hitting their thirties soon who have never worked

Gotta feel sorry for them, they will probably never learn what its like to be a working adult and eventually the government tit is gonna run dry on them. The structural problems of employment laws and shitty environment for entrepreneurs in Europe gives me a bad feeling for its future.

Even in Japan I know guys who graduated from the top universities and couldn't find a job.

We might well face a kind of lost generation here, possibly two generations as older middle aged people get restructured out and can't get re-hired. OTOH at least its not as hard to start up something here. Not as easy as the US but far from impossible to get at least something going. That plus theres enough of a faction in the LDP looking at structural changes and encouraging startups that I'm not discouraged about Japan's future. The society has radically transformed itself multiple times and I think it can do so again.

 

[MikeH]

I'm not discouraged about Japan's future. The society has radically transformed itself multiple times and I think it can do so again.

I agree. The Japanese society has pulled itself from worse. Though they normally do it by sacrificing a generation. And similarly like you I am afraid that's what we are moving towards again.

 

[nagekinokii]

It's the year 2017, and people still say China has a thriving economy? You mean the country with the largest housing bubble building that's done absolutely nothing to stop it, the country that had its stock market crash last year, the country that's done its best to completely cut off any form of currency exchange in fear of capital flight, the country with the currency that consistent gets offered the worst exchange rate because their currency is deemed to be next to worthless, and an economy with no innovation due to almost no foreign competitors?

At least if you get paid in yen, you have much more freedom to invest and do what you want with it. The RMB has almost no investment options outside of its crumbling real estate market.

 

[Sudsy]

There is a cynical saying/jest among some wealthy people, "Never waste a recession."

-Ww

Indeed. When people stop buying champagne, start selling beer.

 

[MossBoss]

For people don't like what Japan offers, there are always other options.

How about the failed fascist EU superstate?

Or the US? The smiley but totally useless Obama has gone. So you'll have to endure Trump until Colonel Sanders or a Clinton gets into power.

 

[User#21295]

That's a big and too much large topic, Japan is not a paradise at all, there are great points and other less.
It depends of what do you expect in your life, are you ready study Japanese language and to integrate another society with earthquake etc...what daily life do you want for you and for your family if you have one?
Also if you live in a big city or countryside or not. I have dozens of examples around me, westerners, asian, african, mix couples, Japanese etc...a large majority who got married and get kids left Japan as they didn't find future for their kids and/or it was too much hard to raise them here, others went to countryside to get better life and less pressure.
Money is one thing but it's not all....remember Japan is the country with more than 200% GDP deficit!

 

[TAG Manager]

remember Japan is the country with more than 200% GDP deficit!

But keep in mind that the debt is mostly locally held; a very small percentage of it is foreign held.

 

[Wwanderer]

But keep in mind that the debt is mostly locally held; a very small percentage of it is foreign held.

Crucial point.

-Ww

 

[User#21295]

I know and that's what everybody says BUT growing and growing this debt with less population, salary not rising, deflation, child poverty, etc....
Come on, don't tell you believe stupid Abe saying robot will take care of elderly people ?

 

[TheScientist]

I know and that's what everybody says BUT growing and growing this debt with less population, salary not rising, deflation, child poverty, etc....
Come on, don't tell you believe stupid Abe saying robot will take care of elderly people ?

1. The JGBs in question are mostly held by non individuals so your stated factors don't apply
2. To my knowledge the Abe administration is not the source of nor the repeater of the matter you refer to.