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For anybody who has never been there, I will say Japan is extremely expensive, and they bring home large sums compared to the US, and especially compared to the majority of other countries.
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That does not echo my experience. In a comparable position in the business world, the salaries tend to be lower than here in the U.S. while the cost of living is generally higher (at least in & around the major cities). What the Japanese do is SAVE much more than we do by a long shot, so when they reach a certain stage in life they may have a large nest egg (especially since many will never be able to afford their own home), so they express their "status" in other ways, such as driving a Euro. version Porsche in Tokyo. Talk about an attention-getter! I once saw a 300SL Mercedes Gull-wing (not a replica) being driven as a daily driver in Tokyo, but I'll bet the owner had a rented apartment. Different society, different ways to be an individualist in a very homogeneous environment....
In Japan, "the nail whose head sticks up the farthest gets pounded down first" is what I've been told by friends over there. A very fascinating place.
Greg Parker