One thing he doesn't mention is transport costs. Japanese people have their commuter train costs paid for by their employers. If you aren't Japanese, you probably have to pay for this yourself. I thought I was clever by living in a $280 apartment 40 minutes outside of Tokyo. However, my train fares ended up costing $600 a month, so I moved to a more expensive apartment where I could walk to work.
Likewise, road tolls are incredibly high by North American standards. I remember one 30 mile stretch that cost $17 each way.
Whether or not you have to pay for your commute probably depends on who you work for and what your contract is. I worked full time for a Japanese company, and they did pay for my commute; granted, I was also being paid a typical Japanese salary, not an expat salary.
In Japan, employees mostly start at roughly the same salary - somewhere between $20k and $30k per year, regardless of position, with salary increases reflecting time spent at the company.
Expats often move at the request of the company, and not into entry level positions. Employees who are asked to relocate would expect to do so in exchange for a raise (particularly if their home country has higher salaries and they expect to move back eventually), so expat salaries tend to be significantly higher.
Given that, I wouldn't necessarily expect expats to be offered the same benefits as native Japanese employees.
He seems to work from home, so I would think his transport costs would be minimal.
That said $600/month! Ouch. Out of curiosity why doesn't your employer cover the transport?, As far as I know all of my non-japanese friends here have their transport covered.
Regardless, I definitely agree on moving closer to the city, I ride my bike everywhere in a 10km radius.
Likewise, road tolls are incredibly high by North American standards. I remember one 30 mile stretch that cost $17 each way.
reply