[jasonbvr]

Taxes in Japan are ridiculously high. I don't know about property tax, but income tax at the local level is what you would expect to pay if you were to add federal and state US tax together. Federal income tax is low, but when you add it to you local tax bill (which you receive the following tax year) the total income tax collected exceeds US levels.

Car ownership is another big expense. If you are coming from the States, I think you are going to be kind of shocked at how expense it is not just to own a vehicle but to get anywhere as well.

Seriously, I might placate my spouse by living in Japan for about a year, but then I would get out. If you have never lived in Japan before, you may want to give it a trial run anyways.

Actual numbers

Owning a car but living at an apartment, your parking space will probably cost about 20 dollars a month. Insurance is cheap because car insurance in Japan does very little. If you are involved in any kind of accident in which you are not completely stopped, the percentage that you are at fault will be determined by a police officer. I don't quite get it, but then I don't think anyone does. The big expenses will be tax which you pay based on the engine size and/or weight of your car. For a 600cc car that will be about 100 USD a year. An actual car I would imagine between 2 and 300. Then there is the inspection. New cars do not need shaken for about 5 years. After that and every two years you can expect to pay about 1,600 for maintenance. I don't understand really what this money goes towards.

Income tax, if I were to calculate it I could give you a percentage. But let's just say that after working and living here for two years, my combined income tax is equal to about a month and a half of my salary.