[Sangetsu]

I'm in my second year in Japan working as an English teacher, and I have no complaints. The pay is more than adequate considering the number of hours I work, which is substantially less than teachers in America, or Japanese workers in general.

A recent survey in the Japan times found that 85% of Japanese males earn under 250,000 yen per month, which is roughly the entry level pay for most foreign teachers. That's not to say that 250k per month is a princely sum, but it's not bad.

On the other hand, if you live in Metro Tokyo, 250k per month is not going to get you very far. A decent apartment costs that much per month, though you can find a closet-size studio or share an apartment for less. But if you live in the country, 250k is a lot of money.

I live about an hour out of Tokyo, and it's easy enough to find a 3 or 4 room home here for 70k per month. Adding tax, utilities, and insurance, it works out to about 100k yen each month, which is not bad for the size.

As for raising a family of 4 in Japan, I wouldn't want to try it anywhere in the country on an income of less than 400k yen per month. Rent is one thing, but food, transportation, clothing, school supplies and uniforms, etc are going to add up quickly.