I have lived here 26 years and those numbers are way off what you make in a reasonable firm in the big cities. Way way off. Averages are fairly useless for judging achievable salaries.
Add in job stability, healthcare, general conditions associated with life and Japan, or at least Tokyo stands head and shoulders above most US options these days. I go home at 6pm every day too.
That's good to hear. I want to hear more positive comments like yours about Jpn's work life and future, because all I ever hear are dismissive comments when I talk to people about moving to Jpn. With regards to salary, though, my understanding is that the pay for my field in Jpn is generally less than half of what it is in US. Trying to convince myself money isn't everything. One of these days, I might start a thread for further discussion on this and maybe pick you guys' brains.