Salary
Mar 9, 2009, 10:30 pm
#2
Moderator: Luxury Hotels and FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Palo Alto, California,USA
Posts: 17,886
Don't know the answer to your question, but allow me to emphasize one key point: Tipping is not only "not big" in Japan, it is non-existent, with very minor exceptions that no tourist is likely to encounter. Please, please don't offer these people anything regardless of their salary level.
Mar 9, 2009, 10:44 pm
#3
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Central California
Programs: Former UA Premex, now dirt
Posts: 6,531
Don't know the answer to your question, but allow me to emphasize one key point: Tipping is not only "not big" in Japan, it is non-existent, with very minor exceptions that no tourist is likely to encounter. Please, please don't offer these people anything regardless of their salary level.
Mar 10, 2009, 1:35 am
#4
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: TYO / WAS / NYC
Programs: American Express got a hit man lookin' for me
Posts: 4,631
The short answer is "not a lot." I did a bit of googling in Japanese, and the net take-home pay for most hotel jobs seems to be around 220,000 yen a month, or about $2,200 US. It isn't as bad as it might sound. Most of these folks are either working on a short-term basis (young guns fresh out of school with few liabilities) or have lifetime employment with full benefits, and many are getting a serious break on rent, either by living with family or by getting free/subsidized housing from their employer. So most of this income ends up being disposable.
Mar 10, 2009, 4:10 am
#6
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: TYO
Programs: Tokyo Monorail Diamond-Encrusted-Platinum
Posts: 9,670
I know that people say not to tip in Japan, but I was brought up right. I insist on tipping.
If they won't take cash, try tipping the staff with food. Buy a nigiri or a ham sandwich from Seven Eleven. and hand it to the doorman as you're coming back to the hotel. If he seems reluctant to accept, just put it into his pocket with a smile. It may be a good idea to mix things up a little - bring him a mini-tub of Haagen Dazs or a porn mag every so often. Very easy to find in any neighborhood convenience store.
It ain't right not to tip. It ain't right, I tell you.
If they won't take cash, try tipping the staff with food. Buy a nigiri or a ham sandwich from Seven Eleven. and hand it to the doorman as you're coming back to the hotel. If he seems reluctant to accept, just put it into his pocket with a smile. It may be a good idea to mix things up a little - bring him a mini-tub of Haagen Dazs or a porn mag every so often. Very easy to find in any neighborhood convenience store.
It ain't right not to tip. It ain't right, I tell you.
Mar 10, 2009, 6:01 am
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Kettering, Ohio USA
Posts: 554
I agree QSHOEGuy,
As for disposable income, some of these porters and doormen are not so young, we talked to them and some were in their mid30s although they looked much, much younger. What amazed us was that 3 of he ones we talked to didn't live in Tokyo, they lived out near Narita.
Mar 10, 2009, 6:49 am
#8
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: PSM
Posts: 69,232
Throwing money at someone because YOU think it is right doesn't actually make it so.
Mar 10, 2009, 7:06 am
#9
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Boston, Jo'burg, HK
Programs: AA EXP, Hyatt Lifetime Diamond, CX Gold, Mrs. Pickles travels for free
Posts: 13,205
If I think it is right to throw money at someone, then it is right, "cultural sensitivities" whatever. I don't know how you would reach any other conclusion.
Mar 10, 2009, 7:21 am
#11
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: TYO / WAS / NYC
Programs: American Express got a hit man lookin' for me
Posts: 4,631
The other thing is that Japanese employers almost always pay for a commuter pass on top of the employee's salary, no matter how far away home happens to be. While people might not want a long commute at their own expense, it isn't a big deal when it is effectively "free" to the employee. It certainly helps to fuel the publishing and mobile phone industries here.
Mar 10, 2009, 7:51 am
#13
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Boston, Jo'burg, HK
Programs: AA EXP, Hyatt Lifetime Diamond, CX Gold, Mrs. Pickles travels for free
Posts: 13,205
Mar 10, 2009, 10:35 am
#15
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: NRT/PDX
Programs: Willamette Valley Cropdusters Silver Elite, National Tent Frequent Stay program, Ed's Rent-a-tractor
Posts: 3,357
And sometimes they can live pretty far away. I had one colleague who commuted from Okinawa to Tokyo on a regular basis (not everyday, but several times a week, depending on how "compactly" he could arrange his work schedule). Though he was (correctly) not fully reimbursed for his travel expenses (after all it was his voluntary choice to live there), he nevertheless did receive some monies.