RichardInSF

If the guys are all dressed so well, who patronizes all those horrible Y19,000 suit stores?

ksandness

The OLs are famous/notorious for blowing their paychecks on luxury goods, since they usually live with their parents until marriage, and with the age of marriage rising, that's a lot of money to spend.

Men often live with their parents until marriage, too. As a translator, I once got a phone call from a translation agency coordinator in Japan (which tends to be a young person's job), asking me to do a rush job the night before I was supposed to catch an early morning plane to a conference in Texas.

As he begged and pleaded, I explained that I had to clean my apartment and pack before the conference.

After a pause, he said, "Doesn't your mother do that?" (He'd never met me and had no idea that I was probably old enough to be HIS mother.)

After I informed him that my mother lived 5000 kilometers away, he seemed embarrassed and hastily said he'd find someone else.

acregal

Many young men (and women) live in company apartments or dorms. I know a nurse whose hospital provided this for free and a Mizuho banker who had to pay 12,000 yen a month.

Also, almost every job pays transportation (if you choose to commute by car, you get a flat rate for it). Many people either skim money from this (such as using one train line but taking another) or extend it to other stations (that they frequently go to).

SJUAMMF

There is a friend who lives with his mother. His commute is via Shinkansen from Shin-Yokohama to Tokyo.

railroadtycoon

I know many single people who live by themselves either on their own or in company provided accommodation. Actually, haven't met anyone still living with their parents.

Not owning two cars, paying car insurance, gasoline , walking, using public transportation, or bicycles (lots of them) might be one contributing factor to saving some loot as well. Not uncommon to see a mom, load up a bicycle with two kids and groceries, where's in the US you load up the gas goggling SUV and go (ok I'm being stereotypical there but you get my point).

While there are a lot of high end places (its a big metro area with lots of people) there are also lots of cheap places that I see are always full of people shopping as well. I don't think Ginza would be a representation of all Japan as much as 5th avenue or Rodeo avenue is a representation of all of the US.

graraps

How is that different from caucasian-dominated societies like Italy, Spain, Greece, Argentina.....?

It's definitely not a phenomenon exclusive to Asia.

NickW

I don't think that word means what you think it means.

Braindrain

Ok, let me re-phrase. "... North American caucasians...".

Ok, I'll give you that.

ksandness

As someone who spent ten years car-free in Portland, Oregon and then moved to Minneapolis, where the public transit system is of limited use, I can attest to the fact that even though my free-lance income has held steady and consumer prices are roughly the same in both cities, I spent an extra $3000 a year by owning a second-hand car that a relative gave me for free: That includes fuel, maintenance, repairs, and insurance. If I were buying or leasing a new car, the cost would be double that or more.

A lot of people in the high-end shopping areas may be there only to look or to eat in the reasonably-priced restaurant sections that every department store has. Japan has discount stores, and you can get some incredible bargains at neighborhood mom-and-pop stores.

Anyone who thinks Japan is expensive everywhere and for everyone simply hasn't delved very deeply.

jib71

Or perhaps they come from Laos.

Q Shoe Guy

Well it was 32 in Fukuoka yesterday and there were many folks wearing shorts !

Q Shoe Guy

Try 9,999 yen and lower now!

Q Shoe Guy

You could blow a cannon down Watanabe Dori or through the Daimiyo or Nakasu and not hit a soul(The main Fukuoka shopping/nightlife areas)! Things are way bad, no one is shopping, or if they are it isn't at the usual culprits. The deflation must have gotten worse.... 2 friends (Japanese) reported much lower bonuses (-30% for one) !

Braindrain

I was really trying to explain what the OP saw in Ginza. Sure, Fukuoka, Hokkaido and other out-of-the-way rural areas are quite different from TYO.

Pickles

Thanks for clearing that up. I always wondered what it was called that the denizens of Takeshita Doori wear all the time.