Japan is stereotyped as the land of the $80 watermelon and the $90 mushroom. Many expats think it easier to rearrange the rings of Saturn than use the word “affordable” and “Tokyo” in the same sentence.
Yet as urban real estate values rise globally, and as prices for Japanese basics like food and clothing drop, Japan is being seen as less prohibitively expensive. Apart from three uniquely Japanese money guzzlers – buying property, elite dining, and taxis – costs seem less extreme these days, say expats and Japanese interviewed.