Did you catch the last video about the amazing youth revitalizing and saving Japan? Hugely love that early comment squad!! Notification peeps all the way!! See you down below!
I can't wait to see more videos of fall. I love this season, so beautiful. Love how this video became an honest talk and a train watch at the same time. 😂❤❤
No, I missed that upload! I'll watch it next! See you there
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Thanks Norm! Real estate in any major city nowadays is insane, and Tokyo is no exception to this newfound reality unfortunately. Something needs to happen and I'm glad you made that video showing the revitalization initiatives. Keep up the great work! 💪
You have earthquakes and monsoons. Can't make a proper assessment without factoring that in. However, the views in Japan are truly eye candy. Certainly my favorite UA-cam sight-seeing place.
Ai will crash out the global economic system .. which is already highly strained ... 2030 much will go boom .. suggest get out go off grid for then ...
I caretake my 95 y/o japanese mother. Can't afford long term care... it's about USD 7,000 a month for a healthy person and more for someone with mobility or memory issues.
Bless you. I'm 51 never been abroad in my life and never will, haven't had a holiday since 1990 and won't again. No meals out, no takeaways, no new clothes for decades, no new anything. I have to pay for twice daily carers which is brutal and have no savings. I was housebound for four years until March, and still am without my carers. I lost my home, mother, partner and father within 20 months. Plus cats. How do I cope? By living through videos like yours. I get to see Japan, I get to see the world. I escape. I laugh, not like I used to with everything but I still laugh. I have my beautiful cats. Hearing their purrs, feeling that soft fur, seeing their antics, that's everything. I have explored wonderful cities and secret corners around Japan, it's amazing. I may sometimes be in bed at 6.30pm because the day was dire but then I travel the world with cats at my side.... Can't beat that. You create what you do, i don't always watch it immediately, I save them for a boost ❤ Thank you for what you do ❤
Hey weatherwitch. Best wishes in general to you. And you make a good point. Many years ago I worked on a ship that sailed past Mt Fuji. I was so excited in foreknowledge. I watched our progress, plotted on the old ship's chart as we grew closer, expecting some kind of religous experience, gazing with my own eyes upon the venerated Mt Fuji. But, my abiding and lasting impression was that in real life... it looked just like a photograph of Mt Fuji. And in a crowded world full of rush, hassle and fools, travelling from the comfort of your own bed has a lot to be said for it. May your internet connection be fast and uninterupted.
I live in the suburbs of Chicago and i work in a warehouse driving a forklift. The only reason i can afford to live okay is because my rent is dirt cheap compared to actually living in the city itself. I went to japan for a week last year, and i saved up around a year's worth of savings to go. The flight was 1000USD and i brought 3000USD for spending money. My hostel was 18 dollars a night. On past trips to japan, i budgeted about 100 bucks a day. I went hard last time and bought a lot of things ive wanted for a long time (video games, records, model kits). Theres tons of free and awesome things to do in the typical places like Tokyo-Osaka-Kyoto that you dont have to ball out of control and go shopping everyday. But it was really fun to treat myself especially working very hard for months on end, it's nice to finally be able to get yourself some nice things and cherish them for years to come. I bought a 400 dollar hoodie and trust me, i don't normally do that. But I'll wear it every day, treat it with care and hold the memory of where i was when i got it close to my heart.
The first time I went was in 2016 and I only had 1000 bucks for 7 days, I had to stretch it out to make it work. My quick tips for cheap Japanese trips- 1) use Airbnb or a similar app to find a hostel. It's only gonna be a small bunk so not really a full fledged hotel room but, if you're like me you are there to experience the cities and do stuff, not spend time in a hotel room. I used a competitor app to Airbnb and used first time sign up codes to get my hostels cheaper. My first stay, in Osaka, was only 13 dollars a night! 2) breakfast or lunch at the konbini. Obviously there's tons of really good food and that's one of the best parts of Japan, but if you're on a tight budget the convenience store food is delicious and cheap. I usually eat my first meal of the day there so I can spend more on a nice dinner with friends. 3) don't impulse buy on anything, make sure to look around first. For instance often I'd see a retro game I'd want for one price, and then a few stores later I find the same game but much much cheaper. If you want to, I recommend taking photos of each item and having location tags on- you can always come back later if you don't find a better price. For instance game shopping in Akihabara is expensive but once you go to somewhere like Denden town in Osaka the prices come down a whole lot. Shop around! For cheap games check out Surugaya
I feel my generation is thriving on pure survival mode. I'm in my late 20's, working since I was 18, and I can't afford having a life. Wearing clothes until they literally fall apart (and can't be fixed), not going out, and choosing hobbies that won't cost me much to keep. I love travelling and surprisingly, many times it has been cheaper for me to be on the move than live in the same place. I'm a nomad, although not always by choice. Life is hard, no matter how motivated you are. We live in a messed up system. On a side note, however, it makes me happy to see how grateful and cheerful you feel in Japan :)
@hurricanestarang You mean like world wide? No where near that, yet. This planet can sort 30 billion easily. Now, if you're talking certain cities, yeah we're slowly getting to that point
Just moved to Japan a few months ago, not able to work my trade due to the language barrier. So I'm currently working a minimum wage part-time/full-time job. I live on the Chuo line around 25 minutes from Shinjuku, my apartment is a 1K with one of those little loft sleeping areas, it's plenty for a single guy. It's around a 20 minute walk from my closest station. I make around ¥135,000 a month, rent with wifi is ¥60,000, bills come to around ¥10,000 a month and I spend roughly ¥30,000 - ¥40,000 on food. I could work as an Engineer in the UK and have a 'better' quality of life, however I want to try and build a life in Japan, so you just have to stick some things out. I'm a simply man, I don't need much, so I would say I am enjoying my life.
Yes, Japan for Swedes is quite cheap if you know where to eat and where to stay, and book so far in advance to get cheap economy tickets. But there is an entire spectrum of prices even in Japan. Mandarin hotel will set you back 10.000 SEK for one night, easy. Re. General cost of living, the whole world has gone to shit. Money doesn’t go as far, just food shopping in Sweden is now a big chunk of a household economy. Of course, that applies to all of us that haven’t gotten exponentially richer in the last 2 decades… and the ratio of very well off, to those that are starting to consider food banks, is a lot larger than it was pre 2000’s. Eventually, the rich, whose main resource is the 99%, will dig their own graves, as normal folk can’t afford any luxury any more. Then it will go to shit for them as well; they’re just too short sighted to see it. By that time of course, it won’t have gotten any easier for the rest of us. Well, that was a bit dark, but it’s reality nonetheless.
I saw a comment on how a generation before us a lot of people could afford to have a holiday every year, have a nice enough place to live, have kids, and hobbies. For my generation (older Millennial) and younger we have to pick one. I picked vacations, so I save hard every year so I can travel (I go to Japan every two years ^^) but I do nothing else: I don't eat out, I don't have hobbies that cost money etc. I don't think there's some magic answer, so if anyone is struggling then I want you to know that you're not doing anything wrong: it's not your fault that the world is unfair and I hope things get better for you.
On the other hand, look at what so many people do spend their money on. When I think back about previous generations, what they owned, what they spent their money on and I look at the younger generations today, there is also a big difference whereby people these days buy a lot of stuff, waste a lot of money simple because of a fear of missing out. And for that generation before you, ask where they went on holiday. You'll find that most of those people didn't fly half way around the world when they went. When I was a kid, we went every year, for a midweek, about half an hour driving from your home. But yes, we went every year.
So much this,real vacations are too expensive. But i do sometimes visit family at the other side of my little country or a concert.that kind afeels like a mini vacation to me 😅
one thing that always seems to be common: even if people are getting a raise, everything else rises too like taxes, rents, costs of energy, gasoline or groceries. and people can consider themselves lucky if they have more or less the same amount of money left. but espcially thanks to taxes, some people might even have less money to live of as they had prior to their raise.
@@Hans-gb4mv these people might have the realistic fear of losing the little spare money they´ve left to taxes, inflation or another economic crash. and as an old german saying goes: "das letzte Hemd hat keine Taschen", which means that you can´t take any of your money with you in the afterlife.
We live vicariously though you mate. You don't make ostentatious shows of wealth in your videos and you often show the cheaper side of things. Everything you do seems achievable once you get there, which really helps lighten the load of existing here (Sydney). Been going through a tough time, but things are getting better. Wifey wants to visit Japan and has for a long time. I'm hoping next year we can achieve her goal. Your videos help make that dream seem more like something we can achieve. A low budget trip would be awesome especially if it catered to non speakers. Things that'd be great to see for us personally would be the cherry blossoms (doing that cheaply could be difficult) and studio Ghibli museum naturally. I'm somewhat limited in mobility, i can only stand for about 30 minutes at a time if that makes an impact. Again just as content ideas, I'm sure whatever you do will be great.
Hey Norm! I'm a bigtime lurker and almost never comment, but this time I'd like to share since you asked. I turned 33 this year and of the last 13 years I'd say the first 10 were rough both financially and mentally. But about 3 years ago now I decided to make a career change and it turned out to be the best decision I could've made at that point in time. Ever since I've been doing a whole lot better on both ends, so much so that I can finally afford that trip to Japan I've been dreaming about for most of my adult life. I'll be hopping on a plane sometime in May 2025 and be in Japan for about 3 weeks... I'm super excited for it :D As for the job I ended up swapping too, it's something I can't say too much about as it involves the manufacturing of your favorite TCG and of course that comes with a lot of NDA's. I loved the 1.000.000 seconds series you did on the Explore channel and hope to see you do more.
I am extremely sad to know that I will never visit Japan. It is a country that I have loved since I was a child. I end up feeling fulfilled in other people's videos, like yours. That scene with the trains crossing, the river and the vegetation almost made me cry. I could stay there all day doing nothing. Thank you very much for the simple and well-made content. As for how I am doing, everything is fine. Life is going well here in Brazil. I work as a freelancer from home. I am an illustrator/designer. That is how I pay my bills. It is bad because it is not a fixed income every month and I end up having a bit of a hard time, but I survive. I live in Fortaleza, a beach city. Today the sun is shining beautifully but I am feeling lazy on a Sunday here in my bed. lol. Take care!
I was having a rough time in Brazil and recently began my life here in Europe. Sold everything and arrived with nothing to lose. Sleeping on the sofa, no room for me and working at retail. Frankly not bad, considering the problems I was facing in Brazil. When someone pointed a gun at my face, that's when I drew the line and decided to take control over my life. Also, aside from safety, there is also the financial side. Living in the Brazilian "economy rollercoaster" was mentally draining... Even more than I thought. I always thought it was normal, until I left Brazil. Then I learned that I was pretty much swimming against a waterfall there with the insane devaluation of BRL vs USD or Euro, which not only results in inflation, but also a degradation in the living standards. Frankly, if you really want to do something, focus on that and set milestones. That's how I left Brazil. With careful planning and facing severe drawbacks, including an emergency surgery, my plan B began in 2016 and reached my flight to Europe in 2023. Begin buying some yen or USD and set up the funds to do this trip or explore the world outside Brazil right now. You live only once and I guess it is worth giving a try even if you are unsure if it will work. Cheers mate. o/
Im not ok im chronically ill and have chronic pain my mental health sucks but watching this channel helps me escape for a bit and see places and things i will never get to see
I have established myself in the hydro power generation industry in Washington State USA with the help of training and benefits I received form my 6 years in the Navy. I don't have a family to support, just me and my dog so my expenses are relatively low. I also don't go out often and cook meals using relatively cheep ingredients. Basically I am in a good spot, but a lot of my friends and family are feeling the pinch of inflation. Every time I look it feels like something that I need has doubled in price and halved in quality or quantity. I anticipate that standards for quality of life in America are going to keep going down for those that still work to earn a living.
One of the ways we're dealing with the cost of living is we started a garden and are growing our own greens, tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, etc. It saved us a TON of money this past summer. Now we're planting out fall veggies so we can keep saving money.
It's lovely that you asked. I think times are tough for everyone who isn't extremely wealthy. I come from a very work focused hard working working class family from just outside of London. The downside is the average house is 13 times the average salary and I lived with my parents untill I was 37 to be able to get on the ladder. I'm thinking of myself as one of the very lucky ones ! But I can't help but think I missed out on my 20's and 30's I basically came out of university and continued living like a poor student for another 15 years. Thankfully after lots of hard work I have a decent paying job. But without my parents patience I'm pretty sure I'd be on the street right now. I spend my Christmas bonus walking around handing money to homeless people as it so easily could have been me. Hope you're all doing well and surviving - big love to all.
Honestly I live for these videos. Traveling and seeing people’s lives outside from where I live. I can’t even an afford a vacation and visit a local place. Nothing that requires plane let alone a hotel
I'm barely scraping by. My rent takes two thirds of my paycheque and the rest is taken by bills and food. I'm very lucky that I have that much and can just about survive, but it's a life with only a little joy. I count my blessings as best I can, but it gets hard sometimes when something breaks and you can't fix it. Still, travelling to Japan is a dream of mine so I live vicariously through videos like yours, especially seeing just little places and streets and alleyways and track-side cafes is so evocative, and I would love to see a budget travel Tokyo guide in the hopes that I can one day make my dream come true. And I think a lovely bridge where you can see some trains is one of the best sights in the world - that one with all the greenery is gorgeous. And to everyone else having a hard time right now, keep going!
Hi Smith. Thank you for sharing your thoughts. That being said, it's definitely not normal to spend 2/3 of your paycheck on rent. You should try to lower that by any mean because it's simple not sustainable. You're working for your landlord. Have you thought about going back living at your parents? If it's not possible, Otherwise, try to get a roommate at least. Or downscale where you live. But as I said, it's simply not sustainable. I also recommends looking at some financial related subreddits. That's what I do and it helps me. If you go from 2/3 to 1/2 of your paycheck, that would leave you with 16% more money. You can put 8% aside each paycheck for visiting Japan. On this, I say good luck and Ganbatte!
@@blogeek7039 Thank you for your advice! I know it's not sustainable but none of those suggestions are viable options right now due to where I live. I am working on getting a better job that will hopefully give me some breathing room. I won't stop working towards it.
@@blogeek7039 Often for people spending most of their income on rent and bills, they're already pretty much at the minimum cost for their locale, that's actually part of how a lot of the interesting people have become displaced from their home cities. especially when gentrification is too much at play.
I love that you genuinely have this interest in how people are doing - the good and the bad. I spent years struggling in many aspects of my life. It took some incredibly hard work to get to where i am today and improve my life. I still encounter difficult times, like really difficult, but i keep on keeping on. I am a stubbornly independent woman living alone in Australia - it's bloody expensive, and I'm far from rich, but i have a pretty decent quality of life now. I'll be in Japan again in February. It never gets old to me. I love it.
I am in Australia, the cost of living here is very high but my husband and I are organising our sixth trip to Japan in February. For us coming to Japan is a cheap holiday if you plan. I always get airfares when they are on sale and research where to stay and go. Next years trip we are planning to go to more rural Japan , Shikoku. I compare accomodation and we don't eat at expensive restaurants when we are away. We never or rarely eat out when we are home and do extra jobs to put into the Japan fund. I sew and do markets as well as work full-time. For us to stay in a basic hotel in Australia you are looking at least $200 per night. I get great deals in Japan. For us we would rather travel to a country that is beautiful, full of wonderful people and fab food than waste money on takeaway or going out here. We love Japan and can't wait to get back to our other "home". thanks and we love your videos.
I saved for 9 years of full time work. No big frivolous expenses during that time. I'm currently in Japan and will be here for the next month and a half. The only way I could afford it is because of saving up for damn near a decade. Saizeriya, Matsuya, and random teishoku places has been really useful for me here.
Should also mention that I've been surviving fine. Live in a van by choice to save money and worked full time(or more) since out of high school. Currently Japan just feels so reasonably priced to travel around!
I live in Brazil, I can't and probably will never make it to Japan, just to get there would cost about as much I make in a year, that not to mention that I'll have to eat during the travel, I'll have to actually find a place to live if I ever get there... It's a distant dream, but a man can dream.
I am not sure if even calling it "struggling" is appropriate anymore. I barely exist. I can barely afford food. but it's nice to know that once I check myself out there will be still people who can live a life, have dreams, found a purpose or at least can see more of the world. these videos usually tend to give me some escapism. but they are hard when they remind me of my now. either way they are absolutely worth being seen.
While going on vacation is a privilege I also treat it as something to work to. I like to set a budget and seeing my extra cash flow go into the Japan piggybank gives me motivation to keep going. I have therefore replaced the timing of other small pleasures like going out , or buying snacks from daily to weekly or biweekly. I also started to track where my online subscriptions are going, these happen to be the easiest thing to cut out as it saves a guaranteed x amount per month. Lastly, I try to get others to join me in saving for a Japan trip even though we aren't going together. This helps build comradery and makes me even more excited to go next year, 2025 is definitely my Japan year again! Explore (ways to save), always :D
Awesome video as always Norm. Good to hear you’re doing good and health. Always look forward to watching your explore videos all around Japan keep up the great work.
Mann those 9 minutes went by quicker than they should have. We miss you Norm, I hope you have another live scheduled sometime this year! I gotta say there is just a weird uneasiness brewing this year, economies just feel off and I hope it levels out without too much trauma D: I'm still holding on to my bucketlist of visiting Japan, it will happen 🙏 Thanks Norm!!
I haven’t traveled abroad since before pandemic but traveling or living in another country really seems to be expensive. Looking forward to everyone’s comments about their tips, thoughts and so on! Btw loved the train view spots you showed us😆Thank you for sharing!
yeah being Japanese and getting paid salary in Japanese yen, with the way its been struggling lately makes the idea of travel quite challenging~ Glad you enjoyed the spots~!
Huge support from Slovakia! I have been watching your videos since like 2020 and this july I was fortunate enough to go to JAPAN for 2 weeks(loved it)!
It is incredible the optimism and happiness you can bring in your videos, even talking about serious and sensitive content. I don't have any idea how you can do it, but I'm just so glad that you can and decided to share!
I really appreciate you being open about how hard it is right now. Sometimes, it’s too easy to see influencers who appear to be living luxuries we can never dream of, which even if the content is fun, can leave people feeling inadequate. Not aiming that at you or anything specific, but y’know. I had dreamed of visiting Japan all my life, and I finally got to live that last year. It was the happiest time of my life, but the sad reality of that, is that I could only afford it due to inheritance from my late grandfather. I could also only justify it because I had graduated from uni (as a mature student) during the pandemic - so it was a one-time gift to myself once the borders reopened. I would love to return to Japan - especially as circumstances meant that I had to cancel the Kyoto/Osaka part of my trip. However, I’m in my 30s and still living at home. I have a full time job, but my salary could only afford a house share where I live. So, I don’t know when I’ll be able to go again - but I am slowly saving what I can.
What a wonderful group of followers/commenters! It's good to hear how others get along. And how people can scrimp and save to get to Japan - or whatever they want to do. I appreciate the tips on how to enjoy Japan frugally.
Hello from Toronto! Will be visiting Japan again later this month (6th time across 25 years), including Okinawa as I’ve never been. You are right that things have gotten quite expensive in many places, and it is hard to pay the bills while still being able to enjoy life. I count myself as very lucky to be able to afford vacations. My heart goes out to all those who are struggling and reading these comments. Your circumstances are not a reflection of you, but rather that life is based on chance, luck and things out of one’s control. Such causality is simply a fact of the universe. All of us are in this together. Wishing everyone good health and happiness!
Oh you're definitely not off base, you're totally spot on base! I live in Wales and work an an entry level data job for £25k a year. That's always been plenty for little old me, but lately it's just not enough and I'm dreading winter because I can't afford to put the heating on. It's deeply scary, but that's why I love channels like yours that help me see the rest of the world for free!
@TokyoLens oh don't get started on meal deals... used to be able to get em for £3, now they're £3.75. it might not sound like much, but considering the fact that i get it every weekday the difference really starts adding up
If you learn SQL to a good level you're quite likely to get a decent paying data analyst job. Nothing crazy but It would be a lot more of a comfortable existence.
Tokyo extreme budget video yes please. I watch all your videos so if you make it I'll watch it! I am struggling living in the US and not living up to my full potential. Lookinig to change both of those things.
Love that spot you showed at the end of the video! Glad you’re doing well! As for me. I’m doing ok. I’m frugal and so far that has worked for me. I can afford little luxuries every now and then. But I always think twice before I buy something. I’m a “if I won’t miss it if I don’t buy it, then I won’t buy it” kind of person.
I don't live in japan, but generally eating out is more expensive than cook by ourself. Also can choose a cheap ingredients, if cooked right can be delicious too
My husband and I are struggling because my health took a turn when they discovered a cyst in my brain. Our income has been cut in half. We enjoy watching you channel knowing we will probably never make it to Japan or do any major travels again. Keep on with your channel and keep up the good work. You seem like a very nice and honest guy.
I love the train track views. Especially with the overgrown greenery thus makes for a nice "park-like" appearance and shows that Tokyo still cares about greenery in the city. I've just returned from Shimanami Kaido trip yesterday evening and even though I reapplied sunscreen three times on some places and wearher was cloudy most of the time I still got sunburnt. Just goes to show that September is still not the month to go to Japan. Random blogs are great. Keep them up!
Another great video, Norm. Thanks for diving into this topic. These days, my biggest struggle is figuring out what it truly means to live. I don’t have the answer, and I suspect it’s different for everyone. Living can’t just be about breathing, waking up every morning, going to a job you despise for a wage that barely keeps you afloat, all while knowing you’ll never afford your own home. It’s hard to accept that you’ve found your dream country but may never get to live there-that no matter how hard you work or how much you study, things might never really improve. So, yeah... defining what life and living actually mean feels like the first step.
Totally agree. I try to live with a positive attitude even though my rent and bills tap me out ever month and I can't go to the movies or get take out like I used to. I'm just happy to have a roof over my head and a job. It's all in the way you look at life. Yes it sucks right now but maybe if we're all lucky things will change fir the better soon. We can only hope.🤞🏻
I travelled out of North America(I live in Canada but I don't count the US as "travel" since it's so close) and into Japan about 7 months ago and even though it wasn't cheap by any stretch of the imagination it gave me a lot of perspective on why people choose experiences over saving as much as possible for retirement or a better living situation. My family arrived first and I arrived in Haneda Airport and had to get to Kyoto by myself with no lick of Japanese and the experience was anxiety driving. It took me over 2 hours to find my way out of the airport and get to Shinagawa station. it took me about atleast 45 minutes watching UA-cam videos on how to ride the Shinkansen, how to buy tickets, the different between Nozomi, Hikari and Kodama. And I was out of my depth. But in the end. I made it to Kyoto alright. I BARELY made it to my train and it already arrived when I ran down the escalator and knowing Japan's commitment to being "on time" it was anxiety driving. And even though it sounds cheesy. Looking outside the bullet train and seeing the cities at night since I got in late afternoon was surreal. And regardless of how the rest of the vacation went, in that moment I told myself it was worth it. I loved what Japan represented. A place people live a little differently from my home in Toronto. While I can't see myself ever immigrating to Japan, the experience of being there and experiencing the culture is what makes the short time there worth while. I carry the memories, the pictures and etc.. It's super cheesy. But yeh. My trip to Japan helped me realize why people want the experiences even if they have to save up for it or sacrifice elsewhere in their life. I know it's a wall of text but yeh. I get why people travel now.
Hell from Australia I found your channel about a year ago and it's helped me on my most depressed days after a week at work spending Saturday morning laying out on my lounge watching your amazing content I will never get the opportunity to visit Japan you allow me the opportunity thank you Please do more tiny apartments as well All the best to you in all your future endeavours
We're in the "cheaper" part of New York City and we took the multigenerational approach. My parents, my brother and I share a single place, we each get our own area with a shared living space, and we're all extremely grown adults but living on our own is just not feasible. Though, neither me nor my brother are in relationships at this time, which helps. Mom realized our entire monthly house bills was less than rent for a studio and has since decided we'll just keep doing this forever. ... Every 'outing' is done via coupons and app deals, movie theatres have a lot of 'discount ticket' days and generally we're doing pretty well with this approach.
I could have gone years ago but didn’t think it a practical move at the time. I watched friends go there, and either build a life or return home with a new family in tow. Then health complications, and difficulty determining the right therapies and medication drained me of everything. Fortunately my family was willing to adjust their goals to carry my weight when I couldn’t. Eventually I was approved for disability income and insurance assistance, and somehow managed to figure out how to live simply with the health challenges. Today I still wish I could experience places around the world, but most of all the countryside of Japan. Since 2020 my limited functional capacity is given in return to assist those who supported me through life’s difficult moments. One day they will pass on, and I might be able to finally take that adventure, though until then I feel blessed to see the world through people like you, Norm. Your thoughtfulness shines today. 😊
I learned how to cook from scratch and make big batches at a time. I also looked for help in the community and started volunteering at a food pantry where I also get to take home a big box of food each month. I was able to secure a scholarship for my daughter who has type 1 diabetes through StepUp for Students and that has been a tremendous blessing. Don't be afraid to look for help, it may not be easy to find but it is out there!
Thanks Norm, you really have a wonderful relationship with your followers. Hope you're doing alright too! It's funny, my boss and I were just having this conversation this morning. We're doing alright, but we are feeling the pinch. My heart goes out to all who are really doing it tough. Channels like Tokyo Lens give us a bit of escapism that is sorely needed in these times. Cheers!
I retired a year ago while my continues to work. She works from home so we got rid of one car. The taxes and insurance were getting so out of control that we got rid of one as a cost-cutting measure. I do the cooking in our family so I also do all the grocery shopping. I shop almost exclusively at the budget grocery store. The bigger chain stores are so overpriced that we can't afford to go there anymore. The budget grocery store is within a block of a very affluent neighborhood. Ther parking lot is always full of cars from the affluent neighborhood. We are all shopping there because we are all struggling. We never go out to eat. We simply do not feel we can afford the prices at restaurants. My daughter and her husband live with us an have for three years. They have been looking for a house for two+ years and can't find one that is affordable. Both work but even with that, they have been priced out of the market. Our property taxes and car insurances doubled over the past few years. And I'm talking thousands of dollars in increase. We also hear this constantly from friends and family that they are all struggling. But at the same time, we are happy. We have enough food and a place to call home. We're healthy and have a caring family. Would ti be nice to have more, sure, but we're still doing ok. Side note Norm. My son and I are coming to Japan soon. My son and his girlfriend are flying to Tokyo in mid-Oct. I am going to Fukuoka on Nov. 3rd or 4th where they will join me. Do you have any videos on the Fukoka area? I am not as adventurous as my son so I will be staying in the Fukuoka area for about 8-9 days. Any thoughts on things I should definitely take the time to visit? We are also going to day 2 of the Sumo basho.
My parents both died last year so I've had quite some time of adjustment. Finances had started to become difficult and although I miss my parents very much, the inheritance has been so helpful. I can now follow my dream to do more art and learn more. It's an exciting time.
I've been making it by working OT at my job for the last few years, and credit cards. Credit cards aren't the best but I've been able to do a little more with them but now I'm able to work on getting rid of them. Lately it hasn't been as easy, even with a nice raise, due to inflation. Plus I have a lot of people in my house too. So my dreams of making it to Japan get pushed further down the road. I would love to see a cheap trip/cheap living video by you on here. I did enjoy the "free" spots you have shown off on this video and I added it to my Japan trip ideas playlist. Those were some lovely spots. I really like trains, because of my dad, and enjoy watching different ones drive around.
Very insightful video. We have been in Japan since March doing a roadie with no expectations of what we will see or do. Loving it and because of this channel I wanted to visit Doai , and last weekend I actually went there. It was totally worth it, thanks for showing us.
I live on a very narrow early pension. I saved for 15 years by skimping and scraping in every way possible and was finally able to visit Japan last autumn. Luckily got a JR pass before the price hike and spent a month traveling around Honshu trying to experience as much as I could knowing I'm unlikely to ever be able to come back. I aim to try however, I'd love to explore Shikoku next time.
On another note the fact nirm reads every comment and often responds is still incredible to me. So many creators fear the comments and act like viewers are all bots. It's always nice when a creator treats viewers like humans.
Thanks for asking, Norm! When I left Asia last year due to health concerns I knew it would be the end of my life there because the costs of just trying to live in Canada was going to empty my savings within a short amount of time. I have maybe a year left and I still haven't been able to get my health issues taken care of because of the (intentional by both political parties) destruction of the Canadian healthcare system while I was overseas. I got better healthcare in Miyazaki after Shinmoedake gave me bronchitis AND my boss was okay with me taking two weeks off to heal. Here I'd get fired. I know you know how lucky you are in life right now. But man, you are so lucky. Anyway, I came across Manseibashi by accident on my final visit to Tokyo. It was kinda magical. Thanks for bringing that memory back to me.
You are truly a very beautiful person. Thank you endlessly for putting in so much time and effort into making these videos. Your videos are truly very amazing and very much appreciated.
I rarely if ever comment on videos but i just wanted to thank you for the passion you put into your work. Visiting Japan (specifically the big three: Osaka, Kyoto, & Tokyo) has always been a dream of mine and getting to see your experiences through the videos always keeps that dream alive that ill one day get to visit. 😊
I think that is the problem: Most people don't. There is a lot of comfort in staying where you are - a roof, functional internet, buying things to make the individual feel comfortable, and no real need to try and do something different. I mean, it had to take someone pulling the rug out from under me in a friendship to even think about doing something completely different and radically save us some scratch. And that is tough, very tough. Especially here in California where that is somewhat unheard of. It takes radical thinking to make radical changes and radical actions to reduce the need to stay the same, I suppose.
I live in Kelowna British Columbia, Canada. My husband has been out of work with an injury for over a year and has earned no money in this time. I work 2 jobs and just barely get by. We cook/eat at home and are very frugal. If I get time off of work, I spend it at home doing odd crafts and cleaning. We have little expenses. We don't own a car. I take the bus to my job and we don't have children. We are both 50 years old and have 3 cats. At this point, I won't ever be able to retire. I will be working until I'm in my grave. Watching your channel is my escape and how I get to see things outside of my little world. Thank you Norm.
Hi Norm! Thanks for this video! MY wife and I are fortunate to be coming over to Tokyo for a visit in November. The little spots you showed today are now pinned on our map of things to do. Its these little hidden gems that will really make the trip worthwhile.!
Hi! First time viewer! In my state in the US, cost of living is ridiculous, but I enjoy living here. For work, I have to commute an hour every day, for four days, from my home away from home, and then commute three hours to/from my actual home on weekends to spend time with family. With my paychecks, I prioritize budgeting things like bills, groceries, responsibilities and savings first and then whatever is left over from that is money towards anything not in those categories. “You Need A Budget” has been great as far as keeping my finances under control. But again, don’t love the cost of living at the moment. That said, thanks for checking in! And please make a video about visiting Japan on a budget, although $1-2 items are ludicrously affordable for my situation.
I live in the far western suburbs of Sydney, Im heavily disabled and live off a disability payment. I live in an old apartment with my partner, who cares for me and is paid to do so, with another similar government income. Our weekly rent is more than half our total weeks income and due to the housing crisis here, we are considered some of the lucky ones. Mix in utility bills and my medications and we are barely left with enough with food, sometimes running a day or 2 short, but we always make do. Even with this, I still plan to visit japan sometime within the next year. Occasionally the flights go one sale, $400 for a return flight to osaka or tokyo. Sometimes with deals that include a weeks stay at a hotel for only $50-$100 more. Its always been one of the biggest dreams of mine. I just hope i get there while i can still walk.
We are saving so hard for our trip to japan in Nov/Dec this year, so excited cant wait! Due to the cost of everything in Australia it has taken us twice as long as id hoped. Sadly it means missing out on seeing awesome people like you perform when you are in Oz. I am not complaining as i know many people cannot afford basic living atm, just commenting as you requested. Love these 'chats' please do more 💗
Glad to see a new video man. I won’t get to into the weeds but it isn’t easy as I feel most people in the world are experiencing at this time. In the US inflation is hitting pretty hard despite big brothers insistence it’s going down and thanks to the last couple years I know more people choosing to take on a housemate/staying with family to try and cut some costs and get back on their feet. Hope all is well and you keep doing your thing Norm. My thoughts of a trip have been pushed back but I’m still gunning for it hopefully before next years end.
I work in IT and despite a lot of the layoffs here in the US, I’ve been fortunate to keep my job. Still, I have to be purposeful about my spending, using a budgeting app to account for each dollar. This helps immensely as it allows me to prioritize what I want to spend on and since visiting Japan is important to me, I can put money towards my travels every paycheck. Still, I like to travel pretty frugally so I’d love to see a video with your tips on keeping expenses to a minimum and finding great things to do and see without breaking the bank. Conversely, I wouldn’t mind seeing a video of what it’s like to splurge. I value new experiences but also enjoy bringing back any souvenirs that fit my hobbies. Keep up the great work! I’ve always enjoyed your content!
@@Astke It's a complicated situation involving the difference 'actual' and 'effective' wages in the US. Salary can vary widely depending on experience, job title, the company, and what area you live in. Glassdoor has the average pay rate for entry-level IT at $60k-120k per year which is a wide range. Part of the problem is that when you do live in an area of the US with a lot of IT demand (and higher wages) then the cost of living in those areas is dreadfully high compared to the rest of the United States. A lot of high-paying companies told people they needed to move closer to the offices now that the pandemic was over. (For a bit during the pandemic, some large companies were hiring outside-of-area for jobs where you could be remote.) As people moved closer to the office, this resulted in a spike in rents, house prices, food prices, and transportation fees. Healthcare and medicine also cost more in America compared to other places. The sources I found show that the USA pays a bit less than 2x per capita for healthcare as what they do in the Netherlands. (About $12.7k per person in the US compared to $7.2k US dollars in the Netherlands. This is PPP converted from OECD data for 2022.) For people with children, there also is not guaranteed maternity leave or child-care benefits, and childcare can cost several thousand dollars per child per month. So, the overall result is that even though IT in America seems to pay very well based on just the salary amount, that doesn't tend to actually translate to being able to easily afford travel.
Logistically it’s insane here in California. On paper it looks like I make a lot but all things considered here that money doesn’t go a long way. If I get laid off, it’s over lol.
I really love your channel and it helped me a lot , also thank you because really get information about Japan that I don’t know, this channel has a big impact on me knowing new things about beautiful country and thank you for sharing that ❤
I really love your videos. They kinda inspired me to learn japanese (just started a few weeks ago) and making a list of all the places i wanna see. And you my friend, are making my list longer and longer. So thank you and stay the way you are.
Most ppl are just living paycheck to paycheck, most of us will never have any of these fantasies fulfilled and will only live and die in the small places we live. Videos like these help with escapism but none of this will ever change.
That's not true. Where you sit can make a huge difference in your life. I had a coworker who changed jobs and was immediately making 1.5 times what I make per year.
I'm right there with you, working paycheck to paycheck. Even got a promotion recently but it didn't even make a dent because everything here is so sky high. Hopefully in things will change for the better soon.
I live in the Netherlands and if you do a 2week+ trip for two to Japan, it will be as expensive as a trip to Italy/Greece/Spain giving you back waaaaaaay more than any other trip.
@@Parugraph If you are flexible with dates (you can fly in the middle of the week), do not require fancy hotels (super clean rooms in everywhere but Tokyo can be found for 60EUR), do plan your trip before, so that you optimize all the transport routes, you can do a 3 week trip for about 2500-2700EUR per person, including hotels, food, airplane etc. You need like 2000EUR more for all the stuff you want to buy :D
@Boogie3D Thanks for the advice. Now, it doesn't seem that impossible anymore and yea I'm probably going to need a lot of money for all the things I want to buy 😂
You listing those prices is actually sad, sad how I find them extremely affordable. Canada has always been expensive, but recently it's over the top expensive. I live in Toronto, I came to this country as a student with nothing, worked and I saved up to live a decent life while in law school. I still have to have a part-time job to pay for day-to-day expenses. Between by part-time job taking care the bills, saving covering the rent, and student loan paying the tuition I am doing alright. No luxuries, no eating out, buying clothes on sales. Even with all of that I have no wiggle room and I have to pray to find a job before graduation or else not be able to stay afloat financially. But with the current market, I should be doing significantly better and be almost debt-free in about 5 years. Maybe then I'll finally get to travel!
Thanks for all of your videos! You inspire me to explore more of Japan. My husband and I have a trip booked for November but we are possibly going to postpone due to his health issues. Both of us are so disappointed that we might not be able to go but still holding on to a tiny thread of hope that he'll be ok enough. We'll see! I'm grateful we have the opportunity to go even if we have to wait longer.
I grew up not eating out, only having money for two games a year (and literally nothings else), only going on hiking vacations in hostels and even not going on vacation from ages 16-19 (because I didn't wanna go do the same again and was old enough to stay at home alone), I got my retro consoles from cousins and bought games on flea markets. I was very fortunate to get payed for university because it was in cooperation with a company and that gave me enough money that I even got to go on a semester abroad in Japan and take many trips there. I met people there who weren't as fortunate and I really hope for them that they will start earning enough money to go on the trips they want. It is easy to forget how it feels to not have any money for hobbies or outings, so it is nice to see a video like this to bring me down to earth and appreciate how lucky I am. Keep up the good work!
Simple answer: I can't. TLDR: As a teacher I don't travel, I don't go out, I don't buy lunch - I make my own sandwiches if I have time. That's the life in the Central European country behind the former Iron Curtain. Maybe my kids will live better life. So I watch as much as I can yours and similar channels on UA-cam, to travel through your eyes. Thanks. Love the Tokyo hidden surprises you are showing. Be seeing you.
The most annoying part about the cost crisis is that the media in my country is pushing the refugee/foreigner thing and outright ignore that most people struggle to afford their monthly expenses. And people fall for it because blaming the stranger for all the problems is easier than trying to actually fix issues within the system
Well it might not be the individual immigrants fault. Their presence and your government allowing and my government allowing them to be here it there and pay for them to be here competes with locals. This is due to government offering to pay full costs of apartments and housing versus normal people that have to qualify. Which buys up supply of living accommodations. With the apartments choose to raise their rates and go with guaranteed checks from the government versus a working person who has to qualify.
Thanks for asking Norm! I'm quite blessed living in the US to have a good paying job and little debt. The thing that I try to live by is spending within my means and budgeting. This helps me feel confident when going out and helps me not overspend.
@@TokyoLens I want to be honest, I live in Europe, Germany and you basically can't afford anything anymore.. only the bare minimum. Everything went downhill since like 2018.
@@breadboi420 Well.. some have debt. I don't have debt and still say it's really hard to afford anything nowadays with a normal job. Especially going out is expensive.
i recently had my first holiday in 3 years spending 5 days in Milano. but only because i booked it 5 months before and spend like 350€ for the whole holiday.
I think it’s not really about the poor people, the problem is that the people who have good jobs and an education and all that are the ones losing something. It’s the middle class or even the upper middle class that dwindles into this obscure realm of „everything becomes too expensive“
@@lars7282 That's exactly what I meant. You can come from a first-world country, get a higher degree, and still end up getting poorer / not able to buy many goods without saving for a long time. Germany is my go-to example. Even if you work your *** off, everything is still decided by where you come from, whether it's your parents' nationality or just the neighborhood you grew up in. Most of the time if you want to make more you either have to cut corners, use the network u got or just exploit the legal system. If we start comparing what the minimum wage could get you in the 80s to what you can expect nowadays with a bachelor's or master's degree, it just gets sad.
I'd love to see the budget video, personally. Maybe I won't ever get to use it or any of the ideas, but it's nice to dream. I also love the videos about all the little sites and stores around Tokyo. I don't really have time for long videos after I get off work, so the fifteen to twenty minute videos about interesting off-beat spots are perfect for me. I love the channel and thanks so much for what you've shown, so far!
Thank you for asking. Its been hard. We have been working on visiting Japan, and we all (all 4 in my family) had to get second jobs to help pay for it. Your videos help for sure. We have so many off-the-beaten path things planned that came form your channel. And those don't cost anything!
I'm retired, on a fixed income, and have been watching Tokyo Lens (enjoying it very much!) and also a couple of daily living vlogs. I have changed my whole cooking and shopping routine. I shop every day or two, fresh foods/produce, and use what I buy before shopping again. My food budget has shrunk by almost one-third, and I'm eating better, and health is improving. There is no longer any cash outlay for my hobby, which is listening to music. My 50-year collecting of records means that I have more music than I can listen to in a couple of years, so that's what I do. If my health continues to improve, I may take up travel, day trips or short-stay vacations. Five years ago, none of this would have been an option for me.
I honestly get help from my immediate family. But everytime I get on UA-cam and watch videos like yours, I consider more heavily what it would be like to move somewhere like Japan. It seems super daunting and I get nervous thinking about it. But even if it's for a few years, I feel like it would be an awesome life experience. Not too sure on how to start all that though, need to get a bit more serious about it
Love your videos and the way you interact with your subscribers, feels great hanging out here. Thankyou for all the videos and your efforts do take care and let us have more different unique content of Japan. Looking forward to it :)
hi norm, i just want to tell you, i have been watching your videos,.. i think for 6 year now, and you don't know how big a smile on my face i got everytime i seen notification from tokyo lens💙, blass u, and i wish you all great luky and good days in your life🤲, big fan from Libya☺💙
Hey Norm, awesome video. Tokyo always seems so hustle and bustle but you’ve shown something worth doing and hanging around at. I would imagine that there are many more places in the city.
I love that train intersection, the combination of greenery, river, and trains is a lot to take in. Then when you went into the Cafe that has a view of trains through glass was also a treat. I could definitely have a coffee and stare at that for a while.
Did you catch the last video about the amazing youth revitalizing and saving Japan?
Hugely love that early comment squad!! Notification peeps all the way!!
See you down below!
I can't wait to see more videos of fall. I love this season, so beautiful. Love how this video became an honest talk and a train watch at the same time. 😂❤❤
No, I missed that upload! I'll watch it next! See you there
Thanks Norm! Real estate in any major city nowadays is insane, and Tokyo is no exception to this newfound reality unfortunately. Something needs to happen and I'm glad you made that video showing the revitalization initiatives. Keep up the great work! 💪
You have earthquakes and monsoons. Can't make a proper assessment without factoring that in. However, the views in Japan are truly eye candy. Certainly my favorite UA-cam sight-seeing place.
Ai will crash out the global economic system .. which is already highly strained ... 2030 much will go boom .. suggest get out go off grid for then ...
please do tokyo/japan on an extreme budget video anyway
might have to just go and do it!
Try cost of living in Seattle...
this was not enough? :)
@@gzignl
there are never enough tokyo lens videos
I caretake my 95 y/o japanese mother. Can't afford long term care... it's about USD 7,000 a month for a healthy person and more for someone with mobility or memory issues.
Bless you. I'm 51 never been abroad in my life and never will, haven't had a holiday since 1990 and won't again. No meals out, no takeaways, no new clothes for decades, no new anything. I have to pay for twice daily carers which is brutal and have no savings. I was housebound for four years until March, and still am without my carers. I lost my home, mother, partner and father within 20 months. Plus cats. How do I cope? By living through videos like yours. I get to see Japan, I get to see the world. I escape. I laugh, not like I used to with everything but I still laugh. I have my beautiful cats. Hearing their purrs, feeling that soft fur, seeing their antics, that's everything. I have explored wonderful cities and secret corners around Japan, it's amazing. I may sometimes be in bed at 6.30pm because the day was dire but then I travel the world with cats at my side.... Can't beat that. You create what you do, i don't always watch it immediately, I save them for a boost ❤ Thank you for what you do ❤
Hope things get better for you and you one day get to travel.
Hey weatherwitch. Best wishes in general to you. And you make a good point. Many years ago I worked on a ship that sailed past Mt Fuji. I was so excited in foreknowledge. I watched our progress, plotted on the old ship's chart as we grew closer, expecting some kind of religous experience, gazing with my own eyes upon the venerated Mt Fuji. But, my abiding and lasting impression was that in real life... it looked just like a photograph of Mt Fuji. And in a crowded world full of rush, hassle and fools, travelling from the comfort of your own bed has a lot to be said for it. May your internet connection be fast and uninterupted.
Bless you ma'am
I respect you so much..
Wishing you well from Ottawa Canada 💕
I live in the suburbs of Chicago and i work in a warehouse driving a forklift. The only reason i can afford to live okay is because my rent is dirt cheap compared to actually living in the city itself. I went to japan for a week last year, and i saved up around a year's worth of savings to go. The flight was 1000USD and i brought 3000USD for spending money. My hostel was 18 dollars a night. On past trips to japan, i budgeted about 100 bucks a day. I went hard last time and bought a lot of things ive wanted for a long time (video games, records, model kits). Theres tons of free and awesome things to do in the typical places like Tokyo-Osaka-Kyoto that you dont have to ball out of control and go shopping everyday. But it was really fun to treat myself especially working very hard for months on end, it's nice to finally be able to get yourself some nice things and cherish them for years to come. I bought a 400 dollar hoodie and trust me, i don't normally do that. But I'll wear it every day, treat it with care and hold the memory of where i was when i got it close to my heart.
400 dollar hoodie, that sounds like girl math.
Sounds like an awesome trip.
This is so encouraging to hear. Thank you for sharing this. I'm starting to save up now for things like this.
@@ohenrico17acr92 They worked hard and saved for it, if it brings him/her/them joy why not?
The first time I went was in 2016 and I only had 1000 bucks for 7 days, I had to stretch it out to make it work. My quick tips for cheap Japanese trips-
1) use Airbnb or a similar app to find a hostel. It's only gonna be a small bunk so not really a full fledged hotel room but, if you're like me you are there to experience the cities and do stuff, not spend time in a hotel room. I used a competitor app to Airbnb and used first time sign up codes to get my hostels cheaper. My first stay, in Osaka, was only 13 dollars a night!
2) breakfast or lunch at the konbini. Obviously there's tons of really good food and that's one of the best parts of Japan, but if you're on a tight budget the convenience store food is delicious and cheap. I usually eat my first meal of the day there so I can spend more on a nice dinner with friends.
3) don't impulse buy on anything, make sure to look around first. For instance often I'd see a retro game I'd want for one price, and then a few stores later I find the same game but much much cheaper. If you want to, I recommend taking photos of each item and having location tags on- you can always come back later if you don't find a better price. For instance game shopping in Akihabara is expensive but once you go to somewhere like Denden town in Osaka the prices come down a whole lot. Shop around! For cheap games check out Surugaya
I feel my generation is thriving on pure survival mode. I'm in my late 20's, working since I was 18, and I can't afford having a life. Wearing clothes until they literally fall apart (and can't be fixed), not going out, and choosing hobbies that won't cost me much to keep. I love travelling and surprisingly, many times it has been cheaper for me to be on the move than live in the same place. I'm a nomad, although not always by choice. Life is hard, no matter how motivated you are. We live in a messed up system. On a side note, however, it makes me happy to see how grateful and cheerful you feel in Japan :)
It used to be more messed up in the past. Even if it's hard to believe, it's still better than ever before
You can't deny we're becoming over populated @@Obsidian-Nebula
@hurricanestarang You mean like world wide? No where near that, yet. This planet can sort 30 billion easily.
Now, if you're talking certain cities, yeah we're slowly getting to that point
@@Obsidian-Nebula I'm talking all of North America, Asia, Europe even
Just moved to Japan a few months ago, not able to work my trade due to the language barrier. So I'm currently working a minimum wage part-time/full-time job. I live on the Chuo line around 25 minutes from Shinjuku, my apartment is a 1K with one of those little loft sleeping areas, it's plenty for a single guy. It's around a 20 minute walk from my closest station. I make around ¥135,000 a month, rent with wifi is ¥60,000, bills come to around ¥10,000 a month and I spend roughly ¥30,000 - ¥40,000 on food. I could work as an Engineer in the UK and have a 'better' quality of life, however I want to try and build a life in Japan, so you just have to stick some things out. I'm a simply man, I don't need much, so I would say I am enjoying my life.
How did you get there if you don’t mind me asking? Getting a visa always seemed like the hardest part to me.
I know you can start by jet, which is what i plan on doing soon@@kumumblenumdnler4356
Simple: We don`t
reasonable response~
My last trip to Japan was 10 years ago just because I couldn’t afford it anymore 😢
@@FGStar This comment made me realize it's been 7 years since my last trip. It really didn't feel like that long until I did the math lol.
@@FGStarreally depends on where you come from. As a vacation target from Sweden it's much cheaper than here.
Yes, Japan for Swedes is quite cheap if you know where to eat and where to stay, and book so far in advance to get cheap economy tickets. But there is an entire spectrum of prices even in Japan. Mandarin hotel will set you back 10.000 SEK for one night, easy. Re. General cost of living, the whole world has gone to shit. Money doesn’t go as far, just food shopping in Sweden is now a big chunk of a household economy. Of course, that applies to all of us that haven’t gotten exponentially richer in the last 2 decades… and the ratio of very well off, to those that are starting to consider food banks, is a lot larger than it was pre 2000’s. Eventually, the rich, whose main resource is the 99%, will dig their own graves, as normal folk can’t afford any luxury any more. Then it will go to shit for them as well; they’re just too short sighted to see it. By that time of course, it won’t have gotten any easier for the rest of us. Well, that was a bit dark, but it’s reality nonetheless.
I saw a comment on how a generation before us a lot of people could afford to have a holiday every year, have a nice enough place to live, have kids, and hobbies. For my generation (older Millennial) and younger we have to pick one. I picked vacations, so I save hard every year so I can travel (I go to Japan every two years ^^) but I do nothing else: I don't eat out, I don't have hobbies that cost money etc. I don't think there's some magic answer, so if anyone is struggling then I want you to know that you're not doing anything wrong: it's not your fault that the world is unfair and I hope things get better for you.
a kind comment that I hope many read~
On the other hand, look at what so many people do spend their money on. When I think back about previous generations, what they owned, what they spent their money on and I look at the younger generations today, there is also a big difference whereby people these days buy a lot of stuff, waste a lot of money simple because of a fear of missing out. And for that generation before you, ask where they went on holiday. You'll find that most of those people didn't fly half way around the world when they went. When I was a kid, we went every year, for a midweek, about half an hour driving from your home. But yes, we went every year.
So much this,real vacations are too expensive. But i do sometimes visit family at the other side of my little country or a concert.that kind afeels like a mini vacation to me 😅
one thing that always seems to be common: even if people are getting a raise, everything else rises too like taxes, rents, costs of energy, gasoline or groceries. and people can consider themselves lucky if they have more or less the same amount of money left. but espcially thanks to taxes, some people might even have less money to live of as they had prior to their raise.
@@Hans-gb4mv these people might have the realistic fear of losing the little spare money they´ve left to taxes, inflation or another economic crash. and as an old german saying goes: "das letzte Hemd hat keine Taschen", which means that you can´t take any of your money with you in the afterlife.
We live vicariously though you mate. You don't make ostentatious shows of wealth in your videos and you often show the cheaper side of things. Everything you do seems achievable once you get there, which really helps lighten the load of existing here (Sydney).
Been going through a tough time, but things are getting better. Wifey wants to visit Japan and has for a long time. I'm hoping next year we can achieve her goal. Your videos help make that dream seem more like something we can achieve.
A low budget trip would be awesome especially if it catered to non speakers. Things that'd be great to see for us personally would be the cherry blossoms (doing that cheaply could be difficult) and studio Ghibli museum naturally. I'm somewhat limited in mobility, i can only stand for about 30 minutes at a time if that makes an impact. Again just as content ideas, I'm sure whatever you do will be great.
Hey Norm!
I'm a bigtime lurker and almost never comment, but this time I'd like to share since you asked.
I turned 33 this year and of the last 13 years I'd say the first 10 were rough both financially and mentally. But about 3 years ago now I decided to make a career change and it turned out to be the best decision I could've made at that point in time. Ever since I've been doing a whole lot better on both ends, so much so that I can finally afford that trip to Japan I've been dreaming about for most of my adult life. I'll be hopping on a plane sometime in May 2025 and be in Japan for about 3 weeks... I'm super excited for it :D
As for the job I ended up swapping too, it's something I can't say too much about as it involves the manufacturing of your favorite TCG and of course that comes with a lot of NDA's.
I loved the 1.000.000 seconds series you did on the Explore channel and hope to see you do more.
Seamstrees here... low pay, almost starving... Got a job, starting tomorrow, hope it gets better. 💙🇩🇴🕊️
Good luck to you 🫂
I really appreciate this channel. It's rare to see genuine respect and empathy on UA-cam. People talk about it but I rarely feel it. Thanks.
"genuine respect and empathy" ...yes, that hit me in this video
I am extremely sad to know that I will never visit Japan. It is a country that I have loved since I was a child. I end up feeling fulfilled in other people's videos, like yours. That scene with the trains crossing, the river and the vegetation almost made me cry. I could stay there all day doing nothing. Thank you very much for the simple and well-made content.
As for how I am doing, everything is fine. Life is going well here in Brazil. I work as a freelancer from home. I am an illustrator/designer. That is how I pay my bills. It is bad because it is not a fixed income every month and I end up having a bit of a hard time, but I survive.
I live in Fortaleza, a beach city. Today the sun is shining beautifully but I am feeling lazy on a Sunday here in my bed. lol.
Take care!
Never say never! You never know, but maybe you can visit Japan someday. I hope you can go after your dreams, and make them true!
keep trying, for one thing you can enter contests, that's free, no obligation and one of my friends got to see Japan this way.
You have to experience the people. Visiting another country is life experience. UA-cam and TV won't let you do that.
I love Fortaleza. I stayed there for Three months . Muito bom
I was having a rough time in Brazil and recently began my life here in Europe. Sold everything and arrived with nothing to lose.
Sleeping on the sofa, no room for me and working at retail. Frankly not bad, considering the problems I was facing in Brazil.
When someone pointed a gun at my face, that's when I drew the line and decided to take control over my life.
Also, aside from safety, there is also the financial side. Living in the Brazilian "economy rollercoaster" was mentally draining... Even more than I thought. I always thought it was normal, until I left Brazil. Then I learned that I was pretty much swimming against a waterfall there with the insane devaluation of BRL vs USD or Euro, which not only results in inflation, but also a degradation in the living standards.
Frankly, if you really want to do something, focus on that and set milestones. That's how I left Brazil. With careful planning and facing severe drawbacks, including an emergency surgery, my plan B began in 2016 and reached my flight to Europe in 2023.
Begin buying some yen or USD and set up the funds to do this trip or explore the world outside Brazil right now. You live only once and I guess it is worth giving a try even if you are unsure if it will work.
Cheers mate. o/
Im not ok im chronically ill and have chronic pain my mental health sucks but watching this channel helps me escape for a bit and see places and things i will never get to see
Hang in there
i’m with you. though I still hold out hope. but man it’s rough to even do that sometimes
🫂
I have established myself in the hydro power generation industry in Washington State USA with the help of training and benefits I received form my 6 years in the Navy. I don't have a family to support, just me and my dog so my expenses are relatively low. I also don't go out often and cook meals using relatively cheep ingredients. Basically I am in a good spot, but a lot of my friends and family are feeling the pinch of inflation.
Every time I look it feels like something that I need has doubled in price and halved in quality or quantity. I anticipate that standards for quality of life in America are going to keep going down for those that still work to earn a living.
One of the ways we're dealing with the cost of living is we started a garden and are growing our own greens, tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, etc. It saved us a TON of money this past summer. Now we're planting out fall veggies so we can keep saving money.
I saved a solid chunk of money with a hydroponic system for my kitchen herbs. $1-3 / bunch at the supermarket really adds up over time.
It's lovely that you asked. I think times are tough for everyone who isn't extremely wealthy. I come from a very work focused hard working working class family from just outside of London. The downside is the average house is 13 times the average salary and I lived with my parents untill I was 37 to be able to get on the ladder. I'm thinking of myself as one of the very lucky ones ! But I can't help but think I missed out on my 20's and 30's I basically came out of university and continued living like a poor student for another 15 years. Thankfully after lots of hard work I have a decent paying job. But without my parents patience I'm pretty sure I'd be on the street right now. I spend my Christmas bonus walking around handing money to homeless people as it so easily could have been me. Hope you're all doing well and surviving - big love to all.
Good on you for thinking about the homeless and keeping some perspective. Most people don't.
I have a saying: "Who gives, receives" - surely goodness will return to you! All the best, greetings from Poland 🙂🙃😉
Honestly I live for these videos. Traveling and seeing people’s lives outside from where I live. I can’t even an afford a vacation and visit a local place. Nothing that requires plane let alone a hotel
it's why I try to make it feel like you're right here with me!
@@TokyoLens channels like yours mean so much to people for whatever reason, financial, physical etc to see the world!❤
@@TokyoLensthen you’re doing a great job Norm, keep it up. It IS appreciated.
I'm barely scraping by. My rent takes two thirds of my paycheque and the rest is taken by bills and food. I'm very lucky that I have that much and can just about survive, but it's a life with only a little joy. I count my blessings as best I can, but it gets hard sometimes when something breaks and you can't fix it. Still, travelling to Japan is a dream of mine so I live vicariously through videos like yours, especially seeing just little places and streets and alleyways and track-side cafes is so evocative, and I would love to see a budget travel Tokyo guide in the hopes that I can one day make my dream come true. And I think a lovely bridge where you can see some trains is one of the best sights in the world - that one with all the greenery is gorgeous.
And to everyone else having a hard time right now, keep going!
Hi Smith. Thank you for sharing your thoughts. That being said, it's definitely not normal to spend 2/3 of your paycheck on rent. You should try to lower that by any mean because it's simple not sustainable. You're working for your landlord. Have you thought about going back living at your parents? If it's not possible, Otherwise, try to get a roommate at least. Or downscale where you live. But as I said, it's simply not sustainable. I also recommends looking at some financial related subreddits. That's what I do and it helps me. If you go from 2/3 to 1/2 of your paycheck, that would leave you with 16% more money. You can put 8% aside each paycheck for visiting Japan. On this, I say good luck and Ganbatte!
@@blogeek7039 Thank you for your advice! I know it's not sustainable but none of those suggestions are viable options right now due to where I live. I am working on getting a better job that will hopefully give me some breathing room. I won't stop working towards it.
@@blogeek7039 Often for people spending most of their income on rent and bills, they're already pretty much at the minimum cost for their locale, that's actually part of how a lot of the interesting people have become displaced from their home cities. especially when gentrification is too much at play.
I love that you genuinely have this interest in how people are doing - the good and the bad. I spent years struggling in many aspects of my life. It took some incredibly hard work to get to where i am today and improve my life. I still encounter difficult times, like really difficult, but i keep on keeping on. I am a stubbornly independent woman living alone in Australia - it's bloody expensive, and I'm far from rich, but i have a pretty decent quality of life now. I'll be in Japan again in February. It never gets old to me. I love it.
I am in Australia, the cost of living here is very high but my husband and I are organising our sixth trip to Japan in February. For us coming to Japan is a cheap holiday if you plan. I always get airfares when they are on sale and research where to stay and go. Next years trip we are planning to go to more rural Japan , Shikoku. I compare accomodation and we don't eat at expensive restaurants when we are away. We never or rarely eat out when we are home and do extra jobs to put into the Japan fund. I sew and do markets as well as work full-time. For us to stay in a basic hotel in Australia you are looking at least $200 per night. I get great deals in Japan. For us we would rather travel to a country that is beautiful, full of wonderful people and fab food than waste money on takeaway or going out here. We love Japan and can't wait to get back to our other "home". thanks and we love your videos.
I saved for 9 years of full time work. No big frivolous expenses during that time. I'm currently in Japan and will be here for the next month and a half. The only way I could afford it is because of saving up for damn near a decade.
Saizeriya, Matsuya, and random teishoku places has been really useful for me here.
Should also mention that I've been surviving fine. Live in a van by choice to save money and worked full time(or more) since out of high school. Currently Japan just feels so reasonably priced to travel around!
@@seamus6028 do you plan on staying?
Nope, just vacationing till the end of October or so.
I live in Brazil, I can't and probably will never make it to Japan, just to get there would cost about as much I make in a year, that not to mention that I'll have to eat during the travel, I'll have to actually find a place to live if I ever get there... It's a distant dream, but a man can dream.
thats quite expensive~
mind you... you never know what the future holds
so keep at it and who knows what you will achieve along thew way!
Sending you love from Japan❤
I am not sure if even calling it "struggling" is appropriate anymore. I barely exist. I can barely afford food. but it's nice to know that once I check myself out there will be still people who can live a life, have dreams, found a purpose or at least can see more of the world. these videos usually tend to give me some escapism. but they are hard when they remind me of my now. either way they are absolutely worth being seen.
I hope things will get better for you.
While going on vacation is a privilege I also treat it as something to work to. I like to set a budget and seeing my extra cash flow go into the Japan piggybank gives me motivation to keep going. I have therefore replaced the timing of other small pleasures like going out , or buying snacks from daily to weekly or biweekly. I also started to track where my online subscriptions are going, these happen to be the easiest thing to cut out as it saves a guaranteed x amount per month. Lastly, I try to get others to join me in saving for a Japan trip even though we aren't going together. This helps build comradery and makes me even more excited to go next year, 2025 is definitely my Japan year again! Explore (ways to save), always :D
Awesome video as always Norm. Good to hear you’re doing good and health. Always look forward to watching your explore videos all around Japan keep up the great work.
Mann those 9 minutes went by quicker than they should have. We miss you Norm, I hope you have another live scheduled sometime this year!
I gotta say there is just a weird uneasiness brewing this year, economies just feel off and I hope it levels out without too much trauma D:
I'm still holding on to my bucketlist of visiting Japan, it will happen 🙏
Thanks Norm!!
I haven’t traveled abroad since before pandemic but traveling or living in another country really seems to be expensive. Looking forward to everyone’s comments about their tips, thoughts and so on! Btw loved the train view spots you showed us😆Thank you for sharing!
yeah being Japanese and getting paid salary in Japanese yen, with the way its been struggling lately makes the idea of travel quite challenging~
Glad you enjoyed the spots~!
Huge support from Slovakia! I have been watching your videos since like 2020 and this july I was fortunate enough to go to JAPAN for 2 weeks(loved it)!
hope you can make it back some time!
It is incredible the optimism and happiness you can bring in your videos, even talking about serious and sensitive content. I don't have any idea how you can do it, but I'm just so glad that you can and decided to share!
I really appreciate you being open about how hard it is right now. Sometimes, it’s too easy to see influencers who appear to be living luxuries we can never dream of, which even if the content is fun, can leave people feeling inadequate. Not aiming that at you or anything specific, but y’know.
I had dreamed of visiting Japan all my life, and I finally got to live that last year. It was the happiest time of my life, but the sad reality of that, is that I could only afford it due to inheritance from my late grandfather. I could also only justify it because I had graduated from uni (as a mature student) during the pandemic - so it was a one-time gift to myself once the borders reopened.
I would love to return to Japan - especially as circumstances meant that I had to cancel the Kyoto/Osaka part of my trip. However, I’m in my 30s and still living at home. I have a full time job, but my salary could only afford a house share where I live. So, I don’t know when I’ll be able to go again - but I am slowly saving what I can.
What a wonderful group of followers/commenters! It's good to hear how others get along. And how people can scrimp and save to get to Japan - or whatever they want to do. I appreciate the tips on how to enjoy Japan frugally.
Hello from Toronto!
Will be visiting Japan again later this month (6th time across 25 years), including Okinawa as I’ve never been.
You are right that things have gotten quite expensive in many places, and it is hard to pay the bills while still being able to enjoy life. I count myself as very lucky to be able to afford vacations.
My heart goes out to all those who are struggling and reading these comments. Your circumstances are not a reflection of you, but rather that life is based on chance, luck and things out of one’s control. Such causality is simply a fact of the universe. All of us are in this together.
Wishing everyone good health and happiness!
Oh you're definitely not off base, you're totally spot on base! I live in Wales and work an an entry level data job for £25k a year. That's always been plenty for little old me, but lately it's just not enough and I'm dreading winter because I can't afford to put the heating on. It's deeply scary, but that's why I love channels like yours that help me see the rest of the world for free!
the UK was insanely expensive too and that TESCO meal deal just wasnt good enough haha
Im happy to keep showing what I can here in Japan though~
@TokyoLens oh don't get started on meal deals... used to be able to get em for £3, now they're £3.75. it might not sound like much, but considering the fact that i get it every weekday the difference really starts adding up
If you learn SQL to a good level you're quite likely to get a decent paying data analyst job. Nothing crazy but It would be a lot more of a comfortable existence.
@@MrL702 Thank you for the advice, I will definitely try!
Tokyo extreme budget video yes please. I watch all your videos so if you make it I'll watch it!
I am struggling living in the US and not living up to my full potential. Lookinig to change both of those things.
I love how optimistic you always are. One get such great energy from you.
As a train nerd, I would absolutely love to spend an afternoon at that cafe!
Love that spot you showed at the end of the video!
Glad you’re doing well! As for me. I’m doing ok. I’m frugal and so far that has worked for me. I can afford little luxuries every now and then. But I always think twice before I buy something. I’m a “if I won’t miss it if I don’t buy it, then I won’t buy it” kind of person.
I don't live in japan, but generally eating out is more expensive than cook by ourself. Also can choose a cheap ingredients, if cooked right can be delicious too
that makes sense!
My husband and I are struggling because my health took a turn when they discovered a cyst in my brain. Our income has been cut in half. We enjoy watching you channel knowing we will probably never make it to Japan or do any major travels again. Keep on with your channel and keep up the good work. You seem like a very nice and honest guy.
🫂
I love the train track views. Especially with the overgrown greenery thus makes for a nice "park-like" appearance and shows that Tokyo still cares about greenery in the city.
I've just returned from Shimanami Kaido trip yesterday evening and even though I reapplied sunscreen three times on some places and wearher was cloudy most of the time I still got sunburnt.
Just goes to show that September is still not the month to go to Japan.
Random blogs are great. Keep them up!
Another great video, Norm. Thanks for diving into this topic.
These days, my biggest struggle is figuring out what it truly means to live. I don’t have the answer, and I suspect it’s different for everyone.
Living can’t just be about breathing, waking up every morning, going to a job you despise for a wage that barely keeps you afloat, all while knowing you’ll never afford your own home. It’s hard to accept that you’ve found your dream country but may never get to live there-that no matter how hard you work or how much you study, things might never really improve.
So, yeah... defining what life and living actually mean feels like the first step.
Totally agree. I try to live with a positive attitude even though my rent and bills tap me out ever month and I can't go to the movies or get take out like I used to. I'm just happy to have a roof over my head and a job. It's all in the way you look at life. Yes it sucks right now but maybe if we're all lucky things will change fir the better soon. We can only hope.🤞🏻
Thank you so much for checking how we’re doing! I’m glad to hear that you are doing well😊
I travelled out of North America(I live in Canada but I don't count the US as "travel" since it's so close) and into Japan about 7 months ago and even though it wasn't cheap by any stretch of the imagination it gave me a lot of perspective on why people choose experiences over saving as much as possible for retirement or a better living situation. My family arrived first and I arrived in Haneda Airport and had to get to Kyoto by myself with no lick of Japanese and the experience was anxiety driving. It took me over 2 hours to find my way out of the airport and get to Shinagawa station. it took me about atleast 45 minutes watching UA-cam videos on how to ride the Shinkansen, how to buy tickets, the different between Nozomi, Hikari and Kodama. And I was out of my depth.
But in the end. I made it to Kyoto alright. I BARELY made it to my train and it already arrived when I ran down the escalator and knowing Japan's commitment to being "on time" it was anxiety driving. And even though it sounds cheesy. Looking outside the bullet train and seeing the cities at night since I got in late afternoon was surreal. And regardless of how the rest of the vacation went, in that moment I told myself it was worth it. I loved what Japan represented. A place people live a little differently from my home in Toronto. While I can't see myself ever immigrating to Japan, the experience of being there and experiencing the culture is what makes the short time there worth while. I carry the memories, the pictures and etc.. It's super cheesy. But yeh. My trip to Japan helped me realize why people want the experiences even if they have to save up for it or sacrifice elsewhere in their life.
I know it's a wall of text but yeh. I get why people travel now.
Thank you Norm for asking us on how we're doing, it's appreciated 😊
Hell from Australia
I found your channel about a year ago and it's helped me on my most depressed days after a week at work spending Saturday morning laying out on my lounge watching your amazing content
I will never get the opportunity to visit Japan you allow me the opportunity thank you
Please do more tiny apartments as well
All the best to you in all your future endeavours
We're in the "cheaper" part of New York City and we took the multigenerational approach. My parents, my brother and I share a single place, we each get our own area with a shared living space, and we're all extremely grown adults but living on our own is just not feasible. Though, neither me nor my brother are in relationships at this time, which helps. Mom realized our entire monthly house bills was less than rent for a studio and has since decided we'll just keep doing this forever. ... Every 'outing' is done via coupons and app deals, movie theatres have a lot of 'discount ticket' days and generally we're doing pretty well with this approach.
I could have gone years ago but didn’t think it a practical move at the time. I watched friends go there, and either build a life or return home with a new family in tow. Then health complications, and difficulty determining the right therapies and medication drained me of everything. Fortunately my family was willing to adjust their goals to carry my weight when I couldn’t. Eventually I was approved for disability income and insurance assistance, and somehow managed to figure out how to live simply with the health challenges. Today I still wish I could experience places around the world, but most of all the countryside of Japan. Since 2020 my limited functional capacity is given in return to assist those who supported me through life’s difficult moments. One day they will pass on, and I might be able to finally take that adventure, though until then I feel blessed to see the world through people like you, Norm. Your thoughtfulness shines today. 😊
🫂
I learned how to cook from scratch and make big batches at a time. I also looked for help in the community and started volunteering at a food pantry where I also get to take home a big box of food each month. I was able to secure a scholarship for my daughter who has type 1 diabetes through StepUp for Students and that has been a tremendous blessing. Don't be afraid to look for help, it may not be easy to find but it is out there!
I'm doing pretty well, teaching in Texas. I'm good at saving too. So there will be another trip to Japan next Summer.
Thanks Norm, you really have a wonderful relationship with your followers. Hope you're doing alright too!
It's funny, my boss and I were just having this conversation this morning. We're doing alright, but we are feeling the pinch. My heart goes out to all who are really doing it tough. Channels like Tokyo Lens give us a bit of escapism that is sorely needed in these times. Cheers!
I retired a year ago while my continues to work. She works from home so we got rid of one car. The taxes and insurance were getting so out of control that we got rid of one as a cost-cutting measure.
I do the cooking in our family so I also do all the grocery shopping. I shop almost exclusively at the budget grocery store. The bigger chain stores are so overpriced that we can't afford to go there anymore. The budget grocery store is within a block of a very affluent neighborhood. Ther parking lot is always full of cars from the affluent neighborhood. We are all shopping there because we are all struggling.
We never go out to eat. We simply do not feel we can afford the prices at restaurants.
My daughter and her husband live with us an have for three years. They have been looking for a house for two+ years and can't find one that is affordable. Both work but even with that, they have been priced out of the market.
Our property taxes and car insurances doubled over the past few years. And I'm talking thousands of dollars in increase.
We also hear this constantly from friends and family that they are all struggling.
But at the same time, we are happy. We have enough food and a place to call home. We're healthy and have a caring family. Would ti be nice to have more, sure, but we're still doing ok.
Side note Norm. My son and I are coming to Japan soon. My son and his girlfriend are flying to Tokyo in mid-Oct. I am going to Fukuoka on Nov. 3rd or 4th where they will join me. Do you have any videos on the Fukoka area? I am not as adventurous as my son so I will be staying in the Fukuoka area for about 8-9 days. Any thoughts on things I should definitely take the time to visit? We are also going to day 2 of the Sumo basho.
Oh hey that's kinda cool I'm also going to Tokyo in October
My parents both died last year so I've had quite some time of adjustment. Finances had started to become difficult and although I miss my parents very much, the inheritance has been so helpful. I can now follow my dream to do more art and learn more. It's an exciting time.
I've been making it by working OT at my job for the last few years, and credit cards. Credit cards aren't the best but I've been able to do a little more with them but now I'm able to work on getting rid of them. Lately it hasn't been as easy, even with a nice raise, due to inflation. Plus I have a lot of people in my house too. So my dreams of making it to Japan get pushed further down the road.
I would love to see a cheap trip/cheap living video by you on here. I did enjoy the "free" spots you have shown off on this video and I added it to my Japan trip ideas playlist. Those were some lovely spots. I really like trains, because of my dad, and enjoy watching different ones drive around.
I switched to a credit card that gives miles so it can help pay for the trip.
That kinda-hidden cafe overlooking the tracks is why I love Japan so much. Hidden treasures everywhere when you go out and look!
Very insightful video. We have been in Japan since March doing a roadie with no expectations of what we will see or do. Loving it and because of this channel I wanted to visit Doai , and last weekend I actually went there. It was totally worth it, thanks for showing us.
I live on a very narrow early pension. I saved for 15 years by skimping and scraping in every way possible and was finally able to visit Japan last autumn. Luckily got a JR pass before the price hike and spent a month traveling around Honshu trying to experience as much as I could knowing I'm unlikely to ever be able to come back. I aim to try however, I'd love to explore Shikoku next time.
On another note the fact nirm reads every comment and often responds is still incredible to me. So many creators fear the comments and act like viewers are all bots. It's always nice when a creator treats viewers like humans.
Thanks for asking, Norm!
When I left Asia last year due to health concerns I knew it would be the end of my life there because the costs of just trying to live in Canada was going to empty my savings within a short amount of time. I have maybe a year left and I still haven't been able to get my health issues taken care of because of the (intentional by both political parties) destruction of the Canadian healthcare system while I was overseas. I got better healthcare in Miyazaki after Shinmoedake gave me bronchitis AND my boss was okay with me taking two weeks off to heal. Here I'd get fired.
I know you know how lucky you are in life right now. But man, you are so lucky.
Anyway, I came across Manseibashi by accident on my final visit to Tokyo. It was kinda magical. Thanks for bringing that memory back to me.
You are truly a very beautiful person. Thank you endlessly for putting in so much time and effort into making these videos. Your videos are truly very amazing and very much appreciated.
I rarely if ever comment on videos but i just wanted to thank you for the passion you put into your work. Visiting Japan (specifically the big three: Osaka, Kyoto, & Tokyo) has always been a dream of mine and getting to see your experiences through the videos always keeps that dream alive that ill one day get to visit. 😊
I think that is the problem: Most people don't. There is a lot of comfort in staying where you are - a roof, functional internet, buying things to make the individual feel comfortable, and no real need to try and do something different. I mean, it had to take someone pulling the rug out from under me in a friendship to even think about doing something completely different and radically save us some scratch. And that is tough, very tough. Especially here in California where that is somewhat unheard of.
It takes radical thinking to make radical changes and radical actions to reduce the need to stay the same, I suppose.
I live in Kelowna British Columbia, Canada. My husband has been out of work with an injury for over a year and has earned no money in this time. I work 2 jobs and just barely get by. We cook/eat at home and are very frugal. If I get time off of work, I spend it at home doing odd crafts and cleaning. We have little expenses. We don't own a car. I take the bus to my job and we don't have children. We are both 50 years old and have 3 cats. At this point, I won't ever be able to retire. I will be working until I'm in my grave. Watching your channel is my escape and how I get to see things outside of my little world. Thank you Norm.
Hi Norm! Thanks for this video! MY wife and I are fortunate to be coming over to Tokyo for a visit in November. The little spots you showed today are now pinned on our map of things to do. Its these little hidden gems that will really make the trip worthwhile.!
Hi! First time viewer! In my state in the US, cost of living is ridiculous, but I enjoy living here. For work, I have to commute an hour every day, for four days, from my home away from home, and then commute three hours to/from my actual home on weekends to spend time with family. With my paychecks, I prioritize budgeting things like bills, groceries, responsibilities and savings first and then whatever is left over from that is money towards anything not in those categories. “You Need A Budget” has been great as far as keeping my finances under control. But again, don’t love the cost of living at the moment. That said, thanks for checking in! And please make a video about visiting Japan on a budget, although $1-2 items are ludicrously affordable for my situation.
Yaayyyyy!!! Happy to see Norm back on the streets of Tokyo again. 👍
Well... In Ireland shop prices are not horrible, but renting and bills are crazy.
interesting~
yea rent prices seem to be out of control in a lot of places
I live in the far western suburbs of Sydney, Im heavily disabled and live off a disability payment. I live in an old apartment with my partner, who cares for me and is paid to do so, with another similar government income. Our weekly rent is more than half our total weeks income and due to the housing crisis here, we are considered some of the lucky ones. Mix in utility bills and my medications and we are barely left with enough with food, sometimes running a day or 2 short, but we always make do.
Even with this, I still plan to visit japan sometime within the next year. Occasionally the flights go one sale, $400 for a return flight to osaka or tokyo. Sometimes with deals that include a weeks stay at a hotel for only $50-$100 more. Its always been one of the biggest dreams of mine. I just hope i get there while i can still walk.
We are saving so hard for our trip to japan in Nov/Dec this year, so excited cant wait!
Due to the cost of everything in Australia it has taken us twice as long as id hoped. Sadly it means missing out on seeing awesome people like you perform when you are in Oz.
I am not complaining as i know many people cannot afford basic living atm, just commenting as you requested.
Love these 'chats' please do more 💗
Glad to see a new video man. I won’t get to into the weeds but it isn’t easy as I feel most people in the world are experiencing at this time. In the US inflation is hitting pretty hard despite big brothers insistence it’s going down and thanks to the last couple years I know more people choosing to take on a housemate/staying with family to try and cut some costs and get back on their feet. Hope all is well and you keep doing your thing Norm. My thoughts of a trip have been pushed back but I’m still gunning for it hopefully before next years end.
I work in IT and despite a lot of the layoffs here in the US, I’ve been fortunate to keep my job. Still, I have to be purposeful about my spending, using a budgeting app to account for each dollar.
This helps immensely as it allows me to prioritize what I want to spend on and since visiting Japan is important to me, I can put money towards my travels every paycheck.
Still, I like to travel pretty frugally so I’d love to see a video with your tips on keeping expenses to a minimum and finding great things to do and see without breaking the bank.
Conversely, I wouldn’t mind seeing a video of what it’s like to splurge. I value new experiences but also enjoy bringing back any souvenirs that fit my hobbies.
Keep up the great work! I’ve always enjoyed your content!
Doesn't IT in USA pay a heap? I do IT consultancy, but in Europe and I hear that US pays double compared to where I live (the Netherlands).
@@Astke It's a complicated situation involving the difference 'actual' and 'effective' wages in the US.
Salary can vary widely depending on experience, job title, the company, and what area you live in. Glassdoor has the average pay rate for entry-level IT at $60k-120k per year which is a wide range. Part of the problem is that when you do live in an area of the US with a lot of IT demand (and higher wages) then the cost of living in those areas is dreadfully high compared to the rest of the United States.
A lot of high-paying companies told people they needed to move closer to the offices now that the pandemic was over. (For a bit during the pandemic, some large companies were hiring outside-of-area for jobs where you could be remote.) As people moved closer to the office, this resulted in a spike in rents, house prices, food prices, and transportation fees.
Healthcare and medicine also cost more in America compared to other places. The sources I found show that the USA pays a bit less than 2x per capita for healthcare as what they do in the Netherlands. (About $12.7k per person in the US compared to $7.2k US dollars in the Netherlands. This is PPP converted from OECD data for 2022.) For people with children, there also is not guaranteed maternity leave or child-care benefits, and childcare can cost several thousand dollars per child per month.
So, the overall result is that even though IT in America seems to pay very well based on just the salary amount, that doesn't tend to actually translate to being able to easily afford travel.
Logistically it’s insane here in California. On paper it looks like I make a lot but all things considered here that money doesn’t go a long way. If I get laid off, it’s over lol.
yeah I've been seeing a lot of that~
Good morning from Vancouver, Norm! So glad to see you first thing in the morning!
ooooo pricey place to be from lol
and good morning!
Yeah! It’s getting more and more expensive, but you can always choose to go to the park (free) and shop at Daiso and dollarama! Haha!
Hope to see you more often, Norm! Take care!
I really love your channel and it helped me a lot , also thank you because really get information about Japan that I don’t know, this channel has a big impact on me knowing new things about beautiful country and thank you for sharing that ❤
I really love your videos. They kinda inspired me to learn japanese (just started a few weeks ago) and making a list of all the places i wanna see. And you my friend, are making my list longer and longer. So thank you and stay the way you are.
Most ppl are just living paycheck to paycheck, most of us will never have any of these fantasies fulfilled and will only live and die in the small places we live. Videos like these help with escapism but none of this will ever change.
I hope things eventually do change
its scary to think that it might not
but I hope that it does~
That's not true. Where you sit can make a huge difference in your life. I had a coworker who changed jobs and was immediately making 1.5 times what I make per year.
I'm right there with you, working paycheck to paycheck. Even got a promotion recently but it didn't even make a dent because everything here is so sky high. Hopefully in things will change for the better soon.
I live in the Netherlands and if you do a 2week+ trip for two to Japan, it will be as expensive as a trip to Italy/Greece/Spain giving you back waaaaaaay more than any other trip.
Werkelijk goh ik dacht dat naar japan gaan voor vakantie biina on mogelijk was moet ik onthouden.
@@Parugraph If you are flexible with dates (you can fly in the middle of the week), do not require fancy hotels (super clean rooms in everywhere but Tokyo can be found for 60EUR), do plan your trip before, so that you optimize all the transport routes, you can do a 3 week trip for about 2500-2700EUR per person, including hotels, food, airplane etc. You need like 2000EUR more for all the stuff you want to buy :D
@Boogie3D Thanks for the advice. Now, it doesn't seem that impossible anymore and yea I'm probably going to need a lot of money for all the things I want to buy 😂
Also a good second (cheaper) option is Korea! Found KLM offers for a return flight to Seoul from Amsterdam for 625 euro's a while back.
@@SlavicPrideOfficial Yes, it can be cheaper to go to Japan through Korea (did that this year). But I would rather not exchange Korea for Japan...
You listing those prices is actually sad, sad how I find them extremely affordable. Canada has always been expensive, but recently it's over the top expensive. I live in Toronto, I came to this country as a student with nothing, worked and I saved up to live a decent life while in law school. I still have to have a part-time job to pay for day-to-day expenses. Between by part-time job taking care the bills, saving covering the rent, and student loan paying the tuition I am doing alright. No luxuries, no eating out, buying clothes on sales. Even with all of that I have no wiggle room and I have to pray to find a job before graduation or else not be able to stay afloat financially. But with the current market, I should be doing significantly better and be almost debt-free in about 5 years. Maybe then I'll finally get to travel!
Thanks for all of your videos! You inspire me to explore more of Japan. My husband and I have a trip booked for November but we are possibly going to postpone due to his health issues. Both of us are so disappointed that we might not be able to go but still holding on to a tiny thread of hope that he'll be ok enough. We'll see! I'm grateful we have the opportunity to go even if we have to wait longer.
I grew up not eating out, only having money for two games a year (and literally nothings else), only going on hiking vacations in hostels and even not going on vacation from ages 16-19 (because I didn't wanna go do the same again and was old enough to stay at home alone), I got my retro consoles from cousins and bought games on flea markets. I was very fortunate to get payed for university because it was in cooperation with a company and that gave me enough money that I even got to go on a semester abroad in Japan and take many trips there. I met people there who weren't as fortunate and I really hope for them that they will start earning enough money to go on the trips they want. It is easy to forget how it feels to not have any money for hobbies or outings, so it is nice to see a video like this to bring me down to earth and appreciate how lucky I am. Keep up the good work!
Simple answer: I can't.
TLDR: As a teacher I don't travel, I don't go out, I don't buy lunch - I make my own sandwiches if I have time. That's the life in the Central European country behind the former Iron Curtain. Maybe my kids will live better life. So I watch as much as I can yours and similar channels on UA-cam, to travel through your eyes. Thanks. Love the Tokyo hidden surprises you are showing. Be seeing you.
The most annoying part about the cost crisis is that the media in my country is pushing the refugee/foreigner thing and outright ignore that most people struggle to afford their monthly expenses. And people fall for it because blaming the stranger for all the problems is easier than trying to actually fix issues within the system
Great comment, what country do you live in?
Australia? The immigrants are being blamed here as well.
Absolutely! Same here in germany.
Well it might not be the individual immigrants fault. Their presence and your government allowing and my government allowing them to be here it there and pay for them to be here competes with locals. This is due to government offering to pay full costs of apartments and housing versus normal people that have to qualify. Which buys up supply of living accommodations. With the apartments choose to raise their rates and go with guaranteed checks from the government versus a working person who has to qualify.
I can not afford to go to Japan . I really want to go .
understandable
I've been in that position~
Thanks for asking Norm! I'm quite blessed living in the US to have a good paying job and little debt. The thing that I try to live by is spending within my means and budgeting. This helps me feel confident when going out and helps me not overspend.
Going to japan again in october have been enjoying your old content and newer ones too appreciate the work!
Good question, ngl
hope it makes sense lol
@@TokyoLens I want to be honest, I live in Europe, Germany and you basically can't afford anything anymore.. only the bare minimum. Everything went downhill since like 2018.
answer: we can't. we all have alot of debt 😢
@@breadboi420 Well.. some have debt. I don't have debt and still say it's really hard to afford anything nowadays with a normal job. Especially going out is expensive.
i recently had my first holiday in 3 years spending 5 days in Milano. but only because i booked it 5 months before and spend like 350€ for the whole holiday.
The rich get richer and the poor get poorer.
Pretty much this is the only realistic answer.
I think it’s not really about the poor people, the problem is that the people who have good jobs and an education and all that are the ones losing something. It’s the middle class or even the upper middle class that dwindles into this obscure realm of „everything becomes too expensive“
@@lars7282 That's exactly what I meant. You can come from a first-world country, get a higher degree, and still end up getting poorer / not able to buy many goods without saving for a long time. Germany is my go-to example. Even if you work your *** off, everything is still decided by where you come from, whether it's your parents' nationality or just the neighborhood you grew up in. Most of the time if you want to make more you either have to cut corners, use the network u got or just exploit the legal system. If we start comparing what the minimum wage could get you in the 80s to what you can expect nowadays with a bachelor's or master's degree, it just gets sad.
Matthew’s law brother
Thanl you for the Video, so many (me includet) are struggling thru live. One thing that makes makes a mice day is to watch and listen to you.
I'd love to see the budget video, personally. Maybe I won't ever get to use it or any of the ideas, but it's nice to dream.
I also love the videos about all the little sites and stores around Tokyo. I don't really have time for long videos after I get off work, so the fifteen to twenty minute videos about interesting off-beat spots are perfect for me. I love the channel and thanks so much for what you've shown, so far!
Thank you for asking. Its been hard. We have been working on visiting Japan, and we all (all 4 in my family) had to get second jobs to help pay for it. Your videos help for sure. We have so many off-the-beaten path things planned that came form your channel. And those don't cost anything!
I'm retired, on a fixed income, and have been watching Tokyo Lens (enjoying it very much!) and also a couple of daily living vlogs. I have changed my whole cooking and shopping routine. I shop every day or two, fresh foods/produce, and use what I buy before shopping again. My food budget has shrunk by almost one-third, and I'm eating better, and health is improving. There is no longer any cash outlay for my hobby, which is listening to music. My 50-year collecting of records means that I have more music than I can listen to in a couple of years, so that's what I do. If my health continues to improve, I may take up travel, day trips or short-stay vacations. Five years ago, none of this would have been an option for me.
I honestly get help from my immediate family. But everytime I get on UA-cam and watch videos like yours, I consider more heavily what it would be like to move somewhere like Japan. It seems super daunting and I get nervous thinking about it. But even if it's for a few years, I feel like it would be an awesome life experience. Not too sure on how to start all that though, need to get a bit more serious about it
Love your videos and the way you interact with your subscribers, feels great hanging out here. Thankyou for all the videos and your efforts do take care and let us have more different unique content of Japan. Looking forward to it :)
Love these little Vlogs. I came across your channel when you were doing regular Tokyo Tuesdays videos, would love to see more of these.
Thanks for the vid man. Forced me to face the insanely rough year it’s been, but your videos always, always help. Keep it up.
hi norm, i just want to tell you, i have been watching your videos,.. i think for 6 year now, and you don't know how big a smile on my face i got everytime i seen notification from tokyo lens💙, blass u, and i wish you all great luky and good days in your life🤲, big fan from Libya☺💙
I love the train watching spots! Perhaps a special on all your favorite places to watch trains? Or favorite short train trips?
Hey Norm, awesome video. Tokyo always seems so hustle and bustle but you’ve shown something worth doing and hanging around at. I would imagine that there are many more places in the city.
Norm you are a legend, love your videos
I love that train intersection, the combination of greenery, river, and trains is a lot to take in. Then when you went into the Cafe that has a view of trains through glass was also a treat. I could definitely have a coffee and stare at that for a while.