Quote:
Originally Posted by essex
any other english speakers living in japan have any tips on where to get foreign stuff on the cheap, or how to generally not go insane living in such a different place?
... or especially anything to reduce the cost of living.
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As Japan is a western nation by any definition but it's location, I don't find it all that different from America or Europe. The people look different, and they speak a different language, but Japan shares a great many things with the rest of western society.
I actually have no problem keeping my sanity here, provided I keep myself busy and live an active life.
As for the cost of living, there are two ways to deal with it; either spend less money, or try to earn more of it. After limited success with the former, I chose the latter, it's better to prosper than to merely survive.
Being a foreigner is difficult as it's pretty much impossible to fit in with the normal routine of things in Japanese life. The salaryman's life is all but an impossibility, but that's not a bad thing, who wants to be one of those "soshoku" wimps anyway? Being a foreigner, you live outside the box, and you can see things in ways that most Japanese cannot. There are opportunities available to foreigners that are not available (or simply aren't visible) to many Japanese. Find a niche and work in it.
I started a small export business a few months ago, and it has added a lot to my income. It started as a hobby, and has grown to the point that it has make me less dependent on my teaching job (which I still like). I hope to go into business for myself full-time after another year or two.
If I need American goods, I can get them online at the Foreign Buyers Club, or I can simply go to Costco. Costco is the only place in Japan which has decent pizza, it's twice as big as the pizzas you get from Japanese "pizza" restaurants, and costs half as much. The annual Costco membership is 4000 yen, but you'll save that much money if you buy 3 pizzas in a year instead of buying them from Pizza-la. Costco also sells quite a few foreign food products, such as beef, pork, and chicken from America, and the other goods usually cost 40% less than what Japanese stores charge for the same items.