Long Distance Commuting


When you become 30's, you have to consider about your housing plan, because you might be kicked out from "Shataku".
Salary-men who commute to Tokyo, normally chose the urban apartment which is 3LDK, 80 m2, 4,500 Man-Yen (365 thousand US dollars), and 80 minites to office with crowd train.

I respect those guys who bought the urban apartment. They can survive in the urban area! Their parents' financial support may be so much. They can afford the loan amount of over 3,000 Man-Yen!

I really respect them. I could not do that.
On the other hand, there are another way of thinking like as follows;
- I can not survive without forest.
- I do not like much population.
- I get blue when I see the Kanto plain from the balconee of the apartment.
- Air conditioning in winter shall be by the wood burn stove.
- I cannot do anything other than Kaisha in weekdays. So that the time for commuting does not mean.
- My boat shall be storaged at my own space.
- The housing loan is acceptable. But the parking fee and the Kanri-hi are not acceptable.
- 10 minutes walk to the parking? Bull shit.
- To buy a RV with bedroom, it is a tragedy.
- When it snows, I would like to enjoy XC skiing around my house.
- Recent progress in the network/communication technology. Working from home will become a normal working style.

I really think so. I have performed a cost study on the long distance commuting. The following table shows a comparison between urban apartment and countryside house.


@
ItemUrban ApartmentCountryside HouseRemarks
DesignAs builtOrdermade
Living Space80 m2Land:180 m2
Floor total: 120 m2

Parking SpaceOptional2cars' space
PopulationCrowdedLess people
AirDusty and pollutedNot bad
Commuting1 hours to office
No wife's role required.
2 hours
Wife's role required.

PetsNot permitted.Any pet OK.
EducationCompetitive
No parents' involvement
Less competition.
Parents involved
Dads' Club in Kindergarten
WeekendsFar and expensiveLike heaven
Initial Cost45,000,000 Yen35,000,000 Yentypical
Loan Amount35,000,000 Yen25,000,000 Yentypical
Loan Payment (monthly) 83,000 Yen60,000 Yen3%, 25Y
Loan Payment (bonus)500,000 Yen360,000 Yen 3%, 25Y
kanri-hi15,000 Yen/mNot requiredmaintenance fee to be paid for management association
Parking fee10,000 Yen/mNot required
Real-estate tax140,000 Yen/y70,000 Yen/yI'm not sure.
Annual expense for housing2,436,000 Yen/Year(A)1,510,000 Yen/Year(B)
Balance(A)-(B)---926,000 Yen/Year
Note: $=123 Yen


In the case of the countryside house, you have to pay from your pocket for the express fee, gas, highway-bus fee, mobile phone, Sake-cap in Joban line, etc.
However those are negligible small. Even considering the pocket money expense, still you can get the considerable cost merits.
For 30's salary-men in Japan, the amount of housing loan makes great influence on the quality of living.

Consider dads, the bubble was broken. Your decision can be made only once.


View from the bedroom.

Enjoy BBQ.

Take me to walk.


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