Our Japanese Business Diary #2: How much money do we actually need to run our business in Japan?

Hayate Yoshizawa • 12/03/2025 • 10 min read

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On Tuesday I was chatting with one of my American friends, a fellow business owner, always jet-lagged because he’s constantly flying between here and the US. At some point, he casually mentioned a monthly revenue number that made me blink twice and internally whisper,

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“Sir… are you okay? Why do you look so stressed if you make THAT much?”

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Maybe I accidentally said it out loud because he then hit me with:
“Really? But you seem so much more well off than me though?”

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Well, that comment followed me home. I kept thinking: How does someone earning less than a quarter of the average American entrepreneur somehow look ‘more comfortable’? What kind of sorcery is this?

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Spoiler alert: It’s not sorcery, it’s just Japan. Japan is the sorcery.

We all know Japan is cheaper than the US… but HOW cheap are we talking?
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Welcome to Japan, where your money actually behaves.

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Let me paint you a picture of my daily life.

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I live on the periphery of Tokyo, not “deep countryside rural rice fields” but not “Shinjuku skyscraper rent that makes your soul evaporate” either. For me, it’s comfortable, quiet and close to everything.

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And for what I pay, my American friend could probably rent… a parking space.

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Half a parking space.

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But the magic isn’t just rent.

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Restaurants are a cheat code

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In Japan, you can have a proper business meeting in a restaurant without needing:

• to take out a loan
  
  
• to pretend you’re “just having a light breakfast” while ordering nothing
  
  
• or to pray the bill doesn’t ruin the rest of your month
  
  

A full meal during a meeting? Totally normal. A great café for working? There are hundreds. A place where you can order unlimited oolong tea while talking about strategy for two hours?
Yes, please. (Take it from me: oolong tea fuels half my personality.)

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Offices? Surprisingly affordable if you’re smart about it

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My co-founder and I rent a shared office… and the price is hilarious compared to what you’d expect for Tokyo. I’ve seen American coworking prices that made me clutch my chest and whisper “I’m not ready to die.” 

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But here, it’s totally manageable!

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So why do I look more “well-off”?

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My theory: In the US, it feels like your money jumps out of your wallet and sprints into traffic.

In Japan, it calmly bows, pays for your groceries, and returns change.

The cost of daily life is simply… reasonable.

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I go to the gym every day, I eat my beloved chicken and rice (yes, I am that guy), I meet a lot of people in a lot of places (because networking is my oxygen), and I still have space in my budget to breathe.

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Meanwhile, my American friend, with his impressive revenue, is juggling:

• higher rent
  
  
• higher food costs
  
  
• higher service costs
  
  
• health insurance that apparently costs the same as my aunt’s car
  
  

I totally get why he thought I looked more “well-off.” In Japan, you don’t need massive income to live a genuinely comfortable, stable life, especially as a business owner.

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And for entrepreneurs? It's even better.

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One of the best things about Japan is that you can build a business without drowning in expenses.

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Our meetings often happen in affordable cafés. Our shared office doesn’t eat our entire revenue. Commuting is cheap. Food is reasonable.

There’s no pressure to “appear rich” to be taken seriously.
You can grow at your own pace without the financial panic of other major cities.

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Honestly… starting a company here was not just a business decision. It was a lifestyle upgrade.

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Want to see if you can make a living in Japan?

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If the idea of settling your business here sounds tempting (whether you want to build something from scratch or bring your existing company over) let’s talk.

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Building a life and a business in Japan is more accessible than most people think. And we’d be happy to help you navigate the process.

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Also, if you'd like case studies and precise numbers of how much it costs to open your business in Japan, join our newsletter!


Hayate Yoshizawa,
Co-founder at Pont Miyabi🌏
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🔗 Connect: LinkedIn | Website
📩contact@pontmiyabi.com