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Out-of-Pocket: The Realities of Business Travel Expenses In Japan
I don’t like being owed, and I don’t like to owe either!
The average monthly salary for a fresh graduate starting their career in Japan hovers around ¥180,000 to ¥260,000. However, it's important to note that this figure can vary significantly depending on the location. Additionally, the salary increment doesn’t improve substantially after that.
A business trip within Japan can cost around ¥150,000 (Hokkaido to Tokyo on a 3-day business trip), an expense that will be important to note in a few minutes.
Let me summarize one of my expenditures for a business trip from Iwate to Ehime for a business workshop.
The budget for accommodation was roughly ¥12,000 (4 nights); transport ¥125,000, food per day ¥1100.
That is a total of ¥177,400! ($1111 at time of writing)
Why should I care about these numbers, Koko?
For starters, if you are interested in working in Japan or have just accepted a job there, congratulations!
But those numbers I just mentioned are what you should prepare for if your job involves business travel.
