Japan may hold the reputation as one of the most expensive countries in the world, but that doesn’t mean the majority of the population is struggling everyday just to scrape by. In fact, even part-timers can do pretty well for themselves thanks to the high wages offered for even some of the most basic jobs.
When I was in university, I supported myself by working part-time at a restaurant for 900 yen ($10.80) an hour which carried me through those four years just fine.
Wages seem to be even higher now, perhaps due to a recent scarcity of part-time labor, especially in Tokyo.
To give you a better idea of just how much Japan rewards its part-time employees, I’ve selected a few entry-level jobs from around Tokyo to share with you all. Be sure to let us know how the wages compare with your own country!
※All wages are per hour, converted at 80yen = 1 dollar.
■Pachinko Staff
$15.00（1200yen）,$16.25（1300yen）（for 17-22hrs/wk）,$18.75（1500yen）（for 22hrs/wk or more）
Store：GAIA (Nishiogikubo Minamiguchi branch)
Address：3-9-10 Nishiogikubo, Suginami-ku, Tokyo
※Pachinko is a unique Japanese arcade game usually used as a gambling device instead of recreation. Pachinko parlors are bright, noisy, cigarette smoke-filled places that may not make for the most comfortable working environment.
■CoCo Ichi Staff
$ 12.50（1000yen）, $ 15.62（1250yen）（22hrs/wk or more）
Store：Curry House CoCo Ichibanya (Shinjuku NS Building branch)
Address：2-4-1 Nishishinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo
※ Check here if you want to know what CoCo Ichi is all about.
■Gas Station Staff
$ 12.50（1000yen）
Store：JOMO-NET Co. (Nerima Interchange branch)
Address：5-30-7 Tanihara, Nerima-ku, Tokyo
■Volkswagen Dispatch Staff
$ 13.50（1080yen）
※Deliver cars to customers
■Family Mart Staff (Convenience Store Chain)
$ 12.50（1000yen）
Store：Family Mart Shinjuku Yasukuni Dori
Address：5-18-21 Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo
■Subway Staff
$ 11.87（950yen）
Store：Subway Shinjuku Higashiguchi
Address：3-26-6 Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo
※Eat fresh.
■Tokyo Disneyland Cast
$ 12.5（1000yen）, $ 19.37（1550yen）（22hrs/wk or more）
Amusement park：Tokyo Disneyland, Tokyo Disney Sea
Address：1-1 Maihamae, Urayasu-shi, Chiba-ken
■Baskin-Robbins Staff
＄11.87（950yen）, ＄12.12（970yen）（Weekends）
Store：Baskin-Robbins Hikarigaoka IMA
Address：5-1-1 Hikarigaoka, Nerima-ku, Tokyo
What do you think?
I realize the yen is high against the dollar right now but even still, you have to admit those are some pretty impressive numbers for part-time.
Of course, when comparing with other countries, things may pan out slightly different when you consider that there is no tipping in Japan…
Again, feel free to share with us how much part-time jobs pay where you’re from!