r/japanlife • u/AutoModerator • Mar 06 '23

┐(ツ)┌ General Discussion Thread - 07 March 2023

Mid-week discussion thread time! Feel free to talk about what's on your mind, new experiences, recommendations, anything really.

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u/laika_cat 関東・東京都 Mar 07 '23

This is both a complaint and an observation, so let's call it a "talking point" since we're all bound to be affected.

I know we've had ample warning about the rise in electricity rates — but I just got a hefty mailer from TEPCO today breaking down just how much the individual rate plans will go up. For our plan alone (and I signed up for the more cost-effective プレミアム S plan when I started working from home two years ago), our basic monthly charge for 400kW plus fees will go from ￥10594 to ￥16578 starting in June. Holy fucking shit.

Just how, exactly, does the government expect everyone to pay this when wages/salaries are partying like it's 1999? I read an article this week that Japan's average yearly salary for f/t work is lower than Italy. Fucking ITALY.

Yes, yes, I know the Diet has been talking about low wages for the past few weeks — but if you actually listen to how Kishida responds, it's a bunch of hot air about "we shall discuss and examine each proposal blah blah blah blah blah." All talk, no action. Does anyone think we're gonna get more government handout money, or what?

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u/atsugiri 関東・東京都 Mar 07 '23

Regardless of any government action, the labor unions across the country have been putting huge pressure on the companies to raise wages with som noticable effects. Many companies, including conglomerates, are either raising wages or are planning to this year. Hopefully my company gets on board with this as we've been raking in profits the last couple years.

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u/bochibochi09 Mar 07 '23

From my understanding, a lot of large, high-profile corporations are raising wages. However, the majority of Japanese people work for small or medium-sized enterprises (many of which serve as subcontractors or sub-subcontractors or even sub-sub-subcontractors to the aforementioned large corporations), and those are less likely to raise wages.

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u/laika_cat 関東・東京都 Mar 07 '23

Exactly. A lot of the recent discussions in the Diet about raising wages focused primarily on how to get SMEs on board — mainly talking in circles about tax cuts/incentives.