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Summary

The video explores everyday life in Japan through a visit to Sendai and a home tour with Igor Honda. A former Russian citizen, Igor moved to Japan in 2018, became a Japanese citizen in 2023, and works as a cloud engineer for an Amazon Web Services partner.

Igor’s Move to Japan and Home

Igor first became interested in Japan through its language and culture. After studying Japanese and visiting several times, he found work in Japan and moved there permanently. He says Japanese-language ability was essential for finding work and managing daily life. He recommends searching for jobs online and arriving with a solid grasp of Japanese.

After becoming a citizen and marrying a Japanese woman, Igor bought a house in Sendai with no down payment. The reported purchase price was about 33 million yen, or roughly 17.7 million rubles at the exchange rate used in the video.

His mortgage started at 0.85%, while other offers were reportedly as low as 0.65%. Because the rate is variable, it later rose to about 1.33%. These figures, as well as the mortgage term and cost estimates, are approximate and may be affected by subtitle errors.

The house has a compact but practical layout, a small garden, a balcony, two toilets, and a Japanese-style bathroom with controls for heating, ventilation, and cooling. Igor also has a small exercise area and a home office.

He uses solar panels and cheaper overnight electricity to reduce energy costs. He says the panels substantially cut his electricity bill, though they do not reduce property taxes or water charges. The video also notes that Japan’s humid climate can contribute to mold in older homes, even when the interior has been renovated.

Housing Costs and Wages

Igor compares his former rent of around 35,000 rubles per month with a mortgage payment of roughly 40,000 rubles, before taxes, utilities, and other costs.

The video’s rough budget example estimates household housing costs—including the mortgage, utilities, and taxes—at about 155,000–175,000 yen per month. A separate estimate for Igor’s full basic monthly household spending is around 400,000 yen, with discretionary expenses not fully counted.

In the host’s hypothetical two-income household, net income is estimated at about 585,000 yen per month after taxes and social contributions. The example suggests that taking on a mortgage can still leave money for other expenses, but the figures are illustrative rather than a universal budget.

Igor says many people choose to rent because home ownership also involves property taxes, fees, maintenance, and responsibility for repairs. The video gives approximate annual salary figures for several jobs, including supermarket cashier, hairdresser, and road-work traffic controller. It notes that salaries vary by age and experience, and that some teaching jobs can involve very long hours.

Everyday Life and Local Norms

The host describes Sendai and Tokyo as clean, orderly, and generally quiet. He says people often speak softly in public and emphasizes the local expectation that daily life should not disturb neighbours.

Smoking is restricted in many public areas, with designated smoking spaces. People commonly wear masks, which the host interprets as a precaution against infection.

The host found few public trash bins and says people often carry rubbish with them until they can dispose of it. Waste is separated and collected on designated days. The video contrasts Japan’s orderly public spaces with less polished residential areas, showing that ordinary neighbourhoods are not uniformly pristine or futuristic.

Igor recalls difficulties renting his first apartment: as a newcomer, he needed someone to act as a guarantor. He eventually found one through a friendship made at a gym.

The home tour and neighbourhood walk show a mix of compact housing, small plots, parked cars, and modest local facilities. The host stresses that life outside tourist districts can look very different from idealized images of Japan.

Cars and Transport

The host’s first impressions included taxis that looked old-fashioned. A taxi trip from the airport—about 70 km—cost roughly 20,000 rubles, while a cheaper bus or train option was available.

The host travelled from Tokyo to Sendai on a high-speed train, covering about 366 km in around 90 minutes.

Igor says owning a car requires proof of a parking space. Renting one can cost roughly 10,000–13,000 rubles per month, depending on location.

The video presents compact kei cars as a popular, economical choice, with lower taxes and running costs. It also shows larger Japanese models and discusses the appeal of keeping a reliable car rather than replacing it every few years.

Some cars can be bought with no down payment. The video quotes a rate of about 1.8% for one new-car example and notes that dealer financing can be higher; buyers may also compare bank loans.

Igor describes buying a used car cheaply and keeping it for years. He says expensive transmission repairs may not make financial sense on an older car, so some owners replace the vehicle instead.

Travel Highlights

The host says flying from nearby Seoul to Japan cost about 10,000 rubles per person, compared with a much more expensive route from Moscow.

The main destinations shown are Tokyo and Sendai. The video focuses on residential life rather than tourist attractions.

The speaker mentions that a follow-up episode may cover medicine, cuisine, food, and other aspects of daily life; these topics are not substantially covered in this installment.

Notable Locations, Products, and Speakers

• Locations: Tokyo; Sendai (also rendered as “Sundai” in the subtitles); Seoul, South Korea.
• Speakers: Dmitry Mashkov, the host; Igor Honda, the interviewee; and Igor’s wife, who appears in the home-tour discussion.
• Vehicles and brands discussed: Honda Stepwgn, Toyota Voxy, Mazda CX-5 and CX-60, Daihatsu kei cars, Mitsubishi Delica D:2, and BMW models.
• Products mentioned in promotional segments: Blue Sleep pillows and mattresses; 70mai dashcams and other car devices.