Fresh and Pure

People always have the perception that Japan is a really expensive place to live. It's not cheap, and some things indeed are stupidly expensive from the American point of view, but in the end I think the cost of living here is pretty close to what it is back home.

Gas is one of the things that is substantially more expensive here than in America (surpise surprise); it's about $5 a gallon. Tolls are another; the 3 hour drive to Chieko's hometown is about $60 EACH WAY, plus the $50 tank of gas. Not cheap, but compared to what it would cost for both of us to take the train there and back, it's the cheaper option. Rent generally is about the same, though you get a lot more space in the States. Restaurants are a little more expensive, but since we don't have to tip here, it pretty much evens out it most cases. Depending on your diet, grociery shopping can be a bit pricey here. For example, meat (western diet) is quite expensive, while most things seafood (Japanese diet) are pretty reasonably priced.

If there was one thing that I could make cheaper in Japan, it would probably be produce. When I go back to the US and see a bundle of 15-20 sprigs of asparagus for the same price it would cost me to buy 4 here, I can't help but lament how expensive fruits and vegetables are here. A red pepper: nearly $3. A watermelon: $20. A small head of broccoli: $2.50. Grapes: $3-4 for a small bunch. The more exotic the fruit or vegetable, the more outlandish it's price. So you can see why I'm excited when we periodically receive a box of random fruits and veggies from Chieko's parents, who grow all their own stuff so it's that much more delicious.

But every now and then a score can be had (relatively speaking), and tonight was one of those times. After laying in my car for 20 minutes, trying not to puke following my first trip to the gym after a somewhat indulgent week, I made my way to the supermarket. I was perusing the produce section looking for some bananas and other affordable fruits/vegetables when I stumbled across this:

Around this time of year we get lots of mikan, a.k.a. mandarin oranges. I love these things, and if they weren't so damn expensive I'd probably eat 100 of them a week. But alas, at about $4 for a bag of 8 or 9 depending on size, sustaining that level of mikan intake would exceed the cost of many drug habits (one of the reasons I like going to visit Chieko's parents is because they always have box upon box of mikans to eat!).

But tonight was a good night. I scored a 5 kilogram (11 poundish) box of mikan for about $9. That, friends, is a delicious bargain.

So that's what I'm all excited about this evening, a big box of oranges. Draw your own conclusions. I'm also happy that my various family members have all made it safely to their respective homes. I have about one more day of pure relaxation before it's time to start thinking about work again, but this is no time for that. Enjoy your weekend, and if your in America appreciate your cheap produce, you bastards.