When I first came to Japan, the JPY:USD exchange rate was practically 1:1 — it was around 105 yen per every 100 cents. That meant my initial monthly salary of 270,000 yen translated to roughly $2,700. After accounting for expenses, I’d still have about 110,000 yen, or $1,100, to set aside. But over the past couple of years, the yen’s taken a tumble against the dollar, hovering around 152 yen per 100 cents (a 1:1.5 ratio). That same 270,000 yen now only yields about $1,700.

Inflation hasn’t hit quite as hard here as in the U.S., but it’s still made life harder. If I’d stuck to my old spending habits, I’d be left saving maybe 50,000 yen instead of 110,000 yen — and instead of having $1,100 extra each month, it’d be about $330 thanks to the weaker yen.

Fortunately, I run my own business now, and everything I do is paid in USD, so I’m shielded. But if you’re an expat working for a Japanese salary, or planning to move here for a local job, you can still cover daily living costs just fine — you just won’t be setting aside much. Plus, traveling abroad or visiting home gets trickier.

I’m here with a few suggestions if you’re trying to cushion your wallet:

Find an Online Gig

I’ve been doing online gigs for a couple of years, netting anywhere from $2,000 to $6,000 depending on my hustle. As an expat, you have a U.S. passport or ID, which is typically all you need to sign up for region-locked sites. If you’re blocked, you can use a proxy along with a browser like Instanciar, which supports proxies and instances. I’ve seen opportunities through DataAnnotation.Tech, Prolific, Stellar AI, Amazon MTurk, YouTube, Facebook, and more.

Find a Remote Job Overseas

If your Japanese job pays 270,000 yen a month, that’s around 3,240,000 yen a year, or roughly $21,000. That might be so-so, but even a lower-tier remote gig in the U.S. (like Amazon customer support at $19/hour) can earn you $3,040 monthly (460,000 yen) or $36,480 a year (5,570,000 yen). Yes, that’s half the average U.S. salary, but in Japan, it meets the national average, and your day-to-day costs are cheaper here. Meaning you’ll have more to put toward savings, hobbies, or plane tickets home.

Learn to Trade

This part is trickier and can be risky, but it can be a game changer. Even if you start by earning pennies per trade, compounding returns can ramp up fast. You can target “safe daily margins,” which deliver profits nearly 100% of the time, albeit small at first. Here’s a blog post on how that works. You can also use a market signal bot (like the one in my Discord) for tips on when to buy or sell stocks or crypto. Just know that with bigger rewards come bigger risks — so learn as much as you can before you jump in with both feet.

Bottom line is that if you’re currently in Japan or planning your move, you should consider securing a job that pays in USD. That or supplementing your yen salary with side gigs from overseas. Japan’s an amazing place to live — great food, low crime, and a unique cultural experience — but the weaker yen and stagnating salaries can easily erode what you earn, especially after the pandemic. By tapping into U.S.-based work, you can balance the best of both worlds: exploring Japan without feeling trapped by a fading exchange rate.

There are countless opportunities to get creative, whether it’s starting your own small business, freelancing in your spare time, or finding niche jobs online. The key is not to rely solely on local wages. Being strategic with your income sources allows you to thrive here rather than just scrape by.

And if that’s not enough motivation, remember that small changes in your income sources can mean the difference between a basic life and a more adventurous one — like being able to fly home more often or splurge on a weekend trip to Osaka. Sometimes the best approach is to combine all three: Find some online gigs, secure a remote job, and even dabble in trading. It might sound like a lot of juggling, but your future self (and bank account) will thank you. Because why settle for a life of currency exchange angst when you can find a route that works in your favor?

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