An Indian software engineer based in Japan has stirred an online debate after openly sharing how much he earns as a fresher. In a recent Instagram video, content creator Vicky Kumar broke down his monthly salary slip, revealing that he earns a base pay of around Rs 1.32 lakh. But after deductions, his actual take-home drops to about Rs 98,000.
In the now-viral reel, Kumar explained that although his base salary is Rs 1.32 lakh, he faces an additional cut every month because he hasn’t cleared the required entry-level Japanese language exam. “They deduct roughly Rs 11,250 every month until I get the certificate,” he said. Along with this penalty, standard deductions such as income tax and health insurance further reduce his take-home amount.
The disclosure triggered immediate discussion, with many users weighing in on whether a fresh graduate can actually survive in Japan on this income, especially in cities like Tokyo, where living costs are among the highest in Asia.
Living expenses for a single person in Tokyo in 2025 are estimated to be between Rs 84,000–Rs 1.96 lakh a month, depending on the lifestyle. By comparison, tech freshers in India typically earn Rs 4–8 lakh per year, with higher starting salaries depending on the skill set and the colleges that they graduate from.
As the video went viral, social media users quickly did the math for him. One commenter laid out a typical monthly budget.
“Rent Rs 39,000-Rs 45,000, food Rs 17,000-Rs 23,000, health insurance Rs 11,000, travel Rs 3,000–5,000, gym Rs 5,000, and that’s without counting the occasional Kyoto–Tokyo Shinkansen trip. You’re looking at around Rs 75,000-85,000 per month gone.”
Another user, also working in Japan, asked if Kumar had joined as a complete fresher, saying, “I live in Japan and work for a US-based company… Rs 1.32 lakh is cheap. Did you join as a fresher?”
Others simply argued that the salary was below par for Japan’s expensive lifestyle. “This is very low for Japanese standards. Rent itself is so expensive there,” one user said.
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