[dbroockman]

Fun fact: in Tokyo prices are 3x lower than in the bay area, in large part because new housing is legally much easier to build.

If you want to make the bay area more affordable, check out the great work these folks are doing to legalize building new housing: http://www.sfyimby.org.

[hkmurakami]

And your average college grad makes $30k out of school there.

[ac29]

Aside from engineering/software development (which is maybe 10-20% of the job market), the average college grad only makes about $40k in Silicon Valley out of college.

[ekianjo]

prices in tokyo are still insane compared to the median salary. thats why everyone commutes.

[cynicalkane]

Tokyo also has the greatest public transit system in the world, and fewer restrictions on building near transit hubs. That probably helps a bit.

The SF peninsula is full of commuter rail stations that should be surrounded by mid-rises, but aren't. It's an economic tragedy.

[Tempest1981]

If only our commuter rails were a unified system, vs CalTrain, VTA LightRail, BART, and Altamont Express.

[ac29]

3 of the 4 of those go to the same station (San Jose Diridon), and the last one (BART) is planned, though unclear if the money will ever be found.

[Tempest1981]

Sort of a star topology, vs. a grid. I guess rail is that way.

[ekianjo]

it helps but theres far not enough high rise habitations in tokyo itself. its crazy when you see the number of small shacks and 4 stories building in many places.

[seanmcdirmid]

Housing also depreciates in Japan, which is unique to that market. I mean, the actual building does....

[flukus]

Isn't the Japanese population declining?

[drawnwren]

Yes, but the Tokyo population is increasing. [1]

1 - http://www.metro.tokyo.jp/ENGLISH/ABOUT/HISTORY/history03.ht...

[bbcbasic]

deflation still going in Japan though