(MENAFN- Live Mint) An Indian software engineer based in Japan has stirred an online conversation after openly sharing how much he earns as a fresher - and what he actually takes home each month.

In an Instagram video, Vicky Kumar revealed that his base salary is 235,000 yen (around ₹1.35 lakh). However, without an entry-level Japanese language certification, he faces a monthly deduction of 20,000 yen. After standard cuts like income tax and health insurance, his take-home salary comes down to roughly 175,000 yen - just about ₹1 lakh.

Kumar's breakdown quickly gained traction, prompting viewers to debate whether a fresher's salary of this level is sufficient in Japan, a country known for its relatively high living costs.

To put it in context, estimated monthly expenses for a single person in Tokyo in 2025 range between 150,000 and 350,000 yen ( ₹84,000– ₹1.96 lakh), depending on lifestyle and location. Comparisons also surfaced with India's tech sector, where freshers typically earn between ₹5 lakh and ₹7 lakh annually - with higher packages in hubs like Bengaluru and Hyderabad.

Watch the video here:

The video has since gone viral, sparking larger conversations around global pay gaps, the real cost of living abroad and whether earning ₹1 lakh in Japan translates to a better lifestyle than earning the same amount in India.

A user asked,“Isn't it's too low?”

Another user wrote,“But Japan's expensive so making 50k-60k in india is equivalent.”

The third user asked,“What is the minimum salary required for a fresher to live in Japan?”

The fourth user questioned,“Brothers, how much will the expenses save in 1 lakh by cutting the expenses like house rent, food, and other expenses?”

The fifth asked,“What about educational background like degree, skills, internships or experience?”

In another video, he revealed that he works for 5 days a week and gets public holidays and paid leaves. He revealed that Japan is a great place to work for people in tech, manufacturing industries.

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