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want to meet at fmd_good The Spot
want to meet at fmd_good Market Square
want to meet at fmd_good Sunday Market
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People of Tokyo, what do you do for a living. Is it enough money to have a good life here or are you even underpaid for western standards?
I work in IT project management for a mid-sized firm in Shinjuku. My salary is around 8 million yen a year, which is decent by local standards but would be considered low for the same role in the US or UK. The thing is, my rent for a 1LDK in Suginami is only 120,000 yen, and I don't own a car, so the money stretches further than you'd expect. You're not going to get rich, but you can eat out regularly and take a trip to Kyoto twice a year without stress.
freelance graphic designer, mostly remote for overseas clients. i make around 10 million yen but honestly the weak yen helps since i get paid in USD. still, living in Shibuya means my rent is like 180k a month for a tiny studio. it's enough to save a bit and travel, but you're always one bad project away from feeling broke
I'm an English teacher at a private school in Setagaya, making about 5 million yen a year. It's not huge, but I share a small apartment with my partner and we live pretty comfortably. Compared to back home in Canada, I'd say I'm underpaid on paper, but the quality of life with good transit and cheap convenience stores makes up for it.
Bean & Folio still worth it in 2026?
coffee's genuinely decent, they pull a proper flat white and the beans rotate monthly. weekday 10am is fine, rush hits around 11:30 when the remote crowd rolls in and every seat with an outlet is gone. i'd go for the counter seats by the window, quieter & better light than the back tables everyone fights over
yeah the window counter, but only 4 stools
those 4 stools go fast on Fri especially, ppl camp out from opening. tbh the back tables are fine if u bring a power bank and dont need the outlet. also the pastries sell out by noon so grab one early.
what about the decaf tho, any good
their decaf is a proper swiss water process one, tastes less flat than most & the shot pulls clean
agreed, ask for the double shot tho
Fair warning though, the flat white comes out closer to a latte if you don't ask for it strong. Their single origin pour over is the better order in my book, and the staff will actually talk you through the monthly rotation if it's not slammed.
the window counter light is the real reason to sit there, back tables get that flat afternoon glare off the glass. one thing though, they stop refills after your second cup so don't plan on camping all morning on a single order.
Weekend regulars start queuing before the 9am open, so the counter's gone by the time you'd stroll in.
True, though Sunday's queue is way shorter than Saturday's, most ppl roll in closer to 10:30.