This is an extra edition from Nina, filling in for Daddy-kan, who can barely keep his eyes open due to jet lag.
The most common questions I get are about the rising cost of living, like:
“America must be really expensive and tough, right?”
I haven't visited any tourist spots, so I can't say for sure, but it seems that the prices for food, gas, and clothes are pretty much the same as in Japan (it just feels cheaper because the yen is weak).
As for accommodation,
hotels and motels are about three times more expensive than before COVID.
It's not uncommon to hear stories about budget motels that used to cost $30 now exceeding $100 per night.
Places like Nisei Inn in Gardena and Metro Plaza Hotel in downtown, which many Japanese people used to frequent, are now out of reach due to their prices.
The motel we stayed at in Lynwood cost between $60 and $80 per night (approximately 8,800 to 12,000 yen).
There was no room service, and the area was frequented by homeless people and prostitutes.
The average monthly salary in L.A. is $5,000
(730,000 yen).
So, $80 a night felt like a budget motel. LOL.
My friend's rent has also tripled, and there are quite a few vacant houses in places like Long Beach, where rent was already high.
More people are selling their homes and living in RVs, and there are many streets filled with RVs.
I've also heard that people are moving away from expensive L.A. to areas like Riverside, Pomona, and Chino.
Another thing I noticed was the scarcity of pedestrians!
Perhaps due to ICE, most of the people walking around were young individuals or students.
The number of workers like flower sellers and window washers who used to approach cars at red lights had significantly decreased.
And what impressed me the most was
the increase in Korean cars (Kia) in L.A., to the point where they might even surpass Japanese cars, which used to dominate the roads.
Kias were everywhere.
With a new prime minister in Japan,
I'm feeling a bit anxious about the future of our country these days.
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