I live in Japan, have traveled widely throughout the country, and I would disagree with your notion that $11 gets you more in another part of Japan outside of Tokyo. Unlike the U.S., where prices can vary widely when you leave big cities, in Japan prices are pretty much consistent throughout most of the country. The only real cost benefit you get from not living in Tokyo is the occasional cheaper apartment rent.
In general wages in Tokyo for all manner of jobs is quite low, this is in stark contrast to the country's rich, tech-forward image.
Having lived in Kyoto for quite a while and going occasionally to Tokyo, I don't completely agree with you...
Restaurants for one are cheaper and better value for money in Kyoto than in Tokyo... The housing situation is also quite different... What doesn't change all that much though are transport prices (although, as soon as you go to a place with only JR and no competition prices are much higher) and every day items... All in all, I think for the same quality of life in Tokyo than in Kyoto, one would need maybe 30-40% more wage...
That said, I agree with you on wages, I was quite surprised at how low the salaries in Japan are. Young employees just don't get paid much no matter their level of education, their productivity or their usefulness to the company... Seniority is the biggest criteria for salary increases (that and being married and having kids).
Well, the "occasional" cheaper rent is a big deal since rent makes up such a big part of monthly expenses. A 1-bedroom could cost 35k yen in the countryside, 60k in the outskirts of Tokyo and 90k+ in central Tokyo.
It may be worth mentioning that, while $11/hr apparently is the wage at some McDonalds in Tokyo, the people cleaning up the radioactive stuff are being paid significantly more and rotated in & out to avoid having too much exposure. The article I saw yesterday quoted a wage of a few hundred dollars for a couple hours of work and mentioned people with stopwatches measuring how long they could be safely exposed, in addition to their dosimeters.
Indeed it seems not far from the what the article says. It's around 1100 to 1400 yen per hour (around U$14~17/h). It's for general unskilled labor and has no education or skills requirements. Above average pay for the countryside, but still seems low if the job can expose you to above average levels radiation even in normal conditions (the ad was published before the disaster).
In general wages in Tokyo for all manner of jobs is quite low, this is in stark contrast to the country's rich, tech-forward image.