When I acquired my first tutoring job, I had just graduated from college. I didn't have experience with teaching in any form. My only qualification was my mediocre Japanese abilities. I knew good tutors could charge $20/hour or more, perhaps up to $40/hour for specialized teaching. But when Yosuke's mother asked me what hourly pay I expected, I asked for $15/hour. She offered $20/hour, but I told her that I didn't have enough experience and $15/hour seemed more appropriate. She insisted on $20/hour, and I accepted.
I once read that this is the way Japanese people negotiate: they will offer more than you ask for. I'm not sure if the reason Yosuke's mother offered me $20/hour was cultural; it could be personal - she valued her son's education enough that she thought it was worth more than $15/hour. Perhaps if I had tutored Miki first and negotiated my pay with Miki's mother instead, I would be making $15/hour.
I'd like to think it's a combination of both - cultural and personal. Yosuke's mother has always seemed both very friendly and very Japanese.
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If those parents have had a house painter or plumber or handyman do stuff for them, they paid at least $25 per hour, and probably more. The labor charge for automotive work at a garage, even simple stuff like rotating tires, generally runs even higher. I suspect those parents have experienced this and are more than happy to pay you $20.
Consider the difficulty of getting someone who can speak both Japanese and English, work with kids, readily pick up on their subject matter,teach it to the kids, and show up on time each day. Compare that with finding someone who can paint a room or fix a commode. Your skill is much more difficult for a parent to find, much more difficult for you to attain, and should command more money. -Dad
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