Guides
Guides for life in Japan
Plain-English guides to the paperwork, money, and everyday systems you meet as a resident of Japan. Grouped by topic below.
Landing soon, moving, or leaving? Just landed · Moving homes · Leaving Japan
Work & Money
11 guidesSalary, taxes, and the systems your employer enrolls you in — explained line by line.
How to Read a Japanese Payslip (Kyuyo Meisai) A plain-English, line-by-line guide to the Japanese payslip: the three sections, the main deductions, and a kanji-to-English glossary for your first year at a Japanese company. Japan's Residence Tax: Why the Bill Arrives in Year Two Why residence tax doesn't show up in your first year in Japan but does in your second, how the roughly 10% rate is worked out, and what happens if you leave Japan before it's settled. Health Insurance After You Quit Your Job in Japan What happens to your health insurance after you leave a Japanese company: voluntary continuation, National Health Insurance, and joining a family member's plan — deadlines and mechanics. The Lump-Sum Withdrawal Payment: Getting Some of Your Japanese Pension Back How Japan's lump-sum withdrawal payment works for foreign workers leaving the pension system: eligibility, the payment cap, the 20.42% withholding tax, and the 2025 reform. NISA in Japan: A General Guide for Foreign Residents What Japan's NISA tax-free investment system is, how the 2024 'new NISA' quotas and lifetime cap work, the general steps to open an account, and the two things foreign residents ask most: the residency requirement and the US-taxpayer PFIC issue. General information, not investment advice. Furusato Nozei for Foreign Residents: Where the One-Stop Shortcut Breaks Down How Japan's furusato nozei hometown-tax donation system works for foreign residents, and the three situations where the simple one-stop paperwork stops applying: your first year, leaving Japan, and donating to more than five municipalities. Unemployment Insurance and Hello Work for Foreign Workers in Japan How Japan's employment insurance (koyo hoken) unemployment benefit works for foreign workers on a work visa: the insured-period rules, the waiting period, the every-4-weeks Hello Work reporting, and what happens if your visa expires while you're still claiming. Sending Money Home from Japan: Wise vs Revolut vs SBI Remit vs Bank Transfer Wise, Revolut, SBI Remit, and a regular Japanese bank transfer compared for sending money home: the fee-plus-exchange-rate-spread way to see the real cost, English support, required documents, and which options let the recipient collect cash. Reading Your Japanese Job Offer: Seishain, Keiyaku Shain, Haken, and What Shiyou Kikan Actually Means What naitei tsuchisho, seishain, keiyaku shain, haken, and shiyou kikan actually mean under Japanese labor law: the written-notice rule, the trial-period standard, and the 5-year fixed-term conversion right, explained for someone reading their own contract for the first time. English-Friendly Job Sites in Japan Compared: GaijinPot, Daijob, CareerCross, Wantedly For foreign residents already working in Japan who want their next job, not their first one: how GaijinPot Jobs, Daijob, CareerCross, Wantedly, and bilingual recruiters differ on audience, Japanese level, visa sponsorship signals, and registration effort. Kosei Nenkin vs. Kokumin Nenkin: Japan's Two Pension Systems, Explained Why your payslip says kosei nenkin (employee pension) instead of the kokumin nenkin (national pension) you may have heard about before moving to Japan — how the two systems fit together, what decides which one you're in, and why it's not a choice you make yourself.
Home & Moving
22 guidesRenting in Japan has its own vocabulary. Here's what the contracts actually mean.
Rental Guarantors in Japan: How the System Works A plain-language guide to Japan's rental guarantor and guarantor-company system: how it works, typical fees, why foreign applicants often get screened out, and no-guarantor options. Getting Your Security Deposit Back in Japan Shikikin and restoration rules when you move out of a Japanese apartment — what landlords can and cannot charge you for, based on the MLIT guideline and Civil Code. Share Houses in Japan: How They Work, What They Cost, and the Trade-offs A plain-language guide to share houses in Japan for newcomers: how they let you skip guarantors, key money, and furniture-buying, what they roughly cost, the real trade-offs, and how to apply. Share House vs Apartment vs Monthly vs Guest House: Choosing How to Live in Japan A newcomer's decision guide to the four ways to rent in Japan — share house, regular apartment, monthly mansion, and guest house — compared by the things that actually block foreign residents: English support, whether you need a Japanese card or guarantor, up-front cost, minimum term, and how easily you can leave. Share House Companies in Japan Compared: Oak House, Cross House, Sakura House, and Borderless House Oak House, Cross House, Sakura House, and Borderless House compared on the axes that decide it for a foreign resident: English support, up-front cost, guarantor requirement, rent range, minimum contract, and what each operator is actually known for. Home Internet in Japan Compared: Fiber vs Home Router vs Pocket WiFi Fiber, home routers (home 5G), pocket WiFi, and phone tethering compared on the axes that matter to a foreign resident setting up home internet in Japan: English sign-up, contract length, overseas card acceptance, and how fast you're actually online. Moving-In Week in Japan: Utilities, Internet, and Furniture What to do in your first week in a new Japanese apartment: starting electricity and water, booking the gas technician, timing your internet application, and deciding whether to buy or short-term rent your furniture. Earthquake Preparedness for Renters in Japan How to prepare a rented Japanese apartment for an earthquake without creating a restoration bill at move-out: wall-safe furniture anchors, what goes in an emergency bag, water and food stockpile guidance, and multilingual disaster apps. Renters' Fire Insurance in Japan (Kasai Hoken) What kasai hoken (renters' fire insurance) actually covers, why almost every Japanese lease requires it, the general cost range, whether you can pick your own insurer instead of the agency's, and what changes at the two-year renewal point. General information, not insurance advice. Getting Rid of Furniture and Appliances Before You Move Out of Japan How sodai gomi (bulky waste) disposal works when you move out of a Japanese apartment, why your fridge, washer, aircon, and TV can't go out with it, and what happens to your deposit if you run out of time. Buying a Car in Japan: The Shako Shoumei and Shaken Checklist for First-Time Buyers What to line up in order the first time you buy a car in Japan: the shako shoumei garage certificate and its distance rule, why a short shaken window can add real cost to a used car, and the documents each step needs. Bringing a Pet to Japan: The Quarantine Timeline and the Pet-Friendly Housing Search How to work backward from your flight date on Japan's dog and cat import quarantine (microchip, rabies titer test, the 180-day wait), and what to expect searching for pet-friendly housing once you land. Choosing a Moving Company in Japan: How Batch-Quote Sites Work and What English-Speaking Movers Cost Instead Japan's moving companies don't publish a price list. This guide explains how the popular batch-quote sites work (and why your phone starts ringing), plus the English-speaking alternative and what each route actually costs. Mercari, Jimoty, and Sayonara Sales: Buying Secondhand Furniture in Japan Mercari, Jimoty, and Facebook's Sayonara Sale groups compared for buying secondhand furniture and appliances in Japan: language barrier, payment safety, large-item pickup, and typical price range. CLAS, airRoom, subsclife, and MUJI: Furniture Rental Subscriptions in Japan Compared CLAS, airRoom, and subsclife's furniture rental subscriptions compared on guarantor requirements, credit card rules, minimum commitment, and cancellation fees — plus why MUJI's plan no longer takes new sign-ups. Where to Put Your Stuff: Trunk Rooms vs. Delivery Storage in Japan Traditional 24-hour trunk rooms compared with delivery-type cloud storage like minikura and Sumally Pocket: English support, monthly fee, minimum contract, and how long it takes to get an item back. Shipping Your Belongings Home When You Leave Japan: Japan Post vs Yamato vs a Full-Service Mover Japan Post's international parcel post, Yamato's TA-Q-BIN and international moving plans, and door-to-door international movers compared for leaving Japan — plus how the unaccompanied-baggage duty exemption generally works and why it depends on where you're headed. Renting a Monthly Parking Space in Japan: The Getsugime Contract, and What Parking Apps Can't Replace How a getsugime (monthly) parking contract in Japan actually works: where to search, the documents you hand over, whether you need a guarantor, the three-to-five months of rent due up front, and why reservation apps like akippa cover a different job than the space your garage certificate depends on. Switching Electricity Providers in Japan: You're Not Stuck With the Default Why the electricity company your landlord signed you up for isn't your only legal option since 2016, and the three things that trip up foreign residents specifically: a Japanese mobile number, a Japanese-issued credit card, and the cancellation fee on the plan you're leaving. Bringing Your Belongings to Japan: Extra Baggage, Luggage Shipping, or Freight Compared Airline checked and extra baggage, international luggage shipping services like Send My Bag and My Baggage, and postal or freight-forwarder shipping compared for moving to Japan — plus how the unaccompanied-baggage duty exemption generally works when you declare it at entry. Koshinryo, Explained: The Three Fees in a Japan Lease Renewal A letter arrives around month 22 of a two-year Japanese lease listing several charges at once. This guide separates the landlord's renewal fee (koshinryo) from the management company's admin fee and the guarantor company's renewal fee — and explains why the total depends on where you live. Noise Complaints and Neighbor Etiquette in a Japanese Apartment Why a noise notice in Japan usually arrives as a slip from the management company instead of a knock on the door, what counts as seikatsuon (living noise), how to respond if you're the one flagged, and the aisatsu greeting custom that heads off friction before it starts.
Everyday Essentials
33 guidesThe first-year checklist: the cards, contracts, and counters everyone has to figure out.
The My Number Card in Japan: A Guide for Foreign Residents What your My Number is, how to apply for the physical card, why it matters more since the paper health insurance card was phased out, and what the new Specified Residence Card is. Opening a Bank Account in Japan as a Foreigner A neutral guide to opening a bank account in Japan as a foreigner: the residence-card rule, the real '6-month wall,' required documents, and how bank-by-bank English support differs. How to Get a Phone Contract in Japan as a Foreign Resident A newcomer's guide to long-term SIM and phone contracts in Japan: the identification and payment rules, how residence status affects what's available, and how carriers compare to budget SIMs. Converting a Foreign Driver's License to a Japanese License (Gaimen Kirikae) A plain-language guide to gaimen kirikae: the October 2025 rule tightening, the document checklist, exempt countries, test format, fees, and how to book at your local center. How to Shop at a Japanese Supermarket Chains compared, discount-sticker culture, and how to cook cheap in Japan — a practical guide for newcomers. Cooking on a Budget in Japan: A Low-Effort Kitchen Setup Learn how to cook for yourself cheaply in Japan: kitting out a small apartment kitchen, building a pantry of shelf-stable and frozen staples, reading the seasoning bottles when you can't read much Japanese, and simple habits that keep you cooking week after week. Meal Kits in Japan: The Middle Ground Between Cooking and Uber Eats Meal kits and grocery-delivery trial sets in Japan for people who find cooking a chore but think Uber Eats is too expensive: what a meal kit is, the rough cost math, the Japanese-language catch, and who they suit. Grocery and Meal-Kit Delivery in Japan: Which Service Can You Actually Use? Oisix, Radish Boya, Coop Deli, Palsystem, Yoshikei, and net supers compared by what actually decides it for foreign residents: English support, payment, co-op share money (shusshikin), delivery area, trial offers, and how easily you can skip or quit. Halal and Dietary-Restricted Food Shopping in Japan How to read Japanese food labels for halal shopping, which watch-list ingredients to look for (mirin, gelatin, animal-derived extract), how mainstream supermarkets and specialty stores generally compare, and where vegetarian, vegan, and allergy needs overlap. Garbage Sorting in Japan (Gomi): Why the Rules Change Every Time You Move Why Japan's burnable/non-burnable/recyclable/bulky waste system is set by your city or ward rather than nationally, the unwritten rules (designated bags, the morning cutoff) that actually cause trouble, and how to find your own municipality's calendar and app. Learning Japanese While Working Full-Time: Apps vs Podcasts vs Online Tutors vs Schools Self-study apps, podcast-style audio courses, online one-on-one tutoring, and in-person schools compared for foreign residents in Japan who work full-time: time per session, real conversation practice, JLPT prep, and how to combine methods. Paying for Things in Japan Before You Have a Bank Account How to get by day-to-day in Japan during the weeks before you have a Japanese bank account or credit card: topping up an IC card with cash, what PayPay and LINE Pay actually require, and where an overseas debit card does and does not work. General information, not financial advice. Who to Call When You Get Sick in Japan: English-Language Medical Helplines Three free multilingual services that point you to a doctor in Japan — AMDA's phone line, JNTO's medical institution search, and Tokyo's Himawari network — plus how to split a real emergency from something that can wait until morning. Teiki or Tap-and-Go? The Commuter Pass Math for Hybrid Workers in Japan Suica, PASMO, and Japan's other IC cards explained, plus the break-even question hybrid workers actually have: does a monthly teiki commuter pass beat paying per ride if you're only in the office two or three days a week? Lost Something in Japan? What to Do First (Koban, Trains, and Your Phone) A step-by-step guide for foreign residents on what to do the moment you realize you've lost a wallet, phone, or bag in Japan: filing a report at a koban, contacting the right train operator's lost-and-found center, and suspending a lost phone line. Mail Not Following You After a Move? Japan's Forwarding and Redelivery Systems, Explained A practical guide for foreign residents on getting mail and parcels that actually reach you in Japan: filing a free one-year forwarding request with Japan Post, requesting redelivery from Yamato, Sagawa, and Japan Post, and writing a Japanese address correctly. Car Sharing vs. Renting in Japan: What Your License Actually Allows Before you buy a car in Japan, check whether you can even join a car-sharing service. Times Car Share and Orix Car Share require a Japanese driver's license — an international driving permit only works for rental cars, and only for one year from your entry date. Buying Glasses in Japan Without a Prescription (and Why Contacts Are Different) JINS, Zoff, and OWNDAYS will measure your eyes and cut a new pair of glasses in one visit, no doctor's prescription required. Contact lenses follow a completely different rule — here's the split, plus a comparison of the three chains. Joining a Gym in Japan as a Foreigner: chocoZAP, Anytime Fitness, Gold's Gym, and Your Ward Gym Compared Four ways to start working out in Japan compared on the things that actually trip up newcomers: whether you need a Japanese credit card or bank account, whether the contract comes in English, how easy it is to quit, and whether you can look around first. Watching Home-Country Netflix, BBC iPlayer, and Bank Sites from Japan: NordVPN vs ExpressVPN vs Surfshark Why streaming and banking sites block a Japan-based connection, what a VPN does and doesn't fix, the terms-of-service trade-off to know before you subscribe, and NordVPN, ExpressVPN, and Surfshark compared on speed, device limits, refunds, and price. Registering a Bicycle in Japan: Bōhan Tōroku and the Insurance Rule Newcomers Miss How Japan's bicycle crime-prevention registration (bōhan tōroku) works for new and secondhand bikes, and the separate prefectural bicycle-insurance requirement that trips up new residents. Tattoo-Friendly Onsen and Sento in Japan: Why the Ban Isn't a Law, and What Actually Works Why Japan's onsen and sento tattoo bans are a house rule, not a statute, and the three real workarounds — tattoo-friendly directories, cover stickers, and private baths — for going anyway. Starting From Zero: Driving School in Japan If You Don't Qualify for Gaimen Kirikae If you can't convert a foreign license through gaimen kirikae — no license yet, or too little driving history behind it — how the Japanese driving-school route works: kayoi vs. gasshuku, cost, documents, and the test sequence. Finding a Curly- and Textured-Hair-Friendly Salon in Japan Why cut training in Japan skews toward straight, uniformly textured hair, how to spot a salon that actually works with curls, coils, and Afro-textured hair, and what to ask before you book. That Envelope in Your Mailbox: Telling Important Mail From Junk in Japan How to spot the government and insurer letters you can't afford to ignore among the daily pile of flyers — by envelope format, delivery method, and what to do when you can't read what's inside. Getting Online Before Your Residence Card Arrives in Japan A bridge for the first two to four weeks after landing in Japan, before a residence card, Japanese bank account, or long-term SIM contract is in place: what travel-tier pocket WiFi, eSIM, and physical SIM plans actually require, and how to have one working the moment you land. What You Can Actually Do at a Japanese Convenience Store: Bills, Cash, Parcels, and Printing Before you have a Japanese bank account or can read a payment slip, the konbini on the corner already does the job of a bank counter, a post office window, and a copy shop. A practical walkthrough of the four things it handles. Tipping, Splitting the Bill, and Company Drinking Parties in Japan No tip, but not always an even split either. A practical guide to paying at restaurants, splitting the bill with friends (warikan), and the flat-fee system at a Japanese company drinking party (nomikai) — plus how to tell a cash-only register from a cashless one. Dental Care in Japan: What Your Health Insurance Actually Covers Japan doesn't sell a separate dental insurance plan — your regular health insurance covers basic dental treatment at the same 30% co-pay as a doctor's visit. Where that coverage stops, what a first visit looks like, and how to find an English-speaking clinic. Getting a Library Card in Japan: Free English Books, Ebooks, and Audiobooks Japan's public libraries are free and open to any resident regardless of nationality, not just Japanese speakers. How to register, what English books to expect on the shelf, and the free digital library apps most newcomers never hear about. Train Etiquette in Japan for Commuters: Priority Seats, Escalators, and the Delay Certificate Not a tourist's crash course but a commuter's field guide: priority seats, women-only cars, the phone-call rule, which side to stand on an escalator (and why that's changing), and how to get a delay certificate when the train makes you late for work. Filling In a Japanese Address on an Online Form: A Field-by-Field Guide Japanese online forms split an address into more fields than an English mailing label does, and often ask you to enter the postal code first. A practical guide to reading those fields correctly on delivery apps, shopping sites, and account sign-ups, with a fictional worked example. Japan ID Photo Sizes Compared: Residence Card, Resume, License, Passport, My Number Five documents, four different photo sizes. A field-by-field comparison of the ID photo Japan asks for on a residence card, rirekisho resume, driver's license conversion, My Number Card, and passport — and where to get one taken.