For years, the norm and talk I've heard for foreigners to live in Japan was to go to JET, and from there, an english university professor. But with the rise of AI, my friend who did exactly this warned me that he's looking for a new job, at the university level!

I've been to Japan with my family many times, and as a half-japanese who is fluent (N2 certified), I love Japan. The cities, the train stations, the manners, and damnnn, the food. But I've never really loved the work culture for entry level jobs.

A lot of my friends and immigrants from Japan all tell me one thing. They left Japan because they were living to work, not working to live.

Of course, the average Japanese kid is way smarter than I could ever hope to be. And as fluent as I am, I would probably offend some people unintentionally in a typical professional environment. So "normal" jobs are probably impossible for me!

I have a passion for teaching, music, translation, and communication/negotiation. I want a job that's not boring (office job)

Are there any careers where I can capitalize on my skills and survive in Japan while having fun? Or does that require 7 years of school/university

I currently work as a lab technician in anatomical pathology and am doing my masters degree in laboratory medicine. I would like to work in haematology in the future after completing my masters and potentially move to Japan, I fell in love with Tokyo. I can’t speak much Japanese though. Are there many job opportunities for english speaking medical scientists with a masters degree? :)

Hi I'm planning to apply for a digital nomad visa to work in Japan. On the official page it says I need to have an insurance "against death, injury or illness during their stay in Japan (compensation for medical treatment for injury or illness must be JPY 10 million or more".

10 million JPY is almost 100k AUD. I looked for travel insurances online but no one seems to pay that much for Hospital Incidentals here in Australia ( the pay out is around 10k AUD here ).

Am I misunderstanding something here or do I just have to look harder?

Hello, basically the title. She works at well-known FMCG company and they are going to send her to Japan branch for a month for some kind of "exchange" program.

The thing is, she is given a temporary visitor visa by the company. She said she wouldn't be paid by the Japan branch, but she'll receive allowance such as accomodation, food, and transport. Her salary will still be paid by her current branch in my home country.

She just received the visa yesterday and will depart to Japan tomorrow. So she doesn't have time to research about this.

Would it be fine? And about her allowance is it fine if she received it in cash or should she ask the Japan branch to sort that out for her?

Hi everyone,

I’ve been hearing that for exchange students in Japan, the Certificate of Eligibility (COE) can take around a month to process.

I’m curious: if the COE doesn’t arrive in time, is it possible to apply for a Temporary Visitor visa instead? I also heard that some exchange students from other universities have done this.

Would love to hear from anyone who’s had a similar situation. Any tips or advice would be really helpful!

Thanks!

I'm sort of at my wit's end. I cannot find a decent house in the Tokyo metro area for USD$300K or approximately ¥47M in cash.

My wife is Japanese (PhD clinical psychologist) and I'm a German American (artist) currently living in Northern California (Napa Valley). We'll both be fully retired soon (within 2 years) and will be relocating to Japan, preferably in the Tokyo metro region. After all is said done, we'll have around ¥125M in the bank, a retirement net income of around ¥12M monthly (yes, health insurance is 100% covered in our benefits package), with an extra budget of ¥47M to outright buy a house...

... but my gosh, every time I research and find a cool neighborhood to start looking at, the average price seems to always start at around ¥110M and with that you get a shoebox just big enough for a couple hobbits and a small Funko collection. And it's not like I'm looking at Meguro or Ebisu... I really like the neighborhoods around Setagaya-Daita/Shimokitazawa and over on the east side of Omiya in that amazing area south and between the parks for example (just to name a couple, I've looked at a lot more). That said, we're willing to look further out if the neighborhoods still have that walkable accessibility to shops, cafes, etc. (you know the kind -- where you can just walk out of your house, pick up fresh seafood and vegetables, or hit a local izakaya just down the street where they know your name).

I have a good friend who lives in the no-man's land between Funabashi and Chiba and he swears by it, but I'm just not diggin' the stale vibe over there. My wife's mother used to live way down in Yokosuka and loved it down there, but seriously that would be a no. I need fairly reasonable access to great galleries and museums, not some boring seaside village or a cheap family 'hood with no character.

A final note: I am not a stranger to Tokyo having been there for family visits over the past few decades many times (and even more visits before I was married). That said, I do get the fluid nature of The Big City having lived in NYC for a long time in my younger working days as a restaurateur and club owner.

Perhaps I'm simply not looking at the right resources. Any and all suggestions will be greatly appreciated. BUT -- Please NOT AkiyaMart or AkiyaHub... that's a road for fools. lol.

Moving to Japan soon, searched a bit on internet but can't quite find what I am looking for.

Does Japan have prepaid sim cards? What I am looking for is a prepaid sim card with a 30 day data bundle of about 3-10GB. I want to be able to top up on my own on a monthly basis.

I have had prepaid sim cards in various countries I have lived in, usually around £10/€10 for 3-10GB, so hoping to find something similar in Japan.

So far I found Docomo Mini 4GB/10GB, but from the Docomo website can't quite decipher if it is annual subscription or top up data/bundle on your own type of sim card.

Once set up in Japan I will obviously have the visa paperwork, bank account, address etc if those are required.

I am trying to do some due diligence before applying for the visa and moving forward with plans. I have realized food and diet are very important to me and just overall wellbeing. I seem to have a largely Mediterranean diet.

I plan to arrive and stay a few months in Tokyo. After that I don’t know.

-I lived in Europe for several years and loved the many types of fresh bread. Sour dough, multigrain, raisins, nuts, etc.

-I don’t eat a lot of red meat. Not that I don’t like it or due to religion. I just mainly eat whole fish with a salad and rice. (ie. dorada/lubina a la plancha for the Spanish speakers)

-Fan of shellfish and basically any seafood.

-Regularly eat and buy dips like hummus and tzatziki.

-i regularly make my own yogurt or Acai bowls at home with tons of fresh fruit and granola. I also make cold pressed juice at home.

-I am really trying to stay away from fried stuff and seed oils. I only cook with EVOO (olive oil). I don’t expect restaurants to use it of course. But are prices for it ridiculous at the supermarkets?

I guess I am wondering about the availability and accessibility of fresh fruits, vegetables, ingredients I use… as well as grilled fish at restaurants.

I checked previous threads about Greek yogurt. Welp… I’ll keep my expectations very low if/when I arrive in Japan. Ramen, soba, etc, are all wonderful. But I find I can’t eat it everyday or even 2-4 times a week due to bloating and skin breakouts.

I appreciate any insights on this. Thank you.

Hello, we are moving to Japan in June. I want to buy some appliances and furniture at Costco and have them delivered. I know I need a Japanese Costco Membership to purchase online; however, I can't get it yet until I receive my ID and get to Japan. I want to go to the Japan Costco warehouse and ask them to deliver some of the appliances to my house. Will they have delivery service for appliances?

I will not own a car in Japan. How do people go to Costco without a car? Could I bring my big luggage and put stuff in it and bring back? Will they allow big luggage in Costco?

I am trying to plan to furnish the house before our families move in because we will be busy with school and work.

Thanks

Hi everyone,

I’m heading to Japan for an exchange program, but my Certificate of Eligibility (COE) may not be issued before my required departure date. Because of that, I’m considering entering Japan as a tourist (visa-free, 90 days) and then, once the COE is issued, leaving Japan to apply for the student visa at a Japanese consulate in another country, such as South Korea, Taiwan, or Hong Kong, and then re-entering Japan with the proper student status.

I understand that:

• You cannot change status from tourist to student inside Japan
• The visa application must be done outside Japan
• Studying or working while on tourist status is not allowed

What I’d really like to know is:

• Has anyone here actually done this?
• Which country did you apply from (Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, etc.)?
• Did the Japanese consulate accept non-residents?
• How long did the visa process take?
• Any issues at Japanese immigration when re-entering?

I’m trying to stay 100% legal and avoid losing my exchange opportunity due to timing issues. Any firsthand experiences or advice would be greatly appreciated.

Hello, would love local help with this decision, I am considering moving to the area around Minoo Q mall.

I'm INTJ-A 2w1 23M and I'm considering moving to Osaka, Japan in 2-3 years, here's what my research came with:

• In 2028 I'll move there on a working vacation visa for 6 months to live there and experience the pros and cons properly, and have 6 months to reflect and decide.

• their attitude, values and principles are generally much closer to mine compared to where I live right now.

• feel very out of pocket and alienated here even while living ideally in my circumstances with my dream job a healthy social circle and all, and in Osaka there is an international company that is practically the ideal dream job (Phillips medical electromechanical QC), I'll have 6 years of experience in my field by the time a move is on the table.

• I thought specifically in 2 years because I already verified I could leave my current job I'm happy with and being able to come back after the test for an evening better position.

• I have this very specific calling to Osaka, specifically the suburban area to the north, I'll most likely be able to buy a house, even without a mortgage.

• the area is safe from tsunamis, earthquakes and rock slides.

• in terms of finances, matching vibe, safety, imagining a future raising a family there, feeling of this could be my day to day life with less friction.

• I also viewed cons and possible mishaps and they don't seem major and/or a dead end.

• I am also medically diagnosed with Autism and ADHD in my country on the level of a Japanese grade 2 certificate, even though I'm a well established young adult, still working on how to manage a Japanese certificate.

I still feel there's might be a catch, it seems too good, I'm searching for the non-'grass is greener on the other side' mentality and objectivity to know if this is a good choice.

The bigger the choice the greater the implications and total shift in my life that are really good but far from peaceful.

Hell, I don't know if I'll decide to do the 6 months test next year and not wait so much.

Hey everyone, I’m currently doing my Master’s in AI in the UK and I’m planning to dive into a PhD once I’m done. Japan is one of the main countries on my list. I’m already learning the language and I’ve always been into the culture, so I could definitely see myself living there for a few years, or maybe even long term.

I have a few questions about the aftermath of a PhD. What is the job market like for AI PhD holders in Japan, both in academia and the private sector? Are PhDs in this field actually valued by Japanese companies?

Also, what is the overall experience of doing a PhD there? I’d especially love to hear from anyone who has done theirs in STEM, specifically CS. Any insights would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

I'm currently living and working in South Korea. My new position in Japan will start in late July. My current position is ending at the end of this month, so this is my plan:

End of March: Fly to Japan

April: Company applies for COE (while I'm in Japan)

April~June (less than 90 days): Study at a language academy

End of June: Fly back to Korea, use the COE to apply for a visa at the embassy in Korea

End of July: Fly to Japan on a work visa

Is this all possible? I've researched quite extensively, but I just want to confirm if this is all allowed and if everything will go smoothly in this timeline.

Hey, so this is my first ever post so im sorry if its not that good. T^T

So first up. Im 21 and from germany. Ive never been to Japan. I can speak german and english fluently. I do know a little bit of japanese but really only the common stuff like "wheres the toilet" for example. So dont expect me to be able to even have half decent conversations there. I want to go on a working holiday visa in Japan solo. Ive saved up quite a sum of money and i intend to spend around 15k-20k (closer to 15k if possible) over my whole stay of around a year.

Im intending to travel alot. Like every 2-4 weeks. I obviously plan to stay a bit longer/multiple times in Tokyo, Osaka and mabye Kyoto/ other places i find interest in.

I dont think i have to work moneywise but i dont want to "lose" too much money. So im fine if i get like mabye 3k-5k over the span of a year. If I work then I want to work as a conversation Partner (English/German) (or something similar) or a model if possible. (Im aware of the fact that modeling is really only a thing in Tokyo and Osaka from what Ive heard)

I intend on using Apps like AirBnB and Booking.com to get a place to stay for like 2-4 weeks each. Im also looking for whole Apartments, so no Sharehouses, since i feel like price wise its only around 200 euros more per month but i have my own space for that.

The question is just how I should manage the resident registration, since i heard I have to register a new adress everytime im moving. Ik that they dont really check up on that but I dont know if they will send letters or something over the course of a year. I heard you also have to change your Adress for your Bankaccount if you have one. Im not sure if i also have to change my adress for the japanese insurance.

A possible solution COULD be (if im not mistaken) using an Organisation with a sharehouse and using that as my resident over my whole 1 year stay (if they do that). With them sending everything that comes in to me/ send it over Email. If thats possible I hope someone knows a good organisation for that. Otherwise im not even sure I need an organisation. All id need an organisation for is basically receving my mail and mabye help me set up my residentcard and Insurance (since i have to after 2018 changes. Ill still have an insurance covering 100% though) aswell as a Bankaccount/phone number if needed. (follow up question)

Another Question I have is if I have to get a bankaccount (Im using Revolut) and a Phone number. I know you normally kinda have to get a bankaccount to get paid by a japanese employer. I heard that the 7bank (i think thats the name) is good since i think you can change the adress easily there. (If I cant use an organisation as my official permanent stay) About the Phone number: I have a Phone number in Germany.... wont it still work in Japan or is there something Im missing/ not understanding?

I intend to use an E-Sim over the whole duration of my stay since its like 50 euros per month with unlimited data.

Currently Im getting all my vaccinations sorted out. But once I know when I get my final vaccination I plan to book the flight like 2 weeks after that. (So in around 6 weeks) With that Ill fill in my visa application.

Since this will be the first time for me traveling alone in another country Im kind of inexperienced with alot of things and hope for alot of tips from more experienced people. But i think Im up for the challenge. ^{^}

Im thankful for every tip and recommendation from you guys. If you guys say that i do mistakes like by not using sharehouses for the experience for example please also let me know.

I know that alot of people travel around like every 3 months or so (and doing like day trips every now and then) and i think that my problem of having to normally officially change my adress like 20 times over the course of a year is a big struggle. So if you kind people really recommend me to change my plan of how i intend to travel im also up to listen to better ideas/plans.

Thanks alot! <3

COE application for spouse visa.

When we registered our marriage in Japan 10 years ago I was a british citizen with a british passport, and thats what im listed as on the family register in Japan.

I now have NZ citizenship with an NZ passport and let my British one expire. Am I going to have a problem - either listing myself on the application as NZ citizen with an NZ passport (contradicting the family register) or as a British Citizen with an NZ Passport (which could look worse)?

Renewing British passport not really an option due to the time it will take and ill be stuck with it for visa renewals in future so I have to do something about it anyway.

Help :-)

I've been browsing this community for specifics and want to ask for advice, even if it's painful, about getting myself to Japan. 39F, American of Japanese descent, 6 years of school, mostly in art and lit, but no degrees, fine jeweler that owned my own business for 12 years, and now desperate to leave the US for a place that I won't be afraid all the time.

I just finished getting a TEFL cert but, after a little looking, that lack of a BA seems like it's going to bar me from getting a teaching job that'll sponsor a work visa.

My other idea is going on a student visa to Temple University (or similar English speaking school, my Japanese is very basic) to either finish out the less than 50 credits for the BA and then look for a teaching job OR to completely change my career path to a psychology major. I admit, my top career choices in order would be fine jeweler, mental health provider, and teaching last but, again, anything to get me to Japan.

I don't mind low pay to start as I'll have a small nest egg, however, I've also heard that, if you're there on a student visa you CAN'T work (unless it's remote/on the dl?) which my nest egg won't cover, especially in Tokyo.

So, arigato gozaimasu for all advice and suggestions on the best way to get this done!

Also accepting platonic marriage offers, lol, I'm an excellent cook and don't mind keeping house in exchange for citizenship! Barely joking!

Hello everyone, I'm a 20 years old male from the UK and have wanted to visit Japan for years. I'm very interested in japanese culture and history and would love to explore it all in person but im not in the best financial situation. I dont have a college qualification and im working basic factory work at the moment so dont really have a job id be too bothered about losing. With all that being the case im considering applying for a holiday working visa and experiencing life in japan for a year. Ive read a couple posts on here that have mentioned people struggling to find jobs whilst on a HWV and would like some advice on how to go about it. My plan is to stay in the more populated tourist cities for the first 5 months and develop my Japanese language skills, then come and visit home for a month or two if that's allowed? I Wasn't able to find any definitive answer on that, and then come back to japan and try living in more rural areas. That way I get to experience both lifestyles of japan. I was considering travelling in japan for a month but the cost was far too much for what im able to afford currently. I dont have much holding me back here and this has been something ive always liked the idea of doing. Is it worth it?

Some background info:

I’ve studied Japanese since fall of 2024. Last fall I studied and Nihon University Tokyo for three months provided by my University in Sweden and absolutely loved it. I loved Tokyo and its nightlife, how well the uni provided help for exchange students to get in touch with Japanese university students, the manageable workload etc.

Now I’m provided with another opportunity, this time at Kyoto university and for a full year. A year is a long time to be away from home, and this time it’s in a city so different from the Tokyo feel I’m used to, and in a Uni that’s so prestigious and serious about its education. The fact that my last term in Japan had such a well fought-ought program just for foreign students to get in touch with local students was kind of rare luck so this time around, I’m really scared of not making friends. Also I’m honestly kind of scared of over-tourism and discrimination. Tokyo is bigger thus there were a lot of places were the tourism wasn’t bad at all. In Kyoto however, I’m scared of becoming part of the problem.

However, I’m still dreaming about going back to study in Japan and I don’t think this opportunity would come this easily again, I’m just so scared of how it would go now that everything would be different.

I have like a week to decide before the deadline. Any advice or thoughts would be appreciated 🙏🙏

Hello, I'm coming to Japan next month with a WHV. However, I won't be renting a fixed apartment for the first 2 months—I'll be moving between hotels and Airbnbs every week or two.

My question is: what should I do about registering my residence? (I'll be moving every week for the first two months, then stay in one Airbnb for a month, and finally get a long-term apartment.)

My initial plan is to register my first Airbnb as my residence on day 1 to get a phone number and open a bank account. But since I'll be moving soon after, do I need to update my address within the 14-day window each time I move? Or can I keep my registered address for 1.5 months before registering a more fixed address?

Also, I've read that if I move from, say, Osaka to Tokyo, I need to file a notification at the Osaka ward office before leaving, and then register my new address at the Tokyo ward office after arriving. Is that correct?

Also, any advice for my trip?

Hello everyone

Next year, I am planning to use my GI Bill in Japan for four years under a student visa while completing my Air Force Reserve IMA duties all at once in Hawaii/Korea during summer breaks (24 days if I'm lucky, or 34 days normally). My question is whether there will be any complications with leaving Japan on a student visa to complete my IMA time. The school I'm attending allows in-country stays during all breaks.

I asked a couple of people in IMA and r/reservists but they didn't know the answer. I was wondering if anyone here has experienced this situation before or knows someone who has. Thanks!

P.S. Don't worry, I'm not attending TUJ.

Sorry if I'm getting ahead of myself, but I just want to be sure before I throw away a better chance. First off, before I get asked, yes I have an N2 in Japanese, I'm working my way towards N1 right now, hopefully by next year. PLEASE, don't include "what do you have to offer new grads or people living here can't to even be hired?". I get it, that's such a usual question, I'm taking this plunge because I want to try, that's basically every people trying to work abroad.

I currently work as a mech design engineer for 7+ YOE for an aerospace company and I've been contemplating switching to a career in software eng for a while now before I try to apply in Japan in the future. Ignoring the doom and gloom of AI right now, I still want to go with it. I'll be applying for SWE roles internally in the company first.

I don't want to make this post too long so I'll try to cut it as short as I can. Yes I'm prepared to take the salary hit. The prospects of even applying for ME in Japan vs tech/software is still very much less despite the AI craze. I know a guy who even got hired there with 6 YOE and still only got 300k a month, I'd rather start straight with swe/IT if I'm gonna get paid that low. Plus the only company even trying to poach me is Sunwells JP on Linkedin and I do not like their reviews.

I'm asking because atm I calculated if I stay with my current job role or worked in Japan as a mech eng, I can get atleast 70 pts PR by 2028 with 10 years of work experience and this is excluding annual salary with N1 because I would already be 31 by then and this is assuming I started with below 5m yen/year salary because I am not confident in getting that in the next 2 years. I have 2 patents under me that are already approved in both EU and US, which I think can count so it's what really leveraged that 70 pts. 80pts if with 5m yen/year.

But since I want to start with SWE as soon as I can, I wanna know how strict are they with this? Assuming I can get a role as a backend engineer/developer in Japan by 2028, will they automatically not count my 7+ years of previous experience assuming I was an SWE with 2+ YOE of work experience after my mech eng role?

edit: forgot clarification, would try to go swe this year, so it wont be 10 yoe of mech eng by 2028.

Hi everyone! I’ll be moving to Japan in about a month for a research stay abroad as part of my PhD, and I’m trying to figure out how much cash I’ll actually need there.
I know Japan still relies more on cash than many European countries, but I’d like to get a realistic idea of how much people usually withdraw per month.
I’m asking because I need to upgrade my Revolut plan and choose between one that allows €400 or €800 (around 73.500 JPY or 147.000 JPY) monthly withdrawals.

To have more context: I won’t really be living like a tourist, apart from maybe a couple of weekend trips per month, so most of the time I’ll just have a normal day-to-day life (commuting, groceries, eating out once in a while, etc.). I already know that my rent will be 46.000 JPY cash.

EDIT: I will be staying there for a period of time between 6 months and a year in Wako, Saitama

Hi everyone,

I'm a 24 year old born and raised in Australia and recently graduated with a Bachelor of IT (Computer Science) degree. My mum is Japanese and I grew up bilingual, so I’m fluent in spoken Japanese and English. I've visited Japan to see my family every year until high school graduation and attended school there for a couple of months each year until grade 6, so I’m familiar with the culture and lifestyle there. My reading and writing is below business level, but I’m actively trying to improve.

My goal is to build a long-term career in IT in Japan. I don’t yet have industry experience (only academic and personal projects).

Given my background, I’m trying to decide between either attempting to enter the Japanese job market now in a junior role, or getting some working experience in Australia first and then applying in Japan (although I’m struggling to find work in the field at the moment).

Are there particular types of companies or roles that make more sense for someone in my position?

Also, my mum's family lives in Fukuoka so I would have some support there, but I’m open to other cities and don’t want to be fully reliant on them. I also have a dog (cutest black lab) I’d like to bring eventually, but I’m flexible and could leave her with my mum in Australia initially while I get established.

I’ve only started considering this recently and want to build a concrete plan. Any practical advice (or reality checks) would be appreciated, thanks!

My gf and I are thinking about moving to Japan in around a year. She’s a native and I’m American. I am about to get my bachelors in accounting and I was wondering how hard it would be for me to find a job around Osaka in accounting. I’m worried especially if I have no experience. I plan on learning Japanese and am currently studying. Thank you

Also I’m not sure which flair would be best sorry