Checklist

Free Japan Life Setup Checklist Moving to Japan involves dozens of steps — in a specific order. Get the sequence wrong and you’re waiting weeks for things that should take days. This checklist covers everything from the day you land to the end of your first month. What’s inside: ✅ Week 1 essentials: address registration, SIM card, bank account ✅ Month 1: health insurance, My Number, driving licence conversion ✅ Money setup: bank → credit card → remittance apps ✅ Healthcare: insurance card, clinic registration, emergency numbers ✅ Housing: key documents, guarantor options, utility setup ✅ Language: JLPT planning, conversation school options Get the Checklist Enter your email and we’ll send you the printable PDF version — plus a short weekly guide covering Japan’s bureaucratic system in plain English. ...

What you'll learn in this guide The complete timeline and checklist for leaving Japan permanently How to claim your Japanese pension refund (lump-sum withdrawal) What to do with your Japanese bank accounts, credit cards, and investments How to cancel your residence registration and return your residence card Shipping belongings, selling furniture, and final tax filings Quick Answer Key tasks when leaving Japan: cancel residence registration at city hall (submit 転出届), apply for pension lump-sum refund within 2 years of departure, file final tax return before leaving, close/transfer bank accounts, and handle your apartment move-out properly. Start the process 2–3 months before departure. ...

Quick Answer Register your address at city hall within 14 days of arrival — everything else (bank account, phone contract, health insurance) depends on this step. Bring your passport and residence card. The full setup takes about 2–4 weeks to complete. The first weeks in Japan are exciting and overwhelming in equal measure. You’re trying to absorb a new city, a new job (or school), a new language — and simultaneously navigate an administrative system that operates in Japanese, requires documents you’ve never heard of, and where step B genuinely can’t happen until step A is done. Nobody hands you a manual. ...

What you'll learn in this guide Exactly what to bring vs what to buy in Japan Items that are hard to find or expensive in Japan (especially for larger sizes) Documents you must bring — not optional Electronics compatibility in Japan The complete packing checklist for your move to Japan Quick Answer Bring: documents (originals + copies), medications (3-month supply plus prescriptions), clothes in larger sizes, power adapters, and your debit card with no foreign transaction fees. Buy in Japan: most furniture, electronics, and daily goods — Japan has excellent quality at reasonable prices and shipping items from overseas costs far more than buying locally. ...