Moving to Japan

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. ...

Quick Answer To get a work visa in Japan, you need a job offer from a Japanese employer first. Your employer applies for a Certificate of Eligibility (COE) at immigration — this takes 1–3 months. You then take the COE to your home country’s Japanese embassy to get the visa stamped. Total timeline: 2–4 months from job offer to landing in Japan. The Japan work visa process has a reputation for being opaque and slow — and for people who’ve sat waiting weeks for a Certificate of Eligibility with no updates, that reputation is earned. But the actual steps are more structured than they feel from the outside. Once you understand who does what, the waiting becomes less mysterious. ...

Quick Answer Culture shock in Japan follows 4 stages: Honeymoon (everything is exciting), Frustration (everything is exhausting), Adjustment (finding coping strategies), and Adaptation (functioning effectively in both cultures). Most foreigners hit frustration at 3–6 months. The key insight: frustration is a sign of engagement — you’re experiencing Japan deeply enough to be affected by it, not just observing from a distance. “I came to Japan because I loved everything about it. Now I find myself irritated by things I used to love. What happened?” ...

Quick Answer The biggest hidden costs in Japan: key money (礼金, 1–2 months rent, non-refundable), agency fee (1 month rent), residence tax (住民税) billed in June for previous year’s income, national pension (¥16,980/month mandatory), and move-out cleaning fees (¥30,000–80,000). First-year total surprise bills frequently exceed ¥500,000 for people who didn’t plan for them. Japan is often cited as more affordable than people expect for everyday living — ramen for ¥900, doctor visits for ¥2,000, excellent public transport for ¥200 a trip. What catches people off guard aren’t the daily costs. It’s the large, irregular, and often invisible expenses that aren’t in most budget guides. ...