{"Breadcrumbs":{"navLabel":"Breadcrumb"},"Life":{"metaTitle":"Living in Japan | Residence, Housing, Work and Healthcare","metaDescription":"Explore daily life in Japan: residence procedures, housing, work, insurance, pensions and healthcare, with practical guidance and official sources.","kicker":"Living in Japan — Knowledge Base","title":"How life in Japan works, all in one place","lead":"We gathered the everyday \"common sense\" of living in Japan — the kind you'd otherwise spend two or three hours researching and still trip over — and organized it systematically in one place. First learn that something exists and the most common traps, then go confirm with official sources. Many pitfalls you don't even realize exist (classic example: assuming you can freely work part-time once you arrive, not knowing you first need a permit to engage in activities outside your status, a 28-hour weekly cap, and industry restrictions).","trapLabel":"The trap you might miss","openGuide":"Open guide","footerNote":"This page is continuously expanding — more life topics are added over time.","breadcrumbHome":"Home","breadcrumbHub":"Living in Japan","guides":{"residence-life":{"title":"Survival Guide After Arriving","summary":"A timeline you can check off — from picking up your residence card to resident registration, national insurance & pension, banking, and transport — covering everything to do right after you arrive.","trap":"Think you can just live normally once you land? Picking up your residence card, registering as a resident within 14 days, enrolling in national insurance & pension, buying a separate express ticket for the Shinkansen — one misstep and it all becomes a scramble."},"housing":{"title":"Housing Guide","summary":"The whole picture of renting in Japan — guarantors and guarantor companies, deposit and key money, move-in costs, and renewal fees.","trap":"Think renting is as simple as one month's deposit back home? You'll need a guarantor or guarantor company, move-in costs can reach ¥400,000–500,000, and there's a renewal fee every two years…"},"part-time-work":{"title":"Part-Time Work Guide","summary":"How to get permission for activities outside your status, the 28-hour weekly cap, and industry restrictions — the rules for working part-time legally as a student.","trap":"Think you can work freely once you're here? You first need permission to engage in activities outside your status, you're capped at 28 hours a week, anything related to the adult-entertainment industry is off-limits, and going over can hurt your residence renewal."},"insurance-pension":{"title":"Insurance & Pension Guide","summary":"Compare three National Pension choices, then see National Health Insurance reductions, the student payment exception, and lump-sum withdrawal side by side.","trap":"Think it doesn't apply if you have no income? National Health Insurance is mandatory, and the National Pension has a \"student payment exception\" — failing to apply for it actually leaves you worse off."},"medical":{"title":"Medical & Hospital Guide","summary":"From the 30% co-pay with your insurance card to referral letters for large hospitals, after-hours and weekend services, and free campus mental-health support — how getting medical care in Japan works.","trap":"Think seeing a doctor works the same as back home? You pay 30% with your insurance card, large hospitals require a referral letter, nights and weekends have separate services, and your school has a free mental-health desk."},"residence-visa":{"title":"Visa & residency strategy","summary":"The ladder to staying long-term: student → work statuses → Highly-Skilled Professional → permanent residence → naturalization (highest-risk area; direction only).","trap":"Think 10 years in Japan auto-grants permanent residence? PR rules have tightened — taxes, pension and health insurance, even if paid off later, are in principle marked down if you missed the statutory deadlines; and Highly-Skilled points are not a one-time pass."},"highly-skilled-points":{"title":"HSP Points Calculator","summary":"Switch among categories 1(a), 1(b), and 1(c); every selection updates the total, itemized breakdown, and distance to 70/80 points in real time.","trap":"A point estimate is not Immigration approval. Income, academic background, Japanese ability, bonus items, and the proof documents all need official confirmation."}},"leaf":{"arrival-quick-start":{"metaTitle":"First days in Japan: a quick-start guide · Living in Japan","metaDescription":"Plan your first 72 hours in Japan: get connected, use transport and find somewhere to sleep, with a practical arrival checklist.","readMore":{"heading":"Read further · in-depth pages on this site","items":{"resident-registration":{"label":"Resident registration · full walkthrough","note":"Counter dialogue practice and the document list"},"bank-account":{"label":"Opening a bank account","note":"Japan Post Bank (yucho) then online banks, with the traps"},"mobile-sim":{"label":"Phone · SIM","note":"From a stopgap connection to a full contract, in two steps"},"utilities-setup":{"label":"Electricity, gas and water","note":"Turning them on for move-in day, and who to call"},"ic-card-shinkansen":{"label":"IC travel cards · Shinkansen","note":"Registered 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and work permits."},"customs-manners-japan":{"metaTitle":"Customs and etiquette: rubbish, neighbours, social rules · Living in Japan","metaDescription":"Understand everyday manners in Japan: household boundaries, rubbish sorting, bathhouses, table etiquette and gift-giving."},"deposit-move-out-restoration":{"metaTitle":"Moving out and getting your deposit back · Living in Japan","metaDescription":"Understand deposits and move-out restoration costs in Japan, including normal wear, aging and the national restoration guideline."},"disaster-and-fraud-prevention":{"metaTitle":"Disaster and scam safety: quakes, typhoons, fraud · Living in Japan","metaDescription":"Prepare for earthquakes, typhoons and impersonation fraud in Japan, with immediate actions and official channels to verify suspicious contacts."},"drivers-license-japan":{"metaTitle":"Getting a driver's license in Japan · Living in Japan","metaDescription":"Compare license conversion and learning to drive in Japan, with permit restrictions, testing rules and official sources to verify."},"family-stay-spouse-children-visa":{"metaTitle":"Dependent visa for a spouse and children · Living in Japan","metaDescription":"Understand Japan’s dependent residence status for spouses and children, including support requirements and limits on work."},"financial-fraud-prevention":{"metaTitle":"Financial crime: account selling, cash rails, scam jobs · Living in Japan","metaDescription":"Recognize financial scams in Japan and avoid accomplice risks involving bank accounts, informal currency exchange and suspicious easy-money jobs."},"food-grocery-shopping-japan":{"metaTitle":"Food and groceries: shops, markdowns, labels · Living in Japan","metaDescription":"Save on groceries in Japan with store choices, evening markdowns and food-label guidance, including best-before and use-by dates."},"home-internet":{"metaTitle":"Home internet: fibre, an existing line, or tethering · Living in Japan","metaDescription":"Plan home internet in Japan: check fibre access and optical outlets before signing, then arrange installation and a temporary connection."},"housing-contract-initial-costs":{"metaTitle":"Finding a flat: agents, guarantors, move-in costs · Living in Japan","metaDescription":"Understand the move-in costs of renting in Japan, from deposits and key money to guarantor fees, insurance and contract charges."},"ic-card-shinkansen":{"metaTitle":"IC cards and the shinkansen · Living in Japan","metaDescription":"Use IC cards and Shinkansen tickets in Japan: registered and tourist cards, mobile options, commuter passes and the two-ticket rule."},"long-distance-budget-travel":{"metaTitle":"Long-distance travel on a student budget · Living in Japan","metaDescription":"Compare budget travel in Japan for resident students: student discounts, Seishun 18 tickets, highway buses and overnight travel."},"mobile-sim":{"metaTitle":"Phone and SIM: choosing a carrier and a plan · Living in Japan","metaDescription":"Choose a temporary and long-term mobile connection in Japan, with address, payment and SMS requirements for new arrivals."},"moving-relocation-procedures":{"metaTitle":"Moving house: paperwork, utilities, disposal · Living in Japan","metaDescription":"Plan a move in Japan with move-out and move-in notices, residence-card address updates and the official deadlines to confirm."},"overseas-remittance":{"metaTitle":"Sending money between Japan and China · Living in Japan","metaDescription":"Compare overseas remittance costs, exchange-rate spreads and reporting rules for Japan and mainland China, with official sources."},"payments-and-credit-cards":{"metaTitle":"Payments and credit cards in Japan · Living in Japan","metaDescription":"Build a payment setup in Japan with debit, prepaid and QR options, then understand credit-card screening as a new resident."},"resident-registration":{"metaTitle":"Resident registration at the city office · Living in Japan","metaDescription":"Register your address at a Japanese city or ward office, with residence-card documents and next steps for banking, insurance and My Number."},"student-commuter-pass":{"metaTitle":"Student commuter pass: buying it the right way · Living in Japan","metaDescription":"Check eligibility for student commuter passes in Japan, including school certificates, designated schools and how to buy the right pass."},"utilities-setup":{"metaTitle":"Turning on electricity, gas and water · Living in Japan","metaDescription":"Arrange electricity, water and gas before moving into a home in Japan, including the gas appointment that requires you to be present."}}},"MeShared":{"avatarFallback":"R","nav":{"portrait":"Profile","overview":"Overview","profile":"Profile","exams":"My exams","career":"Career profile","applications":"Applications","timeline":"Timeline","membership":"Membership & Hatsuho","reviews":"Reviews","workbench":"Documents","assets":"Library","favorites":"Favorite professors","favorite-companies":"Favorite 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