Not sure if I missed it this year or not!

https://preview.redd.it/u5mwjxyzkszc1.png?width=266&format=png&auto=webp&s=bbcd9bd0aaf05bb0edf3b4b1e561171dfd2e162e

Context: So Rat remains have been found in packs of bread in Japan, prompting a recall of over 100,000 loaves. The discovery was made by at least two people who found parts of a small black rat inside the bread. The bread, produced by Pasco Shikishima Corporation, is a type of processed white bread called “chojuku”.

What do you think about it?

So this is my first car ever, so I have no clue how to sign up for insurance. Currently the dealership is doing the shaken and other necessary preparations. It's a small shop over in the inaka.

I did some research online and it was suggested to get the Sony insurance. I'm a totally new driver (still with the 🔰 mark) and not too confident with my parking skills 😅 Some places recommended rakuten insurance for rakuten card holders. But not sure how good their services are.

My age is just under 30 and the car is a pretty old (pseudo) sports car (2005 Toyota Celica, not sure if this will affect the insurance premiums)

Drop your suggestions and anything I need to be wary of. Thanks!

Im graduating from PhD in Sept. There are two positions open (from diff unis) for an assistant prof position. Part of their required docs is a summary of past educational experience and ambitions for the future, which to my understanding is experience as an educator.

What are my chances if being selected if I dont have teaching experience? Like what do I even write in the document?

Given how packed I am this month and next, I dont really want to use my time on something I might get automatically disqualified from when I can use my time doing other things ie meeting other deadlines.

Can anyone give me an information/idea if you are on a dependent visa holder then you have a job offer in another country. Will my dependent visa will affect my visa status?

So im in the market for some orthotics for my timberland boots and was wondering if anybody knows a good place to get them?

I am open to full custom ones if they aren't to expensive.

I have a collapsed arch on my left foot if this helps with suggestions.

I live in Nagano prefecture close to Matsumoto if that helps with the suggestions.

Why, why not?

I personally don’t. A lot of positives living here, but doesn’t feel like home, always feel like a stranger, so contemplating when and how to move back.

First, I KNOW I KNOW, do not give it back!!! I understand that the law is on my side, but there are a few more complications in this case so I’d like to know what you guys would do if you were in my position.

I’ve worked for this tiny company for 1.5 years. It is notoriously a black-ish company with a high turnover. When I joined, I received no training, was made to look like a fool in front of clients due to being given wrong information… it was all terrible but I had no other experience aside from English teaching so I decided to stick it out. Now I’m comfortable in the job, but my partner and I are moving to a different city, so I decided to set my last date around late July. Which in my opinion is plenty of notice, though I also understand that our work is quite tough to learn quickly so the 引き継ぎ is usually quite bumpy and each person’s plate is usually already quite full.

My company gets their bonus in April, not June (and they also have one in Dec). I didn’t trust them to not give me 0, so I waited it out before spilling, and got a chunky 3 months bonus. In my time there, I’ve only ever received 1 or 1.5 months. (I’ve also received a couple raises before, and would say that I make slightly better than average and money here is good but the nature of the job leads to lots of OT and sometimes weekend work). Unfortunately, another coworker also had planned to quit around the same time. We had to come clean to our boss when he tried to get us onto a new project. (Btw.. he started this conversation with “so you both got a bonus recently…” to show you how he leverages money to incentive staff. He has brought up me receiving bonuses, a pay raise, getting pto in front of other staff when getting reprimanded.)

Anyway, he EXPLODED. It was expected. He took it very personally. Felt that the notice was too short (2 months?!). Then kept badgering us “so you’re gonna keep the bonus?”. The next day, he changed tactics, became very kind and nice, explained that the company is not doing well (the bonus was leftover money mostly from a couple years ago and it was held.. it was before my time), and that if I could consider giving some back. He said that if he had known I would leave, he wouldn’t have given me so much.

Me being a people pleaser.. I don’t want to cause more trouble. I don’t WANT to give back any. But I do recognize it was a large amount. And maybe for the sake of peace, I could give back a little, then ask to use my remaining pto and essentially cover a bit back. And yes, they definitely won’t offer me to use my pto, this is probably something I would have to bring up even though legally I’m supposed to use it. He would think it was another one of my tactics to squeeze him dry.

My boss will also be away for the whole month of June. My partner has suggested that during that time, I change my leave date, and just leave at the end of June so as not to see and deal with him again (I have ongoing projects to wrap so I can’t leave any earlier) . My partner (who is Japanese) also did feel that 3 months bonus is quite a lot, and can understand why my boss flipped out, but still said the law is on my side and this company is crazy. I’m also a little worried about causing problems with other coworkers, though they are questionably a little wacky as well.

Anyway, what would you do?

I and my wife are trying to conceive. But maybe the stress from work or the pressure of having to perform for conceiving is giving me some problems.

I’ve searched for some clinics in Osaka and there’s no shortage but I was hoping for some recommendations from personal experience or advice since I’m not sure which one to choose or what to expect.

Also, what price do you typically pay for ED meds and can I get them the same day?

Might as well give an update:

I went to a clinic in Tenma called Idaten. Didn’t make a reservation but I was still seen quickly. They have you write a few details and your problem on a webpage on your smartphone. Very private.

At least two of the doctors can speak some English. I expected I’d have to explain my situation but the doctor went straight into the sales pitch. I bought Vardenafil which the doctor recommended and said he used himself. It comes in 10mg and 20mg but the doctor said I should get the 20mg and use a pill cutter since the price was 13,000 and 15,000 respectively for 10 pills plus a 2500 consultation fee. It’s not covered by heath insurance.

They really do hand them out like expensive candy but I have peace of mind knowing I got a genuine item.

If they work well I may try some from the websites recommended here.

So I need to send a big and heavy package overseas, and it's clearly cheaper by sea than airmail.

Do you have any experiences, was it all smooth and it arrived fine and well?

It's a long way so I guess not only Japan Post will be involved, but just to get feedbacks if you have some.

Thank you very much in advance!

Hi all! I'll be sending a box of personal items for appraisal to the US via EMS. I'm currently in the process of filling out the form, and if I declare the value to be higher than 200,000 JPY then I need to sign a power of attorney form for JP Post to handle the customs for me. My quesiton is, these are personal items and for appraisal only. In the past I've had no issues sending < 200k, but wondering if anyone here has experience with whether they would likely charge customs fees on the shipment (even though these are not commercial goods) or if there are any other additional complications that can arise from this?

Thanks! Appreciate it's a niche question :)

I’m trying to understand this suspension.

The trains are suspended between Toyocho and Nishi Kasai (T14,T15,T16).

I was planning to go to Kichijoji on Sunday from a station before Nishi-kasai (T16).

Will the trains still run from stations before Nishi-kasai towards Nakano and beyond or will they only run to Nishi-kasai. I’m really confused and hope somebody can make sense of this. 🙏

Hey y'all

I've been living in Japan for a few years now, moving around a lot and now that my wife and I have kind of settled into a place where we can stay long term, I'm looking to find ways to boost my salary without going back to school. We both work and I have a few personal projects I'm working on, plus we have a baby, so going back to school is off the table unless anyone knows of free courses that provide certification.

My question is, what kinds of exams/classes/certificates can I take that won't cost an arm and a leg, but will make my resume better than every other gaijin that's worked at an eikaiwa for a few years?

Like for example I recently learned of the existence of "Tokyo frog kings" and "Saga Ballooners".

Given that one speaks both English and Japanese and is technical, and the pay doesn't have to be good.

Server maintenance? night shift at International hotel? Technical support engineer?

I just started a job 1 month ago, and I was given a work calendar upon entering the company. The calendar said that I had an extra day off after golden week, and it was written clear as day, so I started making some arrangements for my time off. As this was my 3rd golden week so far, I had a feeling something just didn't seem right, so when it got to the day, I called up an hour before my shift would usually start and said 'on my calendar it says I've got the day off, is that true?', then I had a reply from my boss which had the feeling of '....you're working today, don't you have your head screwed on?' then I said 'so the calendar is wrong, right?' then they said 'please come into work'.

I felt a bit pissed off about their attitude, as they didn't apologize once that the calendar was wrong, and spoke with a super condescending attitude. I went into the office 15 minutes before my shift to allow some time to talk, and I went up to my boss with my calendar and said 'please look at this, I got this calendar when joining the company'. She said 'oh, yeah it says you have a day off', then suddenly the CEO jumps in and says 'look at the calendar' I was like 'what, the work calendar which was given to me which says today is off?' he was like 'thats an old calendar'....

I said 'well can I have the new one and can somebody confirm if it has the right days off on it?' then he seemed really pissed off. I said 'I understand golden week, but if the work calendar you gave me says I have an extra day off, then I have no reason to be mistaken', then my boss printed out a new calendar and gave it to me.

Ever since then, the CEO is being really standoffish with me, and today as I said 'otsukare sama desu' he turned at me and showed me a work calendar which he had and said 'days off are as seen on the calendar' and then did a really patronizing laugh as he walked off, so he's tried to butt heads with me a day after meaning he's definitely just been pissed off about it since yesterday.

There was no sumimasen or anything, and he is acting as if it's all my fault.

Who thinks that this is a massive red flag and I should leave the company? Or do you think this is normal behavior from a CEO in Japan if somebody embarrasses them by politely bringing to their attention that they fucked up?

When I say CEO, this is a really small company, so don't think Tim Cook, think a small translation company which is scraping the pennies together and paying everyone a bad wage.

Anyone have any recommendations?

I know of two places that fit the criteria but I'd like to find some more. Online searches just come up with crowded spots that require a reservation and have a bunch of rules which isn't my idea of a good time.

If someone gives me a good recommendation I'll give out my good spot.

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Thanks!

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So the title pretty much sums up the situation if you're looking for tldr; it's been two months since I applied and I'm actually going insane.

I was told it would take 2 weeks at the time of application, but then a month passed so I went back into Shinagawa Immigration to ask if there was a problem and was told, 'nope, no problem, it's just busy right now and we can't tell you how long it will take'.

After searching online I saw the timeline is usually 2 weeks to 2 months max, but I'm just worried I'm going to be waiting forever. Does anybody have any experience with waiting such a long time for something that other people seem to be granted within days?

Would appreciate any help, I'm feeling really isolated and helpless here. Thank you!

Questions, complaints, and brags are all welcome!

Hi! I would very much appreciate if you have information or experience with a female psychiatrist who speaks English in Osaka or Kansai area? Long shot, but someone who specializes in trauma will be really good.

I am at my wit's end in looking for one.🥲 I have one now but I find it hard to communicate as my Japanese is not that good yet.

I've checked almost all related posts here and read their clinic website but unfortunately, it doesn't fit my description.

Thank you!!

Sorry stupid question as an American can anyone explain why He is an American sounds find to me but He is a Japanese sounds wrong and maybe a bit rasist?

In Osaka currently but in two years when my son finishes preschool we’ll be in a position to buy a house. We’ve got some candidates already, north Osaka, some places in Hyogo, but Hokkaido really interests me. Despite earthquakes still being a thing the risk is slightly lower there, they’re spared the brutal summers we have down here, it’s green, the nature is beautiful, it honestly seems like the perfect place to me. The only downsides I can think of are lack of work which I can hopefully fix with remote work and of course the extreme winter. Besides that why would someone living there now advise against it?

Hi all! Hope you’ve had a great GW. After one year of living in Japan and two rejections from JP bank for something as simple as a debit card, I applied for an account at other banks.

So far, I’ve received a response from Sony Bank who have opened an account for me with a debit card! Yay! Finally! However, I’m struggling to find any reviews online for Sony Bank. I’m thinking of making them my main bank (and thus having my salary paid into their account and using it for all my foreseeable transactions etc).

Therefore, I’m wondering if anyone has had any experience with them? Anything I should look out for or be aware of? Any issues you’ve had? Any good reviews too? Please do let me know what experiences you’ve had with Sony Bank! TIA!

EDIT: Thank you so much everyone for your responses! I’m feeling encouraged now and will definitely start using them as my main bank. Bye bye JP Bank!!

Are here any people who are interested in jumping rope together (preferably from Osaka, Kobe, Kyoto)?

Background: I applied for PR recently (before March 15) after 1 year of moving to Japan with the 80 points calculation. Because I hadn't paid national income tax or residence tax yet, my record was squeaky clean with all other payments handled by my company. I have a 5 year Engineer visa and working at a FAANG company.

The unfortunate part: Because I receive RSUs and taxes were handled by a tax accountant this year, I still had to file that part of the tax return, and mistakenly assumed this would automatically be deducted from my bank account as I had given the accountant that info. They filed my taxes but I was still responsible for manually taking the prepared slip and going to the tax office to pay. Long story short it's still my mistake for not following through and going to the tax office, and one day I received an intimidating letter from the tax office saying to pay up. Of course I paid up immediately the next day and feeling incredibly regretful.

I would like to know if anyone has been in a similar situation as mine and what the result of their PR was? My PR app probably hasn't even been looked at yet by immigration but I have these two options I could take:

1. Submit a letter of explanation preemptively explaining this whole situation and emphasize this mistake will never happen again and attach it to my application now.
2. Wait until immigration starts processing my application, see if they investigate this further and ask me for additional docs/interview to explain my situation. In which case I will provide them with all the docs they ask for then.

When I spoke to the tax office, the staff said that the tax certificate, namely the 納税証明書（その3）which is the one to submit for PR will not show any late payment. I've probably read every post about PR on Reddit in the last few days and it does seem overwhelmingly stacked against me. I was that person that was always so careful to reread these documents and was certain I wouldn't pay any taxes late, but of course I made one of the biggest screwups possible for my PR chances. I'm fully aware I can reapply again. Hoping I can get some anecdotal evidence and advice here from people successfully getting PR despite this just because the PR wait is brutally long, so it will give me some peace of mind until then.

Mother's day is coming up and rather than just pick a cake up with a message on like I usually do from the bakery next to us, I was thinking of ordering a really nice one online and having it delivered on Mother's day. I'm in Osaka if that helps but I assume a larger business might deliver nationwide anyway? If anyone has any recommendations I would appreciate it.

Thank you!

I got into an accident 2 weeks ago and injured my knee badly. Exactly a week ago, I had undergone surgery, which thankfully went well. I will still be confined in the hospital for 1 more week for the start of rehabilitation and monitoring. The surgeon told me that I will continue the rehabilitation for ~10 more weeks with a rehab therapist once I’m out of the hospital.

I am not sure if the surgeon will continue to see me.

My reason for asking is that, and please correct me if I am wrong, I heard that it is not easy to get consultation or appointment with doctors here in Japan without a Letter of Referral. I got admitted to the hospital because my case, as I perceived, was an emergency.

I’m a foreign student and would remain so for 1 more year from now. But things can be uncertain for me, which may require me to change doctor/ clinic/ hospital/ residence within the year or after graduation.

The doctor/ surgeon also told me that approximately 1 year from now, the metals and screws would have to be removed after the healing is finished.

Thank you in advance for your responses.

As part of a renewal I have to send my passport to the UK from Japan. EMS (Japan post) is next to my office or I can walk a bit and go to a DHL point. Which should I use? Also can I had write the address or do they help with that in branch? Thank you