For context, my father was born in Japan to a Japanese mother and non Japanese father. However, at the time he was born it was under U.S. occupation and he did not receive dual citizenship/Japanese nationality.

I read online that there’s ways to get citizenship by descent but confused on the process.

I'm from America and have a Bachelor's degree already. My plan is to go to language school in a couple years and then go to grad school after so that I can try to get a masters while in Japan (if you're wondering, yes, I plan on staying and living in Japan). The thing is, I'm not quite sure if I will be allowed to go to grad school in Japan with my Bachelor's from America. If there is anyone who has experience with this, any info you can provide would be helpful.

I plan on going to either an ISI Tokyo location or Akamonkai (also in Tokyo), so I will be saving A LOT of money. To give you a clearer picture, I'll use Akamonkai's fees for example. I plan on going for 2 years and the total fees will be ¥1,605,000 (around $10329.70). That price is only for the school fees, NOT living accommodations, food, etc. I plan on saving DOUBLE that. On top of that doubled amount, I will double that amount again lol. All in all, I will save around $40,000 total before leaving America.

Now, after completing language school, the amount of money I brought would have dwindled in those 2 years. I have heard that Japan uni's aren't "that expensive". In order to afford uni after language school, the best ways I were recommended were to use my language school to help get a scholarship and work a part-time job. Again, if you have any experience with going to uni after language school, your story will be helpful to me, thank you.

Note: Yes, I've been to Japan once before and loved it (just in case anyone was wondering...)

I want to move to Japan in about 2 years, want to try and attend a language school, I already have saved up about $2,000, how much more should I save up before moving so that I won't be broke once I'm over there, considering the plane ticket, public transportation, and ultility bills and everything I'll need like food and water for the first few months until I can get a job and hopefully a paycheck.

My wife and I are considering a move to Japan after being married for over 15 years in the US. She has a Japanese passport and family in Yokohama, but we are only officially married in the US right now. I’ve visited at least 10 times and her parents speak English, so I’ve had time to understand what we’d be signing up for.

I believe I have a good handle on how the student visa and spousal visa processes work now, but would love feedback on which would be the better choice for us.

• We have the funds for me to take 1-2 years off to be a full time student
• Regardless of which visa we go with, I want to integrate with the culture and becoming proficient in the language
• This move may not be permanent, or may result in us living in both countries part time
• I am an experienced tech worker with a 4 year degree and a solid resume. I believe that with language proficiency I will not have a problem finding a job in Japan.
• I believe a class environment would be a better way for me to learn the language than sitting at home finding my own way
• We have investments in the US that will generate taxable income while we’d be giving this whole thing a try, so I’d like the decision to be the most tax advantageous.

Thank you so much for your help! If you have any professional that you could refer us to for our situation instead, that’d be much appreciated!

So Basically I'll be travelling to Japan this summers for my 1.5 month internship. I am 19 YO right now and I keep a big handlebar moustache and kinda tall ( 1.88m). Facially and physically I kinda look too masculine/big for my age ( I cant add an image on this sub). Is this a problem in Japan? I'll be interning at university of Tokyo and I am further looking forward to having some dates in Japan. Will there be any problem?

Hi I'm moving to Japan on the 14th of this month and have company provided hotel stay for 15 days in Tokyo. I want to open a bank account within that time frame as I would like to get a sim and book an apartment for which I would need to get funds transfered from my company to my Japanese bank account. I have a Work visa for 1 year and a work CoE as well. Will be getting my resident card as I land but confused about the next step as to how I can get a card and account in Japan. Also which bank would be the best for a foreigner in my situation, please advise on that front as well.

Hi,

I have a part Chinese part German name in my US passport. I don't want to use the German part of the name in Japan, I only want the Chinese name ideally written in Kanji. I was looking up whether I can legally change my name to be written in Chinese characters in California and I can as long as the pronunciation is legible by the court. That being said, in US government issued identification (e.g. passport or driver's license) the name would still be spelled in the Latin alphabet.

I read that in Japan it will be difficult to change your name once you are there, so if I want to use my Chinese name, I'm thinking of changing the name now to be only the Chinese name and spell it in Chinese characters. I also read that the legal name in Japan would have to be written in the same alphabet that is on your US legal documents and that you can use an alias that is written in Kanji but you need documents with this name as proof for you to get the alias.

Regarding the issue of having a Kanji name but looking like a foreigner, the name is Chinese and has a different pronunciation than the Kanji in Japanese and I typically add the Katakana to show pronunciation, so would still identify me as a foreigner in Japan.

I am considering applying for a name change to have my Chinese name written in Chinese characters while still in California and get the court order as a legal document. I have 2 questions:

1. Would the California court order be enough to get the name in Kanji in Japan as a legal name.

2. If it wouldn't be enough to get a Kanji legal name, would it be enough to get the Kanji alias

I’m planning to go on an exchange to Keio University as an undergraduate exchange student. For those who've been to Keio, I’d love to hear about your experience! What program were you in? Did you join any clubs or circles, and how welcoming are they towards foreign exchange students?

I’m from Australia with a Chinese background and can speak fluent Japanese to a certain level, though definitely not at a native level. One thing I’m a bit concerned about is that people in Japan might assume I’m Japanese based on my appearance, and it would probably be confusing if I tell them I’m from Australia. Does anyone have any tips on how to navigate this and smoothly adapt to the cultural environment?

I’m really excited to make new friends in Japan and would appreciate any advice!

P.S. This is a newly created account to protect privacy. :)

Three questions. firstly I’m a chinese-american american citizen and my legal name is my chinese name romanized. When converting the name to japanese for legal documents would they try to turn the romanized name to katakana or use the original name in chinese characters and turn that to japanese?

Secondly i’ve heard people being able to choose the spellings of their name in katakana, but i’ve only seen it for western names. Would i be able to have my name written in katakana for how it’s pronounced in cantonese rather than mandarin since i dont have any attachment to the name in mandarin.

Third, is it up to me to choose for my name to officially be written in chinese/kanji or katakana?

I am have an appointment to apply for my student visa. How formal/casual should I dress?

My wife and I (mid 30s) got married recently and we want to continue being together instead of me having to go back to the US and risk not seeing each other for a while, I’ve been in Japan over 5 months now. Basically we’ve been together for 5 months in which we lived together for over 3. We really hit it off, I already know we have to convince immigration so please don’t have me try and convince you as well. My parents are happy for the marriage and extremely supportive, while here are not quite so. My parents married after 2 days of dating, her father is stereotype Japanese businessman, so needless to say our parents value different things.

Now my issue. We spoke to a couple of lawyers, me raised concern for our income but length of relationship is fine based on what we said, the other lawyer said the length of relationship is the problem. So it’s hard to know if both issues or just one of them is a problem, and really it’s up to immigration anyways.

We’re just kinda stressed about this. I have a good job in America I worked, I can start working soon as my visa is excepted, but it will go down to part time like (2 maybe 3 a day 5 days a week) and only earn about 3.5milliom yen. We have like 4 million in savings between us and I also have a paid off home in the US. We are not living together on paper but we have been and can show it with photos and texts between us.

Anyways I’m just more curious about how you or your friend’s visa went and if you can give me any advice, comfort or cautionary tale.

We are going to try and change my status from tourist from USA to spouse visa. Should we hire a lawyer, is it worth the value, or just do it ourselves? We are officially married in Japan through the city hall not just for funsies.

We really want to start this relationship with a stronger foundation.

Thanks so much :)

Hi everyone!

In a months time I am moving to Japan with one other for a year on the working holiday visa. We plan on staying in Tokyo for the first half of the year and are currently looking for anything with 2 rooms.

After a few weeks of searching online it seems like there aren't many available 2 room apartments, and any inquiries/requests we have sent have just gone into the abyss. Our main concern is that it feels like there are so many factors in the rental process (ie. being foreign, initial costs, guarantor, furnishing etc.) and not anywhere near enough information to understand it. We want to prepare but it feels like there is not much we can do from home apart from mindlessly scrolling ambiguous agency sites.

Does it make more sense to search when we get there? How do we go about that, do we try an agency, still use the online sites or are there any other options?

Hello there! I am a 16 year old high school student and plan on moving into Japan in the near future. I have comprised a plan on how I will do so, but it may be inadequate or unrealistic to those who have moved or are already moving to Japan, so I apologize and ask you to bear with me.

1. Graduate High School

*I plan to work in Computer Science, and I have already obtained may certifications. I have also already started to learn Japanese, mastering Hiragana and Katakana, and now learning some basic grammar and vocabulary (before I even consider kanji).

2 . Get into university and major in Computer Science (or Mechanical/Computer Engineering) *The overall goal of this plan is to get into Japan as soon as possible, however, I understand that I must have patience to prevent making stupid decisions that will not benefit me. Following this, I have read that it is wise to finish my Bachelors in the U.S. and utilize short study abroad trips offered by the Japanese language course if I want to visit Japan. However, I want to know one of your opinions on possibly exchanging to a university in Japan. Is it dumb like I thought it would be? I am also unsure if I should enroll in language school or not, as they would sponsor my student visa. I also plan to keep my eye on programs like the Sakae Japan Internship Program and MEXT Scholarship, but I am unsure if I should utilize the MEXT scholarship so early into my college career, or if I should apply for it after I get my Bachelors, and use it working towards a Masters (If you all think it would be necessary for a foreign computer scientist/engineer to have a Masters degree instead of a Bachelors degree to be more likely to be accepted into a job).

I appreciate any help that can be offered!

Husband (30M) and I (31F) are moving to Japan in ~5 years (currently taking care of my 95 year old grandmother who is in great shape. Maybe even more than 5 years at this rate!) and I'm stuck in an upper management position at a job with no further upward mobility or pay increases. I've already worked there for 7 years, and have a BA in History and minor in Single Subject Teacher Prep (so I could get my teaching credential more easily if needed).

I'm literally down to do anything. I'll teach, work business, brew beer, hell I'll literally do anything. I just want to set myself up with these next 5 years to be hire-able in Japan, such that I can move and afford to live there.

If you had 5 years, knowing what you know, what would you do? Get a masters? Different BA? Put in a few years at a different company? Ride out my loyalty at my current one? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Greetings! I'm a Pilot currently on a 5+ year contract, so this discussion is for future use. To save some time, I've read everything on the wiki regarding visa's etc.

So, ideally, once my current contract expires, I would love to apply to a Japanese airliner and move to japan. Leaving the aviation related requirements aside, what should I expect regarding the knowledge of the Japanese language? I've been learning Japanese for 2 years now (Not for the purpose of working, but out of love for the language) and will continue doing so indefinitely. I'm expecting that fluency on Japanese is a requirement for most of the airliners, but to what extent? Are there companies that would employ someone without knowing Japanese? I woudn't fit in the category, but I'm asking to broaden my understanding on the subject. Thanks a lot!

Hi, sorry 4 asking, but I have a question about the student visa and I haven't found an answer anywhere else. Is it possible to study at two Japanese language schools not simultaneously? For example, go to one school for 1 year 3 months, finish the period and then apply to another school for another year. I know the visa has a period of 2 years, but if they are two different schools, is it possible? The schools have different focuses but they are still language schools (Japanese). Also in the page of the student visa attached in this sub reddit the student visa is defined as "A term of individually designated by the Minister of Justice (4 years and 3 months or less)" so I'm very confused.

Also, if anyone has reviews of linguage (リンゲージ) japanese language school in Tokyo, I would appreciate it.

In addition, sorry if I made a grammar mistake, this is not my first language.

Hello everyone, I want to ask about studying university in Japan. I just receive a scholarship to study in Japan so I am at puzzled deciding where to study at.

About my background: I am still learning Japanese, my native language isn't English. I was in specialized school in social sciences in my country; however, I hold a much interest in other disciplines as well, I can code (been to few hackathons) and been publish artworks for sale.

Due to that nature, I aim for Waseda SILS at first. But I heard few unflattering comments about SILS and I am a little bit worried about career opportunities graduating from SILS, as well as its curriculum. Is it very shallowing and only offer basic program? Is it valued and helpful in seeking jobs in Japan? If I study in SILS, can I still pursue a career in finance/tech or a degree in SPSE would be more honored?

The point is bcoz I haven't really dig into Japanese study courses so I have no idea about its vibe. Is it rigorously demanding? Is it too dry and hard to grasp? I was afraid that SPSE is too theoretical.

I also heard that Keio is now more valued than Waseda these days (eg: in term of Keio PEARL and Waseda SPSE) What are your point of view on this matter?

Lastly, do you think that Japanese degree is worth it compares to us/eu degrees? I am accepted into my choices of uni in the US and EU (I am not bragging at all, but my stats are quite good - for the SAT, GPA, ECs so I am worried if my choice of studying in Japan is worth my 'dedication'); however, my scholarship will cover all expenses/tuition fee/insurances and give me allowances ~160,000 JPY so it is a very very enchanting opportunity for me.

Thank you very much! I really need your advice ToT

I’m applying for an intern/new grad position at Mercari and was wondering what their interview process is like. Do they focus more on DSA/algorithms, or is it development-heavy? I’ve also heard that they do peer programming interviews—how does that work? And for intern/new grad roles, do they ask LLD questions too? I’m mainly interested in backend, so any insights would be super helpful! Just trying to be as prepared as possible.

Hi Guys,

I am an Australian, working for a US based airline. We frequently fly to Japan amongst other ports around the world. 2 weeks on, 2 weeks off, with the perk of a paid commute anywhere in the world.

Joined by my wife and 1 year old daughter, and our mutual love and admiration for Japan, like many, we’d love to call Japan home. As far as I can tell in my circumstance, we have no real option of making this possible outside of short term, 90 day stints?

TIA

I'm pretty confident I have all my ducks in a row but am always overthinking things so would love if someone who has successfully gotten the BMV for an online business could recommend the lawyer they used.

I have the 5 million yen. I've lived in Japan for years as a student previously and speak passable japanese. I have a steady freelancing income online I'm looking to make my business in Japan.

Has anyone else followed this path? Would love to hear your experience! 😁 ty

Using the Roam site right now to try and find doctors in the Tokyo area who are lgbt friendly - is MtF gender affirming care included in Primary Care, or will I need to find something specific like an Endocrinologist?

I’m writing this because of my inbox still getting daily messages, and I just can’t reply to everything I get. Lately the frequency has increased, and so I thought it was time for a new post.

Until recently, I had the number one post in this sub, now number two. This is my third post on the subject, my second update.

Link for context: https://www.reddit.com/r/movingtojapan/s/yizyrimRWO

So, many people want to know what I did, how it is going, what advice I may have, etc. And I’d love to be super helpful on this and reply case by case, but it isn’t reasonable with the volume which still comes my way on this topic (thanks google), so let me give everyone an update and my current thoughts. This is after 11 years in Japan being heavily tattooed, and with an incomplete education. I suggest you read the other posts for better context.

First, it isn’t as bad as I initially thought. YMMV, but being in Kyushu helps, being outgoing helps, and being nice helps. Until recently, I got every job I’ve had here by networking, and being the ムードメーカーin the room. It helps people remember me for more than just the hand tattoos. As I mentioned in previous posts, kill them with kindness. It has continued to serve me well. Besides not being able to go to some onsen and gyms, I haven’t felt it hold me back in recent years. And through good relationships, one job has always lead to another. I’ve done some really cool things in my career here thanks to it, including being part of an IPO and even being COO of a startup. It took a while and some chance to get those opportunities , but they came by way of vocalizing wanting more at work consistently.

A lot of questions I get are around visas. I can’t help there, I married into this country. And that is, and will be, your best bet to work here without a degree. It isn’t possible for everyone, and for those struggling with it I wish I could be more helpful, but it just isn’t the boat I’ve ever been in.

I think where you are is super important. Tokyo is very different from the rest of Japan, you’ll get by with foreigner cliques, have access to an English menu, and maybe not even begin to pick up the language. And that may or may not be helpful. If your friends are hiring, it could be good. If they just drink, then you’re better off exposing yourself to language and culture to grow your ability to find work. But if you can put yourself somewhere else in Japan, without the English menu and the foreigner groups to fall back on, I think it would serve you well. It certainly has been mission critical for me.

As for work and how to find it, my first gig was teaching English, but after 2 months I was able to get back to coding through people I met there. That job got me to a better company via networking at events. That job let me do lots of community work, which got me the COO job. And then I had the confidence to make my own company (no, I’m not hiring). But they were all steps, and everything followed by putting myself out there daily, for years, until something better came along. I said it in a previous post but network your ass off, nothing helps more.

I’ve never apologized for my ink, and I try to come across as anything but weird and scary. I talk to all the kids in the neighborhood and in the waiting room of the clinic when my kid has the sniffles. I don’t sit in the corner looking hard af, that doesn’t help my case. I go to the community events, help the old people dig up weeds at the kominkan, and show up at 4am the day of mochisuki to do my part in the preparations. I do not let myself be an exception to any rule because I’m foreign or inked, I don’t gaijin smash. I play the game and because of that I have far less barriers than many other foreigners here around me that aren’t inked up. It only limits you if you let it, and there are other things that can limit you even more without you realizing it.

Everyone is different, with different family and social and economic situations, and I never know what to say when my inbox lights up because I’m no gaijin guru. I’m not the ink whisperer. And I’ve had my own troubles over the years. I’d even say that a lot of the time I don’t like it here, but I stay because this is where I’ve made my home. So sorry to those who I don’t reply to, but my advice is limited, and can be summed up as such:

-Network -Assimilate -Kill them with kindness

YMMV and probably will, but for anyone looking for my answers, I’ll pin this to my profile so you may have the answers from me which you seek.

Good luck, have fun.

Hi! I’m 18 and currently a first year student in college and i’ve been wanting to move to japan for about 2 years now ever since I studied abroad there for a month. The main thing stopping me is finding housing and a job. I have my dental assisting certification so I would like to find a job in that field but I can’t seem to find any hiring foreigners, especially those without experience. I’m getting my AA in order to qualify for the dental hygiene program my school offers but it’s highly competitive so I probably would be there for about a year or two. I was planning to switch to online classes next semester and move to japan while working as a DA. Does this plan sound realistic? If not how else would I be able to move there without quitting school?

I'm coming to Japan soon and decided to find my own apartment instead of using the (shared) accommodation that my company found. The thing is, my apartment isn't available until a month after I arrive in Japan and start my job.

I know I need to register with city hall within 2 weeks of moving, but I'll be at an Aribnb until the apartment is available. What's the best course of action? Can I get away without registering an address until I move in or should I register the Airbnb with city hall, so I have an address on my zairyu card (among other things) & just register my permanent address once I can move in? The two are in different wards.

I'm not sure if anyone has ever been in this situation, but I hope someone can help. Thank you in advance!

Hello,

I’m moving to Japan for a year and considering bringing my car with me. I’ve read that you can drive in Japan for up to a year without registering the car and using the original number plate, but I couldn’t find much detailed information on the process.

Could anyone share their experience or provide more details on the steps involved in temporarily importing a car into Japan? For example, what documents are required, how customs works, and if there are any additional fees or inspections needed?

Thanks in advance!

Hello, I'm thinking to go to a language school late this year and for the financial requirement it's too much for me, so my girlfriend wants to sponsor me, however in order to do so, there are a lot of paperwork regarding explaining motifs... Does anyone have an idea on what we shouldn't write or do,to make it happen?

Thank you.

Currently working in the IT industry in the US, doing a software engineering rotational program for a somewhat decent sized company. My rotation options allow me to rotate into different sectors in tech for a total of 4 rotations 6 months each (data engineering, cloud, software engineering, power BI, etc.)

Currently in my mid 20s and trying to maneuver a career into to an international tech company in Japan, with my date set on 2027. I also hold N2 and will be hiring a tutor to further develop my spoken Japanese.

Some of my questions are:

How does Japan value rotational program experience? Am I a jack of all trades, master of nothing? Looking to aim for paypay, mercari, rakuten, google Japan (long shot ik). How would my experience stand after 2 years of rotational experience when applying to these companies?

Are there Japan-specific technologies or tools that I should learn?

How can I best position my self for an international company? (Currently on a leetcode grind. Have good customer service exp, have a bachelors degree from an accredited university, have the CCNA and some comptia certs, joined some slack servers , visiting some meetups in Tokyo)

Also I’m assuming an ¥8M+ salary is unlikely with only 2 years of experience?

How highly viewed are IT certs in Japan in regard to international companies? (AWS, Azure, comptia, etc)

Rec online platforms to apply for jobs? So far have japandev, careercross, daijob, tokyodev, mynavi

Was looking for any advice on technologies and skillsets to focus on. Planning on deepen my expertise in cloud computing as it seems to be a hot field lacking in skilled engineers.

Any other tips would be appreciated

I am applying to Sophia university as an international student from the U.S. is there any problems I might run into besides the language barrier or small hints of racism. I’d say I’m well read on culture and norms in Japan. I’m going over there to study International Relations and Economics. I’m pretty outgoing, love meeting people of all backgrounds. Are there alumni I can talk to on this forum that can break some invisible problems down that I might not realize before applying or going over there for? I.e professional readiness after graduating, how accommodating is the faculty to international students or students in general? If you have some experience at all with Japanese colleges, everything would very appreciated!!

Hello, this is my first time posting here but I really need help with deciding my next move after college. I don't know who else to ask about this so I came here.

Bottom line is I want to get to Japan as fast as possible. I know that will take sometime, but I need some advice on what path I should take that would most likely get me the fastest to Japan.

I am a student soon graduate with a Bachelor's in computer science with a minor in cyber security. I have around one year of experience in various part of the computer science field such as web development, system admin, and IoT devices. I currently have two obvious paths to attempt

Note: I have studied and know a good bit of Japanese but never got around to taking the JLPT. I also have a good bit of friends who live there who are willing to help with housing and getting other services.

Path1: Pursue a Ph.D

My mentor in college is advising that I pursue a Ph.D because it will open me up to some more opportunities in the U.S.. I want to pursue this because 1. I will get a Ph.D out of it 2. I can apply for the CLS scholarship again. I can at least try three more times, but is it worth it? I want to get the CLS scholarship to become fluent because I really don't have any other opportunity otherwise. Yes, there is language schools, but I don't have the money for that. And I know you're wondering about the tuition with the Ph.D. I have scholarships that I can get that will cover it fully along with joining a program that will pay for it.

Path2: Join a company that has offices in Japan.

When it comes to any field right now nepotism is kind of the shortcut to getting the job. I have made a couple of friends in college who have jobs in companies near me and have said they can help me. There are a couple of them that have offices in Japan, but I just don't want to get stuck in my hometown for even longer than I have to and probably have to work for 4+ years to get to Japan. What do you guys think?

I am open to any other paths/suggestions that people have.

I have been told to join JET but I really need to get a job involved with my degree because hiring managers are ruthless when it comes to employment gaps.

Canadian here. I'm currently going to university in the US and graduate in a few months. I want to go to Japan with a WHV soon after graduation.

I noticed that the working holiday visa requirements have changed in Dec 2024. Now, the WHV can be granted twice in one lifetime, for a max of 2 years. The age range has also increased from 18-25 to 18-30.

A couple questions:

1. I know that the purpose of a WHV is for the "holiday," and you're allowed to work in order to fund your travels. I have the impression that means part-time work is ok, but I don't see anything on the website about max work hours. Does that mean you can technically work a full-time remote job as long as it doesn't interfere with your holiday?

2. I haven't been living in Canada since I'm finishing up university in the US, and I stopped filing taxes in Canada during COVID. Would this interfere with my status as a "resident" of Canada? Am I allowed to just use my Canadian passport as government ID for the WHV application?