Hey guys, I'm planning to visit Japan for 2 months while also working remotely. I know the general consensus within the sub is that doing so on a tourist visa is not legal and therefore a digital nomad visa would be required. And that the local embassy can give out inaccurate info in this regard.

So in order to get a more definitive answer, I emailed the Immigration services in Japan asking if remote work is allowed (as a British citizen in my case) during my 2 month stay in Japan and if a work visa is required. The following was their response:

こちらは出入国在留管理庁　外国人在留総合インフォメーションセンターです。

ご照会いただきましたご質問についてお答えします。

１，外国人の方が「短期滞在」の在留資格で入国した場合、報酬を得る活動（リモートワークを含む）は認められません。しかし、「短期滞在」の在留資格者の方のやむを得ない事情により、日本滞在期間の半分を経過しない範囲内にリモートワークを行う場合は、差し支えありません。

貴方様（「短期滞在」の在留資格者の方）が2か月間の日本滞在中、リモートワークなさる期間が1か月以上を予定しているのであれば、「短期滞在」の在留資格は該当しません。
２，下記の要件を満たす場合、「特定活動（デジタルノマド）」の在留資格認定証明書交付申請（又は、滞在先の日本大使館・領事館で申請可能な特定ビザ）が必要となります。
「特定活動（デジタルノマド）」の在留資格の要件・在留資格認定証明書交付申請に必要な資料について：
https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/applications/status/designatedactivities10_00001.html
３「特定活動（デジタルノマド）」の特定ビザの申請について：滞在先の日本大使館・領事館で申請が可能となります。
特定ビザ：特定活動（デジタルノマド・デジタルノマドの配偶者等）
https://www.mofa.go.jp/mofaj/ca/fna/pagew_000001_00494.html

(AI translation in English below):

This is the Immigration Services Agency of Japan, Foreign Resident Comprehensive Information Center.

We are responding to the inquiry you submitted.

When a foreign national enters Japan under the "Short-Term Stay" residence status, activities to earn remuneration (including remote work) are not permitted. However, if a person with "Short-Term Stay" residence status engages in remote work due to unavoidable circumstances and within a period that does not exceed half of their stay in Japan, it is acceptable. If you (as a person with "Short-Term Stay" residence status) are planning to do remote work for more than one month during a two-month stay in Japan, the "Short-Term Stay" residence status will not be applicable.

If the following conditions are met, it will be necessary to apply for the issuance of a Certificate of Eligibility for the "Designated Activities (Digital Nomad)" residence status (or apply for a specific visa that can be issued at a Japanese embassy or consulate in your location). For details on the requirements for the "Designated Activities (Digital Nomad)" residence status and the documents required for the Certificate of Eligibility application: https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/applications/status/designatedactivities10_00001.html

Regarding applications for the "Designated Activities (Digital Nomad)" specific visa: Applications can be submitted at the Japanese embassy or consulate in your location. Specific Visa: Designated Activities (Digital Nomad, including the spouse of a Digital Nomad) https://www.mofa.go.jp/mofaj/ca/fna/pagew_000001_00494.html

If this is known info within sub, apologies in advance, please feel free to delete this post. But I thought it would be worth to share this info for other people who may be in a similar position.

Hey, I am a student moving to japan next year for a program and just want to know what things I should do before I move there. I am not extremely knowledgeable on the language probably only like N5 level and only took 101 and 102 Japanese so I don't want to get there and fumble my way around trying to figure things out right before classes start when I could have done them at home.

Cell phone: I have an unlimited plan but it is not unlimited international, should I upgrade this to international or should I just rely on public WIFI, as I will mostly be on campus. I've heard there is WIFI pretty available basically everywhere you go for free but I don't know the validity of that, (also the school I am attending is in Nagasaki). Or is it better to just get a separate Japanese cell phone plan.

Possessions: How much stuff should I bring, should I pack my entire room up and bring all of my personal belongings and stuff like that, or just like bare minimum.

Bank account: I know it is quite difficult to get a bank account in Japan as a non-citizen, is it better to use my United states bank or is it worth it to get a bank in Japan, (I want to live and teach here in the future). I've heard you need like a phone number and a place of residence and this is the only time in my life where I will have a place of residence BEFORE a bank account, so I think it might be convenient but I am not even sure its possible and cannot find much information regarding it (at least not info I know to be true).

Last thing, how long does it take for me to get my student visa back after I submit my passport and Certificate of Eligibility?

Hello everyone, I'm 22 with a degree in Computer Science, and I want to get a job in Japan with a specific company that works with game development, the company is small (40 people), and I heard years ago that they were open to hiring foreigners (with Japanese communication ability). I have never been to Japan before and have studied Japanese up to the N4 level. I only have about a year of professional experience for IT (and not for game development).

Currently I am only working a part-time job while getting certifications (CCNA, CompTIA Sec+) because my professional IT job met a swift end at the hands of bankrupt company. I have quite a bit of money saved up due to being somewhat frugal up to this point, I am confident that I could survive on low wages for at least a year or two. I do not need to make payments to a college for my degree, I had a full scholarship that paid for all of it.

What I want is just some clarification on some advice I've read regarding this topic. Please let me know what you think about any of these points below:

1. I've heard that if you want an IT job in Japan, it is preferred you get an ALT job and work there while building up your IT portfolio so Japanese companies know you can assimilate and speak the language.
2. Contrary to #1, I've heard that if you have an ALT job on your resume, JP companies wouldn't want to speak to you. Thus, it would be a good idea to be actively getting certifications in the downtime during an ALT job. I intend to work on a game in UE5 in the downtime to submit to my target company as proof I know what I'm doing.

Hello everyone,

I am looking for someone who can give advice on living in the Fukuoka area. I am married to a japanese national and we currently live in my home country, but we are thinking of moving back to japan once our children reach school age as primary schools in japan are better than where we currently are.  Fukuoka is our current preferred area as my in-laws live in Kyushu.

I therefore have 3-5 years to find what kind of certification or industry I should aim for working in japan and what area is best to live as an international family. I currently have a bachelor in earth science and a master degree in sustainability and biology and I am specialized in green building (LEED AP) and sustainability of large construction projects (Envision) (like train lines and subways). Do you know if it is possible for a foreigner to work in these industry?

If it is not possible, is there a certification or industry that is more welcoming for foreigners? Which would you recommend? If switching industry is better, which one should I am for? what industry do you currently work in in Fukuoka (or Kyushu in general)?

Note that my Japanese level is JLPTN3 currently and I am aiming to pass the N2 in december 2025. Speaking is not a problem as we often speak in japanese, I will probably get a specialized class for business setting before we decide to move.  I am planning ahead!

Moving to Japan next year, just wondering what’s the most popular games and consoles for gaming. I’ve read that PC is on the rise and consoles aren’t as popular because they’re rarely home

I'm planning on visiting Japan with my friends this coming May. However, I'm also potentially going to be doing research there afterwards on a cultural activities visa. My question is, would it be possible to go there as a visa-free tourist, and then "activate" the cultural activities visa while I'm there?

As of the 1st of December 2024, UK nationals will be eligible to participate in the Working Holiday Scheme a maximum of two years, either consecutively or on two separate occasions.

https://www.uk.emb-japan.go.jp/itpr_en/index_000072.html

I wasn't able to find anyone talking about this here at all. I'm currently in Japan on a working holiday visa already and I wonder if I would be allowed to extend it based on the new rules above. The only problem I have is that I just recently turned 31 and my visa ends in March. With it been Japan I doubt they will allow it since they are a stickler for rules and don't use logic for individual cases.

I'm going to go to the town hall and ask as I have nothing to lose.

Here's the situation.

My girlfriend was on a work visa in Japan for 1 year since April of this year. She quit her job in August and went to Australia for a masters degree. She got the Re-Entry permit.

She is planning on coming back to Japan to visit me for 2 weeks in January/February.

We're wondering if her Visa would still be valid to come visit.

Any insight would be much appreciated!

Question regarding Work Visa and Re-Entry

Hi Guys,

Here's the situation.

My girlfriend was on a work visa in Japan for 1 year since April of this year. She quit her job in August and went to Australia for a masters degree. She got the Re-Entry permit.

She is planning on coming back to Japan to visit me for 2 weeks in January/February.

We're wondering if her Visa would still be valid to come visit.

Any insight would be much appreciated!

I don't exactly know how to word this but I just want to know if it's worth trying for. I have worked in IT for several years and will hopefully be completing my bachelors next year. It's my understanding this is a hot field everywhere including Japan, although I work in infrastructure not development so that may change things. If I can hypothetically get my Japanese ability to N4 or N3 what are my chances? I know this is a very broad question but I wonder how much more difficult it would be as opposed to finding a job in the US. I had trouble doing that a few years ago, but I did get lucky and have since really upped my experience. Again, I don't know exactly how to ask this, but I went to Japan nearly a year ago and that feeling of excitement has never left so I figured why not try it before I hit 30. Thanks for any help and I can clarify if needed.

Hello,

Both me and my wife are US citizens she is a greencard holder and are trying to move to Japan. We need a specialist who is fluent in english to assist us with visa and immigration. My wife is Japan descent (sansei) and we would like to apply for the descendant visa. Neither of us speak fluent enough Japanese to go through this process with a Japanese speaking lawyer. I was wondering if any expats have a referral to someone who they have worked with in the past? Also we currently live in the US so this person would need to chat with us over the phone or email.

Thank you so much and I'm putting it in Gods hands now that a good soul on Reddit will guide us to the right person/company.

I am majoring at the bachelor degree of dietition wanting to immigrate to japan. Is it possible for me to become nutritionist in japan eith foreign degree and experiences. I look up with　海外の栄養士学位で日本に栄養士移民 and etc.. but nothing came up... i want to immigrate to japan or other english speaking countries as i am korean who wish to leave here.

I'm planning to apply for a Working Holiday Visa (WHV) to Japan next summer, with the goal of working part- or full-time while staying there for three months. However, I’m weighing a few concerns:

1. Is it worth applying for the visa if I only plan to stay for three months?
2. How difficult is it to find a job for such a short period?

I’m currently in my second year of a law degree, but I’ve always dreamed of living in Japan permanently—assuming I enjoy my time there during the WHV. I also hope to experience the culture more deeply, and maybe even form meaningful connections, such as meeting a Japanese girlfriend. Given all this, I wonder if staying in Japan for the full year might be a better option. Should I consider deferring my studies to make the most of this opportunity, or would three months be enough to get a true sense of life in Japan?

My wife, and I are planning to move to Japan, and are currently living in an EU country. We were thinking about applying for a CoE, and spouse visa, so we already have the visa whenever we decide to go, and it will also be beneficial when searching for a job. However, if we for example receive a spouse visa for 1 year, and then decide to only move to Japan after the visa is expired, would there be any downsides? As in extension isn't possible, or future visa would be declined since we didn't use it? What if we only decide to move there after some time passed, but before it expired, i.e. after 6 months? We will visit Japan for 1-2 months soon, so we thought it would be a good timing to start the process from inside the country.

Anyone have any insights on this? I couldn't really find information on this. Thanks!

Hey, I'm moving to Kobe for school and I came across this Sharehouse company called Machiake [ machiake.jp ]. I did a video call with a staff member and we discussed all the details and price, and now I apparently need to pay a 20,000 JPY "reservation deposit" to hold my room, which will also go towards my security deposit, and only after that will there be any sort of contract. Just curious if anyone has had interactions with this company, if they are reputable, and if this is a normal practice.

Below is the flow chart I found on their website. If it matters, the house I was looking at is the Comichi house.

"１．Contact

２．Visit

３．Deposit payment

４．Determination of move-in date

５．Signing of contract, payment of monthly rent

６．Moving

The above is the basic flow. We respond flexibly according to your situation."

One more question; The payment link they've sent me is through Square, and is an amount in JPY. It seems like I can just put in my debit card details and send it, but does anyone know if there would be international transaction fees on something like that? Would be be better to wait until I have my Schwab card or would you recommend to just send it right away to make sure I get the room?

I’m moving to Japan for a year in march and I was going to just use airbnb but after going to Paris last week I realised that you can’t book a place on the same day. It sounds obvious obviously but does that mean I’m literally going to have to mess about each time I move location and book a day or two before instead because it sounds a bit more stressful and would’ve preferred to just end up where I am with a bit of a plan and look for a place on that day. It’s fairly cheap if you book for a week or month at a time and that’s how I’ll be doing it mostly, never less than a week.

Is there a better alternative to finding accommodation? I also know that to get an actual place I need a phone number but to get a phone number I need an address so how do you get around that loop hope cos I need a bank account there too which I need both for 😂

Edit: I’ll be on the working holiday visa and starting in Osaka, working my way down to the bottom and then flying to Sapporo and working my way back down to Tokyo to fly home.

Background- Final year major in Biotechnology (Industrial and Academia both)

Is it worth applying for and pursuing an English Master's course in Japan, within the same domain (Biotech, Biology, Bioreactor design, Industrial Fermentation, Food sciences, etc.)? My main criteria include-

Quality of education Work opportunities and career flexibility Potentially, a PhD. in the future

Some questions/suggestions-

How can I improve my chances of being selected? Which universities/Institutes are good options?

Thank you!

Hello!

First off, thank you in advance to this community; you've provided so much helpful information! I'm happy to say that my wife and I recently received our COEs that were issued for 1 year. We're about to submit them to the local Japanese consulate for visas and are planning to arrive in Japan on Jan 20. Whoop whoop!

I have a few questions (ha ok actually an endless list, but these are the priorities) that I was hoping to run by this community to see if you have any ideas. Any info would be deeply appreciated. If you have experience with any of these, I'd love to hear from you!

Our overarching goal is to attain permanent residence in Japan.

1. My wife's COE is for "Child of Japanese National"; mine is for "Long Term Resident". We see that as a Child of Japanese National she is potentially able to live in Japan for a year and then apply for permanent residence. Will I be able to get permanent residence at the same time as my wife or do I need to wait for hers and then apply as a spouse? We have been married for over three years.

2. Under our circumstance, at what point do we need to start paying taxes in Japan? We will both be working remotely for companies in the US and being paid in our US accounts.

3. Since our COE is for 1 year, is it a problem that we’ll need to renew our visa while applying for permanent residence? Also, we've heard that it should not be an issue to renew our visas once we are already in Japan as long as we don't have any legal trouble and follow all the rules. Is that right?

4. I've read that there is no definitive written rule about leaving Japan while residing there (other than all the exit paperwork). The general guideline appears to be don't leave for more then 90 consecutive days or cumulatively over 6 months. Does that sound right? I don't want to do anything that would risk our permanent residence, but we do have family we'd like to visit abroad.

5. My wife's passport will expire in July 2026. Should we plan to renew that during a trip to the US or is it possible to do that through the US embassy in Tokyo? Is one easier than the other?

6. For some reason, our COEs list my wife's mother's address in Shodoshima under the "Profession or Occupation/Organization to be employed or to study in Japan" section. She is the one who helped us attain our COEs through the Takamatsu office. Is that a problem? We don't actually live or work at her mom's place in Shodoshima, but I know that Japan is strict with form accuracy and paperwork. 😅

7. We aren't sure where we will live yet. Is it a problem if we move regularly (across Japan) and would it impact our opportunity for permanent residence? We are thinking of spending our first two months in Okinawa, then moving to Tokyo. Will that be a problem, residing in different places in Japan over the next year? Will it create a lot of extra paperwork to switch locations?

Thank you so much!!

Hi everyone,

I’m a 23-year-old student from Hungary (an EU country, so no visa required for short-term visits). I’m currently finishing my bachelor’s degree in landscape architecture and garden design this December 2024. I’ve applied for a finding employment course (1 year) at a Japanese language school starting in April through GaijinPot.

The application process required gathering a lot of documents:

Application Documents

1. Application form
2. Reason for Study
3. Diploma / Certificate of expected graduation
4. Transcript / Exam result certification
5. Employment certificate (in case of work experience)
6. Copy of certificate of learning Japanese / Copy of certificate of JLPT
7. Copy of Residence card (if there are relatives in Japan)
8. Copy of your passport
9. Recent photo × 5 pieces

Financial Guarantor

1. Financial guarantor document
2. Document which certifies the relationship between financial guarantor and the applicant
3. Certificate of deposit balance
4. Employment certificate
5. Salary certificate / Tax payment certificate

The school and my GaijinPot coordinator have already reviewed everything, and the documents have been submitted to Japanese immigration. They said everything is fine, and I don’t expect any issues.

However, I’m really considering buying my plane ticket soon because I know prices will get very expensive if I wait until I get the COE, which is usually issued about a month before the school starts. But I can’t help worrying—what if they reject my COE or Visa?

Do you think there’s a real chance of rejection? Have you heard of cases where people were denied even after submitting everything correctly?

Also, for those of you who’ve already gone through this process, did immigration ask for any additional documents after you submitted everything(all I listed)?

Thanks in advance for your advice!

Hi, I have a few questions about the visa application form.

My wife’s dad is the guarantor so would that mean he is also the inviter or would that be my wife?

My wife gave birth in September so I applied for my COE myself while I was in Japan on a tourist visa, my dates and duration of previous stays in Japan and entry date will be different than what was on my COE application, would this affect my visa application?

Thank you

Hello, my girlfriend is about to do an internship in Japan. The internship will be located in Tokyo. For her study she has to make atleast 720 hours over a time period of 6 months. So our plan is to stay in Japan for 6 months.

She has contact with the company she wants to do the internship at. They told her she can come "on a tourist visa" and do "a visa run" to stay in Japan for 6 months. She also gets a compensation.

To my knowledge you are allowed to do an internship on a tourist visa but not if you get paid. Is compensation the same as getting paid? Is this standard practise for internships in Japan? I don't want my girlfriend to be banned from Japan or send back home because she has to do the internship on a tourist visa. I also know you can extend your tourist visa in Japan itself instead of doing a "visa run"

I just don't want my girlfriend to do something illegal. So I am asking for your experience and knowledge in this matter. Since I am a bit overwhelmed in all of this.

Thanks you in advence

Im currently enrolled in Computer Science at a well respected Canadian University in Toronto.
Im in my first year of study so I will graduate with Co-Op in 3.5-4.5 more years.
The job market and housing market in Canada (and the US) is looking to get worse and worse. Finding a job in North America for computer science is few and far between, I know people continuing to study and do Interns and Co-Ops (6-7 years in school) simply because the market is so bad.

My Canadian uncle and his Japanese born wife and daughter are moving out to Japan in 2026. It got me thinking about the potential job market in Japan. I heard a lot of FAANG companies have headquarters in Japan, and from prior posts (although years ago) people on this sub have stated the market was great.

Ide obviously have to learn Japanese, which would take (I assume) my entire time in Uni and a few more years after that.

After that does it look feasible for me with Great Grades, a Computer Science degree, a relative already living permanently in the country to seek work in Japan assuming I learn the language by then.

Will the job market and housing markets be affordable, will there be good work, is the pay good, ect.

Im thinking a bit ahead here, but Canada and the US in my option are screwed for computer science and I have to look elsewhere as older classmates who graduated with computer science are struggling to find jobs, and everyone is struggling with housing.

Hi guys, I am 29. I scored 89% in 10th, and then was going through a really bad phase of depression. My scores dropped to 50% in 12th, 57% in undergrad.

I have over 8 years of work experience mostly working with start-ups in Sales and Product Management in the Payments domain. Undergrad was in Hotel Management.(Hospitality)

I scored 680 in GMAT FE. Will I be eligible for scholarships or good universities in Japan?

With this in mind, would you recommend that I consider studying at Handai? I have heard that it is a bit slower pace, and the crowds are not nearly as big, but living in Osaka still feels like you are living in a big city right? From what I understand, the public transport is also comparatively great, and I will save more money on food and housing. I am just a bit more hesitant, as I haven't had the chance to visit the area myself.

Hi everyone, I would be grateful if you can you can offer some insights about Sendai and it's weather in particular.

I come from Bavaria Germany and I just got accepted for an international semester at tohuku University. And Since I've never been into Japan before , I would take your opinion as arguments whether I start my exchange semester during fall or spring.

I would like to have the most of time while being in Japan, in oder to explore the country and embrace the culture. And the weather is a big factor to consider

Fall semester : October - March Spring semester : April - September

The pros of the spring semester: are the festivals that take place during the time. While fall semester really highlights how colorful Sendai nature will be. Besides the easier access to Winter sports.

Any general tips are also appreciated.

For work-related reasons I may be getting sent to Japan. I've been looking through several bank websites, phone websites, etc. and I seem to be running into some circular 'chicken-and-egg' related requirements for setting up an account.

For example - For setting up a Shinsei Bank account, the B-type documents requested include things like an original copy of a utility bill receipt. I don't see how I'd be able to have one of these prior to opening the account, given that I'd need a Japanese bank account in order to set up the necessary payment(s).

I'm also aware of the Hanko system (and that it is being somewhat phased-out). I'm given to understand there are different tiers/types of Hanko an individual might have - is there a way to simply have one, that you use for everything, both formal and informal document(s)?

Is there a particular order I should follow, i.e. Hanko->Banking ->Lease-> Phone? Are Hanko stamps necessary for foreign workers?

The company I work for is quite large and we have a Tokyo branch, so I'm sure there are internal resources that will provide some guidance on this process, but in the interest of getting a head start I wanted to see if there were any recommendations regarding pitfalls to avoid, common mistakes I can sidestep, etc.

Hi everyone,

Long story short, I’m moving to Japan in February for a one-year company exchange program. While my company will help with agency interactions, I was recommended places like Sakura House, Oak House Apartments, and Fontana as starting points for finding housing.

I’m specifically looking for a private space, not a share house, as I’ll need to work remotely a couple of days a week. While browsing, Oak House seems to have decent options in terms of size, location, and aesthetics. That said, I’d love to hear about others’ experiences with these companies or if you have any alternative suggestions.

I understand that renting through platforms like Suumo or similar is generally more cost-effective, but since I’m only staying for a year, I’m prioritizing convenience. These agencies seem appealing because they help bypass initial housing fees and the hassle of setting up utilities like Wi-Fi, water, and gas. Plus, their English support is a huge plus since my Japanese is... well, nonexistent (this move was quite sudden!).

Here’s what I’m looking for:

• Around 130,000-150,000 yen monthly (including everything if possible).
• Since I’m staying for just a year, I assume two-year contracts are (sadly) a no-go...
• : My office is currently in Toranomon but will relocate to Nihonbashi, so areas that balance convenience and a good lifestyle for a foreigner would be ideal.

Any advice or shared experiences with these companies—or suggestions for better alternatives—would be greatly appreciated. Also, if you’ve lived or stayed in nearby areas, tips on the best neighborhoods for a foreigner would be amazing!

Thank you so much in advance!

Hello,

I understand this is not recognized/allowed in Japan and it's in the grey zone, but does anyone know or know of someone who has successfully renewed their Japanese passport after acquiring a foreign passport/nationality as an adult? My Japanese passport is expiring next year and ideally would like to keep my Japanese passport along with my Canadian passport. I'm willing to fly to Japan to renew it, but I wanted to know if people have been able to renew it recently without an issue.

TIA!

Japan's new digital nomad visa sucks since it lasts only 6 months without options to extend or any path to a residence permit.

If you freelance outside Japan and earn more than USD150K/year, what would be the best way to obtain a longer-term visa to stay in Japan for an extended period? Having a path to permanent residency would also be great.

Should I just find a chill language school to attend for two years and see how things go?

Hi, im currently finishing a profesional formation degree ( senmon gakkou simil) in europe spain, we need to work for 2/3 months at the end of our professional formation to be able to get our degree, and erasmus gives the option to do it in another countries, on my request i added japan as i have previosly worked there(working holiday) and i plan to move there and do university for the same purpose.

talking with the erasmus representative ive been told that he has not seen anyone going to japan that he has managed, but that its doable and i would need to present a presetantion letter and a curriculum vitae along with the erasmus form, in general its in english but he also requested to have it made in japanese on this case
as far as my knowledge goes, professional formation wont give you the needed requirements to give you a work visa, so im asuming i wont have the chance to stay working there even when i finish, im also curious abaut what kind of work contract would i have in japan, as in general profesional formation contracts are not work contract perse, more like non paid internship contracts.

my questions are, does anyone have similar experiences or know of any case of a professional formation( senmon gakkou) from abroad working in japan?
is there any good source or contact i could check that its relevant to my situation?

Hi! I’m from Canada, and I’m currently in eighth grade. I just started learning Japanese, and since the school year has just begun, I’d say I have about five years to become fluent. My grades are pretty strong, with a 90+ average. I’m also involved in several extracurriculars and plan to join even more soon. What do you think my chances are of getting into a nursing program in japan? I want to become a labor and delivery nurse.

4o