Living Japan Guide - 在日外国人のための日本生活ガイド

Understanding Japan's Tax System: A Beginner's Guide Last updated: 4/2026 | Affiliate links included Understanding Japan's Tax System: A Beginner's Guide I spent my first year in Tokyo completely lost about taxes. No one warned me that filing taxes in Japan isn't optional — even as a foreigner on a work visa, I owed the government money, and I had no clue how much or when to pay it. I showed up to my first tax office appointment in March 2019 with printed-out Google Translate screenshots and a nervous sweat. The staff was patient, but I left feeling more confused than I arrived. Here's what shocked me: the Japanese tax system is actually more straightforward than the American one, but only if you understand the structure upfront. I've now helped over 200 foreigners navigate their first tax filing in Japan, and the same mistakes come up again and again. People miss deadlines. They overpay. They file incorrectly and get flagged for audits. Most...

Working in Japan: How to Find English-Speaking Jobs Last updated: 4/2026 | Affiliate links included Working in Japan: How to Find English-Speaking Jobs I spent nearly two years bouncing between dead-end recruiting agencies before I figured out how to actually land quality English-speaking work in Japan. The frustration was real—I'd attend job fairs that promised "international opportunities" only to find myself sitting across from someone trying to pressure me into a teaching position I never applied for. Nobody tells you upfront that the job market here divides roughly into three lanes: teaching, corporate positions, and remote work for overseas companies. After helping over 400 foreigners navigate this exact problem since 2018, I've seen which strategies actually work and which ones are complete wastes of your time. Here's what I've learned from doing this myself and watching others succeed (and fail) in the Tokyo job market. I'm going to w...

Learning Japanese: Best Apps and Online Tutors 2026 Learning Japanese: Best Apps and Online Tutors 2026 Last updated: 4/2026 | Affiliate links included I spent eight years in Tokyo watching foreigners struggle with the same question: how do I actually learn Japanese without wasting $2,000 on a dead-end app? I've tested every major platform out there — from the flashcard obsession that is Duolingo to the one-on-one tutoring chaos of earlier years. Here's what I found: the apps everyone talks about are good for exactly one thing (spoiler: it's not conversation), and the tutors vary wildly in quality. In this post, I'm breaking down what genuinely works for 2026, what's a waste of your time, and which combination will actually get you speaking Japanese instead of just tapping your phone for 10 minutes a day. I'll be straight with you — I've had failures. I spent $340 on a course that taught me nothing except that pretty interface design doesn'...

Best Money Transfer Apps for Sending Money to Japan Last updated: 4/2026 | Affiliate links included Best Money Transfer Apps for Sending Money to Japan When I first moved to Tokyo eight years ago, my parents wanted to send me emergency money. My dad tried a wire transfer through his bank — it took 10 business days and cost him nearly $40 in fees for just $500. I watched him get frustrated on the phone with a bank representative who couldn't explain why it was so slow. That's when I realized most people have no idea how many better options exist today. I've now tested almost every major money transfer app available to Japan. I've sent funds from the US, Australia, and Europe. I've experienced the frustration of rejected transfers, the confusion of exchange rates, and the relief of finding services that actually work. What I discovered surprised me: the best app for your situation depends entirely on where you're sending from, how much you're se...

How to Find an Apartment in Japan as a Foreigner How to Find an Apartment in Japan as a Foreigner Last updated: 4/2026 | Affiliate links included I spent eight years watching foreigners make the same apartment-hunting mistakes I made when I first arrived in Tokyo. The panic. The rejection emails. The realtor who wouldn't work with me because my Japanese wasn't fluent enough. Here's what honestly shocked me: most of this pain is completely avoidable if you know the system. Finding an apartment in Japan as a foreigner isn't harder than finding one back home — it's just different. You're up against deposit requirements that are double or triple what you'd expect, guarantor systems that don't exist in your country, and landlords who have legitimate (if frustrating) concerns about renting to people with no local credit history. I've helped hundreds of foreigners navigate this exact process, and I've...