BEGINJAPAN

Life in Japan, step by step

Your first year in Japan, made simple.

Housing, phone, bank, jobs and taxes. Clear guides for each area, written for people who just arrived.

Start the 30-day checklist Choose your area
A small shop front on a Tokyo side street, with bicycles parked outside

Where will you live?

Start with your neighborhood. Every area has its own guide.

Cherry blossoms over the Meguro River in Nakameguro
Shibuya & Meguro Cafés by the river and quiet side streets. Higher rents, short commutes.
A lantern-lit side street in Tokyo at night
Shin-Okubo & Takadanobaba Language schools, food from home and shared houses for students.
Tsutenkaku Tower above the shop signs of Shinsekai, Osaka
Osaka Lower rents than central Tokyo, friendly streets and a fast-growing community.
7 more areas Coming soon: Minato, Koto, Edogawa, Kawaguchi, Nagoya, Fukuoka, Sapporo

What do you need right now?

Find a home Renting without a Japanese guarantor, share houses and move-in costs. Get a phone A data eSIM first, then a SIM with a number. Money and bank Open a bank account and send money home for less. Work Recruiters, job search and the jump from student to worker. Taxes Resident tax basics and Furusato Nozei. Moving Moving within Japan, from paperwork to movers.

Most-read guides

Guides →
Checklist Your first 30 days in Tokyo: checklist Everything starts with registering your address. Until you do, you can't get a bank account, a phone... Compare Best SIM cards for foreigners in Tokyo Use a data-only eSIM for your first days. Once your address is on your residence card, switch to a... How-to How to rent in Meguro without a Japanese guarantor You can rent without a Japanese guarantor. Most apartments now use a rent guarantee company instead, and... How-to Opening a bank account as a new arrival Japan Post Bank is usually the easiest first account. For your first six months you count as a... Compare Cheapest ways to send money home from Japan Compare the transfer fee and the exchange-rate markup together. A "fee-free" transfer can still cost a lot... How-to Furusato Nozei for foreigners, step by step If you work in Japan and pay resident tax, you can use Furusato Nozei whatever your nationality. You...

New to Japan? One useful step each week.

Deadlines, new guides and tips for your area. Free.

Join on LINE Join on WhatsApp