Regardless of your reasons for resettlement, moving to Japan can feel like a behave of a task to take on. Armed with the right information, however, you ’ ll be enjoying life sentence on the asian island in no time. This guidebook will walk you through everything you need to know about the process of moving to Japan from the US .
Things to know before moving to Japan
| Currency | Japanese yen (JPY or ¥) |
| Population | 125 million |
| Capital | Tokyo |
| Language | Japanese |
| Weather | Hot and humid summers in many areas, with snowy winters in the east, and milder winter temperatures in the west |
| Amount of expats | Around 3 million |
| Biggest cities | Tokyo, Yokohama, Osaka, Nagoya |
| Average yearly salary | Varies widely by industry — overall average around 29,000 USD/year |
This steer will go into lots of useful details about how to live in Japan and how to move to Japan from the US, including the processes for japanese immigration and how to get a Japan visa .
Let ’ s start with a few key pointers if you ’ re wondering how to move to Japan permanently :
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Step 1: Make sure you fill all the moving to Japan requirements
Japan is one of a few countries where the visa march is largely identical regardless of whether you ’ re british, australian, American, or from the EU. It ’ south besides one of the most square .
All you ‘ll need to do is to apply for the relevant visa, depending on your reason for staying in Japan, at the nearest japanese Embassy or Consulate General² in your home area. The documents that you should bring with you, are :
- Your passport
- Your visa application form
- A photograph
- A Certificate for completion of registration to the ERFS system, both the original and one copy.
The Certificate for completion of registration to the ERFS system is basically a certify letter from a japanese person — typically an employer — who guarantees to support you financially while you ’ re in Japan. As such, the requirements for staying in Japan are pretty comparable to a work visa in other countries .
When you want to study in Japan, the visa application routine is basically the same, only the Certificate for completion of registration to the ERFS system has to be provided by person at the educational mental hospital or university that you will be attending .
For some countries there are some extra requirements though, then stool sure to check this with the embassy or on the web site of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan³, before you start the work .
Can an American move to Japan?
Yes. You can move to Japan from the US. You ’ ll necessitate to apply for the relevant visa for your situation, at the japanese Embassy or Consulate² which is closest to your home .
If you ’ rhenium moving for the hanker terminus, you ’ ll normally besides need your employer — or your school if you ’ re moving for discipline — to apply on-line in progress and obtain a Certificate for completion of registration to the ERFS system for you .
Step 2: Budget for your move
Before you finalize your plan to move to Japan you ’ ll need to draw up a realistic budget. Your day to day costs can vary a batch depending on how you choose to live — so some research is necessity. here ’ s some key information to get you started .
What’s the cost of living in Japan like?
Finances in Japan vary a little, depending on whether you ’ re comfortable with immersing yourself in japanese liveliness or if you ’ ll be spending more time trying to get your hands on imported goods .
As an island nation, anything that has to be shipped to the area tends to be more expensive. The following postpone will give you an mind of some basic prices in Japan .
| Item | Cost in Japan⁴ |
|---|---|
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | 7.48 USD |
| 3 course meal for 2 at a mid-range restaurant | 41.53 USD |
| Transportation pass (1 month) | 83.06 USD |
| Rent 1 bedroom apartment, city center | 715.24 USD/month |
| Rent 1 bedroom apartment, outside of city center | 474.71 USD/month |
How much does it cost to move to Japan?
once you have your budget for casual life in Japan you ’ ll besides need to plan for the one off moving costs you ’ ll run into. The monetary value of moving to Japan will vary a draw depending on whether you ’ re shipping all your things, moving to Japan with kin or even moving to Japan with your cad or guy. important costs to think about include :
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If you ’ re plan on moving to Japan with your pet it ’ south important to check all the rules about importing animals to the country .
In most cases if you ’ ra coming from the US your pet will need to complete a quarantine procedure on arrival — the only exceptions may be if you ’ re moving from Hawaii or Guam which have been designated rabies barren by Japan⁵ .
Step 3: Set up your finances in Japan
Setting up your finances in Japan should be pretty straight forth, and you ’ ll have batch of choice as you ’ ll be within one of the world ’ randomness best deposit systems. The lone part that may seem a fiddling extraneous is the work of opening a bank account over a cup of tea and civil conversation .
It ’ s not normally possible to open a japanese bank account before you arrive in the nation — and you may then need to wait a few days to get a cash circuit board you can use to make cash machine withdrawals. You ’ ll need to be prepared with ways to access your money while you wait .
| Usually to open your account you’ll need |
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Don’t forget to look into Japanese taxes
If you ’ re considered a tax house physician in Japan you ’ ll pay personal income tax on a sliding scale from 5 % to 45 % based on your income, plus local taxes which are around 10 %. Non-resident taxes are set at a flat pace of 20.42 % of income⁶ .
however, you ’ re advised to get personal tax advice to make surely you ’ re amply mindful of all your obligations both in Japan and in the US after you relocate .
Step 4: Find a job and work in Japan
Finding a job in Japan can be difficult, as many companies prefer to hire japanese citizens. It ’ sulfur besides about always required that you speak japanese — English talk jobs are identical rare .
If you ’ re able to secure a status, however, this is the number one best room to get all that ‘s required for your visa .
If you ’ rhenium looking for work in Japan, the follow sites are a estimable place to start :
Read more: Mochi Ice Cream
- Dai Job⁷
- GaijinPot⁸
- Jobs in Japan⁹
- Indeed¹⁰
Step 5: Get a place to live in Japan
If you ’ re financially batten and have some japanese address skills ( or a translator ), finding a japanese apartment won ’ triiodothyronine be excessively difficult. It ’ s potential — and coarse — to work directly with the landlord .
You might want to go through a actual estate agent as they get a feel for neighborhoods, rip prices, and what to expect from the apartment itself. It could besides be easier to find an english talk agent, if you ’ re not yet familiar with the lyric .
Best places to live in Japan for expats
Let ’ s front at some popular exile locations one by one .
Tokyo
If you ’ ra considering moving to Tokyo you ’ re far from alone. As the capital city, Tokyo is a common invest for expats to travel for work. It ’ s a huge city with enough going on and a relatively frantic way of life .
A major downside with Tokyo will be rental prices. An average one bedroom apartment in the city center will set you back over 1,200 USD/month — a full 74 % more than Osaka¹¹, which we ’ ll look at following .
Osaka
Osaka has lower rental prices compared to Tokyo with a one go to bed apartment in the concentrate averaging under 700 USD/month¹¹. Osaka is the second biggest economic hub in Japan — so still a good put to look for work — with friendly people and a real epicure culture. It ’ second advanced and busy — but only half an hour by caravan from Kyoto when you need a snatch of history and a slower tempo for a weekend .
Kyoto
If you ’ ve been to Japan on vacation there ’ s a high probability you ’ ll have taken in Kyoto — the country ’ s historic center and home plate to geisha culture. Kyoto is a tourist hot spot with lots to do if you choose to stay for the longer term — giving you the best of both a slower pace of life when you need it, and plenty of extraneous company if you choose to seek it out .
When it comes to rent prices, you ’ ll probably pay about 700 USD a month for a one bed put in the city center, or under 500 USD/month outside the center¹² .
Fukuoka
Although Fukuoka is smaller than Tokyo you ’ ll distillery get the modern vibration, with a lower price tag. It ’ s a great destination for entrepreneurs and people interested in the startup scene, with lots going on and some bang-up acculturation to explore, besides. Rent is in the region of 600 USD/month in the city center but on average under 400 USD/month outside the center¹² .
Sapporo
If you ’ re into winter sports you may know Sapporo as a previous horde of the Winter Olympics. With a long winter and batch of snow, it ’ s a great place if you enjoy skiing — with mild summers compared to many places, and lots of nature to get out exploring .
rend prices here are among the lowest of our top choice cities — you can find a bang-up one bed place for an average of 600 USD/month in the center, and just 300 USD/month if you ’ re happy to be outside the center¹³ .
Step 6: Make yourself familiar with Japanese healthcare
Healthcare in Japan is geared towards the people. While individuals are required to carry their own health policy, it is provided by a universal joint healthcare insurance system that guarantees by and large adequate access to policy and services, at a price laid out by the japanese government .
For some special cases, like prenatal caution, disease see, and screening exams, the government covers 70 % of the price of the discussion, with the individual being responsible for the other 30 %. If you ’ ra looking for a repair in Japan, start with your new city ’ s local anesthetic government web site. Each city has their own on-line database of local doctors and clinics .
Write down important emergency numbers
In case of an emergency, carry the numbers below with you, so you know who to call :
| Institution | Number |
|---|---|
| Coast Guard | 118 |
| Police | 110 |
| Fire/Ambulance | 119 |
| US Embassy (Tokyo) | +81 03 3224 5000 |
Step 7: If you haven’t already, learn the language
Though many japanese people know the basics of English, Japan could be considered one of those countries where learning the lyric is identify to fitting in. This will be an significant factor of your life and how you build your relationships and sour in the country .
For starters, you could try learning on-line with free websites or apps, but if you want a proper documentation, it might be worth looking into a more dispatch course or even secret tutor .
Step 8: Don’t be lonely, make friends and get in touch with other expats in Japan
Japan ’ s gaijin, or expat community, is pretty potent, as inclusivity in Japan is fairly limited to other japanese people or those who speak excellent japanese .
If you ’ re looking to meet up with other expats from your home state, a quick search on Facebook or meetup will produce tons of results .
Step 9: Moving to Japan with children? Learn more about the Japanese schooling system
In Japan school starts at 6 years old, with a 9 year compulsory education organization. The japanese school year runs from April to March, with a relatively familiar typical timetable of around 8:15 AM through to 3:15 PM for most schools. education is considered identical significant in Japan and families expect their kids to work hard and get good grades .
deoxyadenosine monophosphate well as standard japanese schools there are besides international schools in the chief cities which offer different course of study and exams — you could keep your kids within the US system if you ’ re only planning on staying for a few years and will need them to reintegrate to a US school in future .
Bottom line: is moving to Japan worth it?
Japan is a bewitching nation with enough to explore, learn and do. If you ’ re up for an gamble, moving to Japan can be a capital opportunity — whether you want to work to boost your career, study the culture and terminology, or spend your time getting to see how things work in the Land of the Rising Sun. Use this steer to start your research and get planning your go to Japan — good luck !
Sources :
Sources checked on 03.24.2022
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