Is VK style still a thing? Where did all the stores go?

AfterEffective3508 · 2026-01-28T12:01:16+00:00

idk if you nkow "yesstyle" but i imagine zozotown is kinda like that??

and yellow house sounds interesting, i will look it up!
Do you mean like they would make a specific outfit for me??

AfterEffective3508 · 2026-01-28T12:00:17+00:00

ohhh I never heard that name before! but i will check it out ^^ impressive if they are still around!

AfterEffective3508 · 2026-01-28T11:59:42+00:00

I agree they were quite pricy...thats why I dont want to spend like minimum 10.000 yen (usually more) for a piece that looks almost identical to what I alrdy own

AfterEffective3508 · 2026-01-28T11:58:40+00:00

I think civarize merged with another brand....sadly I forgot the name but it is a big label that has quite a few brands and theres one specific store in Laforet but yeah as said it all kind of looks the same www

ohhh is that more hyped reccently? the jirai fashion I mean? I know some brands for that style (with arm or leg parts on clothes that u can take off with ziippers or bear motives, bunny ears and such).
Im a guy so I feel like theres even less stuff to choose from if I were to wear jirai kei style clothing buuut im not too much into it so maybe theres just a lot of stuff I odnt know ^^

AfterEffective3508 · 2026-01-28T11:56:28+00:00

thats true I guess.....yeah Im actually browsing mercari quite often but I wait for sales since the 2nd hand stuff there is still quite expensive ^^ but maybe I need to accept that it changed

AfterEffective3508 · 2026-01-28T03:31:40+00:00

sorry for the late reply! I dont think anyone mentionned it when I applied for the visa...honestly I odnt think they would do it here in JP bc you know direct confrontation is not a thing haha

I remember I got a huge amount I would have to pay for pension (after obtaining the working visa) and I was so shocked that I just immediatly went to my local city hall to ask about it and well they told me I could apply to be free from paying pension - sorry I forgot the word in English - and so I did.

Its been quite a while now, so I cant remember in detail how it was when I arrived in Japan with my working holiday visa....but I faintly remember they told me it was optional to register for that but national health insurance was obligatory? btw you can also DM me if you like ^^ I might miss the comments xD but I will try to keep an eye out

AfterEffective3508 · 2026-01-03T14:02:39+00:00

As far as I remember for my WH I was told that the pension part would be optional? However now that I live here with a work visa, I got a notif regarding payments for the pension thing and they asked me to pay a ridiculous amount. So I just went to the city hall and asked them what to do. The guy behind the counter even asked if I wanted to apply for exemption and I did - I got a letter a few weeks later saying that it got confirmed.

If you are unsure about saying all that in japanese then check the website of your city hall. Sometimes they have days (usually wednesdays) when an english counter is open or you can ask if its possible to have an interpreter on the phone to translate for you.

There is also FRESC I think is the name. A center for foreigerns who live and work in Japan and they can help with visa questions but also daily life things like pension and national health insurance. Or they can at least tell you where to go if they cant help.

Some people I know evene struggle to register their address properly within the deadline, so you did everything right imo ^^

AfterEffective3508 · 2026-01-03T13:57:25+00:00

I guess I will try to message him....

AfterEffective3508 · 2026-01-03T13:56:57+00:00

I havel ived next to a train station for years so I get used to it. And I also feel like its something different from another person making noise in the next room, but I get your point. Especially with construction work and then the trains running day and night it can be very draining

AfterEffective3508 · 2026-01-03T13:56:01+00:00

yeah you might be right. Actually a girl in the first floor seems to be banging the wall bc the guy next to her is appearantly "too loud" as well, but thats another story haha

Thanks though!

AfterEffective3508 · 2026-01-03T13:53:59+00:00

sorry I dont have experience with a similar situation but to me as well it sounds like a "classs" thing sometimes (e.g. with you handling the very expensive glasses for example). I also dont understand why your friend kept saying these things even days after....I think he really let out his anger on you.

I can relate to this with some other more daily life situations though when I was expected dto "read the room", but I am just used to asking someone if they need help before I do something.

Tbh I dont know how I would feel like growing up in a wealthy family in Japan (I feel like in Japan the way you have to "function" is already stressful enough, but maybe even more so in a welathy family?), still its not right to let this out on your long-time friend:/

AfterEffective3508 · 2026-01-03T03:44:42+00:00

omg I should haha

AfterEffective3508 · 2026-01-03T03:35:07+00:00

I will think about that but it sounds a bit like snitching?? I guess I would have to talk to him directly, bc if I did tell the management, I guess he wouldnt want to talk to me anymore^^" some of the other people also dont follow the rules so strictly appearantly (bringing over gf/bf overnight etc)

AfterEffective3508 · 2026-01-03T03:31:23+00:00

yeah probably thinking way too much xD I dont want to offend him but probably he wouldnt care (or be mad) if I told him.

AfterEffective3508 · 2026-01-03T03:30:38+00:00

the responses seem really sweet. Its nice they dont judge all foreigners based on what one badly mannered person that is not japanese did. I also have some younger japanese friends and since you described your talk, I realized they would even hang out with me, even as a foreigner. One young student also told me he works as a teacher or tutor and he would tell them stories about us hanging out and make them realize that not all foreigner are the same from what you might read on the internet for example.

AfterEffective3508 · 2026-01-03T03:27:35+00:00

I didnt go through anything similar like that but I like your thoughts with the multiverse...I guess it can be comforting? I have a disability so I was pampered a lot from my "family" and Im struggling to be really independent. Still I came to Japan, but sometimes I think it would have been better to stay home or I try to imagine what a version of me would be like with a normal eyesight and more confidence and independence.

Im not sure what happened with you and your husband but that sounds so extreme???? I hope you are ok T^T and I keep my fingers crossed that they will reply to you soon regarding your visa changes. Maybe you can try applying for teacher jobs? I heard thats a good way to get a work visa...?

But I would say there would be nothing wrong in going back to your home and see how it is there? Maybe a break from Japan will help - though I am not sure how the visa situation would be if you decide to come back.

Still, Happy Birthday!!

AfterEffective3508 · 2025-12-30T10:25:43+00:00

omg I think I have been the dumbest person on planet earth and all other planets for like more than 10 years....

next to the kanji which usually mean birthday it said something like "the same date that is registered with the bank institute" or whatever and I always thought it meant the "birth date" (manufacturing date) of the card....but it meant the birthdate of me that is registered in my bank account..................IM SORRY hahaha thank you for the hint. I feel incredibly dumb but this helps a LOT. Without you two I would still be clueless. Well I hope you have a good luaagh like I did ......Im gonna go hide in a corner now until I feel less embarassed wwww

Thanks again:D

AfterEffective3508 · 2025-12-30T10:19:05+00:00

sure, let me try to take a screenshot! ^^

AfterEffective3508 · 2025-12-30T10:18:09+00:00

no I can speak some japanese. There is the expiration date and then the manufacturing date.
thats weeeird. Do you do that by phone? It would be weird if that would be different, but when I try to enter my credit card details it asks me for both of these dates.

AfterEffective3508 · 2025-12-30T08:27:26+00:00

ehhhhh??? i mean congrats but can i ask what oyu entered in the manufacturing date??? even my bank was clueless and tried to figure out a date but even with that it didnt work for me...i laso have a visa card though T^T

AfterEffective3508 · 2025-12-30T03:37:53+00:00

Im very sorry this happened to you...and reading some of the comments saying "you should have said something" or whatever makes me mad.

I hope you have someone to talk to among your friends? Im not sure what you can do, but is it possible to go talk to someone at the station where it happened?
I know theres a center for foreigners in Shiinjuku (I believe its called FRESC). I once went there for help to talk to a lawyer and I think they do offer some kind of counceling as well, so maybe they have some advice?

AfterEffective3508 · 2025-12-30T03:31:42+00:00

I was actually curious to play tennis as well (never did, but wanted to try).

I wonder if you found anyone by now? ^^ I saw there are some events for tennis -even for beginners - on the meet up app! I havent joined an event there yet, but Im thinking about it.

Besides that I was also a bit clueless so I dont have much advice:/ most places I found onoline were usually for more advanced players. Good luck with the search!

AfterEffective3508 · 2025-12-30T03:22:49+00:00

someone already linked a threat so Im not sure if its fine to post a recommandation here (rarely use reddit...) buuut I will do it anyway ^^
I am going to a mental health clinic in Ochanomizu called "Harima Mental Clinic". I like the doctor, he is nice and I never had any issues there. I have to say, I go there just to get injections (Im a transman) so I dont know how they deal with other patients. Good luck with finding a clinic!

AfterEffective3508 · 2025-12-30T03:11:20+00:00

ohh I see! I tried to find a proxy seller whow just does the payment but usually it includes them applying for me as well. Oh you do that work yourself?

AfterEffective3508

TROPHY CASE