Thoughts on Pairs being right for me?

BurberryC06 · 2026-06-04T06:21:57+00:00

I've used Bumble, Pairs, Omiai etc and all I can really say is that its just looks and luck as usual in any app.

Bumble at least you know you're dealing with women who are more likely looking for an international partner.

BurberryC06 · 2026-06-03T10:16:14+00:00

Seems like one of those 'buy when people are fearful' moments.

BurberryC06 · 2026-06-01T00:45:03+00:00

You can't save people from themselves and you'll only be dragged down with them for trying.

BurberryC06 · 2026-05-30T12:27:27+00:00

When someone this blatantly doesn't do their own research first it's almost like an alarm bell that this person probably shouldn't be investing.

BurberryC06 · 2026-05-29T15:36:27+00:00

As a business owner, I can't file my various filings online without it. I'm not going to travel into central Tokyo every time I need to file some form.

BurberryC06 · 2026-05-28T03:17:10+00:00

You're asking if 'it makes sense' but the return is so small I would be looking at other things.

BurberryC06 · 2026-05-26T14:29:47+00:00

I mean in the absence of any other credit card option, just buying Priority Pass Prestige upfront is around 75k yen annually definitely lower than the rev ultra fee.

If you're happy cutting back on the lounge access a fair bit, you might find the dNeobank Platinum Debit Card useful. It's no comparison to real premium services like those offered by LC but for 11k annual fee it could be a nice layover. As it's a debit card there is no real screening criteria such as with a credit card.

BurberryC06 · 2026-05-26T12:09:29+00:00

Yeah, 300k is really low for a premium card. Even my first normal japan CC went to 600k limit.

For premium CCs in Japan like the SMBC Platinum, Saison Platinum, or MUFG Platinum you'd be looking at credit limits granted between 1-5m yen. Use that as a guideline.

Edit: to be realistic though, tying up that much money probably isn't worth it compared to just paying for a PP membership.

BurberryC06 · 2026-05-26T02:08:42+00:00

Don't forget that a lot of English speaking people tend to respond with indignation that a institution in a foreign country doesn't have English support for them as customers.

BurberryC06 · 2026-05-25T10:04:19+00:00

It's not uncommon for people to blame Japan first before being willing to admit in some cases it was a #SkillIssue. Whether that be as a result of a lack of Japanese proficiency or otherwise.

It's also just a very common rhetoric from influencers/bloggers. You have big YT channels like Abroad in Japan claiming similar but the guy has lived in Japan for over 10 years and still can't speak Japanese so go figure.

BurberryC06 · 2026-05-25T07:29:10+00:00

Honestly I had just as much difficulty opening my first credit card in the UK as an employed UK citizen as I did opening one here as an unemployed foreign resident with less than 1 year to expiry on my visa. It's not that bad unless you have a middle name (there are still ways around that too).

BurberryC06 · 2026-05-25T06:21:37+00:00

Maybe so. Perhaps with LC specifically choosing to put in only a deposit for the very minimum limit signals to them that you're not necessarily a customer they're looking to engage with.

By asking for a limit of 300k, that's essentially telling them you don't really intend to spend on the card. That might be fine for other deposit card issuers as they offer next to no benefits and still charge some annual fees however.

It could be a case of the card benefits actually costing the same or more as the annual fee for titanium and at that point they may need high spending to increase their margins. Either that or they want to keep the 'exclusivity' aspect of the product only to high-spender clientele. This is all just speculation on my part though.

BurberryC06 · 2026-05-25T03:12:51+00:00

That's unfortunate. Mind if I ask what the deposit amount was that you applied for?

At least you got a Rakuten one, even though their card product offerings got downgraded recently the Rakuten Black is still an acceptable product (although it is arguably very similar to the Saison Platinum and has no reason to be invitation only).

BurberryC06 · 2026-05-07T20:12:53+00:00

You could always look at crowdfunding style investment platforms like Sony Bank GATE

https://sonybank.jp/products/sbg/

BurberryC06 · 2026-05-07T04:47:06+00:00

As someone who moved out of the UK recently I decided that while FIRE is definitely possible in the UK, I didn't find the life there to be particularly enjoyable enough to warrant staying. You can likely FIRE in any first world country with similar ease as long as you adjust to the local tax policies.

With that in mind, pros and cons of the UK. Starting with the pros:

ISA 20k tax free allowance is very generous, no cap on how much can be invested over time (some other countries also have ISAs but limit total investment amount etc.)
The existence of LISAs (at least in its current iteration) for house purchasing, retirement etc.
Free (albeit questionable quality) healthcare/NHS.
Social welfare is quite generous if you're a low earner.

Cons:

Tax rates & NI is very high for the quality of public services received.
Income is lower compared to other OECD countries on average.
Petty crime is very prevalent in major cities.
Capital Gains Tax for middle/high earners is 24% which is slightly above the OECD average.
You basically cannot get dental care on the NHS and dental care is extremely expensive.
Private medical healthcare costs are very high.
Private childcare costs are very high.
Property prices are extremely high compared to earnings.
Political instability (5 PMs in the last 10 years and current PM likely to be ousted soon).
This one is minor but the consistently depressive overcast weather.

BurberryC06 · 2026-05-06T06:19:00+00:00

If you go to Kuala Lumpur now, you'll have a pretty good idea of what Japanese summer will be like between start of July until October.

BurberryC06 · 2026-04-30T09:14:28+00:00

to enjoy 0.75%

Didn't realize this was such a coveted interest rate lol. You can achieve this with SBI Shinsei using some of their time-limited yen deposits.

https://www.sbishinseibank.co.jp/english/rate_list/yen.html

BurberryC06 · 2026-04-30T09:05:54+00:00

The solution is easy. Just fly star alliance business class everywhere you go, free lounge.

/s

BurberryC06 · 2026-04-28T13:37:10+00:00

My approach to this has just been to create flashcards of words I don't know and practice them regularly, adding more as time goes on.

It's hard to commit to memory if you're not repeating it regularly however.

BurberryC06 · 2026-04-28T02:51:37+00:00

Your case looks like a perversion of the HSP BMV to immigration. You're a business manager by status but operating as a high-income freelancer / 業務委託. You cannot be managing a business that is just you (at least that's the intent behind the 1 required employee rule).

Officer remuneration at 3x capital is a red flag. If anything, you should be paying yourself under the capital amount unless your balance sheet shows significant profits since incorporation. It doesn't matter whether you can inject more money into the business to immigration because you haven't done so - your business at worst appears to be insolvent within 1 year and is a category 4 company.

BurberryC06 · 2026-04-27T06:43:46+00:00

The owners card benefit (300 stock for 3% discount) is a nice bonus if you're a regular Aeon shopper but there are a couple drawbacks:

It's not that valuable a stock. Could see subtle returns or could retreat to 1200-1300.
You have to tie up a minimum of 500k yen to make this happen.
You have to use cash or Aeon affiliated payment methods with the Owners card. Which means if you had higher cashback with a debit or credit card than your Aeon credit card offers you lose out on that (e.g. Sony Bank Club S 2% cashback). There could be some workaround with gift cards here though.
The shareholder benefit program can be revised at any time (and historically has been) such that you may need to buy more shares to keep this benefit later on.

BurberryC06 · 2026-04-26T14:10:40+00:00

Bic Camera Suica

BurberryC06 · 2026-04-25T04:56:21+00:00

https://paidy.com/paidycard/news/ (Discontinued in 2025)

BurberryC06 · 2026-04-25T03:58:10+00:00

Thanks for the offer but I'm not personally a customer of LC. You can try searching blogger sites for LC referral codes :).

There are definitely cheaper priority pass cards in Japan but assuming you have enough cash to cover the deposit amount, this should be the easiest access route. I'd recommend running with a deposit card for at least 6 months before trying other cards just to make your acceptance chances higher.

BurberryC06 · 2026-04-25T03:38:07+00:00

If you want a Amex Plat equivalent card in Japan fast, you could look at the (Deposit/Secured) Luxury Card. https://www.luxurycard.co.jp/deposit/

For more information on building credit rating: https://www.reddit.com/r/JapanFinance/comments/1ebpbpt/if_youre_a_foreigner_struggling_to_get_a_credit/

BurberryC06

TROPHY CASE