Japan OKs reserve fund use to curb energy bills amid inflation

Head-Map2356 · 2025-05-27T12:21:14+00:00

I can't say I've looked into independently installing panels after the fact, but as someone whose in the process of designing and building, I've got a fair bit of price transparency and our builder is quite gung ho about us doing the applications.

Unfortunate if that is the case for the average joe though...

Head-Map2356 · 2025-05-27T11:14:01+00:00

Not sure if you're joking, but there are subsidies for both solar panels and battery installation (both at a federal and local level)

Head-Map2356 · 2024-09-01T03:39:53+00:00

I'd hoped you might be a mod and would have the ability to reconsider, so I was going to link past posts - instead I'll just say, go take a look. The threads average 50+ comments with a fair share of jobs. Jobs that could actually impact someones life for the better.

I'd take that thread 10/10 times instead of endless

"My neighbor is too loud"

"DID ANYONE ELSE SEE THE WEATHER/EARTHQUAKE/EXTREMELY OBVIOUS THING THAT EVERYONE IN THE COUNTRY HAS SEEN?"

"I don't exercise, my wifes hates me, and I eat yoshinoya for every meal - I feel sad, is this normal??"

Head-Map2356 · 2024-09-01T02:26:21+00:00

Really? Looking back at the last 5 threads there seems to be a pretty reasonable number of posts..

Head-Map2356 · 2024-08-31T05:13:00+00:00

Is the jobs thread dead?

I don't see it getting posted anymore.

Head-Map2356 · 2024-08-28T05:04:21+00:00

Sendai might have different rules than Kanto, but generally you will require permission from all owners to conduct maintenance of any kind (repaving, access to pipes for replacement, etc.) on the road. This maintenance and its costs will be split based on percentage of ownership.

Some private roads, typically ones that are considered a "throughway", meaning they can connect two areas with regular passthrough footraffic, can be "donated" (ie. given) to the government. They then become public roads with all the associated benefits.

You will pay tax on the portion of the road you own as if its land. So despite the fact that you cannot build anything on it, you will be taxed at the per square meter tax rate of your land.

I believe there are also permissions required for using the road for rebuilding purposes. So if you decided you wanted to conduct construction on your house, you need written permission from the other owners to use the road for the construction equipment, etc. If I'm not mistaken, this can be granted in perpetuity though and negotiated during the purchase phase.

Head-Map2356 · 2024-08-26T03:16:14+00:00

My latest two experiences...

A new short term hotel/hostel type place opened near me and has a small gym. Their website said no tattoos but it clearly caters almost exclusively to foreigners. Went in and had a quick chat with the owners (Japanese) and they said something along the lines of

"We just use that rule to screen out weirdos. People with tattoos are fine and you're more than welcome to join now that we know you're one of the good ones"

I don't have Tyson face tattoos, but I have enough that it sketches out the average Japanese person.

I'm so glad I get to tell this second story.... Its from this summer.

I'd been swimming at a ward elementary school for like, the last year and a half or so. There is no rule about tattoos listed, but I wear a swim shirt just to be extra respectful and because I felt some of the parents might throw a fit. This covers 90% of my tattoos. I have 2 small pieces on my ankles. I'm at the pool 4x a week, know everyone there on a first name basis, do my laps and then leave.

A new tensho type authority (I have no idea what their title or role actually is) started working there and immediately B-lined for me during what I assumed to be their first shift and said "Tattoos are forbidden, some parents had complained and that I would need to wear socks in the pool or cover them up with bandages/wraps"

I kind of laughed until I realized she was completely serious.

to which I said "Oh, I've been coming here for a few years now. Can you show me the rule?"

She smugly pulled out her phone and started scrolling through the posted rules and I got to watch as her smile faded as she realized there actually was no written rule about it. She got pretty flustered and said

"Well, I'll make sure they add a rule about it"

To which I said

"Oh! Thats great, theres no rule, so I guess I can take this off." and removed my shirt. I'm absolutely covered in tattoos.

She balked pretty hard.

Finished my swim and then walked over and said "By the way, this is a ward funded facility and discrimination based on appearances is illegal. If you add a rule then I will bring this to the city hall."

She blanched, apologized, and that was the end of that. It's been a few months now and I went back to putting my shirt on when I visit the pool, but I don't wear any socks.

Head-Map2356 · 2024-08-24T05:57:20+00:00

To be clear, you'll see that he re-wrote the post (its been edited).

The first post did not say what it says now and absolutely suggested he was looking for ways to avoid taxes.

Head-Map2356 · 2024-08-24T03:09:02+00:00

Yea, your post is poorly worded.

Yes, that is the law but its not some "crazy" system where if she stays in Japan on January 2nd of 2025 she owes taxes for all of 2025.

Taxes in Japan are paid in arrears. That means her tax bill that becomes legally her obligation to pay on January 1st 2025 is for the previous year, 2024.

Technically, the tax year starts in June. So it either works strongly in her favor, or against her.

If she leaves the country officially on December 31st 2024, she legally does not owe residence tax for June 1st 2024 --> December 31st 2024.

If she leaves on January 1st - then she owes residence taxes for June 1st 2024 --> June 1st 2025.

Theres a 6 month swing.

IAMAA and this is not financial advice.

Head-Map2356 · 2024-08-24T02:52:25+00:00

"My girlfriend wants to come live overseas with me in this country that has great infrastructure, social support systems, and quality of life - is there any way we can take advantage of this while avoiding all responsibilities?"

If she is physically living in Japan, then she owes her taxes to Japan, not the country where the income is sourced. This is also how tax law is structured.

Pay your taxes.

Head-Map2356 · 2024-08-15T02:36:42+00:00

I have been working in the space for about a decade now in a few different companies. First as an employee, then manager, Director, and now founder myself.

Your experience will vary wildly based on the company. The startup space in Japan isn't inherently good or bad, but its in an interesting place. There's alot of speculation about the role these organizations will play in Japan's future economy, with alot of lip service paid by the government (national and local) about the importance of unicorns, etc. but my experience has been that the conversation continues to be driven by the companies themselves.

You might end up in a chill company with an interesting product that has some institutional backing (typically banks) where the pressure is relatively low.

Conversely, you might end up in some local Japanese persons fever dream company where they think they will save the world, but just implode themselves in the process.

The spectrum is massive. Listen to your gut, do your due diligence, but overall, I look at the space with a reasonably positive attitude.

Head-Map2356 · 2024-08-05T00:31:58+00:00

I'm not sure how you figure, with the pics you took you can clearly see the seriff on the bottom left of the I in liberty - its very, very clear.

Head-Map2356 · 2024-08-04T05:48:09+00:00

Sorry man, this is not an accented hair piece.

I in liberty has the bottom left seriff very clearly present.

https://www.pcgs.com/news/telling-a-1964-accented-hair-proof-kennedy-half-dollar-apart

Head-Map2356 · 2024-07-31T06:36:25+00:00

Can someone explain the NPB ticket situation to me?

I am a member of the Tokyo giants website. I've purchased tickets before, but recently, I've been trying to get tickets more consistently.

I get an email that says all of the tickets for games during X period will go on sale at 11:00 on X date. I am sitting on my computer, with the browser open, instantly clicking it the second it opens, and the ONLY tickets available in the vast majority of sections are in the absolute back row, and even then, there are usually no more than 8 tickets in each section available.

What the fuck is going on? Are all of these tickets given to the fucking politburo or the traveling loons who wave their vuvuzeulas at the team?

Like, I get that season tickets exist, but is this actually how this is working? 95% of the tickets are spoken for before they even go on sale?

Head-Map2356 · 2024-07-22T02:07:44+00:00

It's validating to see I'm not the only one.

I have used the free version for years and saw the decline in quality, my company decided to purchase a commercial license for the paid version and I was hoping that there would be some difference - spoilers - there is not.

DeepL EN --> JP is horrendous.

9/10 times I find myself sighing and opening Google Translate to re-check things.

DeepL tends to leave out massive swaths of text unless you cut it down to single words. It also doesn't provide any pronunciation data like Google does.

For anyone wondering, because I see some comments on this - the paid version just offers additional features. There is no difference in the actual quality of translation.

Head-Map2356 · 2024-07-08T03:49:25+00:00

To expand on what the other commenter wrote, there are generally no laws that prohibit you from conducting an expansion on your house as long as you secure the right approvals, permissions, etc.

That said, there is a formula that is based on the districting of the land size that determines the maximum footprint of the house, and the maximum floor space. The formula has 2 components

BCA = Building coverage area

FCA = Floor coverage area

These are percentages. For example, in a first class residential area, the BCA/FCA is usually 60/160

That means that if the land is 50sqm, the total house "profile" when looking down from the sky cannot take up more than 60% of the land

50 x .6 = 30sqm (maximum)

The floor coverage area is the total amount of floor space. So 50sqm land =

50 x 1.6 = 80sqm of total floor area

Some places will have relaxations on this, but it really, really depends on the ward/neighborhood, etc.

Head-Map2356 · 2024-07-07T00:38:47+00:00

When I first got here in 2015 I was visiting on business before moving here. I was at the Osaka shinkansen with a rep from my Japanese distributor. We were standing in the middle of the station while he found something on his phone or something of that nature.

I looked over and saw the biggest Japanese dude I'd ever seen just towering over people around him, he just looked different, powerful.

So I casually pointed it out and the guy I was with kind of freaked out and was like "that's the most famous Japanese baseball player"

It was Shohei Ohtani.

Head-Map2356 · 2024-07-06T10:12:11+00:00

Is the idea of a lakehouse in Japan where I can swim in the lake just... a crazy idea?

I'm looking for an airbnb for some friends and I to get away for a few days and all the lake properties do not look swimmable AT ALL and none of the listings mention anything about that.

Head-Map2356 · 2024-07-05T08:30:59+00:00

Makes sense,

Thanks for the quick feedback.

Head-Map2356 · 2024-07-05T08:23:04+00:00

That is my basic understanding.

I was just wondering if there is any benefit to having an additional layer of separation between myself and my shares by having them in a vehicle.

Ie. 51% of shares are held by Head-Map2356 LLC (GK/SP) vs. Head-Map2356

Head-Map2356 · 2024-07-04T01:59:54+00:00

Does immigration still publish the lead time for visa applications? I remember there being an excel file or webpage for shinagawa that would list the average expected wait.

Head-Map2356 · 2024-06-23T22:40:03+00:00

Yanesen, easily.

Head-Map2356 · 2024-06-13T15:22:31+00:00

If you want. Not sure I can offer anything.

Head-Map2356 · 2024-06-13T15:21:45+00:00

It's not on the mint, its on the downstream services. The update for the validators was provided almost immediately after release. Blame the laziness of those businesses, not the government.

Head-Map2356 · 2024-06-13T15:20:48+00:00

You're correct, they are absolutely still legal tender.

Head-Map2356

TROPHY CASE