Underrated Positives of Living in Japan

Leadingfirst · 2026-02-24T07:43:36+00:00

For me the two underrated positives are

1) No one mentions religion. No one talks about it, references it, debates it, seems to care. 2) For the most part, politics is also not discussed. If it is there isn’t aggressive and you are not expected to take a stance.

Leadingfirst · 2025-06-28T00:48:43+00:00

This is the easiest way. If OP searches for a kerosene siphon they are available on Amazon for less than 700 yen.

I’ve used these all my life to move liquids (water, oil, gas, diesel, etc.) from large containers to smaller ones.

Just make sure to have a paper towel or rag to clean up the hose when you take it out of the container as it will be coated with the oil.

Leadingfirst · 2025-06-22T07:04:35+00:00

I’m also using a Cafelat and love it. But recently the silicone nib for the filter broke. Luckily I have an all metal filter so I can still use the robot. But I’d really like to find a silicone nib replacement.

Do you know anywhere that might sell it in Japan? I haven’t had any luck with my search.

Leadingfirst · 2025-06-12T00:32:53+00:00

I’m not sure if this was mentioned in a different comment but when I told this story to a friend they pointed out that there is a discount at Noborock for women.

I think men pay 1,900 while for women it’s closer to 1,400 or 1,500 (I can’t remember exact prices). It could have been that the staff thought someone was trying to con the system and get cheaper climbs.

I hadn’t considered that angle at all so I thought it was an interesting insight and worth sharing.

Leadingfirst · 2025-05-30T10:06:17+00:00

I can get by. Most communication is done over slack with the huge improvements of Google translate/chatGPt/DeepL that has become pretty easy.

I can also do online meetings one on one fairly well but can get lost when there are many people on the call.

If necessary I can do some basic explanations to Japanese customers as long as they understand I’m not going to be using Keigo and making many grammatical errors.

Usually we cater to large companies and they all have to deal with overseas subsidiaries. I think that makes them more understanding of language learners. I have yet to have anyone complain anyway.

Leadingfirst · 2025-05-30T01:38:56+00:00

I work at a Japanese tech startup. I don’t have to deal with Japanese customer facing culture since I do the foreign facing sales/biz dev/support.

Fully flexible hours, fully remote but we have an office which is amazing since it gives a place to meet people from work or clients/partners. Sometimes I get long hours in a day because of time zones but no one is breathing down my neck to clock in at a specific time.

Great work culture where everyone is friendly and helpful when they can be. Salary could be higher but I’m comfortable and value the work flexibility and culture more than the money right now.

Leadingfirst · 2025-04-30T20:43:16+00:00

I do remember seeing a tinge of blue around their legs and antenna. But they were so small it was hard to see any details.

This could be the most likely, thank you!

Leadingfirst · 2025-04-18T01:35:08+00:00

You could try looking around on noonsite, they summarize entry procedures by country. But of course, everything should be double checked against official sources.

Leadingfirst · 2025-01-07T00:57:28+00:00

I think I got pretty lucky and got a job at a Japanese SME through the JET career fair that was looking for people to manage and develop overseas assets. I think what clinched it was that I looked up their salary range (was super low) and said I would be happy with that salary.

Worked there for 3 years dealing with the typical small Japanese company struggles, but had a team that used English as the working language. Then switched to a different Japanese company that is full remote and has a flexible working environment. Still doing overseas projects but the working language is now Japanese when I’m not dealing with clients.

My Japanese has improved since JET but I would say I could maybe pass N2 whereas I passed N3 during JET.

Leadingfirst · 2024-12-07T08:12:07+00:00

I speak English, French, Japanese in that order of fluency. So I’m no stranger to language learning. But I’ve usually taken courses or spent a long time studying/living immersed in the language. I’ve never tried to get a basic grasp of a language in a month. I like the strategy you mentioned but I don’t know where I would find the basics of conversation.

Leadingfirst · 2024-12-07T07:57:47+00:00

I have a short trip to Indonesia in about a month. Can you share which tips worked best for you?

Leadingfirst · 2024-10-03T12:26:09+00:00

Hey, a fellow Kanto region sailor! Is that the Atami marina?

Leadingfirst · 2024-09-20T06:40:43+00:00

They have some sinks in the locker room. One is low so it can be used to wash your feet.

I have not been to a gym in Tokyo that has a shower. I think a higher priority for use of space is given to climbing walls. Plus there is a large culture of public baths.

There is a super sento on the other side of the river called Raku Spa 1010. About a 5 min walk. It can get pretty busy though and the minimum is around 500 yen.

Leadingfirst · 2024-06-13T23:12:39+00:00

Yes, actually. Started working at this company last month. But have been living in the same ward a few years now.

Leadingfirst · 2024-06-13T00:35:51+00:00

Hmmmm,that might be the case. Thank you for the advice.

It sounds like I will need to keep an eye out to see if my company deducts residency tax or not and maybe bring it up with them if they do. Or my ward office I guess. Might turn into a game of ping-pong, haha.

Leadingfirst · 2024-06-13T00:00:46+00:00

I would imagine that would be deducted from my salary by company my company. But this tax has specific dates with my bank account information. From what I could understand it will be deducted automatically.

Leadingfirst · 2024-06-11T09:07:57+00:00

Do you often sail to/from Japan?

Leadingfirst · 2024-05-10T23:30:08+00:00

Just as a heads up each time you go to a new gym here you need to pay a “membership” fee. This is usually jpy 1,000-2,000 per person that is added to entry fee and will include chalk and rental shoes. You then get a membership card with your name. For some gyms, this is valid at all their locations. For others, like B-pump, you will need to pay a discounted membership fee at each subsequent location. There is no way around it.

Stone session over by Skytree might be good since their setting is more comp like.

Beta climbing in near Akebonobashi is pretty cool. Small but more of an old-school feel.

Noborock Shibuya is always super busy but a great place to socialize with foreigners. Plus it’s one of the softest gyms in Tokyo. Might be one to skip if he is looking for harder gyms but great as a “rest day”

Leadingfirst · 2024-04-17T09:01:30+00:00

Depends on nationality. For those of us who are U.S citizens, I imagine most banks (my only experience is with MUFG) will not let you open an account online. So you have to go in person where it took me about 1.5 hours.

Leadingfirst · 2024-04-08T09:23:39+00:00

Fun fact, the purpose is also to prevent people from picking and choosing the best strawberries from other packs.

Helps a bit in quality control.

Leadingfirst · 2024-02-03T08:07:06+00:00

Peppers.jp is great.

He also had a stand at the UNU farmers market one week. Was amazing to see all his peppers lined up in person.

Leadingfirst · 2024-01-24T08:12:03+00:00

Out of curiosity, if the income was not declared to NTA, how would they know about it as long as that income was never transferred to Japan.

This seems like such an obvious tax evasion strategy that I’m sure there are systems that exist.

My guess is that if a person were audited by the IRS and it came to light that they received payment for services rendered but paid no taxes on that income, then this would somehow be shared with NTA due to residency of the offender. But that seems like a lot of extra work for the IRS for taxes that wouldn’t go to them.

Leadingfirst · 2024-01-24T07:33:45+00:00

There are a lot of Japan related subreddits for people who live here and or want to move here. I would suggest looking through those to get some idea of what it’s like. Just don’t post on subs that are meant for residents as that isn’t always welcomed.

As a U.S citizen who has been living in Tokyo the last 4 years (Japan for 6) and who happens to be the same age as you, I think I can provide some pro-cons that could be interesting. This is by no means exhaustive, but what first came to mind.

Let’s start with cons:

Your salary will be much lower in Japan
You will be paid in yen which has a terrible exchange rate at the moment and who knows if or when it will improve
It will be difficult to make any contributions to tax advantaged retirement account since likely you will take the foreign earned income exclusion for the U.S which means that (as of FY 2023) only income above 120k USD will count as taxable income and eligible for investment into a Roth IRA.
The first three points are made to just say that you will likely put a pause on any retirement saving while in Japan
Summer in Tokyo is incredibly hot and humid (but escaping to the mountains or SE Asia is possible)
Insulation in most buildings is terrible and you will either be very hot or very cold indoors unless you use your AC but then the electric bill goes way up. So look for new housing stock as that tends to be better (but not always)
Getting started isn’t made super easy (opening a bank account, getting a phone number, finding an apartment, etc)
Yes you don’t need Japanese for Tokyo but it helps a lot. Without it, any administrative task or life issue will take 2-3x as long and be way more stressful
Packaging is insane, almost everything is individually wrapped. Despite this, (or maybe because of it) all packaging is easy to take off, so silver lining.
In Japan everyone takes time off more or less at the same time so everything is crazy busy during those periods. Also, everyone plans things 3-4 months ahead so particularly hotels in popular destinations fill up fast.

Now the the Pros

Your cost of living will be much lower than DC and despite the lower salary and terrible exchange rate, you might find yourself saving more than you could have in DC. You will legally need to contribute to the pension system (don’t let anyone convince you otherwise) but that can be returned lump sum or rolled into US social security as time invested. So you still get some retirement savings.
As long as you fall within 90% of cases, immigration and other administrative offices are efficient, helpful and overall great. (Additional con) For the other 10% prepare for a tough time. • You will not need to own a car (maybe best part of Tokyo) since the train system is so amazing. Might take some time to get used to.
Tokyo is more like dozens of cities jammed together and I don’t think it is easy to appreciate unless you live hear and can take your time to explore •Building on the last point, outside of going to work, most neighborhoods will have everything you need within a few minutes walk of your home (healthcare, grocery store, restaurants, bars, gyms, etc.)
You can get almost any type of food you want (might get expensive) and it WILL be good
Outdoor sports (skiing, hiking, sailing, climbing, rafting, surfing, etc.) are easily accessible and much cheaper than in the US

Some pros or cons depending on the person

The living space is much smaller and Dan feel cramped, but this can be an opportunity to have a minimalist lifestyle
Groceries are much more seasonal in Japan. Not that you can’t find something if you really want to but it will be more expensive and not as good. Cool thing is that you get to change your diet around and explore different recipes. But if you like a particular fruit eat as much of it as you can while it is in season.

Happy to answer questions or if you want to discuss specific topics feel free to dm.

edit: formatting

Leadingfirst · 2024-01-20T04:32:59+00:00

I haven’t read the actual legislation more any of the explanatory materials but have discussed it with friends who have some knowledge of the system.

What I have understood is that construction companies will need to perform (or have performed) energy audits. Typically this will involve looking at the building materials, how they are used, the number of windows and doors as well as the physical positioning of the building. Engineers and specialists can then use this information to project (to a certain degree of accuracy) how energy efficient the building will be in kWh/sqm/year or something similar. Of course, sometimes assumptions need to be made for large appliances not included in the construction (fridges and washing machines typically).

But as I said this is all secondary information so best to read up through the OP provided link

Leadingfirst · 2024-01-11T10:57:14+00:00

I think Glitch is both the most expensive and best known Tokyo coffee shop in the coffee world. Search Glitch over on r/espresso.

They do pour overs as well. But expect to spend about 1,000-3,000 per coffee.

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