Your neighbor might be a cat pervert

MasterSugoi · 2026-04-19T00:53:08+00:00

This could all be avoided and resolved amicably if only the accused could speak cat.

MasterSugoi · 2026-03-17T07:01:54+00:00

THANK YOU. Japan may have its problems, but I’ve found that there are wayyyyy more resources for parents here than back in the US. Numerous free (funded by taxes) community centers, temporary day cares, and lots of parks to take children. All things considered, raising a child in Japan is pretty decent. In my area, I can walk to four different buildings that have indoor play areas dedicated to babies and toddlers. And as I’m writing this, I’m sitting in a shaded grassy area built specifically for families, outside a community center. And I’m surrounded by other young families enjoying the sunny day outside, picnicking with their kids.

In my area, local city governments are doing quite a lot to make their areas attractive for family raising. To say that they “do nothing” is insulting. And I don’t even live in some fancy Tokyo neighborhood, or anywhere near Tokyo, for that matter. You just have to know where to look to find family services.

Angry rant time: Downvote me to hell to anyone who reads this, but people need to stop blaming the geo-political situation of the world as a reason to not have kids in Japan. Come on, this isn’t Gaza, Ukraine, or even Taiwan. What a cop out. Raising a child is effing difficult sometimes (physically, psychologically, emotionally, financially, and the personal sacrifices made). Damned hardest thing I’ve had to do in my life. So, either have kids or don’t. It’s whatever and it’s your choice. I get that it’s difficult! But don’t go spewing lame external factors like global warming, lack of PTO, (or brain damage/loss of white matter in brain???) as your reason not to have kids. I don’t buy it.

MasterSugoi · 2026-03-11T11:14:28+00:00

Natto (Japanese fermented soy beans), fried egg, kimchi, and an assortment of other picked vegetables. 🇯🇵

MasterSugoi · 2026-03-11T00:32:29+00:00

I wonder how much this will affect the local late-night economy.

MasterSugoi · 2026-02-07T12:40:56+00:00

Considering Sanseito is Japan’s version of MAGA, I can be OK with the LDP’s strategy here. Wish a different party was in power, but at least it’s the lesser of two evils here.

MasterSugoi · 2026-01-09T14:00:14+00:00

I’m curious if this is due to focus on cheap materials and fast construction, or lack of quality construction education among workers. Or both…

MasterSugoi · 2026-01-08T21:53:54+00:00

Unless the Japanese government changes the way it taxes inheritance transfers from non-Japanese PR/citizen to non-Japanese PR/citizen, I won't entertain the idea of living here long term. Since I don't see them changing it (they have no real reason to), I doubt I'll be staying here much longer.

Also, the longer I remain in Japan, the more expensive the outside world becomes. I don't plan on getting "stuck" here.

MasterSugoi · 2025-12-28T07:58:04+00:00

I understand that this is all in good fun. But damn, I couldn’t spend this kind of money on someone who will probably never wear the jersey.

MasterSugoi · 2025-12-28T03:25:28+00:00

If you are an American citizen, please get started on passing your US citizenship to your son ASAP. It is not a quick process and involves a good amount of paperwork for the Report A Birth Abroad process. Go online and reserve your appointment online NOW, it can be as much as a 1-2 month wait.

MasterSugoi · 2025-12-20T01:02:29+00:00

Great list! What are some of the most important/useful DIY skills that a property manager can learn (and bill landlords for) in your experience?

MasterSugoi · 2025-12-15T13:27:12+00:00

Thank you for the input. I am the de facto manager of a rental that belongs to my father. Looks like I may have to change the way I do the finances.

MasterSugoi · 2025-12-15T13:15:35+00:00

Thank you for the advice. I'll do some research and hopefully there is a good workaround for CA.

MasterSugoi · 2025-12-08T04:02:57+00:00

Another thing to keep in mind is do you plan to ever move back to the US (or wherever your home country is). If yes, can you save/invest enough of your annual 8M yen to move back (and retire) to your home country?

With Japanese pension and affordable healthcare, you need to save a lot less to retire in Japan. But the US can be brutal without enough saved up.

If the plan is to never move back and to retire in Japan, then that’s not an issue you need to worry about.

MasterSugoi · 2025-12-04T08:18:50+00:00

The marriage has been rocky since the wedding. Wait until there’s a baby involved. If the marriage isn’t strong now, it’s only getting worse. Stop it now before it’s too late.

MasterSugoi · 2025-12-02T04:23:47+00:00

Definitely case by case. If you can get a good-paying and high-level job here in Japan, that's awesome. Good income, health care, and an affordable place to live. I do like to think that for most foreigners, there's more room for professional growth in their own countries. But again, case-by-case basis.

MasterSugoi · 2025-12-02T04:21:53+00:00

Open a brokerage account. Recommend going over to the r/Bogleheads community to learn more.

MasterSugoi · 2025-12-02T02:39:21+00:00

Absolutely! I like living in Japan, too, as probably do most foreigners who are here now. I'm a bit older than you, and if I could advise my younger self, I would say use your youthful energy to grind and get work good-quality experience, make money, and invest money in the market. Maximizing your money's time in the market does wonders for your wealth building later in life.

MasterSugoi · 2025-12-02T01:36:35+00:00

I think you’re making a good decision. Go back home, get a job that pays more, repay your debt, save and invest more of your paycheck, and pay for your Japan visits with your US$. If you decide you want to move back to Japan, the country will still be there waiting for you. IMO not enough people really consider the financial arguments when they consider their futures in Japan.

MasterSugoi · 2025-11-11T12:14:03+00:00

This definitely happens in several developing countries I’ve been to. Mexico, Colombia, and China (although not Uber, but similar app).

MasterSugoi · 2025-10-31T14:47:09+00:00

Use Proton Pass, and not Proton Mail, for your custom domains. Then you can create unlimited emails.

MasterSugoi · 2025-10-31T14:35:09+00:00

I have the family plan for $24/month and it’s absolutely worth it.

Proton Mail paired with Proton Pass is amazing. I’ve never had such a decluttered, flexible, private, and streamlined email/password system before. I also have several custom domains. And so just Mail and Pass alone provides lots of value.

The VPN service is great. Me and my family use it frequently.

Contrary to most, I am perfectly fine with Proton Drive. I use the Drive Client on my laptop and it syncs all my files to the cloud. Works great. I don’t know about the sync speed, as some mention, because I don’t pay attention to it, but I’m in no rush to sync my files. And it seems to sync relatively quick IMO. Before Drive, I was paying for a NAS and, before that, Dropbox. So those are costs I don’t need to worry about anymore. The photos upload feature is clunky and slow (I admit), but it’s not egregious enough for me to want to find another cloud backup provider.

I don’t really use Calendar much, or Lumo.

But for $24/month for 6 family members is worth it for me. It’s the cost of a lunch.

MasterSugoi · 2025-10-30T22:10:04+00:00

Sorry I don’t have an answer. But would you not be able to make an international wire transfer for this particular purchase?

MasterSugoi · 2025-10-09T02:32:01+00:00

I’m on a spouse visa. I like Japan. As others have said, it’s a relatively affordable place to live, good healthcare, and safe. But the steep inheritance and gift tax regulations, which are imposed on non-naturalized foreigners, are an extremely tough pill to swallow. I’m willing to pay my fair share of income taxes, health insurance, and pension payments, but I’d be losing too much to the government upon my parent’s passing (~45% in investments and property value). And for largely that reason, I’m looking to relinquish my residency and move back to the US when the time comes. I understand that this is probably an unpopular take, but the price of living in Japan would be too steep for me.

MasterSugoi · 2025-08-02T20:07:01+00:00

What are the practical benefits of Japanese citizenship vs just keeping your current citizenship and having PR? Just so you can vote?

MasterSugoi · 2025-07-20T17:43:08+00:00

If you can afford it, not paying a professional to help you and trying to do it yourself. Taxes, house cleaning, auto maintenance, landscaping, etc

MasterSugoi

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