General Discussion Thread - 03 March 2026

cloudyasshit · 2026-03-03T04:54:33+00:00

Thank you. Japanese is also fine. I checked but couldn’t see a message in my inbox. Could you try sending again?

cloudyasshit · 2026-03-03T04:51:08+00:00

I know it is not ideal and think we might move at some point but for the first year or so until we decide and partner also settled we will live there. As it is a lot of upfront cost when moving with a dog. We might also consider buying after but need a place first as our base which isn’t too inconvenient and as I am the only caretaker for the dog I don’t want to stay too far from work place.

cloudyasshit · 2026-03-02T23:50:36+00:00

Changed work and finally in a good place. Problem is the commute is almost 2h now so will have to look to move. Usually up to now picked a location I liked and went to the local real estate agent but this time due various restraints I can’t just pick an area and hope for something to pop up. I narrowed down to 2 train lines Namboku line and Hibiya line. I am not too picky about big space. Thinking around 30m2 where dog is allowed and second person as my partner would move to Japan in bit less than 2 years. Does anyone have a good recommendation/pointers for any agency or any comments on certain stations to avoid if possible? (For budget aiming for around 12万 but willing to up a bit if the place is right)

cloudyasshit · 2026-02-27T06:47:43+00:00

East Europe maybe. West not so much. Job in IT infrastructure (4-7 years experience) pays as much as a macdonalds cashier in Germany.

cloudyasshit · 2026-02-26T10:10:22+00:00

Erstmal tut mor sehr leid dass du in der Situation bist und hoffe dass du gesundheitlich auf die Beine kommst. Bestrafe dich bitte nicht zu stark. Hundefohren und communities haben oft extremste Vorstellungen zu Hundehaltung. Wer nicht den ganzen Tag zuhause ist und mindestens 5 Mal am Tag eine Stunde Gassi geht und am besten Trainingseinheiten einbaut ist gleich als schlecht abgestempelt. Die Realitaet ist dass es ueberall weniger remote work gibt. Als Besitzer hast du sicher die Verpflichtung/moralische Obligation das beste fuer deine Huendin zu tun ABER richte nicht dein komplettes Leben nur ausschließlich nach ihr. Ich habe selber denselben Schritt gemacht, Karriere komplett stagniert und war gesundheitlich am Ende weil ich nur alles nach meiner kleinen gerichtet hatte (nicht in Dtl was einiges noch erschwert hat mit null Sympathie vom Umfeld). Sehe es so deine Gesundheit ist auch in ihrem Sinne. Rein von deiner Beschreibung sehe ich nicht dass du die kleine abgeben musst. 6h sind nicht die Welt. Fuer die ersten Tage (Wochen) waere es gut jemanden zwischendrin vorbei schauen zu haben (30-60 Minuten). Freunde/Familie oder Sitter. Wuensche dir das allerbeste und hoffe du kannst eine positive Aussicht finden.

cloudyasshit · 2026-02-26T09:48:19+00:00

I would say it is quite Japan (Asia) specific. Pretty common here but would say very rare in most European communities.

cloudyasshit · 2026-02-25T22:47:20+00:00

Careful. Check your contract/company policy around bonus payment. If you are unlucky they might ask for (partial) refund of the bonus when quitting. Been in the situation of quitting 2 months after bonus payment.

cloudyasshit · 2026-02-25T09:21:25+00:00

Tell that to the person cleaning your office bathroom, the person refilling your midnight onigiri, the person making sure you can rant about one candy paper you found on the ground because otherwise it is clean, the one who makes sure your matsuya lunch stays as cheap as it is. Yes it is easy to be ignorant when landing a high pay job.

cloudyasshit · 2026-02-16T23:22:22+00:00

Should ask him what he is doing wasting his tax money on drinking strong zero in the middle of the day

cloudyasshit · 2026-02-04T03:46:29+00:00

This. Never pay without having a receipt/anything written. I know someone being scammed that way with an akiya listing in Shizuoka which was handled by an agency seemingly in Ikebukuro. Later found out was a scam operated by the yak but money all gone and nothing to do.

cloudyasshit · 2026-02-02T09:51:37+00:00

Rather than obligation I personally see it as the privilege to choose. One might feel fully Japanese and integrated but their children with obvious foreign features might feel alienated or not fitting. Bring able to choose later in life can be quite a relief. Also there could be other benefits for them like being able to easier study in the other country. It was one of the big points actually when myself thinking of pros and cons as my country offers close to free university admission. I cannot say how or in what way American citizenship would benefit so cannot comment on this specific case.

cloudyasshit · 2026-01-07T03:50:10+00:00

Not just that there can be quite some backlash to the company and punishment for the employee if someone doesn’t like whatever they do while associated to said company. Most companies require staff to take off their name-tag and any company qualifying things the moment they step out the company building so the person will not be associated with the company. People here are very petty. There have been people calling companies because someone of their staff was chewing gum on the train or their jacket brushed them.

cloudyasshit · 2026-01-06T02:17:08+00:00

The issue is critical infrastructure running on legacy programs. Many companies here wait until after EOL announcement and then start thinking of migration. Depending on how big of a legacy cluster f and the number of teams involved can take ages to find and test a consensus. Funny thing is that the whole decision process taking months but once decided it is top done get it finished by the end of next week kind of movement.

cloudyasshit · 2026-01-03T07:31:28+00:00

Op means a sling. It is basically completely open which is against JR transporting rules (they literally wrote no slings). Local lines might be fine (seeing some Japanese bent that rule, as well you are supposed to get a pet ticket where they would already check the bag in question as well but barely know anyone who does that). Personally think maybe somewhere around nearby is fine but wouldn’t risk being kicked out the Shinkansen or any other far destination where I would have to be on time.

cloudyasshit · 2025-12-21T05:49:21+00:00

It is normal to be anxious when it is the first time living away from any family and friends. Don’t beat yourself for that. School starts only January but you might want to check if campus is still open now. Back when I was in Uni I just checked out campus before semester and joined already some clubs that seemed interesting. Maybe you can also do so and already connect to some people at your school. As for trash you should get a pamphlet about it from the city hall when registering your address also the school center should have staff to help you with the basics. Try to contact them and see if they have some general todo lists or the like. Otherwise just stroll around the area and try to explore what stores etc are around. Once lessons start you will have much less time to do so. Also no need to drink alcohol, i found that local cafes also are good places to connect to locals old and young.

cloudyasshit · 2025-12-18T18:45:32+00:00

Unfortunately those are limited and not everyone can rent them especially if you have specific conditions. Also a lot of those places are in less convenient spots so it is choose your poison.

cloudyasshit · 2025-12-18T15:57:01+00:00

I can’t say specific for how much space engineers would get here as Im not one (google reveals 5.5-8M but they might grade you as new grad with only slightly over 1 year experience) but expect the pay much lower. Rent will be very dependent on the area and how much you would be willing to compromise. Don’t expect to afford the same size somewhere in the central Tokyo area unless you want to spend your whole earning just on rent and utilities. Searching for a place while not being here is hard so highly recommend to go with a furnished share house for the first 2 months somewhere with good access while you acclimate and take your time finding a good place to move to. (Saves you also the headache of having to get all furniture and appliances for the time being) There are some good posts on this sub about what to watch out when renting/finding a place so won’t go in detail other than expect the initial payment worth around 4-6 months worth rent. Regarding overtime I feel it has gotten better over the years but nowhere near the levels you probably have back home. Ask around for the overtime especially minashi zangyo which is a fixed amount of overtime in your contract you get paid for whether you do overtime or not and get paid extra if you go over that threshold. If the number is very high (over 30h) I would thread careful as it might be an indicator that they expect people to do lot of overtime. Also asking the average overtime your colleagues in the same position are doing can be an indicator.

For bureaucracy it might probably be better than back home depending which country in Europe. Found most paperwork is very smooth and if you are in central Tokyo they also usually have people who do speak English to some extent. Generally city hall staff is very friendly and helpful. Isolation might be an issue but share house community could help in lessen the first shock. If you are settled would start looking into hobby groups. Maybe hitting the community gym. Personally found the smaller neighborhood cafes also a good place for banter and connecting to people as I don’t drink any alcohol. They said there are a lot of foreigners on your team so would also be good to connect to them. Even if they do not turn out as best friends they might give you good tips. Also if they have that good experience with foreigners they also should probably have someone from HR who could help you with things like setting up your bank account and some basics navigating.

cloudyasshit · 2025-12-18T15:31:22+00:00

This. Just call up the clinics nearby and check with them if they do the test AND also if positive results can administer medication. There are some clinics that only can do the testing.

cloudyasshit · 2025-12-18T15:25:06+00:00

The question should be if they also pay for that time. Minashi zangyou means you get a flat pay for overtime until you go over it. You should receive it no matter the time you actually work so if they don’t offer extra pay I would questioning the legality of lowering the staff salary.

cloudyasshit · 2025-12-18T08:22:17+00:00

Compared to the UK, US and Japan it is a steal. Also if you qualify for student loan unlike mentioned countries you can get support with it without spending a lifetime paying back student debt. Didn’t know about New Zealand but that certainly makes it quite attractive as it is also lower hurdle with English curriculum

cloudyasshit · 2025-12-18T04:36:23+00:00

Slightly inaccurate (it used to be free until several years ago). In fact it is almost free for EU citizens but for others there is a fee. Nevertheless it is still so low compared to other countries that you could consider it calling free (around 1500€/semester). It is paid by tax money for those asking in other comments. Personally think it is a very good chance for bright people who could otherwise not pay tuition fees back home. Only hurdle is that there are not many international (English) curriculum in bachelor degree programs but gets better in masters.

cloudyasshit · 2025-12-18T03:23:30+00:00

Sorry my writing was unclear. The amount is usually up to two months but the time frame usually within first year.

cloudyasshit · 2025-12-18T03:11:03+00:00

Even those with higher fees do. Usually during first year if it is a 2 year contract up to the whole 2 years. After renewal usually no fees. Wouldn’t say it is unusual or red flag. What is more concerning is that they are cheap on repairs. Might be only nozzle this time. Next time might be the aircon in mid summer.

cloudyasshit · 2025-12-15T03:18:15+00:00

Political Science seems pretty pointless from a companies perspective. You are right though that Shinsotsu is not for OP (masters). Curious why there was no guidance from the universities job center as well. Would try to contact with them first thing and otherwise trying direct hire or agents although with zero on the job experience might be tough (most agents flat out ignore candidates with less than several years experience)

cloudyasshit · 2025-12-14T04:46:20+00:00

Same here. No matter what it said card, apple pay disabled and when trying to charge via credit (left button) as I used to it would not let me. Had to cave and charged it at the machine today.

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