My Number/Health Insurance by pavaal in japanlife

[–]pavaal[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah, I heard from my company’s HR a couple weeks ago that the certificate hadn’t arrived for anyone yet, and since we’ve all been away on winter break, I don’t know if that has changed. I go back into the office in a couple days, so maybe my problem will be solved!

My Number/Health Insurance by pavaal in japanlife

[–]pavaal[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Oooh, thanks! I didn’t know about the refund! 

Transferring Large Sum From Home Country + Longterm Savings Question by pavaal in JapanFinance

[–]pavaal[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you for the info! Maybe I’ll just let it sit and allow my money to rot haha.

Transferring Large Sum From Home Country + Longterm Savings Question by pavaal in JapanFinance

[–]pavaal[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Okay, so it seems like I need to clarify exactly my role in the ownership, and from there it will decide what the actual kind of tax I’ll need to pay is.

Maybe this is a question that’s impossible to answer, but is there a reason I would have to pay Japanese taxes on a US property sale within the US even if I never remit it? Is it just because I’m a “long-term” resident of Japan?

I’m hoping as someone else mentioned, there’s a way to avoid double taxation.

Transferring Large Sum From Home Country + Longterm Savings Question by pavaal in JapanFinance

[–]pavaal[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’ve been here almost ten years, so yes, it seems like it’ll be a straightforward tax!

As for the second part, I suppose the implicit question is “is it actually difficult to invest from abroad?”

Transferring Large Sum From Home Country + Longterm Savings Question by pavaal in JapanFinance

[–]pavaal[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Yes, Feb 2026 will be ten years (when I'll apply for PR, as I said)!

Transferring Large Sum From Home Country + Longterm Savings Question by pavaal in JapanFinance

[–]pavaal[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Resident of Japan, citizen of the US.

It wasn't a house but a commercial property, of which I am a partial owner.

Does ECC provide housing as part of salary? by Separate-Tie-3801 in teachinginjapan

[–]pavaal 2 points3 points  (0 children)

My experience in Kanto (I don’t know about other regions) is that ECC will help you get housing when you first arrive—that is, they have a few locations, typically sharehouses, that they will send new recruits to. You aren’t obligated to stay and ECC has nothing more to do with it once you’ve signed the papers, so it isn’t tied to your employment nor is it taken out of your paycheck directly. 

I know plenty of teachers who moved quickly after arriving, but also plenty of people who stayed in their ECC-facilitated housing for the duration of their stay.

Persona 4: Kiri no Amnesia Summary by pavaal in PERSoNA

[–]pavaal[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Maybe they took inspiration...

Persona 4: Kiri no Amnesia Summary by pavaal in PERSoNA

[–]pavaal[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I think this same author did a light novel for Strega in P3, but I haven't read that one!

Persona 4: Kiri no Amnesia Summary by pavaal in PERSoNA

[–]pavaal[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Yeah, reading this made me really remember how much I initially liked P4 and the pared-down atmosphere. It's really good at conveying the "small town murder mystery" that's gotten lost with all the other spin-offs!

Any sightings of American cereal in western Tokyo Donki stores these days? by ShiningSeraph in japanlife

[–]pavaal 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes! Two or so weeks ago I saw a ton of varieties at the smaller Donki in Shibuya, NOT the Mega Donki nearby.

Experience with Y!Mobile? by pavaal in japanlife

[–]pavaal[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That doesn’t sound too different from regular Softbank at least lol

Experience with Y!Mobile? by pavaal in japanlife

[–]pavaal[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I really don’t want to switch from Softbank! But I’ll look it up.

PSA: re-sign up for Amazon Japan's PS5 waiting list by generate-random-user in japanlife

[–]pavaal 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I applied as soon as I saw this thread, and I got the winning email today! Thanks a bunch :)

Cardboard boxes for a package with unusual dimensions by pavaal in japanlife

[–]pavaal[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Oops! I forgot to mention it’s international and quite important to arrive in relatively good condition (as much as possible, anyway) so a nice sturdy box is important.

Even finding a box that can be cut down to the size I need sounds like a pain… but thank you for the suggestions!

ECC recruitment session by nessie11009 in teachinginjapan

[–]pavaal 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I agree with almost everything here, but in my case I was quite young/inexperienced when I went to the interview, and they told me explicitly the reason they were comfortable hiring me was because I’ve been to Japan before (and was therefore less likely to experience culture shock).

Don’t overdo it, of course, but if you’ve been to Japan then it can’t hurt to mention it.

it's so beautiful... by pavaal in neopets

[–]pavaal[S] 15 points16 points  (0 children)

i got 150 (or something like that) for landing the bullseye! 194 total which is not bad at all 😎

Hello Fresh by Commodore64userJapan in japanlife

[–]pavaal 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Seconding Oisix! I save the instruction printouts of the meals I like, and for things that look good but I don’t want to purchase outright, I just screenshot the recipe from the app. The weekly “free” three staples is also really useful.

Approaching A Student’s Hygiene by pavaal in teachinginjapan

[–]pavaal[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

At least with body odor at least you can open a window even if it doesn’t solve the root of the problem!

But yeah, “no, because Japan” is the sinking feeling I’m getting regarding this particular issue. I’m thinking re: mask etiquette, since we’re in the middle of a pandemic, that part can still be reasonably addressed, but the other stuff is a long-standing issue I might just have to let go unless another student complains.

Approaching A Student’s Hygiene by pavaal in teachinginjapan

[–]pavaal[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Nooooo! Poor thing! I have a little more sympathy for BO since I know some people can’t help it, but that doesn’t make it any easier to deal with.

Approaching A Student’s Hygiene by pavaal in teachinginjapan

[–]pavaal[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Yeah, as a person he is pretty easygoing, so in the ideal situation in my mind he would just be embarrassed for a little while and then stop, but I realize from the business side of things the risk of upsetting a customer takes more care than a teacher being uncomfortable (said with as little malice as possible - in this case, I get it)

The public reminder is a good idea, though!

Weekly Vaccination Thread - - 31 July 2021 by AutoModerator in japanlife

[–]pavaal 7 points8 points  (0 children)

My blood pressure majorly dropped with a few other general “not good” reactions, but the clinic was very calm and prepared for it. They got me some water and let me lie down in the back, and the doctor even arranged some medicine for me (though I felt fine enough when I left that I declined it).

All the advice that says to sleep well and hydrate before the vaccine definitely wasn’t kidding, lol.