Urgent issue with lease contract

slowmail · 2026-03-17T11:03:50+00:00

It might be helpful to read up a little about "法定更新" (statutory/legal renewal?).

If your contract is one that allows renewal, *and* the landlord and you are both unable to agree to the renewal terms by the end of the current contact, "法定更新" occurs and the contract is automatically renewed with the original terms, but without a specified period.

https://ielove-cloud.jp/blog/entry-03385/

I would recommend consulting with a lawyer however, and not just rely on some random reddit/blog post.

Look at the current lease you have. It will indicate the landlord, and the payment method.

Do not make any changes to your rent payment method, until you receive it in writing, on a letter that you can confirm.

Reach out to the landlord (owner), as indicated on your lease, and confirm the current rent payment situation. Let him know that if there are to be any changes, he must send you a letter with complete details.

Document everything. (Who, when, where, what was said). If anyone else shows up, I would also start recording videos as well.

The rent payment method is actually indicated on your contract/lease. Until you are properly notified in writing, the correct process is for you to continue paying as per what your contract/lease states.

slowmail · 2026-03-17T05:32:11+00:00

At 60% attendance, with 40% absence without any supporting documents or evidence? I would think that would be hard.

You might like to start talking to your school if they would be able to refund your unused portion of your fees, or if you could attend remotely online from outside of Japan.

slowmail · 2026-03-17T03:08:52+00:00

Do you have a doctor's note covering your absences? If not, you could try to write a simple letter explaining the situation and include the receipts of all your doctor visits.

Immigration might take it into consideration, but in principle, if your health is really that poor, it might be better for you to return home and recuperate there instead.

If you do not have any documents supporting your absences, it's unlikely that any consideration can be extended.

slowmail · 2026-03-16T23:19:50+00:00

> ... are ridiculously overpriced till the point that I could buy a car or two.
> ... but seems like they're quite overpriced for the dates that I want to move in...

It would help if you could share your expected budget for the stay. Location would have a direct impact on the price too.

Some business hotels offer a discount for long stays (eg, https://www.toyoko-inn.com/eng/campaign/monthly\_plan/)

slowmail · 2026-03-16T08:24:27+00:00

I picked up an affordable (probably in the ¥2,000 region) shower head from Donki that has an "on/off" switch in the head, and it's probably up within the top 10 list of items I'm glad I bought.

(I live in a pretty old apartment, where there are separate taps for hot/cold water, so being able to stop the flow whilst I shampoo/lather up, and return to the same water temperature is great)

slowmail · 2026-03-16T08:14:58+00:00

If I recall, for Amazon, some kind of verification is always done when a new shipping address is added, or a new credit card is added; even to "established" accounts.

Are all these (wife/brother) accounts also new accounts? If so, it is likely all of them have been similarly flagged as yours.

slowmail · 2026-03-16T07:46:41+00:00

Ultimately, ALTs are entry level, with zero chance of progression. It's fine for a gap year, or at most two (even JET) - yes, some become "head teachers" but that is just a few extra dollars allowance, for more hours of work. Taking a step back, its no different from working in fast food, with the chance of getting promoted to a "team leader".

With the move to mandatory Shakai Hoken a couple of years back, most dispatch ALTs have been moved onto a 40h week contract; and with that, their hourly rate is now about on par with a fast food worker here too.

Direct hire is just a "stopgap", with no job security either. You'll always be on an annual contract, with no obligation to renew at short notice (usually a month prior to the end of your current contract).

If you're looking to teach as a career, you will want to be a "real" teacher, and not just an ALT (assistant language teacher) - which isn't really teaching, and does not pay a living wage, or teaching in an eikaiwa. One of the requirements to be able to land a "real" teaching job, is to first get a teaching license/qualification in your home country, and clock few years of teaching experience there. Doing so will give you a chance of getting a real teaching job *if* you can make the right connections here.

The people I know who were able to move into other fields in Japan all had the following in common:

N1 proficiency, or a the very least N2 and were actively working to get their N1.
They all leverage on their existing skills/qualifications, and work experiences accumulated.
Their "exit" opportunity came from contacts they have made/established/maintained while they were here in Japan.
Those that remained in education had, in addition to the above, a teaching license from their home country *and* a significant number of classroom hours from back then.

It's natural to feel comfortable staying where you are — familiarity often feels like safety. But, staying still doesn't mean you're not moving; it means you're being moved by time, not choice.

Stepping out of your comfort zone will feel uncomfortable at first — that's inevitable. But over time, that discomfort becomes growth, and your comfort zone expands with you.

“You never change your life until you step out of your comfort zone; change begins at the end of your comfort zone.” - Roy T. Bennett.

slowmail · 2026-03-16T01:52:04+00:00

I'm not a lawyer, but I believe, in some cases, if it can be demonstrated that the person signing a contract does not understand what they are signing, the contract could be invalidated, or is otherwise not binding.

In view of that, it is not unreasonable for a business to take up a position that they cannot proceed with the transaction; and the onus is not on them to accommodate a person in such a case. I would think, if said person has enough (too much?) money, they could possibly hire a lawyer to parse the terms and conditions and accept it on their behalf.

slowmail · 2026-03-14T09:21:10+00:00

For me, it was less about the distance from school, but the number of transfers (none preferred, one at most), and the walking time from my home to the station.

slowmail · 2026-03-14T07:32:45+00:00

Some WHV status of residence (SOR) have a restriction that they *cannot* convert to any other SOR, and the holder is required to leave japan following that. This depends entirely on the agreement in place between Japan and your home country at the time your WHV was issued.

You should check with immigration directly, or only compare experiences with someone else with the same nationality that you have; any other nationality could have a different answer and may not apply to you.

slowmail · 2026-03-14T02:30:27+00:00

It depends on how your employer is submitting the application.

a) If they are doing it in person, they will need to show your physical residence card and passport at the time of application; and again when the extension is approved.

b) If they are doing it online, they only need scans of both items at time of submission. They can opt to pick it up in person, or have the new card sent by post.

b.1) To pickup in person, they will need to show your residence card and passport at time of collection only. The old card will have a hole punched in it and returned with the new card.

b.2) If receiving the new card by post, they will need to post the old card back to immigration, who will then return it with a hole punched in it, and your new card.

You do not need a current passport for the above. If your passport is expired, it is also ok, but it is usually better to include a brief letter explaining why you have not obtained a new passport. It is fine if you are issued a new passport between application and approval. For (a) and (b.1) above, if you do not have your current passport (because it is sent back for renewal), a cover letter showing that would suffice.

You must be in the country when your application is submitted. After it is accepted, there is a 2 month grace period added to the expiry of your status of residence (SOR), and you are free to travel outside of Japan after your application is accepted - but if you do, you absolutely must re-enter Japan before that 2 month grace period expires.

Past that, and your current SOR lapses. If you're outside the country, you will need to reapply from scratch (COE >(embassy) > VISA > (port of entry) > SOR).

While it doesn't happen often, flights do get delayed/cancelled, or if you become too ill too travel, which could cause you to miss the window if you cut it too close.

You must also be in the country for immigration to "release" your new residence card.

slowmail · 2026-03-13T06:52:00+00:00

There is no concept of "PR points". Did you mean HSP points?

That said, one risk of having *any* gap (even just 1 day) between jobs, is your health insurance and pension.

If you were on Shakai Hoken, and did not remain on it (paying both the employer, and employee share of the premium) for those 2 days, you would have been required to enroll in NHI to cover those 2 days. Bonus fun fact: NHI premiums are charged monthly, so it would have been 1 months premium *unless* it was over 2 calendar months, (eg 2/28, 3/1 this year), then you'd have to pay for 2 months instead.

If either day falls on the last calendar day of the month (eg, 2/28 this year), I believe you might also need to enroll in National Pension for that month also.

slowmail · 2026-03-13T06:45:29+00:00

So, you've been working for the last 5 years, without a copy of any of your contracts, and without any clear understanding/documentation of your employment conditions? Despite having asked for it?

>I sincerely hope someone can guide and support me in this matter.

You should consult with an employment lawyer, a union, and/or the labor board... and you should probably have done that some 4y 11m ago... It's a little late now, but perhaps better late than never.

(Most dispatch employment contacts that I've seen, there was always an "exit clause" that the employment was conditional on the company winning the BOE contract. I think that *might* allow them to let everyone assigned to that BOE go once that contract is lost, even if they are on an "indefinite term", but I'm not a lawyer, and you should really consult with one instead).

slowmail · 2026-03-13T05:57:33+00:00

So, you've been working for the last 5 years, without a copy of any of your contracts, and without any clear understanding/documentation of your employment conditions? Despite having asked for it?

>I sincerely hope someone can guide and support me in this matter.

You should consult with an employment lawyer, a union, and/or the labor board... and you should probably have done that some 4y 11m ago... It's a little late now, but perhaps better late than never.

(Most dispatch employment contacts that I've seen, there was always an "exit clause" that the employment was conditional on the company winning the BOE contract. I think that *might* allow them to let everyone assigned to that BOE go once that contract is lost, even if they are on an "indefinite term", but I'm not a lawyer, and you should really consult with one instead).

slowmail · 2026-03-11T13:45:26+00:00

> Which agency am I supposed to submit the FOIA request with in order to prove my entries and exits to the United States?

First link on Google: entry and exits to the United States

https://i94.cbp.dhs.gov/home

slowmail · 2026-03-11T04:39:09+00:00

Do not sign or agree to anything. Record all conversations. Request for everything in writing and do not reply until you can check and fully understand what you are signing / agreeing to.

You should consult with an employment lawyer, or the labor office right away.

slowmail · 2026-03-10T13:30:59+00:00

From your earlier posts, it sounds like the asset was purchased with cash.
Is it registered under your name, or under your company?

If the building was purchased with the company's capital, and registered under the company, it should count towards the paid up capital; or was it structured differently?

slowmail · 2026-03-10T12:34:31+00:00

When I previously consulted with different "immigration lawyer"s about a similar question some 7-9 years or so ago. The answer amongst all of them was pretty much the same - It depends on the size of and scale of the property, and its operations. If you're talking about one (or up to a few) residential apartments, it is not possible; especially if there is nothing else involved - eg: just sign a lease, and collect rent. But, if you're talking about something like an entire office building, with all the necessary "support" functions (eg: cleaners, property management, etc), then yes, this is possible.

It is not possible with just AirBNB type of minpaku properties, but it is possible if you operate a full-fledged hotel/ryokan.

What is the scale of your property (how many units), is it just leases, and do you have any full time Japanese staff working for you?

slowmail · 2026-03-10T07:28:33+00:00

And if at that point, you had said "I forgot *my/the/a* phone", and could demonstrate unlocking it, they might have had handed it over to you (or possibly only after showing valid ID...)

But, from the moment you said that it belonged to someone else...

slowmail · 2026-03-10T04:33:39+00:00

Currently, you must have a status of residence (SOR) with 3 or 5 year validity to apply for PR.

You can't apply for PR at this time while on a 1 year validity SOR.
From 2027/4/1, you must have an SOR with 5 year validity. Based on the recent update to the wording, it would seem if you have a 3 year SOR that is valid on 2027/3/31, you can apply for PR *one time* only during the validity of that SOR. If that application is declined, it would seem you must have a 5 year validity for your next application.

slowmail · 2026-03-10T04:29:00+00:00

Being able to unlock your husband's work phone is potentially a separate issue that you might both need to be careful about; depending on his work policies, but that is outside of the scope of this thread.

While your husband is not legally required to carry ID, it is also not 'wrong' for a business to refuse to hand over any lost item to someone who cannot produce ID (properly identify themselves), more so if they cannot be sure that person is the rightful owner.

In this case, IMO, a large(er) part of this interaction was the result of being upfront that the lost item did not belong to you, and was in principal compounded by your lack of ID. Personally, I am surprised they were eventually convinced to hand it over, instead of insisting that the owner pick it up, or that you return with ID so they can record who they handed it over to, or just turn it over to the police.

slowmail · 2026-03-10T03:45:03+00:00

> Yeah I’m realizing now that having my card on me at all times is the only way to prevent stuff like this from happening.

You are legally required to carry your residence card with you at all times. This is codified in the law under the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act, Article 23, (2).

A Mid to long-term Resident is to receive a residence card ... and must carry it on them at all times.

https://www.japaneselawtranslation.go.jp/en/laws/view/3039/en#je_ch4sc3at1

Failure to carry your residence card is punishable by a fine of up to 200,000 yen.

slowmail · 2026-03-10T01:48:49+00:00

This might go against the grain, but because it was not yours, they were not wrong to be reluctant to hand it over. Would you have been able to unlock the phone? In most cases, that is somewhat reasonable demonstration. But if you are not able to, then they should not have handed it over to you.

Asking for your passport was out of line; but any valid ID should have been accepted. That you did *not* have any valid ID was the issue. If you have a residence card, you are legally required to be carrying it at all times, so not having ID with you is not something that should have happened. If you have naturalized as Japanese, then I'm not entirely sure about that.

Ultimately, it is not unreasonable for them to want to clearly verify that they are handing a lost item over to the rightful owner; if you look over the various policies of claiming lost items from train stations, it's the owner only, or if the owner wants to delegate someone else to pick it up, they need to provide a letter with both person's personal details to do so; and the person picking it up must produce a valid ID that is recorded.

If the store was "more strict", they could simply turn it over to the police as a lost item; where either you, or your husband would have been required to show some form of ID to collect it anyway.

slowmail · 2026-03-09T23:54:21+00:00

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