Hey all! I'm moving to Japan for Language School in THREEE DAYS for the next three years!!! I'm so excited, and am currently making my check list of everything I need to do when/before I get there. So far I have:
Meet with rental agency.
Get a phone number and service.
Register for Health Insurance.
Open a bank account.
Register at local ward.
Is there anything you wish you had done before moving to Japan? Or arriving? Thank you in advance to any and all responses!
by SavannahBaby666
14 comments
I feel like you got the big stuff covered. When you get to the airport and receiving your zairyu card, make sure to check the box saying you wish to be able to do designated activities with your student visa. This allows you to do part time work as a student. You can go to immigration at a later date and do this, but it’s going to be a hassle and take a long time while if you do it at the airport it’s automatic.
For me it’s mainly bringing stuff. Now you can get way more things here or shipped here than in years past. The main things I bring back from home is specific snacks and lots of seasoning/spices.
not really necessary for everyone but look into getting a starter credit card
getting a credit card in Japan is quite a challenge for most foreigners, and if you stay for too long without getting one early, it’s a bad impact to your credit history in Japan which makes the situation worse
having a credit card issued in Japan can sometimes make your life much easier as sometimes only Japan-issued cc are accpeted
Language school is 2 years max though?
Anyway, bring as much as you can deodorant, toothpaste and brush, hand cream, sun screen. That’s what I feel I miss the most from my home country.
For your checklist, keep in mind only Japan Post will accept you as a student initially, so just go there instead of looking around for a bank. Try to get a credit card from Mercari or Rakuten afterwards, their requirements are a bit more lax.
When visiting the city hall after you settle somewhere, you can both register for health insurance and get an exemption for pension. Don’t forget the pension or it’ll be a pain in the ass later.
Also sorry to say but most landlords will probably reject you for an apartment so just persevere and keep looking or stay in a sharehouse instead. Hope you have somewhere to stay in the meanwhile for a good while anyway.
Sign up for the Japanese pension system. Despite what people will tell you, it’s mandatory and will bite you in the ass after two years. As a student, you’ll get a reduced rate ❤️
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Get your Sim card ready before you get here. Like maybe have it shipped to the airport and pick it up when you land?
Also you can get your luggage shipped to your apartment using several services in the airport. I usually go with Yamato Transport(their symbol looks like 2 black cats). It’s much easier than having to bring everything on the train or bus
I wish I would have double checked when my drivers license was expiring and whether or not i could renew online or not. What a pain that was.
Isn’t language school in japan max 2 years? I could be wrong of course…
i am also going to Japan entering language school this month. it is important to prepare a visa or jcb card before going there.
I wish I’d gotten my MyNumber card sorted faster, as it’s convenient for a number of things.
Also, I still need to register an alias at the ward office. Middle names are annoying. But I’m lazy and don’t want to go down to the office.
Medicine. Until you get used to or even know what is locally available, bring some within the maximum legal amount (i don’t know the specifics, sorry)
Your I-got-sick-instant-food.
Basically a survival kit. Until you get used to what is locally available, having some will help you in worse cases.
How did you decide on a language school, and if I can ask, which one are you going to? I’m looking into applying somewhere next year.
I didn’t get part time job permission at the airport and had to go up and wait for hours in the main immigration office.
This might come a little later than what you have already listed, but I would recommend getting a commuter pass from where you will live to your school. This will save money and hassle when using your train card. The amount of times I had to recharge in the middle of rush hour in the morning and almost missed or almost missed my train (didn’t have a commuter pass) was annoying.