Kind of rushed. Really sped through the whole COE and visa process. I feel like I mostly have the answers to these questions but wanted to open things up to the floor for some input.
I fancy myself an adaptable survivor. I saved up about 10k USD and thought “Hey! I wanna go teach abroad!” So I applied to South Korea, China, Japan, Germany, etc… and Japan hit me back first. So went with them. Now I’m lined up to start teaching in Hyogo and all excited and jazz about it.
Just a couple things I couldn’t definitively figure out on my own.
1. Do I need a credit card or will my visa debit card from Arvest Bank work alright? I realize I’ll need to withdraw money from the atm and get a local bank account set up, but how easy is that in Japan? Like, can I walk into any 7-11 and withdraw money from my U.S. bank at current exchange rates?
2. I’ve got some contacts on possible sharehouses to live in. Is there an etiquette to this? Any particular sort of thing I should do such as bring gifts or such? Like “Hey, I’m your new housemate, here’s some chocolate.”
And that’s pretty much it. Oh, also, of anyone knows any good capsule hotels in Osaka I’d take a recommendation. That’s the only one I haven’t booked yet.
3 comments
This is a copy of your post for archive/search purposes.
—
**So I’m moving to Japan on Tuesday.**
Kind of rushed. Really sped through the whole COE and visa process. I feel like I mostly have the answers to these questions but wanted to open things up to the floor for some input.
I fancy myself an adaptable survivor. I saved up about 10k USD and thought “Hey! I wanna go teach abroad!” So I applied to South Korea, China, Japan, Germany, etc… and Japan hit me back first. So went with them. Now I’m lined up to start teaching in Hyogo and all excited and jazz about it.
Just a couple things I couldn’t definitively figure out on my own.
1. Do I need a credit card or will my visa debit card from Arvest Bank work alright? I realize I’ll need to withdraw money from the atm and get a local bank account set up, but how easy is that in Japan? Like, can I walk into any 7-11 and withdraw money from my U.S. bank at current exchange rates?
2. I’ve got some contacts on possible sharehouses to live in. Is there an etiquette to this? Any particular sort of thing I should do such as bring gifts or such? Like “Hey, I’m your new housemate, here’s some chocolate.”
And that’s pretty much it. Oh, also, of anyone knows any good capsule hotels in Osaka I’d take a recommendation. That’s the only one I haven’t booked yet.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/movingtojapan) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Your debit card should work fine for withdrawing money at convenience stores. There might be a small fee. Applying for a credit card in Japan is a little difficult as a fresh of the boat foreigner.
Congratulations on the move! I hope you will enjoy your time in Japan.
To answer your question,
1. Using your credit card in Japan shouldn’t be an issue in terms of payment. When it comes to withdrawing money from an atm, my experience is that not all of the atm or bank allows that. I cannot tell you for sure which works, I think the best bet is some atm in 7-11 which has the option for foreign banks. Getting a local bank account set up is easy, as long you have all the required documents available, such as your proof of home address, a valid telephone number, a stamp (inkan), and your residence permit. I have done it with JP Post and MUFG.
2. I can’t really advice on the etiquette in the shared house as I’ve only lived by myself. I did not bring any gifts for my neighbor, but I did for my workplace. So, bringing a small gift for your housemates would be a nice way to start your life living in a shared house. It will also help you to socialize and make friends.
I don’t have any recommendations of good capsule hotels in Osaka as I was living in Osaka, there was no need for it. There is a good capsule hotel known as “First Cabin” and it is located near Umeda. It would be convenient for you in that case as the main train station “Osaka-Umeda” is nearby, and also metros and airport bus directly from KIX. It is also easy for you to travel to Hyogo by Hankyu trains.