Hello everyone,
I’ll be moving to Japan by the end of the year but I am a little bit worried about the process. My employer is taking care of the apartment which is great, but other than that I am on my own.
I have no one in Japan, so doing it all by myself is kind of scary hence why I am looking for Settling-in Services (Bank account, phone, etc) – I’ve done my research and I know that most of the information are available but I also want to inquire about other possibilities 🙂 – Have any of you used this type of service? Do you have any company that you can recommend and what is the usual price for this type of service?
Also as I mentioned I have no one in Japan so I would like to find ways to meet people, Expats or Locals. I have been looking for events, classes, etc. what are your recommendations? I know it can be difficult making new friends in another country so all suggestions are welcomed.
Thanks a lot for your replies!
4 comments
Work on your Japanese language skills now. You have about half a year, and any progress you can make in that particular area will pay out in dividends. You can worry about expat or local groups when you’re here, we’ll be able to help you once you’ve moved over.
As for whether you want to use a “settling in service”, that’s your decision, but do as much work as you can in studying what is required – there are plenty of videos regarding almost any part of moving to Japan – and again, study the language. You may find you don’t need the service, and this is something that can be scheduled a lot closer to the date if you do.
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Students and English teachers manage it every year, you can do it too. That said does your company have other expats? If you’ve already met them online how about asking them?
This seems like a waste of money. Unless you have a large family or something where you need special assistance, you can literally do this all on your own. As another commenter noted, you’re not the first non-fluent person to arrive in Japan and do all this.
A lot of cities offer the basic residency registration stuff in multiple languages, if not just English. In all honesty, you’ll probably get handed the English forms when you go in. When we first registered with our ward, the ladies at City Hall were relieved when I told them I could read and fill out forms in Japanese and didn’t need English explainer paperwork.
I used TGA relocation company for two moves to Japan. Everything was paid for by my employer, so I have no idea how much they charge. I was satisfied with the services provided by the person assigned to me. If you are interested, PM me and I can provide her name.
Edit: I suspect that they aren’t cheap. I moved to Japan before a lot of internet resources were available, and it’s a lot easier to figure out how to do things on your own these days. So I’m not recommending that it’s worth it if you are on a budget.