The Japan Resident is a practical resource for foreign residents living in Japan — covering the paperwork, systems, and everyday logistics that don’t always come with an English explanation: visas and immigration procedures, opening a bank account, taxes, national health insurance, shakai hoken, SIM cards, and the dozens of small administrative steps that make up daily life here.
Japan’s bureaucracy runs almost entirely in Japanese, and requirements change often enough that outdated advice online can cost you real time and money. This site focuses on current, source-checked information — official requirements, current fees and processing times, and where the process is genuinely confusing, a clear explanation of why.
Have a topic you’d like covered, or notice something out of date? Get in touch on the Contact page.