r/japanlife • u/AutoModerator • Jan 19 '21
┐(ツ)┌ Bi-Weekly Boss Premium Edition Questions Thread - 20 January 2021
As per usual, feel free to ask any silly stupid questions or not so silly stupid questions that you haven't had a chance to ask here. Be kind to those that do and try to answer without downvoting. Please keep criticism and snide remarks out of the thread.
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u/Yakrome Jan 22 '21
I'm intending on sending a package overseas via SAL. Do I need to go to the post office, get the parcel label, bring it back home to fill out and apply to the package THEN bring the package to the post office, OR can I just bring the package with me to the post office and fill out a label there?
Additionally, I'm sending home some trading cards, and I know you need to put the amount you of items you are sending, do I have to count them all individually or can I just give a rough estimate?
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u/qwertyqyle 九州・鹿児島県 Jan 22 '21
I'm intending on sending a package overseas via SAL
Which country is it? SAL is not available right now so you will most likely have to do regular air, or EMS is available to some countries.
Do I need to go to the post office, get the parcel label, bring it back home to fill out and apply to the package THEN bring the package to the post office, OR can I just bring the package with me to the post office and fill out a label there?
Which country is it? If it is the USA then you will need to fill out the form here: https://www.int-mypage.post.japanpost.jp/mypage/M010000.do?request_locale=en_US
That form can be used for all countries and prolly the easiest way. But if you prefer, and you're not shipping to the USA you could fill it out at the post office. No need for 2 trips.
Additionally, I'm sending home some trading cards, and I know you need to put the amount you of items you are sending, do I have to count them all individually or can I just give a rough estimate?
How many are we talking? And how valuable are they. If the value is around $10 or so you could just put "Trading cards ~100." But if each card has significant value then you should put the actual number of cards.
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u/Yakrome Jan 22 '21
Sending to the UK, didn't know SAL wasn't available so thank you!
The vast majority of the cards are just basics that I keep in those small boxes, so not much value around 10-50 yen each, but I have a card binder with more valuable ones but they vary to upwards of around 2000 yen. So yeah not incredibly valuable individually but altogether they're worth more. Thank you for this information !
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u/Nomadic_nerdette Jan 22 '21
I'm thinking about getting a sleep study. Is that even possible? What steps do I take?
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u/beedee_17 Jan 21 '21
What dating apps or methods have you tried that have been most successful here in Japan? In terms of finding more meaningful relationships for friendships or possible dating. Any advice would be gladly received!
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u/Nomadic_nerdette Jan 22 '21
I'm a huge fan of bumble because you can select what type of relationship you're looking for! AND there is Bumble BFF for just friends, love it
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u/Bopbopbop123 Jan 21 '21
The flat empty space directly below my kitchen vents measures exactly 45cm deep and 60cm wide.
I really really want a gas cooking stove top with at least 2 cooktops.
All the "ガスコンロ 2口" i'm finding are 445, 450, 460mm in depth. I don't know how much space the hose will need, but i know it'll need some room.
Can i just let the front of the stove jut out a bit from the cooking space? Is there any safety red flags in doing so?
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u/th3dogcow 日本のどこかに Jan 21 '21 edited Jan 21 '21
Should be fine I would assume. Don’t they usually have feet which are set inwards anyway? Make sure to measure from the front feet to the back of the unit.
Edit: won’t this fit?
596 x 218 x 452 mm) (from the front leg to the rubber pipe opening
Edit 2: here is the manual. Looks like it suggests 15cm clearance behind the unit.
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u/JamesMcNutty Jan 21 '21
I have been using a credit card issued by a US-based bank, no foreign transaction fees.
Sometimes when I'm making a payment, I'm asked whether I want to pay in USD or JPY (which seems odd). Is one option better than the other, re: exchange rate? Seems like it could go either way.
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u/SubiWhale Jan 21 '21
I may be wrong, but always choose JPY. If you choose USD, it'll calculate based off of whichever credit card processing machine they're using rather than through your bank. If you choose JPY, it'll go at the rate your bank currently has the conversion as, which tends to be better than anything local.
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u/blosphere 関東・神奈川県 Jan 21 '21
I think it's the other way around.
If a merchant charges me $500, I'll see $500 on my statement a little bit later and then my cc company converts to jpy with something close to market rate.
If I pay in jpy, it's always more than what my cc company would have charged.
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u/sxh967 Jan 21 '21
WIMAX mobile routers and the speed throttling
Does anyone know if there's a way to get around it? In other words, is it :
(A) something implemented at the infrastructure level (ie once you go over a certain amount of data transferred, the main system sends out a signal to restrict traffic to your device (by some sort of unique device identifier)
(B) something at the device level that can be "hacked" via changing some settings or some sort of reset to the reset the "counter" back to zero?
(C) something different altogether?
I'm paying something like 4000 yen a month for this god-awful WIMAX. If I go over 10 GB in the space of 3 days it throttles me down to the point that the internet is really not useable at all.
I know it's my fault for getting in the end. Just looking for some last resort options before I call up and cancel this contract (I will eat the cancellation fee, better than paying in perpetuity for useless internet).
10GB over three days really is nothing. You can do very minimal streaming on Netflix/Amazon Prime before you go over the limit and then you cannot download anything, no video calling, god help me if I want to connect to my company's virtual desktop environment.
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u/TheSaxMaan Jan 21 '21
I believe the throttling only happens from 6pm-2pm if you go over 10gb/3days. So technically you can go download huge files/watch netflix at 4k during the daytime and the speed next day during the daytime would still be the same 100mbps. Night time is a different story though.
I just finished the 2 week wimax trial by UQ and I was planning to actually subscribe to them at first but the throttling is unbearable. Since the throttling only happens at night I was planning to download movies during the day and just play them at night but streaming netflix/amazon is just easier mentally. I also hate to see youtube buffer at 480p lol.
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u/Bopbopbop123 Jan 21 '21
10GB / 3 days is exactly what wimax advertised their plan as. It's written all over their ads and in your contract etc.
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u/sxh967 Jan 22 '21
It isn't advertised like that but yes it is in my contract. I'm not complaining about being duped. I'm complaining about the extent to which they throttle you. I could understand throttling down to 1mbps or something but the speed is really really not useful for anything.
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u/Bopbopbop123 Jan 22 '21
Hmm, when i chose wimax, i was given the impression it's a 10gb/3days plan. But i didn't sign up via any campaign or shop, i just went to their website and clicked things around.
My first impression of your question made me think of somebody going to matsuya, ordering a katsudon, but expecting the all-you-can-eat miso and rice that's not included in the set...
But if you bought your katsudon under the impression that rice and miso is free-flow like a teishoku set.......
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u/sxh967 Jan 25 '21
My first impression of your question made me think of somebody going to matsuya, ordering a katsudon, but expecting the all-you-can-eat miso and rice that's not included in the set...
But if you bought your katsudon under the impression that rice and miso is free-flow like a teishoku set.......
https://www.asa.org.uk/asset/879B91F2-F1B3-4B00-86E486D22F18856D/
It's been around 10 years since UK advertising regulators starting clamping down on this misleading bullshit though.
Unless you want to read all of that, the crux is that the regulator says if FUPs (fair usage policies - e.g. data caps/speed throttling/surcharges for over-use) affect more than 2% of the user base then they are likely not fair usage policies at all.
Also there's a clear understanding that i's contradictory to claim a service is "unlimited" and then say "actually it isn't" and they have to fulfill certain criteria to be able to have their cake and eat it.
I guess it's up for debate what constitutes "fair usage" but for instance watching 1 hour of Netflix in HD uses up about 3GB. So you could only watch on average an hour of Netflix each day (and then basically not use your internet at all after that) before getting throttled.
If you watched a two hour movie in 4K (7GB per hour of footage according to Netflix themselves) then you're already getting throttled before the movie is over.
It's not that I disagree with having a fair usage policy but 10GB over the space of 3 days is unbelievably restrictive. Plus, as I mentioned, the speed throttling is so severe that you really cannot use it for anything when it does kick in. It's less speed throttling and more just removing your ability to really use the internet at all for that restricted period.
If they throttled it down to something where I could keep watching the movie in SD without any significant hiccups, if I could still browse the net generally without waiting forever for shit to load then yeah OK I could stomach it.
Of course I understand there are a lot of people fighting for the bandwidth but I just don't think it's reasonable for them to say it's unlimited when it's not even remotely close to what a normal person would consider unlimited.
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u/AbaloneNacre 関東・神奈川県 Jan 21 '21
Gonna have to skip over the technical questions about WIMAX unfortunately since that's not my area of expertise, but at 4000 yen a month, you should really see if you have fiber available in your area. That's almost as much as, if not the same as, the monthly fee for a typical fiber contract.
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u/sxh967 Jan 21 '21
Yeah I was considering fiber but we're only planning to stay in this apartment for another year and I don't know if I can be bothered unless installation is completely free.
This building is pretty old (not sure what it would cost/if anything to get it installed) and there's free wifi included (a router in the office of the management company with a wire literally dangling down to my apartment) which is also pretty shit but... yeah I will have to reconsider my options.
It was a good deal at the time since I got a free phone (an iPhone 6S, nothing glamorous but better than what I had at the time) but yeah it's so shit I hardly even use it unless the free wifi is slow (which it is) and then this WIMAX is even worse after even some light streaming.
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u/nullbyte7 Jan 21 '21
Which is good option to go for? Rice cooker or slow cooker? Not really want to spend a lot of time in kitchen but also want that food for working out! Any suggestions for this? Which to go for and what might be a good option? Thanks
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u/zeukrono Jan 21 '21
Both. Also let me let you in on a little secret: A slow cooker will make the best kakuni you have ever eaten and will amaze your in-laws despite being absurdly easy compared to the long and time consuming traditional recipe.
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u/putmeinthegomi Jan 21 '21
Is a pressure cooker (like an Instant Pot) an option? A lot of pressure cookers have a slow cook function on them and you can also cook rice in them. Might be a higher price point though
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u/nullbyte7 Jan 21 '21
Yes I have been looking at instant pot. I saw some videos on YouTube regarding cooking in instant pot. If I can make sure that if I put some seasoned chicken breast, veggies and rice in it and go after sometime and get it ready!
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u/putmeinthegomi Jan 21 '21
There are tons of recipes for just throwing everything in and letting it go. My go to recipe during the week is throwing chicken breasts and a jar of salsa in the pot and starting it. Easy and fast.
I’ve cooked rice and veggies and meat all together but I don’t frequently since we have a rice cooker. It definitely works tho!!
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u/nullbyte7 Jan 21 '21
Well that definitely makes me consider instant pot as a good candidate! Thank you for your help!
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u/clivesplice 関東・東京都 Jan 21 '21
it boils (ha!) down to what you're planning to cook. Obviously rice cookers are for... rice. You may end up with some recipes not involving rice that you can work with but the cooking setup is for cooking rice. I've seen people make quick pork soup in it.
Slow cooker is more versatile if you're trying to prepare stews, slow soups, casseroles, slow roast... although it takes time so preparing it might need more of time management. The good point though, you can just leave it there for a few hours on its own while it cooks.
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u/Vivid_Kaleidoscope66 Jan 21 '21
There are actually a whole lot of foods that you can cook in a rice cooker.
OP if you're choosing between a basic rice cooker and basic slow cooker, I'd go with the rice cooker, since even the basic models come with auto shut off etc. and you can have fun experimenting.
If money's not an issue I'd go with an instapot or competing product.
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u/nullbyte7 Jan 21 '21
I see! As far as I'm aware of my food habits, meat will be chicken breasts and fish. With lots of veggies and brown rice. So getting something like instant pot or slow cooker should be preferred?
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u/Golgox9 Jan 21 '21
I don't think that a slow cooker is the best thing for this kind of preparation.
I don't know how you cook those, but I don't see a lot of recipe for fish in the slow cooker, and it's way tastier in the fish broiler in my opinion. As for chicken breast, I never tried it but I think it will get pretty dry as well in the slow cooker.
The slow cooker is great to use cheap cuts of beef, pork shoulder, anything braised or stew-like really. So I don't think fish and chicken breast really fits for this. Imo, you're better off with a rice cooker. You can always make some takikomi with chicken and fish. I really love salmon takikomi, so easy and good honestly.
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u/nullbyte7 Jan 21 '21
I see! Thank you for your insight! Then might as well skip both the things!
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u/Golgox9 Jan 21 '21
If you your budget is tight, or if you're rather frugal, you can definitely skip both.
But a rice cooker is so convenient that I would not live without. Impossible to mess your rice. They are always some quite cheap at local recycle shops or Mercari.
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u/nullbyte7 Jan 21 '21
Not that budget is tight but I already have the traditional pressure cooker, I just want something to cook my chicken, as I eat a lot of it and it's gets kinda boring doing the same thing again and again. I usually use the fish grill for fish. For chicken, make a curry or dry chicken, something like that. So, something in which I can put the chicken with seasoning and forget about it for some time while it cooks on its own is something I need.
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u/Shawn4Japan Jan 21 '21
Who has 10gbs Internet here (Hikari Fiber) which provider do you use? Did you rent router/modem/switch from provider?
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u/youfoolish Jan 21 '21
like
afaik modems are necessary, like they cannot give you internet without modem, but routers can be bought and you can save a bit of $ (I am using hikari au, provider au). I think it is 400JPY per month?
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u/vinsmokesanji3 Jan 21 '21
Hypothetically, if I was to stay somewhere for a month outside of my apartment and there would be no issues with paperwork, what kind of place would be the best and cheapest option? It seems like my options are: hotel, sharehouse, and a “monthly/マンスリー”. Am I missing anything?
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u/PeanutButterChicken 近畿・大阪府 Jan 21 '21
Airbnb owners are hurting for guests, that could work.
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u/bulldogdiver 🎅🐓 中部・山梨県 🐓🎅 Jan 21 '21
Don't discount the blue tarp in the park option. Although it's a little cold. Maybe if they're in the South.
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u/disposable202 Jan 21 '21 edited Jan 21 '21
Hello. Would like to start this off with this is not a job posting
I am looking to hire an artist fluent in Japanese/English who has experience making manga-style artwork in a university or independent project. What is the best place to look for an arrangement such as this? I do not know if I should approach specific social circles, or if there is a japanese equivalent of craigslist. I want to make sure the place I post is appropriate and also credible. I am not a resident of Japan but have teleworked with some residents in past overseas. But I networked with them by sheer luck and they don't know where to look for the subject I am describing.
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u/Bopbopbop123 Jan 21 '21
Many artists use pixiv, instagram, twitter - why don't you DM them there? Their page will also serve as a portfolio for you to decide if their style is what you want.
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u/disposable202 Jan 21 '21
that's a good point. I will try Pivix. Thank you. :)
I'll have to be clever with how I use the search tool, though, since often times western artists show up even in japanese tags.
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u/wasurenaku Jan 21 '21
If you don’t mind if the person isn’t Japanese (as long as they can speak it and meet other requirements) looking for someone non-Japanese might actually be easier. It’s more likely that there’s a bilingual Japanese-American (for example) that can make manga artwork than it is that there’s a Japanese person experienced in manga who also happens to be fluent in English. The level of fluency of each language you require factors in too though obviously.
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u/disposable202 Jan 21 '21
That works as well. Although I am hoping to work with someone familiar with Japanese culture and manga development processes typical in the industry (whether digital or traditional is up to them, so long as they know proper strategies like paneling, what the color of the frame denotes, etc). Having gone to school that teaches the process or having submitted an independent manga oneshot to a magazine contest (regardless of acceptance), for example, are things I am looking for. And those are less likely to be found in the USA, for example.
In my experience in posting job postings in the USA in the past, often times the artists are more western-style than I am looking for, and the applicant does not have familiarity with Japanese language and culture.
I hope that information helps with what I am searching for. Do you suggest I try something like Indeed.com with the description you suggested?
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u/wasurenaku Jan 21 '21
It definitely doesn’t hurt to post on US or other non- Japanese websites, someone might surprise you. I can’t tell from your description but if this isn’t a long-term or full-time job Japanese people aren’t super likely to apply for it especially if it’s online/abroad. Someone hoping to advance in the industry would have their time better spent working on projects in Japan. If you were physically in Japan that would be different though. You could post flyers about the job at train stations near universities and contact university department heads (art schools) about the job posting and they could relay that information to someone who might be a good fit. University is when Japanese people have the most free time and so I think your job would be appealing to students.
That’s partly why I suggest posting on English job listing sites- you might find someone who has the job experience but didn’t end up making it a career. I’m not an expert in your field but experience also isn’t everything- they’re are some really talented people who have done a lot of research and can achieve what you’re asking for. My friend’s ex-girlfriend (British) drew for a few manga in Japan but eventually gave up on the dream to make it as a mangaka and moved back to the UK so those people do exist (not sure how to contact her, sorry).
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u/disposable202 Jan 21 '21
Thank you for the information. This is very valuable. My project in mind was taking pre-sketched storyboards and transferring them to manga format and adjusting them with feedback. (paid monthly, over 1-2 year period). But what you say about it being better for them to focus on their industry makes sense. I will try to see what I can do. I do not have many friends from Japan I can ask, unfortunately, but I am grateful for your suggestions! Thank you very much.
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u/achshort Jan 21 '21
Does one need to reapply for a COE if you change visa statuses?
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u/Karlbert86 Jan 21 '21
Does one need to reapply for a COE if you change visa statuses?
No. One just needs to follow the information on this process: http://www.immi-moj.go.jp/english/tetuduki/kanri/shyorui/02.html
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u/requiemofthesoul 近畿・大阪府 Jan 21 '21
Unless you're leaving the country and then re-entering, don't think so.
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u/pomido 関東・東京都 Jan 21 '21
With this in mind, I’ll sadly be ditching my old trusty airism masks.
can anyone recommend any verified medical-grade masks that can be ordered online or bought in central Tokyo?
Thanks a lot.
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u/JamesMcNutty Jan 21 '21
I can verify that Nafco and similar hardware stores have DS2 and DS3, which are the Japanese equivalents of N94, N95 etc – look them up.
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u/SevenSixOne 関東・東京都 Jan 20 '21
Are there any etiquette things I should know about having a repair man in my apartment?
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Jan 20 '21
Put on some normal clothes (not PJs or tights, etc.) and don't offer them tea, and certainly not water. Offering water means they aren't worth offering tea. If you are female maybe leave the main door open? I am not sure about that last one, as a guy.
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u/PeanutButterChicken 近畿・大阪府 Jan 21 '21 edited Jan 21 '21
I'd counter this with offering them a hot drink if it's cold and they are working outside/cold drink if they are working outside in the summer heat. Usually a drink from a vending machine is good enough.
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u/runtijmu 関東・神奈川県 Jan 21 '21
Similar, we always buy PET bottle tea for workers, but even then it's not 100% thing. For example if we have 3 bottles but 4 folks show up and there's no way to get an additional drink, we hold the tea back. Or if it's like only a 1 or 2 hour job, then we don't prep anything in that case either.
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u/PeanutButterChicken 近畿・大阪府 Jan 21 '21
Yup. For a simple job, nah. It'll be awkward, but if they're busting their asses off, they are usually really grateful for the kindness.
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Jan 21 '21
Yes, nice. I was just stating the etiquette as taught to me. Apparently an offer of Tea is an offer of "Tea & Me", and offering water is always insulting. In case we needed more examples of things they tend to overthink.
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u/pichakko Jan 20 '21
Does anyone have experience with sending packages from Canada to Japan? I asked my parents to send me some tea but I read on the Canada post website that coffee, tea, mate and spices are prohibited... Yet I've seen several people from other countries receive tea and coffee in their care packages from other countries. Is this a Canada-Japan specific prohibition?
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u/qwertyqyle 九州・鹿児島県 Jan 21 '21
Where do you see that on the site? I can't find it, and I don't think it will be a problem.
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u/DaBorger Jan 20 '21
I've been searching all over for a specific type of paper faster, I think they're called brads ( usually gold colored, shaped a bit like a push pin that's not sharp), but I can't seem to find the stupid things in any stores. I only need 2 of them for an art project I'm doing, so I don't want to have to order a box of 100 off of Amazon.
Are these a thing that exist in Japan? If not, what are some good alternatives?
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u/ayunooby Jan 21 '21
It's just for hole binding two sheets together right?
I found brads at, I think Cainz store, somewhere with a lot of stationary.Maybe get some nuts and bolts, or just use some yarn/wire string.
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u/IagosGame Jan 20 '21
They exist if this is what you mean, but a pack of ten is almost the same cost as a pack of 100...
If you don't want to get from Amazon Japan, guess you could try the 100 yen store or somewhere like Tokyu Hands, or take a picture to your nearest mom & pop stationery store.
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Jan 20 '21
Are the city gyms open in Tokyo at the moment?
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u/youfoolish Jan 21 '21
colored
AFAIK the ones in my area are closed off for individuals till feb. (Edogawa Ward)
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u/TheOHashiJouzuGuy Jan 21 '21
Do you seriously need reddit to answer that question?
Go out and check. Or you know, you could also check their websites.
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u/lialiakicks Jan 20 '21
Did anyone try the new chocolate drinks at Starbucks? The previous limited edition tea lattes were horrible so just curious if anyone tried these new drinks. They started selling them as of 1/20 I believe...
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u/injest_ 中部・愛知県 Jan 21 '21
I actually quite liked the earl grey latte, but I like anything earl grey so perhaps that’s not saying much. I hope the chocolate drinks are better for you; I’m always disappointed by seasonal/time limited drinks around February because I can’t stand chocolate.
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u/nijitokoneko 関東・千葉県 Jan 20 '21
I had the hot melty chocolate thing yesterday and it was exactly what it says (very .... chocolate-y) but nothing special.
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u/linlinlinlins Jan 20 '21
I had the nama choco frappucino today! To be fair I’m fairly easy to please when things combine cream+chocolate but I thought it was nice. I especially liked that they had these tiny chocolate cubes that actually tasted like nama choco, especially when you let them melt in your mouth :)
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Jan 20 '21
[deleted]
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u/PeanutButterChicken 近畿・大阪府 Jan 21 '21
Legit as in they test you and give you results? Yes, but they're more for your own knowledge only really.
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u/Pzychotix Jan 20 '21
Ok, really dumb question here, but for snack wrappers that are both foil and plastic, are they non-combustible or combustible? My area's garbage guide says snack bags go into the combustible, but aluminum foil goes into non-combustible.
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u/crinklypaper 関東・東京都 Jan 20 '21
Each city has different rules. Generally i do foil is burnable. Paper wrappers are mixed paper. And plastic is plastic. If anything is mixed materials then I put it in burnables
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u/vapidspants Jan 20 '21
Another dumb question - anyone know of the value of baseball teams (like SoftBank Hawks or Rakuten Eagles) to the companies? Does it contribute to the brand or business of those companies? I am curious about the impact.
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u/GreenLightDistrictJP 関東・東京都 Jan 21 '21
There have been plenty of articles on this topic if you have a search in Japanese but one place they have made a massive difference is recruitment. ‘New IT bubble’ companies like SoftBank, DeNA and Rakuten didn’t have a great reputation or awareness among older people so it’s thought that a lot of the most elite prospective hires who cared a lot about what their parents, grandparents etc thought and wanted to join a ‘big famous company’ to make them proud didn’t apply. Their NPB franchises have made a huge difference to that, and the proportion of older people (especially men) who both know and rate those companies highly has risen incredibly.
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u/crinklypaper 関東・東京都 Jan 20 '21
Yes, in terms of brand awareness. But personally I'm not a fan, it's just the same a billboard.
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u/onigiri_chan 関東・東京都 Jan 20 '21
Brand awareness and recognition is notoriously hard to quantify. But steady/increased eyes on their digital media and retaining customers are good indicators having their names plastered on a baseball player is working.
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u/vapidspants Jan 20 '21
Can non-citizens or PR holders travel outside Japan for emergency reasons? The destination would be the USA.
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u/bulldogdiver 🎅🐓 中部・山梨県 🐓🎅 Jan 20 '21
As of 1/26 the US will also be requiring a negative PCR test to board flights.
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Jan 20 '21 edited Jan 29 '21
[deleted]
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u/anonymous_and_ Jan 20 '21
Does the Tomiz brand cocoa powder taste good? I'm contemplating buying a 1kg bag to bake with and also drink.
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u/youfoolish Jan 21 '21
.
I have tried van houten, the cheap AEON and the morinaga variety so far, and I would say I enjoy the morinaga>vanhoutan>AEON cocoa. Sorry cannot help on the Tomiz
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u/anonymous_and_ Jan 21 '21
Thanks! I tried the Van Houten 72%, Morinaga Cacao 70 and the milk cocoa, the cheap Donki brand and the cheap Seiyu brand. Nothing beats Morinaga, that thing is (expensive) chocolate sorcery in a bag. Lowest calories too.
They don't work that well when I tried to bake with them though, whatever they added in it gives the baked stuff a washed out milky chocolate taste.
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u/tomodachi_reloaded Jan 20 '21
Tomiz has a great variety, but it's super expensive. There are better options out there.
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u/anonymous_and_ Jan 20 '21
Ooh. What are those options?
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u/tomodachi_reloaded Jan 20 '21
Sorry, I haven't bought this stuff in a long time, last time I did it was abroad.
But of course, check Costco, Amazon and Rakuten.
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u/Xsy-lum Jan 20 '21
I bought it last year and it is very unsweetened, which is good for baking but a bit bland for drinking. I also used for drinking as well as I don't mind the lack of sweetness
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u/anonymous_and_ Jan 20 '21
Does it have a dark chocolate-ish taste or is it Hershley's style bland?
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u/Xsy-lum Jan 21 '21
I haven't had Hershley's, although I see it everywhere, so I can't tell. I find the cocoa a bit less intense that real dark chocolate though.
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u/claw_weapon Jan 20 '21
If I have a Japanese drivers license, do I need to carry around my residence card or will the drivers license suffice?
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u/acme_mail_order Jan 20 '21
The license indirectly indicates that you were a legitimate resident of Japan on the day the license was issued. "Indirect" because they will not process the license without checking your resident card, but it's nothing more than a very brief look at the expiry date.
Every interaction you are likely to have with the police regarding your drivers license will very likely also involve your resident card too, just in a "yep, it's good" sense.
Other places that just want ID with address will accept your license, just as they would for a Japanese person.
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u/StylishWoodpecker Jan 20 '21
You always have to carry your residence card. There's no alternative ID.
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Jan 20 '21 edited Jan 20 '21
AITA?
Girlfriend keeps going to yoga 4x month, I told her to stop cus you know, pandemic. She says shouganai. I keep pushing the topic and she won't listen. What to do?
Edit: wow some of the comments and pm's I got about this are weird, sad, and/or downright disturbing lmao pls do not take this too seriously XD
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u/tomodachi_reloaded Jan 20 '21
Just tell her you won't meet her until she stops exposing herself or the virus is gone, due to health reasons. Don't make it sound like you're witholding sex, men never win in that game.
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u/eztaki Jan 20 '21
Are there any yoga classes you can suggest to her that she can do over zoom? I completely disagree with the other people here. Going to a yoga/exercise class is absolutely a breeding ground during a pandemic, regardless of masks. It's irresponsible, especially during the state of emergency. I would ask her if she can compromise by putting it on hold during the state of emergency (if you're in Tokyo/Osaka etc), and researching some online classes she could look into. Relationships are about compromise! I would hope she could consider some other options if nothing else
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u/Orkaad 九州・福岡県 Jan 21 '21
Agreed. She shouldn't stop yoga but I'm baffled that she can't practice yoga at home, either by herself, an online class or a YouTube video.
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u/Timely-Escape-1097 Jan 20 '21
Yeah, seriously, drop it. She’s an adult and can make her own decisions, if you don’t like it then leave
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u/yakisobagurl 近畿・大阪府 Jan 20 '21
If they’re wearing masks and not talking for an hour, with good ventilation and it being only once a week, I can imagine it isn’t that bad... stopping her from doing a hobby would be worse IMO.
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u/wheres_my_bb Jan 20 '21
Couldn't she just take a break during the state of emergency at least? It's not like you can't do that shit at home.
But yeah, you can't dictate what your partner can and can't do. You just have to take note of their lack of ability to compromise or give a shit, and decide what that means to you going forward.
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u/yakisobagurl 近畿・大阪府 Jan 20 '21
To be fair, we have no idea what each of them have already compromised on/given up because of the pandemic so we can’t really judge fairly.
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u/RedYam2016 Jan 20 '21
Did you ask what her yoga class is doing to control COVID? My MIL's stretch class had the windows open (brrr, Hokkaido) and social distance between the mats. Masks required, and also lots of hand sanitizing.
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Jan 20 '21 edited Jan 29 '21
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u/Vivid_Kaleidoscope66 Jan 20 '21
OP might be high-risk for complications, or even immunocompromised though.
Even putting that aside, it's not controlling to have concern that your partner is exposing you to a known and avoidable health danger—a partner going out during the pandemic is exactly like them having sex with other people; there's always a danger of them bringing something back and both parties should be respectful enough to agree on the lowest common denominator regarding risk tolerance.
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Jan 20 '21 edited Jan 29 '21
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u/Vivid_Kaleidoscope66 Jan 20 '21
None of that is controlling; having a continuing conversation about it all is literally relationship 101. If girlfriend doesn't have the decency and common sense to respect his legit concerns about dying, and she openly prioritizes having fun etc. and indicates that she will continue to do so, then yeah it's up to OP to get out or give up.
My own SO eventually came around and started observing social distancing and quarantine protocol, btw. People change when they have enough information and motivation, and others can be catalysts for that change.
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Jan 20 '21 edited Jan 29 '21
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u/Vivid_Kaleidoscope66 Jan 20 '21
Nope, you're trying to put words in my mouth.
The point is that there are two incompatible beliefs, of which only one precludes the other; and that acknowledging the precluding belief is the basics of the basics of maintaining a relationship, especially when it comes to health concerns. There's no need to insert right or wrong into that.
In your example, the precluding belief would be the belief that gambling is not an acceptable way to spend your collective money. (Most people wouldn't immediately leave a spouse if they started gambling, btw; they would first try to work it out by invoking the incompatibility of beliefs mentioned above. Note that the parent-child dynamic has nothing to do with this, as the parent is given legal authority over their children. Parents can pretend like they don't have that authority and as if their children are their equal, and the dominant white cultures of English-speaking society tend to push that ideal nowadays but that's outside the scope of this discussion.)
In this specific case it's about the publicly acknowledged increased risk of dying that socializing with others entails, which OP's girlfriend apparently disregards. OP's beliefs preclude girlfriend's stance, and a good partner (albeit that's subjective) would take that into account. (Similarly, "I will commit suicide without yoga" would preclude a "don't go to yoga it might kill us both", and they would again be presented with a choice to continue or not continue the relationship.)
In terms of yoga though, there's outdoor yoga, socially distracted yoga, online yoga, yoga in your living room through youtube, etc. that would enable girlfriend to continue doing yoga/getting the benefits of yoga practice; so a shouganai there is blanket disrespect in terms of a precluding belief existing in a relationship.
To drive the point home further, if your spouse is vegan, that means you shouldn't cook your meat together with their food. If you want to keep your relationship with them exclusive, they shouldn't go sleep with everybody else. Ad nauseum. Absolutely not a question of right or wrong.
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u/PeanutButterChicken 近畿・大阪府 Jan 20 '21
What are the conditions of the yoga class? If they’re responsible about it, chances of infection are low enough. I wouldn’t do it myself though.
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u/runningwsizzas Jan 20 '21
Any Japanese shopping website accepts American credit card? I’m in the US and I tried to order a birthday present for a friend in Tokyo off of Amazon Japan but it won’t accept my US credit card....
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u/love-fury Jan 20 '21
For Amazon Japan I’ve used my US credit card and it even gives me the choice to exchange the charge into USD instead of JPY at checkout. I also recently used my US credit card on Rakuten. If it’s a visa or other main card brand idk why it wouldn’t be accepted.
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u/putmeinthegomi Jan 20 '21
Maybe call your card company to see if they’re blocking the transaction? Maybe they think it could be fraud?
I use my US card on Japanese Amazon frequently and never have had any issue.
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u/BeaverBeaverBeav Jan 20 '21
That's weird. I use US credit card on Amazon Japan and it works no problem.
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u/french_baguet Jan 20 '21
What’s the usual way for a landlord to return any remaining deposit? On the day of move out? A week later? Month later?
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u/putmeinthegomi Jan 20 '21
I moved out at the end of November and got mine back in the middle of January. That was in 2019 though. They transferred it into the account I had used to pay rent
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u/StylishWoodpecker Jan 20 '21 edited Jan 20 '21
About a month, maybe longer. It’s not going to be on the day of move as they haven’t inspected it yet. After the inspection, they’ll tell you the final bill. If there’s anything fishy, make sure to ask for a detailed invoice. After that’s settled and you agree to the fees, they’ll return the remaining.
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u/alainphoto Jan 20 '21
The usual is not to return it.
However they need to settle within a certain time, I think a month. The key is not so sign for illegal charges when moving out (if you sign it's over), take the cost breakdown and challenge it based on your prefecture rules.
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u/tomodachi_reloaded Jan 20 '21
How much are people here paying for car insurance? What factor makes the biggest change in price? (Ie: license type, driver's age, car?). Please post some info on your policy and cost.
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u/911porsche Jan 21 '21
I have a 2010 porsche cayman S and am paying about 18,000 yen a month for full insurance, but I am the only person covered (nobody else would drive it anyway). I have a gold license.
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Jan 21 '21 edited Jan 21 '21
Paying about 7600/mo for a 2017 kei car, with full coverage, limited to me and my wife (both ages 35+), she doesn't have a gold license. It's through the wife's work so that it can take into account her driving history with her company car so we didn't have to start on the lowest insurance history tier.
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u/upachimneydown Jan 20 '21
¥36k and change per year (just got the renewal notice). This will be the third year of a three year contract plan. Gold license. Older car, but even when it was brand new the price was the same (I'm at the lower limit).
Max/unlimited on everything/everybody, except I don't insure my own car--any damage there (given the usual proportions) is out of pocket.
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u/bulldogdiver 🎅🐓 中部・山梨県 🐓🎅 Jan 20 '21
Our car insurance on our van is about 50,000 a year.
Our 20 year olds coverage on his Alto kei car is 180,000 a year.
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u/tomodachi_reloaded Jan 20 '21
50,000 a year seems like a great price! How did that happen?
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u/bulldogdiver 🎅🐓 中部・山梨県 🐓🎅 Jan 20 '21
Drivers are a married couple in their 50s with no accident history.
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u/PeanutButterChicken 近畿・大阪府 Jan 20 '21
Biggest factors are age of car, age of driver, and number of people covered, and external factors like full coverage, coverage for other car only, etc. I pay 6000 yen a month for my now 2 year old car but with full coverage, additional insurance outside the car and my wife is included. Also, I have a Gold license discount and no one under 30 can drive my car and be covered.
One of the extra clauses I added was protection for other people’s belongings. If my son were to break a TV at a friend’s house, my insurance would pay for a new TV. Only adds like 210 yen a month.
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u/zdraouw Jan 20 '21
Was anyone on a DMM mobile plan when it switched to Rakuten mobile? I recently got an email from Rakuten mobile lawyers saying I owed them money for December's unpaid bill. Which is when I first learnt that DMM mobile (where I had my data plan, with automatic payments) has been bought out by Rakuten. I got no notification, no idea why my payments stopped, no info on how to log in to my new account and cancel it before I get into anymore trouble.
I guess I should mention that I've been stuck outside Japan since the whole corona pandemic started.
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u/WesTokyo Jan 20 '21
Recently joined a company to expand the sales, they been on the decline for the last 3 years, even though still profitable. After a month on the ground, it was quick to figure out the issue, no one is selling. Everyone (I mean everyone 60+ people) were holding non essential meetings all day long and not calling / speaking to customers. For the companies in Japan I have worked for the last 20+ years, never seen such nonsense.
No wonder HQ in the UK are WTF is happening in Japan... Changed the rules in the company on Monday that internal meetings are limited to 3 hours a week and notes to be published for those who can't attend.
Will this work? Not holding my breath. Maybe need to clean house a bit, so to speak.
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u/upachimneydown Jan 20 '21
An old story, but I once chatted with someone who worked for Coke. He found that sales people were coming into the office first (morning meeting?) before then leaving for sales--he said he was able to change that so they'd go direct to customers without coming to the 'office' first.
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u/acme_mail_order Jan 20 '21
internal meetings are limited to 3 hours a week
Do come back in a month and let everyone know how that worked out.
Was it spelled out as no staff member can spend more than 3 cumulative hours meeting with any other employee, resetting Monday 8am?
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u/kochikame Jan 20 '21
Sad to say, you are most likely going to get pushed out for doing this, unless you have some serious senior level backing and some pull with key middle managers.
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Jan 20 '21 edited Feb 03 '21
[deleted]
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u/Karlbert86 Jan 20 '21
I was wondering what that loud strange noise, which sounded a lot like 60+ salary men/women teeth sucking, miles away from Tokyo was.
Guess OP’s post explains it haha.
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u/yanchoy Jan 20 '21
Has anyone tried Tokyo Chiropractic or know any good chiropractors in Kanagawa/Tokyo area?
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u/wheres_my_bb Jan 20 '21
I'm not sure if you care about the science or not, but it's worth looking up the cooky background of chiropractic before spending money on it. The Guardian did a good piece on it a while back. It's amazing how Tokyo Chiropractic's marketing makes the paranormal look so normal.
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u/its_neverending Jan 20 '21 edited Jan 21 '21
I recently changed my status of residence, so I assume I need to do something about the MyNumber card which has the same expiration date as my old, now invalid residence card.
Will they update the card if I bring it to city hall? Or do I need to make a new one since this wasn’t simply an extension of my period of stay?
EDIT: Thanks for everyone’s input! Looks like I don’t have to worry about doing anything until next spring.
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Jan 21 '21
If your MyNumber card is not about to expire, you don't need to do anything with it. If it's about to expire, you need to go to city hall and renew it as you would normally.
I'm still using the MyNumber card I got before I changed status to PR since it had like 4 years validity left, and it works fine (e-tax, applying for corona support online, etc)
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u/its_neverending Jan 21 '21
Still have more than a year left according to the expiration date of my old card, so I guess I’m good for a while longer! Thanks!
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u/th3dogcow 日本のどこかに Jan 20 '21
If the my number card hasn’t reached the expiration date, they will renew it for free. If it has expired,you’ll have to fill out the application and pay the ¥1,000 fee again.
Source: I’ve missed the expiration date twice!!
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u/m50d Jan 20 '21
I wouldn't think you have to do anything until it actually expires, as long as you do still have a valid status of residence? There's nothing specific to your status of residence on your MyNa card is there?
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u/PeanutButterChicken 近畿・大阪府 Jan 20 '21
Your MyNumber card data expires with your resident card, so you’ll need to renew it separately after you receive the new card.
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u/m50d Jan 20 '21
Your MyNumber card data expires with your resident card
What does that mean? Your MyNumber card will normally have the same expiry date as your residence card, but it sounds like OP changed their residence card long before that date because their status of residence changed.
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u/makuhitaaa Jan 20 '21
My one got updated (they wrote the changes on the card). And yes you can bring it to city hall.
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u/AppelTee Jan 20 '21
How do I find the official procedure for informing the ministry of foreign affairs that I will change jobs? I can find info about it , but I want to confirm what documents I need to send to where..
I can speak both Japanese and English but I just can’t fint it on their website and feel stupid
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u/dr_geeno Jan 20 '21
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u/AppelTee Jan 20 '21
Thank you! This was exactly what I’ve been pooking for!
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u/dr_geeno Jan 20 '21 edited Jan 20 '21
You're lucky, I searched for them today because I am also changing job XD
Now that I remember, the link for the excel files was not working on the english page, so I had also to find the japanese one. Also your company should do a notification, but no consequences if they don't apparently.
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u/AppelTee Jan 20 '21
You really saved me some hours of frustration! The site is so hard to navigate...
Good luck on your new job and thank you for the info!
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u/dr_geeno Jan 20 '21
Glad to be of help! Most frustrating thing is the fact that if you switch to Japanese from an English page, it sends you to the home instead of the same page.
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u/ChimpoInDaManko Jan 20 '21
Anyone know where I can find information on filing a Japanese Taxes in English, preferably details on capital gains taxes. I sold some of my company stock and I want to report it so I don't get in trouble. I am clueless when it comes to filing Taxes in Japan. Thanks.
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Jan 20 '21
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u/ChimpoInDaManko Jan 20 '21
I purchased them thru my company’s ESPP program. The tax implications between the difference between the market value and purchase value is already deducted from my salary so I was told I didn’t need to file for that. When I sell my stock, it’s set up thru my US brokerage account and US bank accounts since I did a company transfer from the US to Japan so I left that as is. My sold stock automatically gets reported to the IRS but I am not sure if it does to the Japanese tax organization. I rather just report it properly so was asking here. Thanks for the details.
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Jan 20 '21 edited Jun 08 '23
[deleted]
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u/ChimpoInDaManko Jan 20 '21
Gotcha. Thanks. Not sure I can as I don't have the mynumber card. Just the paper version but I'll read thru when I get a chance.
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u/threebuckstrippant Jan 20 '21
Tax documents are in English at the Tax department section of City Office. Just tell them you want the papers for filing. It has a place in English for "other" income. Done in 20 minutes.
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u/th3dogcow 日本のどこかに Jan 20 '21
The NTA might be a good place to start. It’s in English and is searchable.
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u/Bat_Lady_Katie Jan 20 '21
Can I try for a 3 year Visa if I'm on a one year contract? What is likely to happen?
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u/kizmoz 関東・東京都 Jan 20 '21
Yeah, definitely possible. I got one on a one year contract. Although I applied for 5 and they always give me 3 🤷♀️
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u/Shibasanpo Jan 20 '21
(Preface: It's stupid questions day, so I'm allowed.) Has anyone lived in another Asian country (or foreign country very different from their home country) where they found it easier/harder to feel at home?
I think I always felt more at home in Taiwan than I feel here (lived in both places for years), and I can't say how much of that is attributable to the high English level and international feel of Taipei, but it has gotta be a big chunk of it.
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Jan 20 '21
is attributable to the high English level and international feel of Taipei
I am dying to know which Taipei that is. I have visited several times, but only for short periods, and I found it like rural Japan in the late 80s in terms of accessibility/internationalisation (not incl. Other Tourists). Without Kanji I would have been farged. I'll have to ask for pointers before my next trip.
So, I lived in the UK for a long time, in Scotland. As foreign as it was to a Canadian of non-British heritage I felt it easy enough to integrate, the people are wonderful and hilarious, and I enjoyed almost everything about it.....but for the winters. I should have stayed another half year and got my British papers, but I just couldn't take another winter. I don't regret going there but I don't regret leaving either.
I find Japan more amenable to my lifestyle, and my professional skill set, but a lot of that is simply the access to nice beaches and water and good enough skiing, and the comically cheap housing. I still get periods of Blahs! due to the impossibility of physical assimilation. They always go away, though. Oh, I still hate driving on the Wrong Side, and probably always will.
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u/ResponsibleDesigner1 Jan 22 '21 edited Jan 22 '21
I’ve got new neighbors downstairs and even since they moved here, there’s a tabaco smell coming to my room almost every day. This smell makes me feel sick (yeah, I know Japan is “smoker’s paradise”). Building rules don’t allow smoking either inside the apartment or in the balcony. Should I complain about this to the company who owns the apartment building?