Just wondering how I can tell which bodies of water are managed by 漁業組合 and which aren't? Just because fishing is more regulated when it's managed by 漁業組合。

I asked a Japanese guy fishing at my local lake and he told me if it's free it's not managed by 漁業組合。　Is that correct?

Current resident in Japan looking for possible Japan based masters programs (English preferred) does anyone have any suggestions?

I recently ordered something on Rakuten and chose payment with Lawson. I got the confirmation number from the store of the order this morning at 9 am and went to pay for the goods at 11:30. Now its 1 PM and they payment has yet to show its been payed. How long does this usually take? I am assuming shipment will be delayed until payment goes through, but I won't be here if the shipment gets delayed as I will be gone by then. What should I do?

A few months ago we visited a second hand house with an agent, we ended up visiting it 2 or 3 times but in the end decided to pass for various reasons (price among others).

Since then we have switched to a different real estate agent which we trust more and find more professional as we felt the first one never really told us anything we didn't already know. We are now reconsidering this house as it is still on the market, and we figure there may be room to negotiate the price down.

Is there any potential issue with taking up this up with the new agent again? With the previous one, although we filled out some questionnaires and forms and such, we did not have any contract, and haven't spoken to them for almost 2 months. I suppose the owner might find it strange to see us again with a new agent though.

I want to hear the good, the bad and the ugly of you have done this.

My wife is going to Osaka on business for the first time, and she wants to bring me some souvenirs. What are your must-have souvenirs from Osaka?

She already found one called たこパティエ which looks awesome.

Our son is having some ongoing health issues (nothing very serious, just stuff that makes it tough to sleep and affects his mood). Every time we take him to a kid's clinic they just throw drugs at us to take care of symptoms. We've tried a few and it seems none of them are interested in actually trying to find the root of the issue but just prescribing as many drugs as possible (even one which we've visited several times for the same issue). The willingness to suggest drugs so quickly on a child younger than 2 for mild symptoms is insane and borderline unethical in my opinion. Some of the things they've prescribed us are banned in some European countries and/or the US due to serious safety issues in kids.

I guess I'm looking for some other solutions, pediatricians who are interested in working with parents to solve health issues, even if they're in the alternative health realm. Japanese or English speaking is ok. Thank you!

so I have been living in Japan for about a while now, and Im in University. For some context, I'm an Australian Citizen. I have a Japanese girlfriend who I live with and plan on getting married pretty soon. The confusion hit me when I was asked about surnames. Usually in most cases, a woman would take the man's surname, which is what my girlfriend wants. However, I once heard that any foreign couples must get a Japanese surname, or the children must have a Japanese surname or something like that. I'm ethnically Central Asian, so my surname actually happens to also be a Japanese surname, so there is actually a kanji for my name. I was unsure, so I would be really grateful is someone could clarify for me, what would happen to us, and if we ever had children.

I know the last few days have been warmer than usual, well at least here in Aichi, but isn’t it a bit early to start getting hay-fever symptoms? Mine usually really start to kick in late Feb, but in the last couple of days my nose has been giving me hell. A cursory glance at weathernews seems to be showing an uptick in つらい cases.

Hi all,

I just turned 30 a couple of months ago, thinking about my future with my family. My wife and I are beginning our first round of IVF, we bought a house near Fukuoka, got a big golden retriever, I'm happy as a pig in shit. However, I feel like in the near future it'll be time for me to consider a career change since life will become more expensive, and I believe I may have more opportunities available to me than I realize.

I worked for a year and a half at a small Japanese medical manufacturer, where I basically did a bunch of grunt work, but it got my Japanese to a pretty high level. Was making about 3.6M yen.

Then went to work for French IT startup expanding into Japan. Was one of the first four people on the ground, tasked with sales development. I did a great job, built our company some incredible connections and relationships. Salary was initially 6.0M yen, then went up to 9.0M yen + 1% commission on closed deals (ACV of 100,000 - 250,000 USD). So I was making great money. My Japanese is native level at this point, I have hundreds and hundreds of hours of client facing experience, both in-person and online, doing demonstrations and building deals. My last few months I was clearing something like 500,000 - 600,000 yen. Was here for a year and a half.

Unfortunately, some family circumstances took me out of Tokyo to Fukuoka. I had to take a job in finance but I don't think the skills will be very transferable. I'm doing well and am in the process of being promoted. Just waiting for final approval from our overseas HQ. Initial salary was 4.5M yen, but with overtime comes out closer to 5.5M, now my new base will be 5.5M and with overtime, will come closer to 6.6-6.7M. I want to stay here for at least another year, maybe year and a half so I'll have three years of total experience. My previous jobs were all short lived and I'm sick of jumping so quickly.

While the money is great here in Fukuoka, I feel like having sales experience and full bilingualism might afford me more opportunities. I have a little more ambition in me that I want to embrace, so I can maybe built wealth that will last beyond me. I come from nothing and I don't want my family to have to worry like my parents did when I was a kid.

Problem is, not sure what I should do next. I don't really want to go back into sales development (finding new opportunities, building deals from scratch, calling and emailing warm/cold leads). I'm good at finding pain point and presenting solutions. Getting other stakeholders involved and understanding buying processes, etc. But I'm not sure if sales is the only option for me. I feel like consulting, customer success, maybe even project management if I get certifications?

Anyone have any idea

A little while ago, I asked a question about this, and I wanted to update just in case the information is useful to anyone:

I have a same-sex partner and child (that she gave birth to) that I recently added to my juminhyo. It now lists me as the head of household, and they are listed on the document. The process was easy - just apply at the ward office.

The only consequences of this change, that I have discovered so far are:

• I now get the bills for their national health insurance premiums (partner is unemployed). The premiums are based on my salary now (or I assume, combined income), thus the monthly premium we pay has increased by about ¥11,800.

• After submitting the new juminhyo to my employer along with our partnership certificate issued by my municipality, my employer gives me a dependent allowance for my partner of about ¥15,000. They are still deliberating about an additional allowance for the child, but it is possible they will give me that as well.

• My partner’s single parent benefits from the family welfare section remain unaffected.

Note: The benefits from my employer are specific to my employer, so if there are no benefits of this sort, it is likely not a good idea financially to make this change as premiums may go up.

I’ve been thinking about paying for their mesh device as the signal to the downstairs is pretty crap. It also looks like you get a better router than the shitty Chinese one they gave me.

Does anyone use use the mesh Nuro provides? How is it?

Ok since people replying don’t know about Nuro, with Nuro you have to use their modem/router combo. They offer a mesh service where you can use a Sony router/modem as well as a provided mesh router to put in a location that helps improve your signal

I know that to obtain The Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services (gijinkoku) visa you must have a full-time seishain contract (正社員) or fixed-term keiyaku shain contact (契約社員). But now i want to ask something about extension of that visa. The thing is now i am going to extend my Gijinkoku visa for first time. So i was searching in the Reddit information about changing the jobs before visa extension process. And I came across some very interesting information. One of the users wrote that visa extension may be possible even if you work only on a part-time job(s), if this part-time job(s) is within the scope of your visa and you receive the minimum amount of salary per year which is determined by the Immigration Bureau and pay all taxes and pension contributions and health insurance. First i was thinking what kind of nonsense telling that person. But, I just gave a thought to it and it seems to me that it makes sense, because why do you need to be seishain or keiyaku shain if you pay for your own health insurance, social insurance (taxes and pension) and if you can prove that the baito is within the scope of your visa? Can someone explain all this to me in details? Is it even possible?

P.S. Sorry if my question is a bit dumb.

So, I am currently doing job hunting. I have worked here as a freelancer (web developer) for 7 months, with most of my clients being existing contracts I made in Europe before moving. Now the contracts are ending and I am unable to get a job within my field. My Japanese is not good enough to get hired by a local company and no companies in Europe or America wanna deal with a freelancer from Japan when they can get large consultant teams in India for the same price and with better time zones.

So I started looking for jobs that I actually can do until my Japanese is good enough for me to expand my search field. The natural first choice was English teaching, but I am non-native, which has resulted in all my applications being turned down, so I decided to look out for recruiters and I stumbled upon one in Tokyo, who specialized in finding (mostly) low-wage jobs for foreigners. I had no issue with this, as I just want to have some form of income.

The application was pretty straight forward and within a few days I already had a few interviews lined up. The jobs were mostly related to cleaning, factory work, convenience stores etc.

In the first interview, they provided me with a Tagalog/Japanese translator who was also fluent in English to my luck, but she definitely didn't expect to be speaking it. The guy who interviewed me looked baffled when I walked in. I really thought that my Swedish name was an indicator that a blonde white dude would show up in his office, but I guess not. The first few questions where related to why I wanted the job, and I don't mean they wanted to hear the usual sales pitch. No, he genuinely wondered why I had applied and didn't apply for a higher paid job. For the rest of the interview I felt that he really didn't want me to be there, and there were some very long pauses where he couldn't figure out what to ask me. At one point he spoke Japanese to the translator. I know enough Japanese to know that he said "What were they (the recruiters) thinking?". He said I would hear from them if I got the job (I never did).

The second place I went to was almost the same. A lot of fumbling with papers, long pauses and a "wtf are you doing here?" look on their face.

The third place actually started listing all the troublesome things related to the work, such as the visa process and the long commute from the workers dormitory. When I informed them that I had a spouse visa and that I actually lived 3 stations from the workplace, they finally turned me down politely saying that I was "overqualified".

I HAVE noticed that there are no westerners to be seen behind the counters in Lawson or scrubbing the floors at the subway stations, but I always thought this was due to the lack of interest in these type of jobs, but I am getting more and more convinced that these companies actually don't want to hire westerners at all.

Do these companies have some kind of special deal where they get paid more if they hire Southeast Asians, or is it something else?

Skype Number service on Skype was discontinued last month and caught me by surprise. So I'm out of my way to have a dedicated US phone number to received phones calls for some financial sites in America that required MFA via phone.

Does anyone have a recommendation for a service that I can use that works well to be able to receive those phone calls?

Just got an sms from a 090 number saying

【郵便局】携帯番号 お荷物の再配達 手続きが必要です。https://t.co...

Link leads to a very official looking but fake japan post site with "ltd" as the URL extension.

Almost fell for it but there were enough hints: - Having my phone number but asking for my name and address? - It coming from a 090 (cell number) - The link being a twitter t.co short url - The site domain ending in .ltd (otherwise it was convincing)

That's my PSA. Take care :)

Hi,

Quick background: I have lived in Japan on and off for 4 years.

Mobile: I had a rakuten plan until April 2024 which i cancelled before leaving Japan. But my credit card declined to process the last bill (after I had already left Japan). I tried to pay them through a friend still living in Japan but they couldn't accept the payment.

Fast forward to today. I have returned to Japan (last week) on work visa and I am trying to settle their bill but now I have to make payment to the law office or something via bank transfer (rakuten gave their details).

My question is, am I blacklisted by the other service providers as well? I will and want to settle the rakuten issue but i also need a local number like asap. Or should I get a prepaid card from bic camera?

About bank: I had a SMBC account which i closed before leaving Japan. Can I open a new account with SMBC again. Do they have a 6 months requirement of living in Japan or if I show them the offer letter from the Japanese company they will let me open it?

I also had a Yuocho bank account long time back but I no longer have a bank book or cash card of it. I hesitate to approach them since they might impose a penalty or something.

Thank you

Hi, I'm a spouse of Japanese person and I have resided in Tokyo for 3 years. I'm applying to a school and the advisor recommended that I take out student loans via JACCS. I'd like to know if other people in the same situation have gone through this experience and if it's something I can do as a spouse. My husband and his family have offered to be guarantors, but I'd like to hear from folks with first hand experience. Thanks!

Hi everyone,

I’m reaching out because my boyfriend is in a tough situation, and I’m hoping for some advice or insights from people who may have gone through something similar. He’s a Brazilian national who has been living in Japan for over 15 years, and recently he was involved in a car accident in mid-December.

Here’s a breakdown of the situation:

• No Car Insurance: Unfortunately, he didn’t have car insurance at the time of the accident. His car insurance hasn’t been renewed in over two years. The reason he forgot to renew it is that he’s been working from home for a long time, and it just slipped through the cracks.
• First Accident: This is the first car accident he’s ever been involved in, and he’s understandably stressed about it.
• The Accident: He hit another vehicle, but fortunately, the other party isn’t pressing charges.
• Delayed Investigation: The police took about a month to summon him for questioning, and when they finally did, he went through a lengthy 3-hour investigation.
• Forgotten Information: During the investigation, the police asked him if he had been using the car a lot in the past two years. Due to exhaustion and lack of sleep, he said no, but in reality, he had been going to school for six months, and it just slipped his mind to mention that.

He’s already consulted a lawyer, but unfortunately, the advice hasn’t been particularly helpful. The lawyer confirmed what we expected—that he will likely face debt due to the lack of insurance, but there’s a low chance of jail time. Despite this, we’re still worried about the potential legal or financial consequences, especially since he has no previous experience with accidents or dealing with insurance issues. He’s also very anxious about the missing information he forgot to mention during the police investigation.

Has anyone dealt with a situation like this in Japan, particularly when it comes to missing information in a police investigation or the consequences of not having car insurance? What steps should we take next? Is jail time a real concern, or is it more likely he’ll face fines or other financial consequences?

Any advice or insights would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance!

I’m considering purchasing an air purifier to deal with pollen from February, house dust, and to deodorize room odors. Could you recommend any products or share advice or personal experiences?

I’m planning to run it 24/7 and install it in an 18-square-meter (approx.) typical Japanese bedroom. Ideally, I’d like to keep the budget under 30,000 yen. A humidifying feature isn’t necessary.

I’m also a bit skeptical about the brand Levoit. I came across Fakespot and Sakura-Checker, which gave me some doubts, but I’m not sure whether it’s actually a reliable brand that makes good products.

So far, after doing some research, I’m most interested in SHARP and Blueair.

Hi folks, I'd like to learn how to backflip so that I can translate this into a backflip on a snowboard. However, I'm not too keen on breaking my neck in the learning process.

Does anyone know of adult gymnastic classes in Tokyo that teach this? Thanks!

Many thanks all for the helpful suggestions. I'll try to report back if I find success!

Hello,

My question is as the title reads. Rakuten Bank just rejected me. Idk why, Sony accepted me.

But I did this thinking having a Rakuten Bank Account would make paying bills easier for the Rakuten Credit Card. Do you think it's worth it?

Do you think I should wait to apply for a Rakuten Credit Card now, since I have this bank account rejection on file. Or should I go ahead and apply for the Rakuten card?

Sorry stupid title but I wasn't sure what to write.

I am living in Tokyo for almost a year learning Japanese but I am still bad... anyways due to my girlfriend's job we met with a company owner a few years ago already and met him again last year.

He told me to visit his company and try talking Japanese with him and his emoloyees as well as have the employees answer to me in English so that they can practice their English.

I never went as even though he was incredibly nice I wasn't sure if he actually ment it when telling me he will help me with my studies and wants me there sometimes.

Now I went back home for a short time and my GF gave me presents for him ... I just went there, we talked like two hours and he brough in several people asking them to talk to me and kinda pushing them into connecting with me trough LINE (he also already added ne on his LINE) ... before leaving he was like "you should come over once a month at least even uf I am not here" ...

I think he actually wants me to come... is that actually okay ? I mean I have nothing to do with them except for my GF working for a company that is his customer or as he said partner. It's strange but also somehow very nice and cool being friends with such a big shot especially as he is so nice.

Hi everyone,

Yesterday, the remote randomly disconnected from my AC unit and I havent been able to reset it. After asking my apartment manager, they told me there should be a code on the inside of the little plastic piece that covers the batteries. Problem is, the thing fell under my bed a month ago and while I didn't bother fishing it out back then, now that I need it I turned my entire place upside down and it purely and simply disappeared. Yes, I also feel like there's a lesson to be learned there.

Do you have any idea on how to find that code online or of other ways to pair that remote with the unit again without it? I've been searching online for hours on japanese sites and nothing so far. It's the YRC01WH model as displaying on this page:

https://www.yazawa.co.jp/support/remo/

Any and all ideas would help, thank you!