fluxcoil.net

My notes on moving to Japan. See also here.

• Comparison of living costs Munich vs. Tokyo

Trying to use indentation to illustrate dependencies, what is required for what, as of MArch 2016. Might depend on the country I come from, Germany, and change over time. Germans can stay for 3 months in Japan without Visa application in advance. This visa is glued into the passport, along with a paper “certificate of eligibility”. Startpoint for the dependency tree here is this work visa for Japan.

• 1. flight to Japan Upon entering the country, one has to fill out the “landing paper”, as also required when Germans come to Japan as visitors. After leaving the airplane, a “resident card”/在留カード is issued. The cards back is empty.
• 2. hanko/判子 A stamp/判子 will be required later. It can be ordered at any hanko-shop, producing takes hours/days. Details on the required format.
• 3. residence A permanent residence/address has to be found, to be reachable. Renting a normal flat is likely to require a guarantor/連帯保証人, who will be asked to cover damages if the renting person moves out without compensating damages. Also companies can do this now, for a fee.
• 4. receiving post After renting a place, one should visit the next post office/郵便局 and announce the name and address. This is common style. In exchange, it is not required to have a label with the name on the post box.
• 5. wardoffice/区役所 With the address, one has to be registered at the wardoffice now. The address will be noted on the backside of the “resident card”. Also, the hanko can be officially registered here at the office. Additionally to a certificate about the registration, a magnet stripe card is handed out. The hanko is required for some apartments when renting. At the wardoffice one can also enter the public health insurance. When starting to work, the company will also sign you up for a health insurance, it is common to drop out from the “public health insurance” in that case.
• 6. phone Even if you did not intend to get a phone, you are asked for a phone number everywhere: renting flat, registering at the wardoffice (which is a deadlock - you need the registration first) and for the bank account. There are no prepaid-cards with phone numbers. One can enter a contract and have the payments for the contract fetched via credit card.
• 7. bank account/口座 With the hanko, the address, the “resident card” and a phone number one can open a bank account. The account will be required for receiving wages from an employer in Japan. The employer might request you to avoid certain banks, they are not able to interact with all of them.

• http://www.tdh.metro.tokyo.jp
• https://jhomes.to-kousya.or.jp/search/jkknet/service/akiyaJyoukenStartInit
• http://www.ur-net.go.jp/ – company with good reputation
• http://suumo.jp/library/
• http://www.mitsui-chintai.co.jp/rf/tatemono/6822
• https://www.airbnb.com/ (no flats, multi person living agreements)
• http://www.leopalace21.com – uncomplicated renting for foreigners, English speaking
• https://www.how-ma.com/places/ – great map illustrating real estate prices in Tokyo

Comparing my commuting time and other relevant factors, considering a flat in different parts of Tokyo.

Notes on various kinds of visa, and whether I meet the requirements or not.

• When tourists arrive at the airport/ports, as German citizen they can get a 3monthes visa onthefly. Same if arriving for business purposes.
• I have a 5 year visa, as I am a specialist working here.
• http://www.moj.go.jp/ONLINE/IMMIGRATION/16-4.html – Required papers for 永住/Permanent Residency
  • option 3: specialist working
    • This variant requires to show that taxes have been payed for the past 5 years → just eligible after 5 years
    • con 1: just eligible after 5 years
    • con 2: many papers to aquire, and print out
    • pro 1: no points counting, no guarantor
    • ⇒ possible right now? No, 5 years taxes statement
  • option 4: professional/points table
    • table Japanese table English
    • con 1: many papers to aquire, and print out
    • con 2: guarantor required
    • variant (1) If you have at application time more than 80 points: requires tax papers for the past year
      • con 3: need 80 points
      • ⇒ possible right now? Not sure if I reach 80 points
    • variant (2) If you have at application time more than 70 points: requires tax papers for the past 3 years
      • con 3: need 70 points
      • ⇒ possible right now? Maybe.
    • point system
      • I should have 70 for (earnings 40, working ten years 20, jlpt2 10)
      • Does the following additional points apply?
        • Bachelors degree/大学を卒業し又はこれと同等以上の教育を受けた者 (10)
        • small/medium business: 就労する機関が中小企業である場合には，別途１０点の加
          • no: http://www.immi-moj.go.jp/pdf/h29_06_QandA.pdf page 10 says such companies have <300 employees
        • 職務に関連する日本の国家資格の保有（１つ５点）
          • no/maybe: https://obi-visa.com/hs_prodessional/hs_evaluate2/
        • イノベーションを促進するための支援措置（法務大臣が告示で定めるもの）を受けている機関における就労(10)
          • maybe: http://www.immi-moj.go.jp/newimmiact_3/pdf/r01_07_tokubetsu-kasan.pdf
        • 成長分野における先端的事業に従事する者（法務大臣が認める事業に限る。）(10)
          • no list of applicable businesses
• http://www.moj.go.jp/ONLINE/IMMIGRATION/16-3.html – Required papers for a visa update (updated allowed time of stay)
  • 2 高度専門職 (probably not applicable, would be change of status from current visa)
  • 8 技術・人文知識・国際業務: http://www.moj.go.jp/content/001290202.pdf
    • con 1: just 5 years
    • pro 1: seems like just company has to fill in papers
    • ⇒ possible right now
• TODO: Get details of the initial visa: files, and who did guarantor?
• TODO: Biggest issue: guarantor.
  • “guarantor” is usually used for more serious responsibilities, but in this case it's pretty limited. Q7 has details
  • Paul has added a section to his article, https://www.dampfkraft.com/how-i-got-my-japanese-pr.html#guarantors
• TODO: English translations ok, or Japanese required? Did not see the requirement on their site, but here.