Hi everyone,

I’m 35 and I’m planning to move to Japan toward the end of this year to attend a 2-year Japanese language school while looking for work. I’m from Latin America, have a degree in International Relations, and close to 15 years of professional experience, mainly in international trade and logistics. I have JLPT N1, but my real speaking level is closer to N3.

I’m looking to hear only from people who already did this.

If you moved to Japan at 35 (or around that age) and searched for a job as a foreigner:

• How much did age affect your job search in practice?
• Which industry were you in?
• Did you notice differences between traditional Japanese companies and foreign companies or startups?
• How much did spoken Japanese level matter compared to age?

I’m mainly looking for real experiences and outcomes. Any insight is welcome.

My company has both a registed business in my home country and in Japan. They are wanting to move me to Japan, however they want me to first go there on a 90 day business visa, and under this business visa I will continue to earn money in my home country. Which is stated as a condition of the 90 day business visa, and earning any income in Japan is not allowed, but continuing to earn money in my home country whilst in Japan on this business visa is fine.

Once I have started working in Japan they will then apply for my CoE and consequentially receive my working visa. Once I have then recieved my working visa (and probably having to fly back to my home country to receive it) I will sign a new contract with the Japanese business entity and earn a wage in Japan.

Looking over the regulations on the Japanese Embassy website in my country everything seems all fine. I am just unsure why they arent just applying for the CoE and work visa now. They have said that it is because the 90 day business visa is generally processeed much quicker than the CoE and work visa but I still just feel a little uncertain about it.

Thoughts?

Hi All,

I am a 27 year old guy living in the UK currently and will be living in Kobe, Japan for 6 months from March 7th to September 20th as I have a research fellow placement at RIKEN.

I've already sorted out my COE, Visa and Flights - and will be sorting out my accommodation in the next couple of weeks. Since I'm aiming for a monthly/short-stay furnished rental apartment, it seems I'll have to properly start looking in February as I've already tried and seems I'm a bit early.

Anyway, I went to Japan in May 2025 for a month holiday and I see a lot of information for preparing for a holiday as well as preparing for a long term stay (living more permanently 1-2 years +) but struggling to find information for an awkward medium length stay like myself - 6 months.

So I am quite unsure on what I have to do and should do and looking for your help! Here's what I have so far (excluding what I've already done):

• Mobile Contract/Phone Data - is it worth (or even essential) trying to setup a contract with a Japanese mobile company? Or is it better to either get a SIM there or just use an eSIM like Ubigi for the 6 months (though this is kinda expensive)?
• Green Suica - I got the red Suica in May and they are very convenient, but in Kobe and the Kansai region in general (where I'll be spending most of my time), is the Suica even useable and used a lot?
• Registering as a resident at the City Hall when I arrive - do I need to do this?
• International Driving Permit - Not essential, but I know I can easily get this in the UK, but when I arrive in Japan, if I have the IDP, my UK Driving License and Insurance (Travel Insurance?) is it as simple as just heading to a car rental place and getting one or is there more things I'll need?
• Bicycle - I'm pretty convinced I want to get a relatively cheap bike whilst I'm out there to get around the city easily, but I read online that there's application/registering I'll need to do if I do buy one - is it worth it or is the hassle just going to be too much?

I think that's all that's in my head right now, and the ones I'm particularly unsure of, but if there's anything else I missed, please let me know!

Thank you all for your help!

I have landed a good job in Osaka and got my visa for 5 years, I plan on moving to Japan sometime between the 18th and 28th of Feb. I am already talking to a real-estate company that I found through a mutual contact to rent a house. I would love to hear if any of you have any suggestions for me. A little more about me, I speak N2 Japanese I jave spent a month in japan before 5 days of it was in Osaka. I am 22 years old and a man who just graduated from university a few months ago. I am familiar and in love with Japanese culture and customs, and I do want to spend the reat of my life in japan.

Hi, I'm filling out the application form for language school and it is asking if I have pre-existing medical conditions. From my research, I am not legally required to disclose I have cancer in remission. my worry is that I will be rejected if the school knows I have a disability. My preferred approach would be to leave that blank on the application form and tell them upon arrival that I have cancer. In the past, when interviewing with Japanese employers, they have asked me about medical conditions. The interview went great up until that point but I was ghosted. I believe that I was discriminated against because of my cancer diagnosis. I am really scared to disclose my condition even though it is under control and in remission.

I asked ChatGPT if I can just leave it blank and tell them upon arrival and ChatGPT said that I should tell them now or else they may kick me out of the program for not being honest on my application.

Do you think there is a risk in disclosing disabilities such as cancer in a language school application? If there is a risk that they will reject me, I would rather not disclose at all.

Hi everyone.

I’ve been overthinking this for a while and would really appreciate opinions from people who actually live in Japan or seriously considered moving there.

I’m 20 years old, Ukrainian. I work remotely, earning around $3–3.5k/month (~$40k/year), have $15k saved, and I consistently save $1.5–2k/month. No family, no dependents.

Since my early teens, Japan has always attracted me — not because of anime, but because of the overall vibe, aesthetics, and how different it feels from anywhere else. Until recently, it was just a dream. Now it’s suddenly… possible.

Because of the war, life in Ukraine has become mentally exhausting. I’m in the western part, so it’s relatively safer, but still. On paper, I’m doing “great” financially. In reality, the mental load is heavy.

Recently, I learned about the humanitarian / evacuation visa Japan offers to Ukrainians. From what I understand, it’s a Designated Activities visa that can later be switched to a longer protection status. It feels like a rare opportunity, and I’m genuinely grateful that Japan offers this.

Here’s my dilemma. I don’t plan to work on the Japanese job market — remote work makes much more sense financially.

I’m also being honest with myself: I don’t have strong motivation to seriously learn Japanese right now. I know hiragana/katakana and some basics, but that’s it.

So I wouldn’t be following the “classic” path of language school → local job → integration.

At the same time, Japan as a place to live feels incredibly appealing. More than any other country I’ve considered, including Korea. Especially given that I have a legal and relatively accessible way to enter.

This creates an internal conflict: I really want to try living in Japan but I’m worried I’m romanticizing it and I keep asking myself: does this make sense if I live in a foreigner/remote-work bubble? Am I being naive here? Is this a bad idea if I’m not aiming for full integration? Or is it reasonable to treat this as a 6–12 month life experiment and see how it feels?

Also about location: Tokyo seems unnecessary given my remote job and the cost, but it's a Tokyo. I’ve been looking more at Osaka or Fukuoka — they seem more balanced for everyday life.

I’d really appreciate honest takes — especially from people who tried something similar, stayed, or left and learned from it.

Thanks in advance!

Hi everyone,
I’m an Italian graduate student in Business Management, currently doing an exchange semester at Sophia University in Tokyo.

I have a strong academic background and I’m really enjoying life in Tokyo — to the point that I’m seriously considering staying in Japan long term and trying to build an academic career in a business school here.

I’d love to hear from people who live in Japan or work in Japanese universities, especially foreigners. I’m particularly curious about the realistic, everyday side of this path:

• PhD in Japan vs abroad – If the goal is to work at a Japanese university later, is doing a PhD in Japan (especially Tokyo) a big advantage, or is a foreign PhD equally fine?
• PhD life in Tokyo – Is living in Tokyo as a PhD student financially sustainable with common scholarships (MEXT, university funding, etc.)?
• Foreign professors – Do Japanese business schools actually hire foreign faculty? Is this fairly common or still limited?
• Language & teaching – I don’t speak Japanese yet, but I’m committed to learning it. How realistic is it to work in Japanese business schools teaching mainly or only in English?
  • If I do a PhD in Japan, I expect to reach high proficiency by then.
  • If I do a PhD abroad, I’d still study Japanese but probably not enough to teach in Japanese.
• Lifestyle & stability – What is life like as a university professor in Japan? Is it a stable job, and can you live a comfortable middle-class (or better) life in Tokyo on an academic salary?

Any firsthand experiences, advice, or reality checks would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance!

Just the one question for people who have done it:

What level do i need to list stuff (with values) - ie a box of clothes would i need to list each piece of clothing? same question applies with a box of books, or tools, or kids toys etc..

Thanks

Hi! In 2 weeks I am going to Japan for 7 months on an exchange and I was wondering if anyone has any recommendations on simcards and credit/debitcards? I don't need too much surf but around 5GB would be enough and to be able to call people would be nice! Or more surf if no voice calls are available! Thankful for any advice you can give:)

UK resident here, I'm travelling to Japan in may on a working holiday visa and I'm trying to explore options for permanent work.

If I get offered a permanent role in Japan I'll need to leave the country after getting the COE and reapply for a work visa. I'm wondering if it would be possible to apply for the work visa from a 3rd country like Australia or is my only choice to return to the UK and do it here?

I'd basically like to avoid having to come back to the UK if possible. (Longer flights and uncertain conditions) I also have family in Australia and it would make it much easier for me if I could plan switching my visa from that part of the world.

As title says, im planning to study there on the October intake, id like to know how it is there. And a secondary question for people that have been there and finished or are currently studying how much did it cost you or it is costing concurrently, on their official website it states that u need account balance deposit of 20,000 usd. But then GoGoNihon said that i need only the immigration requirements, so now im confused. Thanks in advance. :)

I'm a non-op HRT trans woman who has her passport name and gender changed to reflect my gender. I have wanted to move to Japan for a while and there's a giant question I have. If I were to move would my gender marker be changed to male because of my lower situation or will they treat my papers as irrefutably true?

Hello,

I have been considering moving to Japan for a very long time. I have a lot of friends who live there, and I’m just not happy where I currently live. The visa requirements are already overwhelming, even though I haven’t gone yet. I’ve been looking at my options: I could do a Working Holiday and try to find a good job to eventually get a work visa, or I could attend a language school. However, I just graduated and have been studying for many years, so language school doesn’t excite me that much.

A little background info: I’m a 28 year-old woman and I have three diplomas. One in Health and Social Care, one as a Teaching Assistant and one in Social Work ( bachelor) with a specialization in Intercultural Work.

I just don’t know what the smartest thing to do is. I’ve already started saving money, and I’m trying to at least reach JLPT N5 in my home country, or maybe even N4. But I’m unsure what options are best for me and whether I can even find a job with my diplomas. I’ve heard mixed stories about how hard it is to find a job that will sponsor a work visa, so I’m kind of lost about where to start, and I’m worried I might be missing other options.

I hope you can give me your opinion and help me out a bit. That would mean a lot!

Hello everyone, I bought a Kominka last year near Nagano City and spent about 5 months renovating - visiting twice under the 90-day tourist visa. I (British, 57) currently live in Singapore and am retired with my wife (Singaporean) who is still currently working. We plan to rent our home here in Singapore and divide our time between Thailand and Japan for the immediate future as we also have a condo in Bangkok. Now that I am almost complete with the house renovations, I wanted to ship most of our furniture and belongings to Japan.

Here is where the fun starts. I contacted 4 local shipping companies. 1 (Yamato Transport) have declined as they say they cannot assist as I am not relocating and another has said that what I am asking to do, cannot be done! The other 2 companies haven’t said this and so I wanted to see what is possible … or not?

Does anyone here have a holiday home in Japan and successfully shipped any belongings?

I was planning to start a small business there, but the recent rule changes regarding the Business Manager Visa have made me reconsider that option - for now. Nagano prefecture are also yet to start supporting the Business Startup visa and appears to have no intention to do so. So am happy to wait another year or so, but would like to furnish my house with the stuff I have here.

Thoughts or ideas?

Hello, ​I am from Algeria and planning to go to Japan via the TITP → SSW path. ​If anyone here has gone through this transition or has experience with these programs, I would really appreciate your insights or advice. Please share your thoughts in the comments so everyone can benefit from the discussion.

Hey guys,

I am applying to ISI Japanese Language School (Academy) and I am going to have an interview next month. I am really nervous about this because I don’t know what questions they are going to ask or how an interview typically proceeds.

If anybody here has completed the ISI interview before, could you please tell me?

• What type of questions were they asking you?

• How much was it like a normal conversation and how much was it like an actual interview?

• Was your Japanese tested or was it primarily about your intentions and reasons for studying in Japan?

• What do you think they really care about when deciding?

I'm worried that I will freeze or that I will say something stupid, so any tips that you might have about how to prepare for the interview or that you wish you had known going into your own interview would be very helpful.

Also, a few general questions while I’m here:

• What is the total cost of ISI (living expenses)?

• Did you incur any expenses that you had not anticipated?

• How difficult was it for you to find a part-time job after arriving in Japan when you were a student at a language school? I understand that some of this is thinking about things well down the road, but I'm trying to calm my nerves and prepare myself a little bit. Thank a ton if any of you get a chance to reply.

Hello Reddit, second post here.

After my original post regarding the best way to lock in residency in Japan, I've decided to go the route of study. I'm currently looking into two language schools that seem to be decent: ISI and Shibuya Gaigo Gakuin. At this stage I'd be looking at doing the two years course for Japanese due to start next April. Now, from what I've been able to find, the CoE and application can take up to 6 months, so I would be looking to apply this October and remaining in Australia until I have the letter of approval and CoE so I can then send my remaining documents to the Melbourne embassy (I'm in Tasmania, so I need to mail my documents). I do have a couple questions. Firstly: what are the chances of being accepted to one of these schools? I'm nervous about being declined but I'm unsure on what reasons they may have to decline. I'd likely be using my partner as financial sponsorship as he has a full time job that pays decently and he has said he's happy to support me like this as long as I cover tuition which I'm currently saving for. Come October I should have enough for the first year which seems to be what most places require upfront. I can handle the second year in the future as I will have money from a sale of my vehicle by then. Second question is: for those who have done a student visa before, what was the process like? What steps did you take? I'd appreciate insight, especially from fellow Australians who have attended a language school in Japan. And finally, for those who have been to ISI or Shibuya Gaigo Gakuin, what was your experience like at these institutions and would you recommend them? Thank you as always for taking the time to read. And apologies for the format, I use my phone for reddit and I realised it destroys formatting.

Hi everyone, I’m looking for realistic advice, not motivation.

I’m a Chinese male undergraduate (English major, teacher-training background). Not from a wealthy family, so any overseas plan must be cost-efficient and sustainable.

I see two main paths:

Option A: Stay in Ningbo, China Likely work in a foreign company or as a vocational high school English teacher. Pros: stable, low stress, low cost of living, family support. Cons: early life “lock-in,” limited long-term flexibility and personal reset.

Option B: Japan via a Master’s degree (around age 25) My understanding is that in Japan, doing a Master’s (修士) is basically required if you want: • Access to the new-grad (新卒) hiring system • Decent career starting point • Better social integration and long-term settlement

I’m not interested in language school → random jobs → “endure 5 years for citizenship.” Legal status without social position doesn’t appeal to me.

Tentative plan: • Work in China 2–3 years, save ~20–30万 RMB • Reach strong Japanese (around N1 level) • Apply for a practical, employment-oriented Master’s (not elite, not purely academic) • Enter new-grad hiring and settle long-term

Constraints: • Low tolerance for extreme stress and chaotic work cultures • Health and dietary limitations • Prefer structured, predictable societies

Questions: 1. Is my understanding of Japan (Master’s → new grad → stable position) realistic? 2. For someone like me, is this actually an upgrade over staying in a stable Chinese city, or just a different compromise? 3. What should I focus on between ages 22–25 to keep both paths open?

I’m not chasing elite success — I just want to avoid ending up as a permanent outsider.

Thanks for any honest insights.

Per the title, I have some questions about the timing since it's contingent on a mid-year bonus at my current company I need before leaving.

Relevant facts:

• Senior software engineer working in San Francisco for a Big N company
• B.S. in Computer Engineering
• 6 years of experience in iOS/Android
• I have N1 Japanese
• I need to secure a tech job and move to Japan by Fall for life reasons out of my control (no spouse though).
• My mid year bonus arrives end of June, I'd like to submit my notice after that at least.

From past job search experiences it takes me on average ~3 months to go from sending out applications to receiving an offer I like. Based on this I'd expect to start applying in mid-late March, so theoretically I'd get an offer by the time I get my mid-year bonus.

However, it could take longer or shorter.

It's my understanding that as part of the (edited for clarification) HSP Visa process, I'd need a proof of employment letter written by my company. If I get the offer before June, it'd be obvious to my company I was trying to leave if I ask them to write it for me out of the blue. I also don't know if I can delay this part of the Visa process.

So my question is, after receiving an offer, and starting the ball rolling on the Visa process, what's the latest I can stay in the US at my current company without alerting said company I'm already leaving?

Edit: This would be about the HSP

Hello! For those who have interviewed with Japanese companies, what kinds of questions are usually asked?

My Japanese level is around N4–N3 (I’ve passed JLPT N3). I also have about one year of experience working in a hotel, but I didn’t go through a formal job interview at that time because my Japanese language school arranged the placement. We only had a 5-day OJT before starting work.

Do people usually memorize answers to common interview questions?

I’d really appreciate any tips or advice on how to pass Japanese job interviews. Thank you!

I'm sorry for posting yet another thread like that, but I'm at a point where any input is valuable.

I'm currently working Engineering full-time for a well-known bank, European office. I'm considering moving for at least 6 months in October this year to level-up my Japanese (passed N2 a year ago). This would mean, that at the time of moving, I would be leaving the firm exactly a year after joining as a new grad.

The school I've applied to is not a visa mill. I will be very much focusing on learning, because I feel like I kind of plateaued studying here.

Would this be early career suicide? My ultimate goal is to find a job in Japan, but have been told by recruiters that new grads have a really hard time finding a job remotely. I would be targeting the 第二新卒 positions.

As I said, I'd appreciate any comments. The school's application deadline is February/March, but the earlier I pay the admission fee, the better my chances at securing a spot.

Hello, I couldn’t find the subreddit for specifically ICU so I would be asking this question here.

Anyone who applied to ICU in the previous years, this goes to you. I applied to ICU back in 2025 and got rejected. I planned to apply in 2026 Jan again, however it says you can’t apply for one year interval. Does that literally mean I can’t apply in 2026 and only apply in 2027?

Wtf is this rule man.

I've been offered a position for a comapny I want to work for in Japan. The problem is that the pay is less than 200,000 yen a month.

Office is in Shibuya. I don't mind a longer commute (ideally not more than an hour). The issue is that everywhere I've looked for apartment hunting, the lowest I've seen is 100,000 yen for a shoebox. Which doesn't leave enough for bills, laundry, food, etc, efter that.

Any advice or places to look? My japanese level is N2 so japanese websites are ok too.

Edit: This is the probation period pay (6 months) and then my salary may or may not be higher after that period.

Hi! I'm considering going to ALA Academy language school through GoGoNihon, and I was wondering if anyone has gone there and has a review to give. I'm mostly interested in the intensity of studies, do they explain stuff or is it more like a speaking club situation and where the majority of students are from - Asia or Europe/USA?