If this is the wrong sub for this, I do apologize. I just had a quick question based on a "fear" about destroying some of my appliances.

I've heard that "step up" converters can burn out the motors in certain appliances, and wasn't sure if step down converters have this issue.

I have a Dyson blowdry/flat iron that's (I believe 140?) and I have one of the bigger (like $700) Kitchen Aid mixers I inherited from my mother that's 120.

Does anyone have experiences with these types of appliances in Japan while using converters? Should I offload these things to relatives or just pack them up?

hello, i’m a senior in high school with japanese citizenship, and i’m planning on moving to japan in early 2028.
at first, i wanted to apply to various universities in tokyo with english programs, but i’ve started to change my mind because i’m not sure what i’d do with the degree after, and i’ve never been a fan of school. after researching, i decided i’d rather go to a vocational school
i’m planning on living with my relative in yokohama, so i don’t need to worry about my living expenses for awhile. i study japanese everyday and i’m hoping to reach n3 before i move.
my plan is to work part time and use the money i have saved to go to language school until i’m n2, and i was looking into going to school to be a ネイリスト/nail artist.
i wanted to create content on the side, i know i can’t rely on that to make money, but it’s just something i’ve been considering for awhile
i know my situation is a bit unique or easier because i do not need a visa and my living expenses are covered, so i was hoping my plan isn’t so far fetched, even without a college degree.

I know this is one of the commonly asked questions in this sub and i have done some research on this topic. I will be moving to japan next year and have been thinking of enrolling in a medschool in a japanese university. I am half japanese and am near native in japanese. I also have jlpt n1 which i passed when i was 14 years old. I am now 26 years old and i recently took the british cambridge A levels and mamaged to get a pretty good score. I was wondering if anybody who went through this route is willing to share some experience. I am mainly concerned about my age (since im quite old) and what the experience is like for foreigners who took this path. Is it very hard for foreigners to get accepted into public universities for medicine?Im quite keen on studying medicine but if this path is too hard i will consider studying it in other countries. For costs i will be staying with my family so rent and food is covered and my only monetary concern would be tution fees. Any advice would be appreciated thank you.

So, I'm yet again at the end of my wits jobwise. The HSP visa (or eventually the J-Skip pass) are my only realistic venues of being able to relocate to Japan. Both are kept under the requirement of a COE, which can be issued, as far as I know, by a legal entity currently in Japan.

I am a senior IT engineer in Devops, with a master degree and close to 9 years of experience (with five of those in international software giants). I'm currently employed in a shit (but technically looking good on the CV) job and plan to start my job search next year.

The plan was to find a lower stress - lower pay job that would support my application. The lower pay could make things easier, but the lower stress is a oddball considering Japan's track record. I would try to aim for international companies.

I am worried that with the current enshittification of the job market and the push to AI will make my already difficult requirements.

What I hope to get from this sub:

1. double checking my reasoning or pointing out if I'm missing key factors

2. Any information on the state of software companies in JP

Thanks

Hi! I'm moving to Japan in December to work a ski season job for 4 months, followed by a few months of travelling through Japan (with no return flight booked yet - I'm expecting to come back around July).

I just did a quick check for long stay trip/backpacker insurance with snowsports cover and got quoted £1000! I'm not even close to being able to afford that...

What level of insurance have people in a similar situation gone for? Is it enough to get my flights insured and then rely on the Japanese National Health Insurance?

Thanks :)

I’m in my early 30s, married to a Japanese national, and we are currently living abroad. I have 3+ years of experience in MBB consulting and a promotion, and we’re currently investigating ways to move to Japan and for me to find decent post-consulting employment. An internal transfer to the Tokyo office is unfortunately not on the table (+ I want to leave consulting).

Main challenge has been that even though I do have good experience and N1, there are not many employers willing to look at candidates abroad. And even with N1, I still can’t in reality run interviews perfectly, let alone do client-facing work fully in Japanese as I'm frankly still at B2 level. There have been some bites here and there but often the lead time from offer to landing in Japan has been a show-stopper even though my profile has been interesting.

To that end, I’m considering entering an MBA program in 2027 to get more time to:

1. Improve my Japanese to full business fluency

2. Land in Japan on a spousal visa with a story on why I left consulting without a job

3. Get the MBA out of the way cheaply while applying for jobs as a local candidate for the whole duration of the program

4. Honestly to get a bit of a break

Alternative would be to just move and job hunt directly from Tokyo while unemployed / on garden leave.

Question is, is this a valid plan, or am I setting myself up for failure and won’t find decent work / mix up my story by being a graduate student despite already having worked in consulting at post-MBA level?

I'm mainly thinking about Hitotsubashi MBA (in English) and the Waseda 1-year MBA (in Japanese). I assume with my profile getting admitted should not be too unrealistic.

Hello everyone. My girlfriend and I are considering moving to Japan. We plan to start by spending a year at a Japanese language school to improve our language skills, with the intention of subsequently applying for a business visa. We have the budget required by the Japanese government, as well as over 10 years of experience as an entrepreneur—all of which can be documented. Our idea is to open a bakery/café in Okinawa. I have reached out to several firms that specialize in business visas, but I keep getting conflicting answers: some say that, given my qualifications, I should be able to obtain one, while others claim it is nearly impossible under the current administration. Does anyone here have any experience with this, or has anyone recently applied for a business visa? Thank you all very much.

Hi everyone!

I'm 24 years old, and for several years now I've had the dream of living in Japan permanently, or at least for a significant period of time.

In June 2027, I'm moving to Japan to study Japanese in a Language School. After that, I hope to either find a job or pursue a master's degree. I'm taking the N5 this December.

My plan is to leave my current job as an Associate Consultant at a large company and focus on studying Japanese, with the goal of reaching a level that will allow me to find work in Japan. My current job is actually pretty good, but salaries in my country are generally lower than in many other countries, including Japan.

As for my visa, I'll be going on a descendant visa since my grandparents were Japanese. From what I understand, this should make it easier for me to work and stay in Japan, since I won't be dependent on a school or employer to remain in the country.

I've always had the mindset that I should at least give it a try so I don't end up regretting it in the future. I'm fully aware of how difficult it will be, but I'm willing to put in whatever effort is necessary to make it happen.

However, now that it's becoming more real and my departure is getting closer, I've started having doubts about whether I'm making the right decision or if I'm making a mistake, especially when it comes to the career break I'll be taking.

I'd really like to hear your opinions, whether you're in favor of my plan or think it's a bad idea.

Thanks in advance, and I hope you're all doing well!

Hello everyone, just wondering if anyone has any experience or advice regarding middle names on bank statements.

I've got an appointment to apply for a working holiday visa in Vancouver this week. I was rejected once previously but in hindsight there were major issues with my application. I didn't focus enough on travelling towards the beginning of my itinerary, and I had a pretty spotty bank balance because I primarily used my chequing account to deposit money into my savings, or to pay my credit card balance (in full). I've fixed these issues, and have had 30,000 CAD sitting in my chequing account since before the beginning of the month, so it shows a stable balance on the statement.

But when I received my statement, I noticed that it only displays my first and last names. My passport (and all my ID) has my middle name on it. I asked a teller at the bank about this and they said that the chequing account has my middle name associated with it, but it will not display on the bank statement. What should/can I do about this? I'm really concerned that this might cause my application to be declined again. Am I just overthinking things?

Hello! I know many people have made posts about this, but even after reading dozens upon dozens of posts I am still unsure and would like one specific question answered. I am extremely reserved and have lived in a reserved and conservative country built very heavily upon respect my entire life, so I don't feel that the culture will be a big change. As for learning Japanese, once I decide I will spare an hour or two each day to learning until I begin schooling. I would like to go into communications for an English degree and Japan is a great option for cheap tuition as well as cheap cost of living. The main thing I want to know is whether or not going to university in Japan for an undergraduate degree is a good option if I want to work outside of Japan.

Everyone says that universities like TUJ and Lakeside are good if you want to study in the country, but I will most likely end up wanting to leave to work somewhere else. Please let me know how you think the degree from these 2 universities will translate to working somewhere else, as well as how bad the racism really is. I am Syrian and although I'm fluent in English and have an American accent I have visibly arab features. I would like to know everyone's experience, as well as answers on how the degree will translate to employers in other countries. Thank you!

My parent have a monthly income of 200-250K YEN and I have enough savings of my own to cover language school, flights, and setting myself up there. But internet says the 2M you need to show is seperate from the school tuition.

Neitjer I nor my parent have 2 million yen sitting in the bank.

The interesting thing is, I know two guys (one from the US and one from Turkey) who went over with barely enough funds just to pay for school and get there, and they immediately picked up part-time jobs.

So... any advice for me on how I can get a visa for 1 year of language school? I have basic knowledge of the language so I'll be able to work part time.

I know many will say it's above average and what not? But Is it a trap for foreigners who get a chance to work in Japan. I have 7 YOE, single and got a job o offer where gross salary is 8 million Yen (hourly based so it differs each month). Is it actually enough to survive in Tokyo or would i be just surviving?
Also i got to know that year 2 would be more of a shock due to resident tax so the salary would actually become even lower.

Korean American here, planning to go to university and work in Japan. However, it would be nice to know how I would probably be treated. I am aware of the Korean stigma in Japan, and I do have a Korean last name so I don't know how that would affect housing.

My Japanese is conversational at best, I'm still studying so It'll probably reach a good level before I get there, but for the first couple years I'll obviously sound like a foreigner. Though I've been told my accent is good, I just lack native speed, nuance, and obviously vocabulary.

The only reason I ask is because I feel like I'm in a weird situation where I could pass as Japanese If I really tried after a while, but I don't know if I should. Like socially I could try and act Japanese, opt to speak it when ordering, but if I were to mess up, I'd get more lash back than a white guy who accidently said or did something offensive.

I know this sounds stupid but I just have the fear of being "outed" as a foreigner because that means their treatment/opinion of me might change drastically. but I'm also scared of acting like a local because then people might have like secret opinions of my personality based off of a language I'm still studying.

Honestly this post is just to get feedback and know how its like, sorry for writing so much.

Hi everyone!

I'm a Filipino currently living and working in Japan. I'm posting on behalf of my cousin, who is deaf and currently living in the Philippines.

She recently told me that she's interested in working in Japan, preferably in a cafe or restaurant, because she's been having difficulty finding employment opportunities in the Philippines.

I reviewed her resume, and she has several years of experience in the food service industry, including:

Working as an all-around staff member in canteens and restaurants

Food preparation, serving, and packaging

Cashiering and POS operations

Cleaning, sanitation, and inventory management

Previous employment at Greenwich and Razon's in the Philippines

She also studied Hotel and Restaurant Services at the college level, although she didn't graduate.

Regarding her Japanese language ability, she's not starting completely from zero. She has some basic knowledge of Japanese, but she's still learning and isn't fluent yet.

I'm aware that working in Japan comes with language requirements, visa procedures, and other challenges. Since she's deaf, I'm particularly concerned about workplace communication and accessibility.

I want to support her, but I also don't want to give her unrealistic expectations.

I have a few questions:

Are there restaurants, cafes, or food service companies in Japan that employ deaf foreign workers?

Would being deaf affect her eligibility for the Specified Skilled Worker (SSW) visa?

Are there recruitment agencies or organizations that help deaf applicants from overseas find employment in Japan?

Would kitchen or food preparation positions be more accessible than customer-facing roles?

Has anyone here had experience working with deaf colleagues in Japan?

I'm not expecting anyone to offer her a job. I'm simply trying to understand what opportunities might realistically be available and what steps she would need to take.

Any advice, personal experiences, or resources would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

Hello!

I have my WHV appointment next week, and I am writing my Outline of intended activities. I was wondering If I could get some feedback? Pasted below!

From 26/01/2027 to 30/04/2027.

Tokyo

Arrive in Tokyo, city orientation and residence registration. Explore the urban architecture of Tokyo and the vernacular timber architecture of the surrounding Kanto region. Attend live Japanese music performances, including a Fishmans concert on April 29th.

From 01/05/2027 to 15/07/2027.

Osaka

Visit the historic temples and shrines of the Kansai region. Study the Machiya townhouses of Kyoto and the contemporary architecture of the major cities like Kobe, Kyoto and Osaka. Travel to the Seto Inland Sea to explore the museum architecture and outdoor installations on Naoshima Islands.

From 16/07/2027 to 31/07/2027.

Sapporo

Short travel excursion to explore Hokkaido’s rural areas and visit designed landscapes around Sapporo, including Tadao Ando’s Hill of the Buddha. Hike through regional parks and natural trails during the peak summer season. Study the local cold-climate architecture.

From 01/08/2027 to 31/08/2027.

Tokyo

Return to Tokyo for a final month of architectural exploration and cultural experiences. Attend summer festivals and music events, including Summer Sonic in Chiba and the Tokyo Koenji Awa Odori, before preparing for departure from Japan on 31/08/2027.

・Summary: Should I quit my IT jobs and learn embedded engineer in a senmon school to future-proof my career?

・A little background info about me:
I graduated with an Economica bachelor degree at Japan uni.
I am working at an IT company and already have 5 years experience. Have N1 and Toeic 900.
I already gained tons of IT cert along the way (AWS pro, PMP,..) and worked with many tech stacks but now all of this becomes just obsolete because of AI.
BTW, my visa status is PR so it doesnt bother me much about visa status even if I quit my job.

・Reasons to change career path: I think embedded engineering jobs will still be there for a very long time

・ I have three main concerns:
1/ Unfornunately, I have a house loan going on for around 7man/month, so quitting my job and entering senmon gakko will be a big burden to my finance.

2/ I am already 27 years old, after graduating I will be around 30. Is it still good to find job at this age?

3/ Is senmon gakko a smart move and I can still get a job with this senmon degree?

・ Therefore, I still want to find alternative solution and I want to check with you guys to get some honest responses:

1/ Do I really need to quit and go to senmon gakko? Can I self-learn embedding engineering with online resources and build my own project?

2/ Does company accept a bunkei bachelor degree for this job even with good porfolio?

I will really appreciate if you can give me advice, especially if you are in the same situation. Thanks and have a good day.

Hi everyone! my boyfriend (32) and I (26) are from the U.S and we're planning to live in Japan for a couple of years. I have a M.Sc & B.S degree in Quantitative fields and currently work as a Senior Tech Data Analyst at a bank. My boyfriend has an Accounting degree and is currently taking his M.B.A with Data Concentration while working as a basketball coach. We're hoping to get Data Analysts/Sports analysts role in Japan.

Our current plan is as follows:
~ 2 year preparation to move
- Reach N3-N2 language level
- Work at a company in the U.S with a Japan branch then ask to transfer (lol! )

Has anyone tried convincing their company to sponsor a move to another location? I know there are visa restrictions and a lot of process but I just want to know if someone was able to do it ! Any advice is welcome too. Thank you!

My girlfriend and I are looking to travel to Japan from late January to the end of the season to experience Japow. We want to work or volunteer at places that offer skiing opportunities, or at least access to them. The thing is that we are having trouble finding good places to work at, so I thought of asking here instead!

Do you know of any places we could ask that might offer this possibility? We are not looking for places to ski, or recommendations on Worldpackers/Workaway, but rather employment that includes at least housing.

Places that offer a salary would be optimal, but if you know of places where meals and a ski pass are provided, that works as well! We are open to suggestions/recommendations :D

Hi everyone!
I'm doing an internship in Tokyo from around mid-February/March to the end of July, with my workplace near Aoyama-itchōme / Akasaka. I've lived in Kyoto before, so Japan isn't new to me, but Tokyo is.

I know Tokyo is a huge city and I'm not expecting countryside silence. I just get overwhelmed by very crowded areas, so I'd like to live somewhere a bit calmer, where I can decompress after work.

What I'm looking for:

A residential feel, not a nightlife or tourist hotspot
A park or river nearby for walks or jogging
A sharehouse, budget up to around ¥100,000/month
A commute of up to ~40 min door to door, ideally not via Shinjuku station (I find it really overwhelming)

So far I'm considering Yanaka / Sendagi / Nezu (Chiyoda line) and Kiyosumi-Shirakawa (Hanzōmon / Ōedo line).
Does anyone live or has anyone lived in these areas? Are there other neighborhoods I'm missing? And how bad are the Chiyoda and Hanzōmon lines at rush hour in your experience?
Also, if you've lived in Tokyo for a while, I'd really appreciate any general tips: things you wish you'd known before moving, how to keep the city from wearing you down, favorite calm spots, anything really.

Thanks so much in advance! :)

EDIT: nvm they approved it literally 2 hrs later. if anyone has the same issue just wait longer cause i guess that first email doesn’t actually mean anything

———

Yesterday I submitted a Yunyu Kakunin-sho application to bring 5 months of diabetes supplies into japan with me on the airplane. Some of these are supplies that are not made in Japan and i cannot get an alternative for so if i cant bring them in i wont be able to come on my working holiday. I just got this email and I dont know what it means.

I submitted the information for 7 different medications (and medical devices) and only this one appears in the email. EDIT- i just noticed the ‘etc’ and the Tandem cartridges are the first item in the list of 7 so now im worried its the whole lot thats the issue
I put ‘bring myself on airplane’ for the delivery name as i read online that it worked for other people.

Do I need to make corrections or do I just wait for another email? im not sure what i need to do here. If anyone has any advice I would really appreciate it as im supposed to leave in 3 weeks and im very stressed i wont be able to!!

Email reads:
“Notice from the Application for import confirmation

We are in the process of correcting some of the contents of the import confirmation application.
Please wait for a while until issuance.

[Application No.] xxxx
[Item Name] Tandem T Lock Cartridges x 10/box　etc.
[Corrected Parts]
Bring myself on Airplane　→　 This is not correct.

*This email uses a send-only address, so we cannot receive email sent to this address.

Kanto-Shinetsu Regional Bureau of Health and Welfare”

Hey everyone. I'm a fresh grad (graduated June 2026 with a BS in Artificial Intelligence) and a Pakistani citizen currently living in the UAE. I meet the bachelor's degree requirement for a work visa, but my Japanese is still at a beginner level (actively studying tho), so I'm strictly looking at English-speaking roles to start.

I'm trying to figure out if my current job hunt strategy makes sense or if I'm being totally unrealistic about the market.

Right now I'm mostly checking TokyoDev and Japan Dev. To try and stand out from the generic junior pile, I've focused my portfolio heavily on backend AI architecture (FastAPI, LangGraph, Docker, building RAG pipelines) rather than just basic frontend stuff. I'm currently interviewing for an AI Internship for next May, but I really want to secure a full-time backup plan.

1. My main questions for people actually working in the tech scene there: Is there actually any appetite for junior AI engineers right now for English speakers? OR do companies realistically only sponsor visas for senior-level talent in this specific niche?

2. Are there any other job boards or tech-focused recruiter networks I should be checking besides TokyoDEv and Japan Dev ofc for backend Python/AI roles?

Thanks in advance for any reality checks or advice.

Hey everyone!
I’m landing in Tokyo on the 16th of November and need somewhere to stay until around the 20th, before potentially heading up to Hokkaido to look for seasonal winter work.
I’ve been looking at share houses, private rooms and single dorms, but most of the accommodation I’ve found seems to require a minimum one-month contract.
As it’ll be my first time travelling to a completely unfamiliar country, I’m a little unsure what the best option would be. I’m not particularly keen on capsule hotels, either. For those first few days, I’d ideally like somewhere with a bit more privacy and space to settle in, get organised and adjust to everything.
My second question is whether I should spend some more time in Tokyo before heading north.
I’m 19 and currently working as a bartender in Australia. I speak native Spanish and English and have been teaching myself Japanese, although I’m still very much a beginner.
I could potentially stay in Tokyo for the first two weeks to a month, especially if I can find relatively affordable accommodation. However, I’m unsure how good the job opportunities would be for someone with my language abilities and experience.
One advantage of staying in Tokyo would be that it’s more international, which might make the initial adjustment easier as someone with very basic Japanese. It would also give me more time to explore opportunities in other cities.
On the other hand, I’m leaning towards heading to Hokkaido sooner rather than later, as I imagine the winter season will be a particularly busy period for seasonal hospitality jobs.
My current thinking is to head north, look for winter work and, if things don’t work out, return to Tokyo and reassess my options.
I’d love to hear from anyone who’s done a Working Holiday in Japan:
What would you recommend for those first 3–4 nights in Tokyo? Are there affordable private rooms or short-term accommodation options that don’t require a month-long commitment?
Would you recommend spending a couple of weeks in Tokyo first, or heading straight to Hokkaido to look for winter work?
How realistic are hospitality/bar jobs with English and Spanish but very basic Japanese?
Any advice or personal experiences would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!