I was thinking about all of the socioeconomic environments changing in Japan. With the increasing interest rates and likely there be increase in income tax in the next 5 years due to the significant amount of government spending, I think the only winners are the tech companies and banks and overseas investors. So I think we will see an a lot richer upper class with no much changes to the lower and middle class.

In addition, I think the policy against immigration will lead to greater job openings for low skilled jobs. I think in the end, instead of foreigners taking those low skilled jobs more of the next generation won’t have the means to get normal salary man job and end up picking up the slack. I expect there will be automation but I think the cost of automation and lack of flexibility/adaptability of it (as well as the lack of human touch) will dissuade it wider adoption as expected.

I feel like the salaries of all workers may rise slightly (slightly less so for low skilled jobs) but that will also result in higher cost of living.

I can’t imagine the class gap staying still. I think with a growing class gap and a growing feeling about the country not protecting and supporting the young generation, we might also a see wave of rebellion. What do you all think?

I just got permanent residency and I am thinking about buying a house in kita-ku (80million yen very nice place). The price of houses is going up and the interest is still only about 1.5% or less on a 35 year flex loan. I also make over 8million yen a year, as does my wife, and have 120k USD in savings + 150k USD in retirement fund.

However, with all the xenophobia and economic instability, is it really a good idea?

I worry what might happen with the yen in the future and if I should be saving my USD instead and investing or something else. I'm just tired of paying rent instead of owning my home when I intend to stay until retirement anyway.

I guess I'm just curious what you would do or how you think things will be going? Worried mostly about PR revocations or flexible mortgage rates skyrocketing.

It's been the law since 2008, but there are no penalties (except for highways where you can be deducted one point). The actual law is the Road Traffic Act (道路交通法) and is stipulated in Section 71(3)(2) or in Japanese, 第71条の3第2項.

You can read it here:
https://lawzilla.jp/law/335AC0000000105?n=ln71_3.2&mode=only

I met a person that got really mad and wouldn't believe it. She even asked the taxi driver and the taxi driver also thought it was not illegal. I then asked a bunch of other Japanese people and they all thought that it was totally A-OKAY.

As someone who grew up in Canada, I was shocked that a supposedly "developed country" which is super strict with drinking and driving would allow this. And I was shocked that people actually thought it was legal. I thought it was one of those things that everyone knows is illegal but does anyway (like riding a bike on the sidewalk).

Have you guys had similar experiences?

Some English sources (there are many Japanese sources on this too):

• https://www.pref.kyoto.jp/fukei/foreign/koki_k_t/seatbelt/index.html
• https://www.nippon.com/en/japan-data/h01596/
• https://english.jaf.or.jp/driving-in-japan/traffic-rules

I'm a resident that moved here in 2025, and with the yen deprecating once again after the failed intervention I finally decided to try and wrap my head around what was happening.

I am not an economist, so my understanding could be wrong, but if I understand correctly BOJ suddenly raised interest rates above zero in 2024, which caused all of the investors using yen denominated assets for international carry trade to panic sell, and the yen entered a sudden death spiral instead of appreciating like they might have expected, so they panicked and assured that there would be no more rate hikes, which ironically worsened the situation, leading to the yen death spiral that we're currently facing...

What I'm having trouble understanding is, why did the BOJ suddenly hike interest rates? Were they not expecting this to happen?

I submitted my PR application about 10 months ago via the 1 year points route. I have a 5 year Engineering Visa but qualify for HSP points.

I'm going to be switching jobs, but the new job has to start on a Monday. That would mean my last day falls on a Friday at the current job and the new one starts on a Monday within the same month.

I'm hearing that technically this can count as a gap in employment, but as long as I pay any necessary taxes and insurance during those 2 weekend days and the new job still qualifies me points-wise, is there any real risk that this could cause a rejection because the points reset?

Has anyone been rejected for this reason, or been accepted anyway despite this weekend gap?

Thanks for the help folks

Hey all, I have two job interviews lined up for tomorrow and the following day. One is for a restaurant, the other is retail. Both I applied for are asking for “basic” Japanese. I understand that me being a native English speaker is my strong suit.

I’m still not confident in my speaking. I can read, write, and understand at a n5/n4 level. I’m just worried that I either mis understand something in the interview itself, or if I do get hired and I deal with a Japanese customer. How I can properly handle that.

Im still using Anki everyday to learn. I didn’t know if there was “customer service” Anki decks that people use to help improve that part of Japanese instead of more general knowledge. Wanted to see if you guys could throw some advice at me 🙂 this would be my first real Japanese interview, as when I did my English teacher interview it was completely in English

Hi! Just wanna ask around here if anyone has gone through naturalization while living in Japan with Long Term Visa. One of my grandmothers is half-japanese, and is why we were able to migrate here from our home country(Philippines).

My problem though is that I got married last year to my American husband. I haven't changed my name officially yet and I do not own any identification with my married name yet(except for our marriage license). And another problem is that I didn't work for almost 2years when I lived with my fiancé before-now husband. During the time I was with him in Kanagawa, we moved 3 times. So i also changed addresses for 3 times within 2 years.

How do I go about naturalization if I'm already married?
Or is it even possible to do?

Thank you in advance to anyone who has insights regarding this.

Where do you live in Tokyo? Do you like living there? Why?

Thinking of moving in with my partner. We are brainstorming where we could live. I wanted to hear out people’s experiences!

Edit: so many people are asking me about what I am looking for but I did not intend to make the post for people to help me find a neighborhood to live. I just wanted to open a general conversation on what kind of neighborhoods people like to live in.

I am using UNext with my Rakuten plan, and I just found out (long story) that along with anime, drama and magazines, you also have HNext見放題 included (just go to hnext .jp and log in with your unext account).

Bruh, this is the best country in the world, you get free porn with your mobile plan! I don't want to leave, this is paradise!

I am planning to buy a car from my friend.

I have done the same around 5 years ago. But now, I see there is a One Stop Service system.

if it works like what I think, then I need not go to police station for parking certificate and i need not go to the unpankyoku for the registration as well. (both requiring taking time off from work)

I have my number card.

Has anyone able to successfully register the car online?

(I tried doing the application, but during eligibility check i cant get my head around the "登録識別情報")

Any advice on this would be much appreciated.

Hi guys! Is my first time writing here so its very nice to meet all of you. I am writing cuz i am seeking advice from you (maybe you know better than me hopefully i am so lost) regarding this issue that happened to me today.

back story in short: came to japan at the end of march and staying here until end of September. i am on a student visa granted for 1 year for my exchange program at a university in Japan, then now in September at the end going back to Europe.

HERE IS THE THING. so before leaving i went to the city hall to get my papers and giving them the moving out notice and get some paperwork for my new address (finished studies at uni in august, now at summer school for 1 month) for my new address in another prefecture. there i asked at the national pension and health insurance desk if i have anything else left to pay by any chance (i dont have to pay pension i am not required). there they told me that i dont have to pay anything and that i am ok yo leave my prefecture to go to the new one.

today, i got a pink envelope regarding a missed payment for national health insurance from my former city hall (about 1 month missed payment, was due 31st of july). I DIDNT RECEIVE ANY PAPER TO PAY BEFORE i got this and i was so confused.

THEN I remembered. once i got an envelope from city hall and my uni said “ah is pension throw it away)” but it was actually the payment sleeves for the health insurance. i couldn’t read it so i had no idea what it was. but i didnt throw it away and today my friend checked it.

fast forward: the july national health insurance is one month payed later (was supposed end of july, payed today) and the august one is late only one day (paid today)

I HAD NO IDEA because at my city hall said i have nothing left to pay, my uni literally said is pension but it wasnt so here i am getting a notice of “hey, you own us money”.

the thing that i am scared the most? next year i wanna get a new visa for longer studies and work, and because of all of this new laws and regulations i am so scared that my visa my get denied, even though it wasnt my fault for not knowing and the people in charge telling me someting else. what should i do in this situation? i am really concerned about this and my future visa and getting my PR in a couple of years.

if you have any idea how they might see this, help a boy out pls and thank you

I have a few family members with a very big appetite for manga.

I want to be supportive of any form of reading that they embrace and so far it’s been working out in that they go back to read novelizations when the manga is delayed or finished.

My biggest issue is the sheer volume of physical manga I will need to store if this trend continues. The price is not an issue as most is acquired secondhand but the storage.

I am wanting to find a good digital download platform and whilst they could read on smartphone or an existing iPad I would prefer they got less time spend on blue light and radiation spewing devices. I also just want to keep reading, even if manga, as an intentional exercise away from phone alerts and other potential distractions.

Hoping people here have already been on this journey and recommend what path they chose and which path they would recommend if they could start all over again.

One big point is i will probably look at buying each person their own device. I also realise that different digital publishers will have their own libraries available so I may need to run multiple accounts to fulfill the demands of these avid readers. Are their devices that handle multiple platforms well?

I know little to nothing so please enlighten me

Can't make this stuff up. With Japan's aging population and a lot of them holding quite a lot more wealth than younger generations, it feels so stupid that they are literally giving away money to criminals who are most of the time Japanese or Japanese working for foreign criminal groups.

This sort of crime isn't unique to Japan, but the amount of money lost likely causes far more damage and occurs more frequently than petty crimes that some Japanese blame foreigners for, but no one makes a big deal out of their fellow citizens committing a crime as is the general response.

Have any foreigners here been targeted by similar methods from fraudsters or have the experiences been limited to random spam/phishing emails and text messages? Can never be too careful these days.

ニセ警察にだまされ、本物の説得聞き入れず6595万円被害 青森

I’m looking for recommendations for an experienced dental implant dentist. My nearest station is Tsujido, so I’d prefer somewhere in the Shonan area (Fujisawa, Chigasaki, Hiratsuka, etc.), but I’m willing to travel elsewhere in Kanagawa for the right dentist.
English communication would be helpful, but it’s not essential.
I’m particularly interested in recommendations based on actual experience with dental implants, rather than general dental care.
If you’ve had an implant done in Kanagawa, I’d really appreciate hearing about your experience and whether you’d recommend the dentist or clinic.
If possible, I’d also be interested in how long ago you had the implant and how it’s doing now.
Thanks!

Every 5 posts. Do they accept bottle caps?

🚨MOVING SALE🚨

We’re moving and selling a bunch of furniture, appliances, and household items!✨

All prices are negotiable! Happy to give a discount if you’re interested in multiple things!🙌

Perfect if you’re moving house or setting up your place.

FURNITURE

• Sofa — ¥28,000

• Dining table set + bench & chairs — ¥25,000

• Ottoman — ¥13,000

• Coffee table — ¥6,000

• White gaming desk — ¥5,000

• Gaming chair — ¥13,000

• IKEA clothing rail — ¥2,000

• Storage cabinets ×2 — ¥3,500 each

• Clothing storage boxes ×9 — ¥1,500 each

APPLIANCES

• Fridge — ¥28,000

• Comfee washing machine — ¥27,000

• Microwave + oven — ¥16,000

• Dyson heater — ¥18,000

• Radiator — ¥1,500

• Nespresso Essenza Mini — ¥15,000

OTHER

• Buffalo router — ¥8,000

📍 Pickup only from Seya, Kanagawa

💰 Bundle discounts available, negotiations welcome. Pictures, measurements and info available on request!

📸 More photos/info available

Moving soon, so we’d love to get everything sold🙏

My sister's family came to Japan this year in April and her child (my niece) is deaf. She was born deaf and now uses a cochlear implant to hear. We did the surgery back in our home country and the surgery was a bit late but nevertheless she's now 5 years old. I thought we would be able to enroll her to a 保育園 so that she gets familiar with Japanese kids and her father (who has the dependent visa) can work part-time but we were told from the city hall that she needs letters from a doctor before she can be enrolled. I misunderstood the things needed and wasted like 2 months getting the letters. What they wanted was letters from the doctor saying that it alright for her to be admitted to 保育園 and for the doctor to take responsibility in saying nothing bad is going to happen to her or the implant. We did the surgery back in our home country so can't produce any documents like that and I am pretty sure no doctors from here are also going to take that responsibility. I feel like they just outright refused us. I am pretty sure no one else is going to have the same situation as us but still it kinda sucked. We thought about 幼稚園 instead but the money is tight right now. My sister is also getting very anxious as her husband can't work too because of this. We are still saving up money for the 幼稚園 as that seems like the only way. Now, is there any one who has any idea about deaf children in Japan or any centers or places that can help us with these sorts of things near Chiba or Tokyo (we live in Chiba Matsudo btw) or any tips or suggestions. Anything would be helpful right now. Also sorry for the messy paragraph I normally use ai but some people don't like that so wrote everything by myself.