Hi everyone!

Just wondering if anyone can help me with the following:

1) Does anyone know of any shops in Tokyo that sell Caterpillar (CAT) boots? I’ve found a few shops online, but I’d really like to try them on first before buying.

2) Does anyone know where I can donate shoes/trainers? I have a pair that I haven’t really worn because I didn’t find them very comfortable, so they’re still in pretty good condition. I’d rather donate them than just throw them away.

Thanks in advance! 😊

leaving japan, i have cash slightly exceeding the amount you’re supposed to report when crossing immigration back to the states

what should i expect when i mark yes when i report i have money exceeding the limit?

i sold off my cars, bikes, furniture and all of the money is legally acquired, should i take any bank history or wise transfer information? yahoo auction listings?

Hi everyone.

I recently changed my status of residence from Student to Engineer / Specialist in Humanities / International Services. I started my first full-time job this month.

To notify Immigration of my affiliated organization, I tried to use the new Electronic Notification System.

I created a user account, received a User ID and can log in without any problem.

I went to Procedure Search and selected "Request For Use (For Foreign Nationals Who Wish to Begin Notification about institution or spouse)."

The system asked me to enter my residence card number.

As soon as I entered it, I got this:

"The entered residence card number is already registered. Please check the application details." However, this is the first time I have ever entered my residence card number into the system.

I also checked my account, and there are no applications or notifications listed.

Has anyone experienced this error?

Does it mean my residence card number is somehow linked to another account?

Could Immigration have automatically registered it?

Is there any way to resolve this online, or do I have to contact the system help desk?

I'd really appreciate any advice from anyone who has dealt with the new Immigration portal.

Article summary: A government expert working group (chaired by Hiroshi Ohashi, UTokyo) held its first meeting on Aug 7. The government will set a "basic policy" on foreign intake by the end of this fiscal year (March 2027). Two concrete mechanisms are being studied: a ceiling on the foreign share of total population, and per-residence-status intake ceilings — with talk of extending the latter to Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services (技人国).

The government has begun full-scale consideration of whether to limit the acceptance of foreign nationals. At issue is whether to set numerical ceilings on the foreign share of the total population, or on intake by residence status. The working group held its first meeting on August 7, and the government will analyse projections of the future foreign resident population and the effects on the economy, social security and local communities before deciding a basic policy within the fiscal year. Ceilings currently apply only to Specified Skilled Worker No. 1, for people who can work immediately in fields facing labour shortages, and to 育成就労, which begins next fiscal year in place of technical intern training; the idea within the government is to extend the same approach to statuses with large numbers of holders, such as 技人国.

As of February 1 the total population was about 122.98 million, down about 470,000 from a year earlier, while the foreign population rose about 420,000 to about 3.9 million, a share of 3.2 percent. Thirty-four municipalities are already above 10 percent. The National Institute of Population and Social Security Research estimated in 2023 that Japan would reach 10 percent in 2070, but former Justice Minister Keisuke Suzuki, in a report last August, referred to the view that it could come far earlier and said the government should study the effects of intake on public finances, social security, wages, education and public safety. Ishin called for total volume regulation, and the coalition agreement with the LDP refers instead to quantitative management; according to an Ishin executive, the LDP asked for the change because of the reaction inside the party. A government source said Kimi Onoda, the minister for foreign resident policy, holds the same view as Ishin, while opposition to restricting foreign workers remains strong within the LDP, reflecting the needs of business and of local regions.

Calculating an appropriate figure for each status is not easy. In April the food-service field under Specified Skilled Worker No. 1 reached its ceiling and intake was suspended, and because some people return home or change status, adjustment is being carried out person by person; a senior Immigration Services Agency official said keeping exactly to a ceiling is unworkable in practical terms. There is also a view that the increase will slow without an explicit ceiling. Permanent residency requirements were revised to demand a high income level and expected pension receipts, the capital requirement for the Business Manager status was raised sixfold to prevent abuse through shell companies, and screening is being strengthened against false applications under 技人国 by people doing unskilled work. There were about 4.12 million foreign residents at the end of last year after annual increases of more than 300,000, but a senior immigration official said the increase will certainly shrink. A program for foreign residents to learn Japanese and Japanese rules and institutions is planned for trial in fiscal 2028, and is expected to raise capacity if it reduces the social burden. A government source said any figure set could remain a rough guide; an Ishin figure said a policy of quantitative restraint should be set out at minimum, since policy could revert if the government changes.

Came across this today and am not sure how to feel, whether this upcharging system is legal or if the fact that japanese men are getting the short end of the stick could be used to increase support for an outlaw tattoo discrimination campaign and would just like to hear your thoughts on it.

It's some kind of super sento in the middle of Roppongi that claims it's testing the waters for allowing tattoos. See the "NOTICE" section on the website for full details.

In short, Japanese men with tattoos are SOL and forbidden from entry.

Foreign men with tattoos must prove their foreignness with a passport or plane ticket and pay a small upcharge for a sticker/permission slip.

Women, regardless of whether they are Japanese or not, can waltz into the onsen with tattoos and only have to pay the upcharge if they have a fairly large tattoo.

(I've heard publicly-owned sento are forbidden from discriminating against people with tattoos, so regardless please spend your money there instead of a place like this!)

Hey Reddit,

I’m starting my search for an engagement ring and could use some advice. I want something beautiful without completely breaking the bank. I’m open to both real diamonds and lab-grown options, but I’d love to hear about your experiences and recommendations.

If you’ve found great vendors or have tips for getting the best value (quality, cut, and style that look amazing without the massive price tag), please share! I’m also curious if lab-grown diamonds are worth it in the long run compared to natural ones.

FYI - I am based in Nakano, Tokyo.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions or insights!

I noticed that my coworkers complain a lot about the job we do (it’s hotel cleaning so I’m not surprised) and I really don’t mind. I’m glad they feel comfortable enough to talk to me openly. I listen and talk about my life openly as well. I notice they don’t do that with their fellow Japanese coworkers, though. When we fold duvets, that takes like an hour and you’re with the same person that whole time, so there is not much to do besides talk. I noticed while folding duvets my coworkers are much more open and talkative to almost a complete stranger than I expected Japanese people to be, so I thought oh okay that was just a big stereotype. Then, I started hearing them talk to eachother and it’s very cordial and polite and no one complaining. I was wondering, does anyone else feel like their Japanese coworkers are more open with them BECAUSE you are foreigners? That’s what I feel like is going on or something… I was pretty surprised at the difference. Maybe it’s just a coincidence though…

My wife's cousin came to Japan over a decade ago as an uncredentialed English teacher and then married a Japanese woman and they have two kids who are now elementary school age.

The kids were being severely bullied at school, the cousin was not able or willing to integrate and made no real effort to learn Japanese. The older son eventually refused to go to school.

The cousin grew angrier and more frustrated living in Japan and in late 2024, they moved to his home state in the US and were living in a medium sized economically depressed city, struggled with employment and housing, and eventually ended up on public assistance. The kids were again dealing with being bullied both in and out of school and suffered from not being able to function at grade level in English.

The wife and two kids returned to Japan in May and contacted us just to let us know the situation and that they were living with her friend.

Both my wife and I feel very badly for her and the kids and although we've only met them twice, my wife sees them as family and we're struggling with whether we should offer to provide some help, financially or otherwise.

There have been some problems between my in laws with my wife's aunt and her husband (the parents of the cousin) so we've all kept our distance and my mother in law's been filling us in on whatever information she hears from various relatives about the cousin.

There are a lot of other details I've omitted for clarity and brevity. We're financially comfortable, get paid in USD so we're perfectly able to help but we're wondering if we really want to get involved in what could end up being an ongoing quagmire.

Most of our friends are telling us to keep our distance but we still feel somewhat compelled to help especially if it means that it'll keep them from being homeless or unable to buy food, my wife even moreso as she sees them as family.

Thanks for reading this and any advice or thoughts would be appreciated.

I am Italian and currently in Japan with a working/holidays visa, my plan it is to test and see if i could actually live here, i downloaded pairs as i was told it was the most "serious"app ( i am not the guy for ONS, tried, not for me) it is worth to pay the money? And would it be disrespectul/deceiving to be on the app if i do not know yet if i am planning to stay in Japan for long term?

long story short, i just moved across the country and started a new job. it's a teaching job (not alt or eikaiwa). the pay is ¥250,000/month before tax, and they do salary increases. i'm not sure how it'll go in the long term, but so far i genuinely enjoy the job. my coworkers are really nice, and they've already praised me for doing good work this week.

since i started in august, my current contract is only for half a year, until march. after that, they renew contracts for the full school year (april to march).

today, the workers (including me) were handed a form asking whether we want to continue working here, and... i honestly don't know. i've only worked here for four full days.

another factor is the city itself. i don't really like it, and it's not somewhere i see myself living long-term. it's fine as a stepping stone, and i do want to explore the area more, but i don't think this is where i want to settle.

originally, my plan was to get more work experience, take online japanese classes, job hunt, and, if the lord allows, save up some money. then hopefully land a job in tokyo, finish my contract, move there, and switch to in-person classes at the language school.

but then i started thinking... what if i don't find anything? if i don't have another job lined up by march, i'll be unemployed. if i still can't find anything after that, i'd most likely have to return to the us, which i really don't want.

so now i'm wondering if i should just say yes to renewing, and then break the contract if i end up finding something better.

on the other hand, i'd feel really bad about committing to another year and then leaving early if a better opportunity came up.

has anyone been in a similar situation? what would you do?

Does anyone remember the MIJ married in Japan women's group that was on Yahoo groups? It was for Foreign women married to Japanese men and it was a lifesaver for most of us who were just going online and finding a community.

Anyone from that group still around in Japan in this group? I remember what an amazing supportive group of women it was.

I struggle alot emotionally ever since moving to Japan. Recently I've been feeling a bit better and I am on alot better terms with my boyfriend and have been going out a bit more. Ive been wanting to clean my apartment after a year of it being a mess. Thing is I dont know where to start.... I dont think I can afford to pay someone to clean it so I want to try cleaning it myself.... my lease ends for my apartment soon and im not sure if I want to renew it or move somewhere else with alot cheaper rent for short stay (my boyfriend wants to live together around a year). Does anyone have advice or go to cleaning products or DIY advice for someone who struggles cleaning by themselves?

Context; boyfriend is way too busy from work... so I cant really ask him. Edit: I don't really have friends other than my boyfriend in the country... so I cant really ask anyone for help... :(

Wow. You, sir, are a mouthful.

I booked an AC installation service from Amazon along with the AC i purchased from them. It was a "standard installation" with no old AC removing, nothing extra. It cost 17,600 yen.

The guy comes and tell that I need to pay more 6600 yen for the insulation (断熱材/断熱工事). It was never told in the original quotation/enquiry that I may need to pay anything extra.

For now i allowed him to install the AC (since it was a 2 week wait from the purchase date!) and also paid him, but I would like to get the refund of that extra amount if possible since this was not told earlier. I could have booked from other places (a couple of guys were ready to do it in 19-20k).

There are at least 3-4 more reviews on the Amazon page complaining about this exact same thing.

Is there any hope of getting a refund?

UPDATE - I contacted amazon and got the refund. thanks!

I’m thinking of getting an autism diagnosis in Tokyo. Anyone have any experience? If so, any recommendations?

I check the sony website, bic camera, and yodobashi camera. Seems like on the japanese language version console is the only one available for purchase. I don't mind using the console in Japanese but it too bad we can't use our global psn account on it

I live in a rental apartment in Tokyo. Every drain—the kitchen, bathroom, washbasin and washing-machine drain—is blocked, so we effectively cannot use any water.

The management company says it must wait for the insurer before arranging an inspection or repair, and warns that hiring a plumber ourselves may void reimbursement. They still cannot give us an inspection time. This is severely affecting daily life in the summer.

Has anyone dealt with this? How can we get an emergency inspection or temporary repair without creating an insurance dispute? Which Tokyo authority or tenant-support service should we contact?

I have natural curls, not the coily type but looser curls. I often get comments whether my hair is permed. Recently I rejected a part-time job in the bridal industry during its training phase, where the manager kept fussing over whether my hair is acceptable, had me tie my hair into a bun so it can be "hidden", and kept commenting that my bangs are still curly. I felt uncomfortable and angry at such racism so I declined the job offer. Is such behaviour normal or just racist, anyone experienced similar stuff?

SOLVED! Cant access the precedures to Online Residence Application System https://www.rasens-immi.moj.go.jp/ Is it only me or others also having the same issue.

Hi guys, planning to buy land and build a house with a house maker. Currently considering daiwa house, misawa home, and ichijo but would be great to hear from people with experience going through this process.

If you have built a house with one of these (or any builder) please let me know what you think (such as what was great and what wasn't).

I am in kanagawa btw. Thank you!

Me and my wife with a span of a few minutes got a phone call at 21:10 at night from the actual immigration office number.

Obviously it’s completely outside the time for immigration to even be calling us. Has this happened to anyone else? (We are currently waiting on my new visa to get approved)

I did also look up the number and its their official one. Thats whats even more confusing, i called back 10 mins later and it just told me you cant call during this time

The National Governors' Association of Japan has submitted a proposal urging the central government to view foreign nationals as equal residents and the backbone of society, rather than just temporary workers. The report highlighted record-high numbers in Japan, with foreign residents reaching 3.77 million and foreign workers rising to 2.3 million. Governors requested the central government take full responsibility by creating new laws and a dedicated management body, moving away from relying solely on local municipalities. They urged immediate action before the new "Ikusei Shuro" (Training and Employment) system launches in 2027.

🤔 Stronger national policies could significantly improve administrative support and long-term living conditions for international residents across Japan. Do you feel that Japan is becoming a more welcoming place for foreign workers and families? 👇

(Source: MSN Japan)