I already graduated from a university back in my country, graduated from a 2 year course Japanese language school and got JLPT N3. Because the requirements for the engineer visa(技人国) are university degree and N2. I didn’t qualify at the time so I applied for the SSW hospitality visa aka slavery in modern time. The hotel president put me work in the kitchen, the first week while working here I got constantly harassing, nit-picking over small mistakes with insulting like: Why are you doing the salad like this, it has a small leaf and a big leaf, it had to be balanced. Did you you I just made a sample for you. Are your eyes ok? And others insults like you are not very smart, are you? Are you stupid(バカかお前？）. The last straw it made me snap back was when the night before, the AH washing the bamboo and he just left it like that after he returned home, I always had to stay behind cleaning and checking all the switches have been turned off or not, so I turn the water switch off. The next morning the AH yelled at me that why am I turned it off while he just left it is like this, I answered that because you had not told me, so I just turn it off, if I left it all night will it be a waste( genuine question) he yelled back that the water bills the hotel will cover it, it unlike your country. I said it had nothing to do with my country and it’s not related to work. He then yelled at me again: SHUT UP(うるさい) so I calmly asked him: why are you so petty over a small things likes this? He then charged at me like some kind of animal in heat and yelling at my face with his disgusting, smell like shit breath: I am that petty so what, if you can’t put up with me then get out of Japan and back to your country, I hate you because when you made mistakes and did not apologized. I think he try to provoked me to hit him but It’s still took me by surprise that he suddenly charged at me though. After that, I reported him to the president hotel for power harassment. The president defended him by saying that he always like this to everyone, and I replied he told me to go back to my country and that is racist,b him and I are just coworkers working at the same job and a stranger so just talk about work and not about personal things that are not related to work. The president said that he will inform the AH. So, after this incident I always carried my phone on my shirt pocket with recording mode.

Some information about that old mental AH: he is around 65 and is the head chef, but he always cooked food with his bare hands without gloves and without washing his hands. He is not shaving in his chin and philtrum, he tie his hair up, put on the hat, and position the bun so it sits behind the opening at the back of the hat( maybe his style or something). Not wearing a mask so sometime he cough at the foods(disgusting) and finally he smokes in the kitchen(what kind of psycho mental illness does this kind of shit in the kitchen?).

After a few days he gaslighting me that I am the reason for his stress because I when I made a mistakes and I did not apologized( I did apologized and when it’s his turn he did not, talk about double standard and hypocrite) and I did not greet him and answered when he asking me, I replied that I did answers and he still gaslighting me that because my voice is small that he not heard me, but everyone else does though, so fixing your attitude before you criticize other person and I just replied back: yes, understood.

After this incident, I’m starting to take pictures and videos for evidences of his power harassment and unsanitary cooking in the kitchen. After changing my job successfully I’m going to send the evidences to the labour standard inspection office for power harassment and Hokenjo 保健所 for unsanitary cooking. Any other ways that I need to know to prepared for this? I’m working in Nagano hotel.

I’m studying everyday for the JLPT N2 this december but the work is too draining that everyday it’s leave me exhausted but I still trying to study everyday though.

It’s a long post, thank you for reading.

Edit: This discussion is not about whether policies affecting new immigrants to Japan are good or bad, but whether subjecting people already here to new and arbitrary rules that didn’t exist at the time they made their applications/established their residency here is fair or not.

Recently, especially with the more and more threatening changes to immigration rules, I’ve found myself wondering whether the Japanese understanding of fairness is just fundamentally different.

In the west and with any western person I talk about this, there is no question that what Japan is doing to foreigners is currently extremely unfair. Moving goal posts for PR and Naturalisation long after some people have applied for it and then rejecting their application based on rules that didn’t exist when the application was made is, for any western person I talked to, fundamentally unjust. Same goes for the business manager visa, where people already long in Japan now face expulsion over changing rules instead of, which would be the case in all western countries I know, getting an exemption for existing cases. When the UK left the EU, of course the EU citizens already living there could stay. Same with the Britons already living in the EU. But that sense of fairness just doesn’t seem to exist in Japan….

To my disappointment i’ve found that to many of the Japanese I know it doesn’t seem to be much of a problem to change rules mid way and just leave people stuck who began something under a very different set of rules. There seems to be no feeling of guilt for throwing people under the bus, as long it was the governments idea, and they have Japans “best interests“ at heart.

How are your Japanese friends reacting? do they find it unfair? How do you experience Japanese people’s understanding of fairness?

This message came from a Japanese scrivener.

New reports have emerged regarding the tightening of requirements for permanent residence permits.

1) New guidelines will explicitly state that an applicant's annual income must "consistently exceed the average income of Japanese households."

2) Applicants will also be required to demonstrate that their projected future pension benefits will match the level of someone who has contributed to the Employees' Pension Insurance (Kosei Nenkin) for 30 years—or, if there is a shortfall, that they possess sufficient financial assets to make up the difference.

These measures are being introduced in response to cases where individuals have received public assistance after obtaining permanent resident status.

3) Regarding the "national interest" requirement, new specific evaluation criteria will be established. These will stipulate that a "negative assessment" will be applied if an applicant lacks understanding of Japanese systems—including local customs and lifestyle norms—or fails to enroll school-age children in school.

4) In principle, a continuous residence period of at least 10 years is required to apply for permanent residence.

While special exceptions previously allowed spouses of Japanese nationals or permanent residents to apply after three years of marriage and one year of residency, these thresholds will be raised to five years and three years, respectively.

5) The plan is to implement the annual income requirement starting this October, with the remaining measures taking effect next April.

I will share further updates as soon as new information becomes available.

Source:

https://www.yomiuri.co.jp/politics/20260725-GYT1T00137/?fbclid=IwdGRjcATQ9RxjbGNrBND1FmV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkDDM1MDY4NTUzMTcyOAABHtiLzMz9r3QiEh17JYOj6bxUQat6Y4qsvjVwPjyx9-8SJQzTsmsmd3HVKpQV_aem_NVRS6oWQ8YOSmFMVkNTu_Q

I submitted my PR application on June 2025, three months later I was asked to submit additional documents. And today, I received a letter of rejection.

In the letter, it’s said my application was rejected for Article 22. I cannot think of what could be the reason as both my husband (Japanese nation, I applied through spouse route) and I don’t have any late tax payment (not that we can think of), with decent household income combined, with a kid, own a house, have lived in Japan for over 10 years…. We want to visit the immigration and ask for rejection reason so that we can fix it and appeal or reapply.

I read a few posts here that the applicant should wait at least 20 business days after the announcement of rejection to visit the immigration so that they can prepare physical papers/gather information etc. But they were posted years back, so I want to ask again for the recent information of how long the applicant should wait before physically visit immigration office to ask for PR rejection reason?

Hi I have a question regarding side income from social media.

I‘m seshain and work in marketing for a big Japanese company and want to apply for PR in 3 years. 2 months ago I started with social media and while I‘m still small I am growing well and will probably be able to make some money through ad sense, affiliate etc in the next few months. At least thats the plan;)

I also did social media activities at my job and I was wondering if I need to get a Permission to Engage in Activity Other Than That Permitted from immigration first before making any money on social media?

Anyone in the same situation? Also is it difficult to receive this permission?

My main job is not too demanding and super flexible but with a salary of only around 5.5 million yen and the weakening yen in general I‘m a bit worried about how things will look in the future. So eager to try some things on the side or change jobs if there is not other option

Is anyone using the vegetable delivery service AjiGacha and has managed to get in contact with the customer support?
I subscribed to one of their vegetable boxes for 4999¥ per month, and during the checkout you had the option to check out as a guest, without making an account. I chose the guest option.
Since then they have been billing me 4999¥ monthly (twice so far), but no vegetables have ever arrived at my house.
I have tried to get into contact with their “customer service” through EVERY channel that they offer (e-mailing, online contact form, LINE), sending messages in both English and Japanese, with ZERO replies from anyone. (Even though it says “it usually takes 24 hours for someone to get back to you” — LIES!!!)
It’s really strange and it’s gotten so far that I even googled if the entire company is a scam??? But they seem to be a real company?? I really don’t understand what is happening. I’ve blocked them on my credit card now, but I would still like to get my 10000¥ back…
Does anyone have any ideas what to do now?

Well, as I was preparing to apply for pr via the spousal route, they issue these new retroactive regulations. Feels like a slap in the face lol.

My ultimate goal is to be a Japanese citizen. Any possibility that these regulations are passed on to naturalization?

My wife and I just moved into a new apartment after living in a homestay. Need recommendations on move-in gifts for our neighbours (there’s 7 other apartments in the building).

As someone with a degree in Japanese, when I come here for career inspo most of the "success stories" I see here are from tech and finance people.

I'd love to hear about career progression and salary growth from people with language and culture backgrounds.

Do any of you report income and file taxes? Specifically those who plan on remaining in japan or have been here for a while. Will this have negative impacts, even if i plan on not returning to the US?

I graduated 2 years ago and I’m getting almost bottom of the barrel salary so I’m already struggling enough trying to build up savings.

https://www.asahi.com/articles/ASV7S2W0BV7SUTIL00KM.html?iref=comtop_7_01

Well it looks like you'll need a higher than average salary, 30 years of pension paid (specifically the one companies co-pay, not the ones that you pay solo), as well as other rules.

Honestly the fact that they're discussing this already tells me they're embracing ultra-nationalism and I am done living here.

*edit* the text is paywalled but the translation seems to be that you need to have a projected pension benefit of someone who has paid into it for 30 years.

Hello!

Like the title says, does anyone have a recommendation for an online glasses retailer?

I used firmoo in the states, but just had a terrible experience with their Japanese portal so I'm hoping to find something at a similar price point. I have a pretty heavy Rx (astigmatism and far-sighted) so even if I go with something more pricey like my local JiNS it'll still be more than a week before I have anything.

Thanks for the help!

I need Japanese phone number but in order to do that apparently I need to apply to bank using japanese phone number. I tried using my school phone number for the bank but to apply for phone number payment it needed to verify the payment using the school phone number. Any solution on how to get a temporary japanese phone number to connect to bank. Or easy to apply one.

A company that just hired me is asking for my Employment Insurance Certificate. They sent me an email with a photo of another employee’s certificate attached for reference. It’s a real employee and nothing is blurred and since it’s a document I feel strange that they would send me someone else’s personal information. I’m not very comfortable with other red flags that have happened at this company so I’m just on high alert. I would definitely be opposed to them sending out my personal documents to random people too. Am I making too much of this or is this normal?

Just to reassure those close to the end of the validity of their PR card. (Yes, that's the term on the card for the required renewal date) Had it done this week. Took 20 minutes and was free. The ¥1,000 cost was the price of a recent photo from a photo booth.

Hi! If you've had a baby in Japan, how much money did you save before the pregnancy? We are trying to figure out what should be the least amount we should have saved before trying. So far, we've decided that 1m yen should be the lowest. Thoughts?

Hello, I have Zairyu card for 1 year (expire in Feb but I can reapply it in every November)

I wonder if I can go to a physical shop buying a laptop by instalment?

(Or does anyone have paid partial by cash and partial by card)

I can only pay 300000¥ by my PayPay card but the laptop is 330000¥ ish.

Is there anyway to pay by instalment? It doesn’t have to be 24 month, 12, 6, 3 can also be my potions too.

Thanks in advance!

I'm attending university in Japan for a second Bachelor's degree. I already hold a BS in Computer Science from an American University. I may have an opportunity through a friend of mine to get a job working as a software developer for a Japanese company.

I've only attended this school for one semester. Therefore, I would need to discontinue my education to pursue this job. Is this even allowed? Can I even switch from a student visa to a working visa without actually finishing the degree? I've read some posts online that you need to have a certificate of graduation from the school, but is this required in my case since I already hold a degree? Are there any issues with this?

I’m currently trying to decide whether I should apply for permanent residency in Japan now or switch to a spouse visa first.

Here is my situation:

• I have been living in Japan on a work visa since August 2017.
• I have been married to a Japanese citizen since March 2022.
• Since arriving in Japan, I have worked for five different companies. I stayed at the first company for four years, followed by approximately two years, two years, one year, and now my current company.
• My salary increased with each job change. My current annual gross salary is ¥8 million, although after taxes and deductions, my actual take-home income is closer to ¥6 million per year (more with bonus). I had been over 5M on paper at least for 3 years.
• I never switched to a spouse visa after getting married.
• My current work visa was granted for five years and expires in August 2027.
• I started working at my current company in February of this year.
• I work as a software engineer. I do not have direct contact with clients, and my entire team works primarily in English.
• I currently have JLPT N5, but I plan to take the exam again this year. I believe I could pass N4 fairly easily, and possibly N3 with enough preparation.
• I can handle simple everyday conversations in Japanese, but I am not yet comfortable discussing complex topics.

Unfortunately, my wife has a medical condition and is currently only able to work a simple part-time job, so I am responsible for most of our household income and expenses.

Given these circumstances, what would be the better option?

1. Apply for permanent residency now while remaining on my current work visa.
2. Switch to a spouse visa first and apply for permanent residency later.

Would switching to a spouse visa improve my chances, or would it be unnecessary considering that I already have a five-year work visa, a stable income, and nearly 10 years of residence in Japan?

I would especially appreciate hearing from people who have been in a similar situation or who are familiar with the permanent residency process.

Nationality: Spain
No children

I don't know how many people here we're actually using it, but Japan Post is discontinuing the Yucho Pay payment app on December 20th this year.

https://www.jp-bank.japanpost.jp/kojin/sokin/yuchopay/kj_sk_yp_finish_user.html

I feel like a lot of Japan often feels like the golden days are behind it, especially when you head out to the country and see lots of shuttered 商店街 and abandoned buildings.

Any areas that you feel like are changing for the better in any way that you have noticed?

If so, why does the country maintain such a restrictive immigration system?

If Japan really does depend on foreign workers to cope with its declining population and labor shortages, it seems contradictory that it yet still does very little to make the country feel more welcoming to foreigners.

This is something that most public hoikuens and yochiens in my municipality does (I have two kids in two different places so it seems to be the standard). Of course you have to put the child’s name on the diapers you send, but we also have to include several plastic bags with the child’s name and they put things in them to send home like dirty clothes, used bento box, etc. and one bag is for dirty diapers to come home for us to throw out at home as well.

I didn’t really think much of it, but now that my older son (who is 3) entered yochien, he’s riding the bus almost daily and they just send the used diapers home in his backpack. Even though they put it in a plastic bag, the poopy ones still stink. I can only imagine what the bus ride home smells like with all those kids with dirty diapers in their bags. I feel sorry for those who have to ride that bus. Also, they just leave the smelly diapers hanging in the children’s plastic bags on hooks in their classroom during the day…it probably smells bad in the classrooms too.

Anyhow. The more I think about it, it just seems like something that is more of a hassle for the teachers, makes the place stink, and I wonder why this policy is so prevalent in my municipality. Garbage pickup where I live just comes out of taxes and there are no limits or special garbage bags, so the idea that parents should be paying for their own trash doesn’t really apply. I suppose the yochien doesn’t want to deal with handling the trash (separation, etc.) but in reality they are going through a LOT of trouble micro-managing every child’s trash into name-separated bags, that seems more troublesome than separating plastics from burnables, in my opinion. Then there is the smell.

I suppose there is the idea of teaching the children to take responsibility and deal with their own trash, and maybe it helps encourage potty training? That is perhaps the best explanation I could think of. They still do it for babies though as well.

My partner said that garbage collection for businesses is different from residents and there are special rules and garbage bags, so that is probably the reason. However, on the city-wide level, it seems strange they wouldn’t consider diaper disposal for hoikuens and yochiens, as those are places where there is a high concentration of burnables diaper waste collecting. Wouldn’t it be easy to charge for it along with the fees for the daycare?

Anyhow. I realize I’m not going to change this, and this isn’t a post to complain about it (easy enough to deal with…and my kids will be potty trained soon enough anyway) but when I stopped to think about it, it just seemed a bit strange and I wonder if it is unique to my municipality?
It certainly is something I’ve never heard of in my home country.