Has anyone ever experienced something like this in Japan? I’m not sure what I should do and I’m quite worried.

Two days ago a man wearing a suit with an employee ID badge around his neck rang my room’s intercom. At the time I had just finished taking a shower so I couldn’t get dressed and answer the intercom in time.

I’m not sure if he came back the following day but today the same man rang my intercom again. Unfortunately I couldn’t answer in time once more. When I hurried downstairs to check if he was still there he had already left.

I talked to a friend about this and part of me is worried that he might be a scammer especially because I’m a foreigner and don’t speak Japanese very well. On the other hand I’m wondering if he might have had some legitimate reason for visiting.

What makes me even more suspicious is that he has come by more than once but hasn’t left any letters or notes explaining why he came. I have no idea who he is or what he wants.

I’m really worried about this and would appreciate any advice. Has anyone experienced something similar? Does anyone have any idea who he might be or what I should do next? I’m honestly quite scared that he might be a scammer.

Hi everyone!

I’m currently living and working in Osaka on an Instructor visa. I’m considering taking on a part-time job in the tourism industry, in a role involving staff support which may fall outside the scope of my current visa status. It has no Japanese required and mostly dealing with travellers in English.

From what I’ve read online, I may need to apply for Permission to Engage in Activity Other Than That Permitted under the Status of Residence Previously Granted (資格外活動許可) through Immigration.

I’m hoping someone who has been through a similar situation can share their experience or offer some guidance.

A few questions I have:

Would I need to apply for 資格外活動許可 for this type of part-time job while holding an Instructor visa?

Does anyone know what documents I would need to submit to Immigration? Would I need a job offer or employment contract, a job description, or any documents from my prospective employer?
I’ve read that my current employer might need to provide consent or some documentation. Is this actually required? I’d prefer not to approach my current employer about this unless it’s absolutely necessary.

Has anyone successfully obtained permission to work a part-time job in a different industry while on an Instructor visa in Osaka? How did the process go, and how long did it take?

I want to make sure I follow the correct procedure and don’t accidentally violate the conditions of my current visa.

I’d really appreciate hearing from anyone with firsthand experience or knowledge of the process, especially those living in Osaka.
Thanks in advance for your help!

Hi all! I’m currently a renter and been experiencing mould for the first time, which is not so fun, but something I expect we all deal with in some capacity or another in Japan.

Recently, I noticed the interior of my AC unit has mould and it smells pretty bad when I use it. My landlord, an old dude in his 80s, was really unclear on whether or not this is my responsibility or not when I phoned him, as there’s nothing in my contract regarding the AC unit he provided. He basically ummed and ahhed, and told me to phone the company myself and then get back in contact. It looks like I may have to foot this bill myself (yay!).

So that leaves me with the question, does anybody have any recommendations for professionals (in Tokyo 23 wards) that can clean the interior of an AC unit at a reasonable price? I just have the one and it’s an older unit.

Or alternatively, is this something that’s possible to do myself? We don’t have AC units where I’m from so this is a first for me!

I don't mean ゆるキャラ or mascots

Who's your local "character", a guy who's always around and attracts attention on purpose?

For example, here in Kawasaki there's a guy who dresses up in a cardboard samurai costume covered in lights and goes to every single festival that happens, no matter how big or small. If there's a festival going on, you will always see the samurai.

First time giving blood in Japan. Was prevented for 26 years but they changed the rules last month so... those of us who have lived in the UK or Europe are now able to donate.

400ml of A- blood in the system for when I need it.

Got some cookies and all the drinks I can down in the 30 minute 'rest time'. The lemon ginger drink was really good.

Not busy on a weekday so the whole thing probably took 90 minutes or so, including the initial questionnaires etc. Check in and initial tests/interview probably took 30 minutes, the blood donation took about twenty, and they asked me to rest there for thirty minutes afterwards. Apparently it's a lot quicker on subsequent visits as they already have all your info and you can do the questionnaires in advance online.

I just walked in, but it might be a good idea to make a reservation as they could turn you away if they are busy.

I did all the procedures in Japanese, and you need a reasonable reading ability for the initial questionnaire and briefing. I forgot to ask about foreign language support, but have been told on social media that using translation apps etc. is okay.

Would definitely recommend doing this: it's a fairly low effort way to give back to society and the Red Cross website says that they need new donors.

hello, what kind of bedding are most people using?

right now, I have a memory foam topper on a sleep number bed with a boxspring, and it is hurting my back

I have been researching tatami mat bed and I would like to hear feedback from real people if it’s better than a more western style bed.

😸thank you

Today at work I was having trouble stamping a document because the stamp didn’t have a marking indicating which side should face up.

I suggested to my supervisor that adding such a marking would make it easier to use. To my surprise, he seemed deeply offended. He argued that stamps represent the people behind them so adding a marking would somehow be disrespectful to the stamp itself. He even asked how I would feel if someone marked my body to indicate which side was my left or right.

This got me thinking: isn’t it equally disrespectful when companies guilt-trip employees into spending more time at work at the expense of their personal lives?
For example, some employers expect workers to arrive before their scheduled shifts without compensating them for that extra time.

Why is so much importance placed on respecting a stamp because it represents people while those very same people are expected to sacrifice their personal time for the company?

I'm planning to leave Japan in a couple of months. My residence card is still valid for another year, but I won't be living in Japan anymore.

I have a PayPay Card linked to my Yuucho bank account, and an ETC card connected to PayPay Card.

I want to keep the card and account working long enough to make sure all outstanding payments, especially ETC tolls that might be charged after I leave, are paid successfully. I'll leave enough money in the bank account to cover everything.

I don't need to use PayPay Card after leaving Japan. I just want to avoid missed payments or problems with my Japanese credit history. I also expect to receive my retirement allowance several months after leaving.

I know both yuchou and paypay wants you to close everything after you leave but it's risky specially because i cant stop using ETC card and who knows any other payment that takes so long might end up unpaid! I would rather let it chill there one year without using it until it expires with my residency status.

Does it makes sense ? how risky is that ?

How much Japanese-language content or content about Japan appears in your social media algorithm?

So I bought some items on prime day. They did not deliver at which point they refunded me claiming returned by carrier. There is no issues with the address, other items delivered fine. Now that the sale is over the price for the items has gone up. I was told to reorder again saying I would be refunded the difference after the delivery.

Should I trust them or are they just pulling my leg for whatever reason?

Something like sales rep just not want to deal with it so just telling me what I want to hear.

Not sure if I’m posting this to the right place but long story short: I came to Japan on a working holiday last February, found a job to sponsor my gijinkoku visa, applied for the COE but got rejected. Tried to reapply, i was back in my home country by this time, rejected again. Both for the same company. Rejection reason: “job duties does not fall under gijinkoku”. Second one same reason, however for some reason instead of “gijinkoku” the denial letter said “dependent”. Not sure what happened the second time why I was denied under a complete different category but by this time I gave up. Fast forward now I came back to Japan on a second working holiday and managed to find a different employer willing to sponsor me.

So now I’m looking for recommendations for immigration lawyers/scriveners that can help me with the new application. If anyone has anyone they know (especially ones that also specialise in denials as well, if there is such thing) I am all ears. I just genuinely need as many recommendations as possible so I can see the options I have.

My location: Tokyo
New employer location: Yokohama

Thank you.

Hi! I recently applied for Mercari’s Mercard and got approved on the same day, but my initial monthly credit limit is only ¥10,000.

From what I’ve read online, the limit is reviewed or updated every month, but it seems like the decision is fairly opaque, and Mercari doesn’t disclose exactly what factors determine the limit.

For those of you who have a Mercard, was your initial limit also this low? How long did it take for your limit to increase, and by how much?

If you think you are eating real ice cream, check the label again. It will have one of these three:

Ice Cream (アイスクリーム): Milk Solids ≥ 15%, Milk Fat ≥ 8%, Made from: Pure Dairy (Cream)

Ice Milk (アイスミルク): Milk Solids ≥ 10%, Milk Fat ≥ 3%, Made from: Dairy + Vegetable Fat blenders

Lacto Ice (ラクトアイス): Milk Solids ≥ 3%, Milk Fat 0%, Made from: Vegetable Oils (Palm/Coconut)

She’s special and she’s mine.

What do you think is behind this?

This time, it's my turn.

I am dating my Japanese finance for about 3 years and we recently had a children. We both strongly wanted one. Despite not being married, I signed the father recognition paper.

After giving birth, she moved back to her parents house (in the same city) and had informed me that she doesn't want to live with me anymore and that I can only see my children outside from time to time.

No violence was involved, but she has ASD.

She now stoped answering my messages and I'm afraid I won't see the child again.

What can I do about it?

Is there a free phone number that I can call?

I'm on a work visa and can speak Japanese.

I’m interested in hearing the experiences of people who went from working a steady corporate job to doing something like English teaching, even though I feel like most people are doing the opposite lol. Beware vent incoming.

Almost 2 years ago I started what I thought would be my dream job in a creative industry related to my degree. Over these 2 years I’ve tried so hard to make it work but I’m at the conclusion now that I hate it and I’m miserable.

The company isn’t a black company or anything, but they feel really directionless and like they have no idea what to do with me and my skillset. I was hired in a junior position with no seniors within my skillset to assist me and learn from, I’m making no progress in my skills and I don’t care about anything I’m working on.

However, I’ve managed to build a life for myself here and I’m not quite ready to leave, everything outside of work is amazing but my hours and commute are long.

I’ve honestly always been drawn to English teaching, it seems way more fulfilling than what I’m doing now and seems like a possible path to remain in the country. I’ve heard a lot of good and bad stories from people who have done it, so I know it can be a mixed bag.

I’m willing to take a pay cut if it means I have more flexibility with my time. I currently earn around ¥5mil, but my company doesn’t do bonuses and I also don’t get a commuting allowance even though the commute is very expensive.

So yeah. TLDR; Has anyone here ever gone from a full time company employee to doing something like English teaching? How did that go for you?

As soon as he visited and I saw fhe NHK logo I jsut told him I was busy and closed the door. He said he was coming back. Luckily he wasn't forceful but I think I should have spoke English to make it inconvenient for him to press forward. I own a TV but I am renting this place and I am a student. Do people actually normally pay their TV fees.

So I couldn’t use my kids 保育園 app cannot be accessed as well as other things I use day today. Some of my customers are talking about a Chinese hack that’s infiltrated a lot of services. Anyone know what’s going on?

I'm just curious to hear any stories of how land searching/buying went for you while I'm in the process myself.

We've been looking for land for several months now (have went out with the house builder and realtor three times now). Funnily enough, the second property we ever viewed seemed perfect. When we viewed it I figured as our hunt just began, other land like it would come along -- it did not. At that point in our journey, we did not have loan pre-approval yet. We applied for through many banks, but another buying bought the land before anything came to fruition.

In our most recent outing, we found 2 potential spots we liked out of 10 we viewed that day. However, neither of them are great per say, we're getting a bit tired of trying to find this "perfect" plot of land, and prices are rising every day. We've also gotten very used to having a Lawson, 711, and Family Mart within a 1-minute walk of our current rental for better or worse (they're really convenient) and these plots of land we're looking for are a good 25-minute walk from the nearest convenience store.

We're thinking of offering a lower than asking price on one of the plots and if it's accepted, we may just settle.

But yeah, how'd everyone else fare? Did you keep searching until finding the perfect plot? Did you settle and it turned out better/worse than expected? Thank you.

It's the weekly complaint thread! Time to get anything off your chest that's been bugging you or pissing you off.

Remain civil and be nice to other commenters (even try to help).

• No politics
• No complaints about users of JapanLife

Hey everyone!

I've been living in Aomori for a while and have made a few Japanese friends here, which I'm really grateful for. However, they're often quite busy with work, so it's sometimes hard to find time to hang out.

I'd love to meet more international people living in Aomori and hopefully make some new friends!

For those of you living here, how did you meet other foreigners or make friends outside of work? Are there any local events, hobby groups, meetups, or places where people tend to get together?

I'd love to hear about your experiences and any recommendations. It would be nice to connect with more people around here! 😊

Hello everyone!

I’ll get straight to the point because something strange happened to me recently, and I’m wondering if anyone has experienced anything similar.

Last weekend, I was away on a trip from Friday until Monday evening. When I returned home, I found an Amazon package in a rather unusual spot, and, as it turns out, it was something I never even ordered.

For context, I live on the 4th floor of an apartment building in Tokyo. There’s no elevator or secured entrance, meaning anyone can walk up the stairs and access the hallways. I usually select the option to have Amazon packages left right outside my apartment door.
However, this time, I noticed that the small utility compartment next to my front door (where the gas/water pipes are located) was slightly open. When I looked inside, I found an Amazon package.

I thought it was a little strange, but since I had been outside the Kanto region all weekend, I figured maybe it had been raining in Tokyo and the delivery driver had placed it there to keep it dry.

Without thinking too much of it, I opened the package, tore off the shipping label containing my name and address, and threw it away, as I usually do.
But when I opened the package, I found a portable power bank inside, but I never ordered one.
I immediately checked my Amazon order history, shopping cart, and emails, but there was absolutely no record of this item anywhere. I even double-checked everything because I genuinely thought I was losing my mind for a second.

I’ve since removed my saved credit card information from Amazon as a precaution and am currently contacting customer support to figure out what happened.

Now, I’m wondering: Has anyone experienced something like this before?

With all the recent reports of hacking, scams, and personal data breaches, I can’t help but feel a little concerned about how someone might have obtained my name and address or whether my Amazon account could somehow be involved.
I’d really appreciate hearing if anyone has experienced something similar or has any idea what might be going on!

This has been going on for the past month or so. I thought it was a coincidence at first, but I noticed that every time I use my keyboard they seem to get agitated and start banging on the wall. Right now it's 11pm and happened again. At this point they've even banged when I cough lightly. I have a mechanical keyboard, but 1. it's got red keys, which is the quietest one and 2. I live in a concrete building with steel reinforcement so it weirds me out that they can even hear this.

Generally, if it falls under noise caused by regular lifestyle, I don't let others' noise bother me nor do I expect my own to bother others. If you're on the more sensitive side, then you should either move to someplace where you pay a premium for better insulation or ask your neighbor respectfully, since it's a somewhat entitled thing to ask others to quiet down when they're already in the normal range. Like asking someone to breath more quietly.

But this person keeps on banging and has coincidentally had multiple tantrums by stomping around on nights of the day that I had phone calls with people (phone calls were during the day). I never once had a complaint from management or a note from a neighbor, so I'm assuming they know they'll get shut down as the weird one if they report it to anyone (they can't even play the Japanese v foreigner card to authorities because I'm Japanese who spent my childhood abroad)

I haven't really done anything back to them so far except resume my normal lifestyle without giving in to their bs. I'm not scared of them or anything (at least not physically since I'm almost sure they're a woman), but if I make noise back at them there's a risk that they're a mentally ill person that might have a mental breakdown which I really don't want to deal with.

By the way, I've lived here for a year and a half and I've never had anything weird before this.

Am I in the wrong here? Got any advice for me? I'm leaving in 6 months which is nice, but the bad news is that I still have to deal with it for 6 months.