u/WinterPrism

Hi everyone!

We’re preparing to move to Yokohama from the US with our two children (8 months and 24 months) in the next few months, and I’d love to hear from people who already live there—especially anyone who moved to Japan from overseas with young children.

We’ve visited Yokohama before and absolutely loved it, so this isn’t our first time there. But moving there and actually setting up a life with children is a very different experience!

Currently, we’re trying to figure out what we should prepare before we leave and what we should bring from home versus buy once we arrive.

For those of you living in Yokohama or Japan:

1. What baby/children’s items do you wish you had brought from home?

2. Anything you’d recommend bringing because the Japanese version is different from what you’re used to?

3. What should we know about pediatric healthcare and finding a doctor for young children?

4. Any advice on diapers, baby food, formula, or other everyday baby essentials?

5. Are there any practical things we should arrange before arriving—housing, phone/SIM, internet, banking, etc.?

6. What do you wish someone had told you before moving to Yokohama with young children?

7. Any advice on shipping belongings overseas?

8. Are there any neighborhoods that are particularly popular with families but still relatively affordable? We enjoyed ⁠the bashamichi area when we visited Yokohama, and would like to hear what neighborhoods would be good to consider.

Finally, if you moved to Japan, what was the one thing you were really glad you brought with you, and what did you bring that turned out to be completely unnecessary?

We’d really appreciate any advice from the community. Thank you! ❤️

Hello,

My spouse has a green card and it will be expiring in the next 2 years. We are planning to move overseas to my spouse’s home country for a few years due to childcare affordability and so our children can have cultural experiences there.

My question is if we are planning to return to the U.S. after 10 years, should my spouse apply for a re-entry permit? I'm not sure how much a difference it would make to apply for one…since being abroad for more than a year would be considered abandonment. We have considered having my spouse return to the U.S. every six months to see if that would keep the green card valid. Applying for a re-entry permit is not cheap, and I wanted to know if anyone had experiences where it made a difference being abroad for more than two years.

I am not certain how much evidence is needed to show that my spouse plans to return to the U.S. to ensure validity of the green card...especially if my spouse will be absent for a long time.

Would it make sense to re-apply for a re-entry permit prior to it expiring?

Additionally, how challenging is it to reapply for a green card after abondment?

I would love to hear everyone’s personal experiences. Thank you!