r/japanresidents

First of all : This is not about the players or the Japan team. I think they worked hard and deserve a break.

What I am talking about is the collective delusion that Japan seems to experience once every 4 years. The media gloating is on a whole other level - it's almost like the whole country is incapable of holding a balanced view of reality when it comes to JP team.

Every other media article is about how Japan team is a tactical mastermind. TVs talk about how some celebs say that they can win the WC this year. Quotes on all the social media being how Mitoma/Kubo/Kamada is "エグい"/ egui and that the gaijin players can't handle them.

Then TVs going on and on about the players' personal lives. That or featuring Japanese spectators cleaning the stadium with sponsored APA bags and the TV talking about how Japan is exceptional feeds into this whole Japanese exceptionalism narrative that everyone lowkey buys into.

I'm happy everyone enjoys it - but it all ended as abruptly as it came. 2 days after the Brazil game, no one talks about soccer anymore. Even worse now that the "underdog" Norway has beat Brazil. Media stopped, and the whole hype is now like a fever dream.

As an avid club football watcher that has uninterrupted subscription to DAZN and WOWOW, I can't help but feel some sense of nausea every 4 years. I'm actually happy I can just watch the rest of the knockout rounds in peace now.

As one would expect, some foreign media travels better than other foreign media. Disney and Pixar are always popular, of course. The Minions are popular. The Powerpuff Girls are receiving a surge of Heisei nostalgia, which is cool. Tom and Jerry are popular, but the Looney Tunes aren't as popular.

I suspect this is because Looney Tunes relies more on English wordplay and niche American celebrity references (and maybe the character designs aren't as cute).

This is why I'm really surprised that The Muppets aren't more popular here.

Japan likes puppets just fine! Bunraku is traditional Japanese culture, the NHK plays a lot of kids puppet shows, and Puppet Sunsun seems to be especially popular now.

And most of the humor from The Muppets is physical comedy. There's some wordplay, but I don't think the Muppets really rely on it.

The only time I've seen Muppets outside of like an American secondhand store is Round 1 recently had a big Kermit the Frog plush toy in a crane game.

I wonder why The Muppets never really caught on here. What other examples do you have of things you would have expected to be bigger here that just aren't?

I went to the dentist recently and found out I have to have a root canal redone. They didnt actually do the procedure this visit they just did a mold on my teeth to begin making the temporary crown. I paid about 3,000 yen this first visit. I will be going back to get the actual procedure done next week and want to know how much I can expect to pay for this next part because I only have 15,000 yen left until my next paycheck which will be the following week. Do you think it'll cost 15,000 yen or more? Also side question, if they had to do 2 root canals instead of one would that double the price?

Unsure of where to ask but figured I could start here.

I’m visiting the US for the first time since moving to Japan. I will be there for about a month but need advice on what travel insurance to get. It feels like I’m going in circles looking up reviews and hearing people say not to go with one insurance and instead go with a different one.

When I first came to Japan before going on the national health insurance, I was using SafetyWing but never needed to use it, so I’m not sure how reliable it could be..

Thank you in advance!

Title.

Dazn doesn't list it on their site. My TV is an LG and I don't think it can pick up NHK. Wowow seems to have it but with Japanese commentators... and I'd rather listen to Johnny Mac say useless shit than hear "sugoi!" ten trillion times.

If I need to, I'll figure out

Pleaaaase help me out. I need to watch the feed and be happy when Paolini wins.

I have had insomnia my whole life, but I wouldn’t classify it as severe at all. Worst night for me looks like five ours of kind of broken sleep. However a new worst has happened the past two days. I only slept three very broken hours of sleep the last two nights. I have no CLUE why. I have no new stressors in my life. Anyway, I am thinking about going to a sleep doctor or doctor who prescribes sleep medicine and was wondering what has worked for other insomniacs out there. My usual issue is STAYING a sleep, but the past two nights have been not being able to settle my brain and pass the sleep barrier if that makes sense. Like I’m sleepy, but once I start falling asleep my brain doesn’t let me fully fall into sleep it kind of kicks me awake as if there is something I need to be alert for… please let me know 🫶🏻

Hey everyone. I recently posted on reddit about a loud neighbor that has made my life living hell since moving in. I signed a 2 year lease thinking everything would be fine and dandy (which they exceptionally were when I toured the place, literally 0 complaints) and only after I moved in did I realize I live next to a mentally (and?)or physically disabled person who frequently has meltdowns that have grown increasingly violent.

The last two days, he's been screaming 「死ぬ、死ぬ、死ぬ」 at someone or something and I think that was my final straw. Prior to this, my guarantor company was in touch with my building management per my request about the noise complaint with several audio and video evidence provided, but there's been pretty much 0 response on their end even when I pester them over and over.

Pretty much everyone I talk to about this just suggested I move out as soon as possible, which I wasn't fully considering until I felt confident that there was legitimately nothing more I could do to salvage my living situation. I am now looking for advice on people who have ever moved out fairly soon after moving into their Japanese apartments.

How successful were you in getting your landlord/management to waive fees? Many people suggested I do this, but I can find little recourse on what to ask or how to go about asking. What are my rights here? Do I bother my guarantor company about this? They are fully aware that I want to move out, but again I don't even know what to start asking about.

Apologize, again, if this is somehow easily googleable information. I'm pretty swamped and devastated and have had little luck in finding any pre-existing online accounts of anyone in the same situation as me. For the time being, I'm in talks with several realtor companies who are aware of my situation and how I'm looking to minimize initial move-in fees for a new place. That's all I have going for me right now, lol.

Thanks.

Hi all!

Has anyone taken the written exam recently, and do you have any advice or resources to prepare? I know they changed the test recently from 20 questions to 100 (if I remember correctly).

If you have any apps or websites you used to take practice tests (in English), please let me know!

Also, if you have any advice for the actual application/driving test portion, please feel free to reply.

I plan on bringing the following:

• Valid U.S. Driver's License (physical copy)
• Official Japanese Translation
• Certificate of Residence (Juminhyo)
• MyNumber card
• 2 ID Photos
• Passport (that shows entrance into Japan)
• University transcript (shows I was in the US for at least 4 years)
• DMV driving record

Thank you!

Hi, everyone! I don't really know how to start this.

I'm 19 years old and recently moved to Iwakuni, Japan. While I am half Japanese and have a Japanese passport, I didn't grow up here, so my Japanese is still very limited. I'm currently working on learning the language because I know it's one of the most important things I need to do, but... I've only been here for a week and I'm already feeling a bit lost and would really appreciate some advice.

My dad is getting older (70+) and I really want to help him financially instead of depending on him. I also want to become independent and support myself in the future because I don't really have anyone to lean on here. My family is in another country, and they're depending on me as well. But the problem is that I only graduated from senior high school and don't have any work experience. In my home country, I can't apply to any form of job if I didn't graduate from college or have work experience. My dad doesn't really believe in college and doesn't have any plans to enroll me in one but my mom thinks otherwise. But with our financial situation, I don't think it's possible right now.

I'm okay with warehouse work, stocking shelves, cleaning, factory jobs... etc. I just want to start somewhere and earn my own money. The problem is that, with my current level of Japanese, it's been really hard to find work. I've looked online through sites recommended by the internet, but in Iwakuni, it's very limited. I've only seen a few and they need people with degrees. My dad, he's already urging me to find a job as soon as possible, but I honestly don't know where to start and I don't really have anyone around to ask. I also don't know anyone here, and maybe that's exactly why I've been feeling so down lately. I'd love to make friends around my age, but I'm not sure how people usually meet others in Japan, especially when you don't speak Japanese very well yet.

Honestly, it's hard to be Japanese when you can't speak Japanese. People assume I'm fluent because I look Japanese, so they speak to me at full speed... I really feel embarrassed every time I freeze or ask my dad for help. (If you've been in a similar situation or have any advice, I'd really appreciate it :' It's been really hard for me to try and figure out these things on my own, so any advice or personal experiences would mean a lot to me.)

What should my first step be? Friends? A job? My mom says just enjoy my time here for now, but I can't help but worry about these things.

This is a common phrase used to describe what Japan is like on social media. However, from my experience so far, of course Japan is far from perfect but it's also far from terrible. What's your opinion on it?

Going to hard off, book off etc... to look for videogames is like a cultural habitat. Going with the kids then they want that weird Switch shark game and it's 1500yen so why not, or finding that game you wanted to try out ages ago and not being able to resist to the supercool cover :) ( looking at you Dynasty Warriors).

I usually buy new, and then once finished I resell for 50%+ of its price in these stores or on mercari, to finance the next game purchase... That's exactly the flow and market that Sony and other companies want to kill.

Do they think people will keep paying full price for a few hours long single player game ?

Not sure how Japanese players are reacting as I'm not active on social media. How's the situation?

Did anybody submit their residence card extension around end of april? If so did you get the postcard already?

What do i do if i ge closer towarda the end of the 2 month grace period? Do i call them and ask for the status?

Any advice appreciated!

(Master student, submitted at shinagawa office)

Major premise:

My wife is waiting for her dependent visa COE still (applied early May in Kanagawa) - so she is not covered by health care yet. She's been here since mid-April, but bouncing in and out as we wait for the COE, and we just found out she's pregnant (~5-6 weeks by our estimates?). Because she doesn't have health care here yet (she has private insurance back in her home country in SEA), she hasn't identified an OBGYN here. Paying out of pocket for the time being here will be cheaper than flying home and paying on insurance there (even w/ insurance it's more expensive). First time parents and I think this birth may be considered high-risk as she's 39.

How does Japan work for early pregnancy and the run up to birth: do we find a small obgyn clinic first and work with them early then move to a hospital, or should we just search for a hospital immediately? (Although my wife speaks conversational Japanese, she prefers English speaking doctors.)

We're located in Musashi Kosugi area, but my office is in Hiroo (Red Cross Hospital is relatively easy access - but not sure she would want to commute all that way once she's further along).

Any advice in general and hospitals/clinics would be helpful as I am completely unfamiliar with women's health clinics in Greater Toyo and hurdles women face. Based on some searches I know major hospital to consider are Aiiku, Red Cross, St. Luke's, and Sanno, but would appreciate more opinions!

I'm also aware most places don't provide epidurals (and when they do, it's not insured), but I'm reading that some don't let you hold the baby after birth? (skin-to-skin?)

EDIT: Thanks for all the advice and congratulations to all the expectant parents!

Probably a stupid question, don’t SHOOT ME. But, has anyone travelled from and later back to Japan with creatine?? It’s a totally legal food supplement, but issue is, it being a white powder.

I recently got a kilo pack and will travel to Europe to visit my family with it next week, but cannot take the original packaging as it’s too big and I don’t need that much. I was thinking of packing it into a zip lock bag, but again - foreigner with white powder in zip lock bag…

Am I overthinking it? Will they not care?

I guess I am not the only one taking creatine so any experiences traveling with it appreciated

This is probably too high for Reddit's pay grade, but I thought I'd ask anyway. I made an anonymous account to ask just in case.

TLDR: My husband wants to run for a big political office. As a foreign visa holder, what potential dangers are there to my own Visa status if I remain as a visa/eventual PR holder? Will being married to a politician (and with us financially supporting each other) fall under the "political activities" ban for a foreign national?

Long Story:

My husband is interested in running for office as either (a) a senate member or (b) Tokyo governor. He is in a position with enough support that if he ran for parliament, there is a very good chance he could get the position. He doesn't think there is a good chance of winning the Tokyo governor seat, but he has a few specific laws he wants to change, and he feels that it's worth the try since he would have more influence as a solo governor rather an a member of senate. He is pretty much guaranteed to get at least enough votes to be given back the huge fee that is required for the candidate to pay to run in the race. If he were loses, he feels that the increased attention would drive attention to his already relatively large platform (currently unrelated to government) and would give him a bigger platform to address the issues he wants to reform. It would also get him a better foot in the door for a parliamentary position.

I have American citizenship. I was planning to apply for PR this year, but unfortunately while I file taxes on time every year, I misfiled something last year, so I have a "late payment" on my record. Therefore, I won't be eligible for PR until fall of 2028.

Even after I get PR, I plan to get Japanese citizenship at some point, but not until my parents in the US have passed away. I understand that revoking US citizenship can mean delays and difficulty when trying to visit the US on short notice (if my parents were ill for example) and it would also mean that inheritance would be quite hefty on the US side. (From what I understand, the Japanese side of inheritance tax wouldn't change in either situation, but if I remain a US citizen, I don't need to pay as many taxes to the US government.)

My husband has been researching and doesn't believe that him being married to a foreign national alone wouldn't make it illegal for him to run. While it might hurt his chances in some markets, his current support base would likely not be bothered by it. However, I am still concerned about potential legal pitfalls.

I know foreign nationals are unable to participate in many types of political activity. We treat all finances as our money, but even if the self-backing required comes out of his own bank account, I am unsure whether it will count as me financially backing a political candidate, despite it being my own husband.

Yes, we have separate bank accounts, but we count each others money as our own (we are both relatively well paid), and freely transfer back and forth between accounts.

Other factors that concern me are attending political events and rallies. Would I be legally allowed to support him as he campaigns, or would that be considering "political activities? What about helping design media for him? I am a graphic designer, and I would have loved to help with that aspect of his campaign, but again, I fear that it will potentially raise issues for my own Visa.

Basically, If he decides to pursue a political career, would it be dangerous for me not to have Japanese citizenship at the time? We don't have kids or plan to have them btw.

Tell us about a cool place you went to, a nice restaurant, maybe a nice meal at home, or maybe a good product you found in a supermarket that you never thought you'd be able to buy in Japan.

There are no bad recommendations, please share!