Top
Useful links and sharp discussion for foreign residents building a life, career, or business in Japan.
Curated, not algorithmic
Weekly digest
Strongly moderated
In this article, we will thoroughly guide foreigners who want to work in Japan on how to look for jobs. Foreigners need a status of residence called a work ...
Find work in Japan for English speakers. English teaching jobs in Japan, IT jobs in Japan, finance jobs in Japan and more! Salary ¥236,000 ~ ¥330,000 / Month ...
Japan Dev's guide to setting up banking as a foreigner: which banks are accessible without Japanese fluency (Sony Bank, Rakuten, Shinsei), online account opening, international transfers, and Wise vs local options.
Step-by-step guide to the gaimenkirikaeshi (外免切り替え) process: which countries are test-exempt, the 3-month residency proof requirement, required documents, and booking your appointment.
Japan Dev's no-nonsense guide to working in Japan: hōrenso communication, nemawashi consensus-building, after-work drinking culture, and how to navigate these norms as a foreign employee.
MailMate's practical checklist for going freelance in Japan: opening notification to the tax office, blue-form return registration, national health insurance, pension, and invoice-system (インボイス) considerations.
Free interactive calculator for foreign residents: estimates annual income tax, residence tax (juminzei), and social insurance contributions based on your gross salary and situation.
Navigator Japan's guide to kakutei shinkoku for salaried foreign residents: who must file beyond the year-end adjustment, refund scenarios, e-Tax walkthrough, and March deadline.
Guide to finding startup roles in Japan as an English speaker: key sectors hiring foreigners (AI, fintech, SaaS), job boards, visa sponsorship norms, and salary expectations.
Japan Dev's data-driven breakdown of software engineer compensation in Japan: median salaries by role, seniority, and company type (startup vs large enterprise vs foreign-owned).
Comprehensive, regularly updated directory of free and paid Japanese learning tools — apps, textbooks, grammar references, kanji decks, listening resources, and language exchange sites.
Tofugu's canonical free guide to learning Japanese from scratch: the recommended order (kana → kanji → grammar → vocabulary → listening/speaking), with curated resource picks at each stage.
End-to-end walkthrough of renting in Tokyo as a foreigner: searching on portals, viewing, document checklist, approval timeline, and what to expect at contract signing.
Explains the up-front costs of renting in Japan — key money (reikin), deposit, brokerage fee — and how the guarantor company system works for foreigners without a Japanese co-signer.
How Japan's school system works for foreign families — from nursery through high school: enrollment procedures, international school options, and support for non-Japanese-speaking children.
Practical guide to raising children in Japan as a foreign resident: hoikuen vs yochien, waitlists, tuition-free early education policy, and 2026 universal daycare changes.
Overview of the main expat community networks in Japan — international meetup groups, language-exchange circles, sports clubs, and online forums by city.
Community event platform hosting socialising, cultural, and sports events for expats and Japanese alike across Tokyo and Osaka; 50,000+ members across platforms.
GaijinPot roundup of major 2026 legal and regulatory changes affecting foreign residents — covering immigration fees, dependent income rules, and employment law updates.
Japan Times: the government's plan to admit 1.23M foreign workers by FY2028 combining the Specified Skilled Worker program and the new Employment for Skill Development status.