Tools / Services
Apps, banks, and services useful for foreign residents.
Top 10 Essential Apps for Foreigners Living and Renting in Japan Moving to Japan? Discover the 10 must-have apps that will make your life easier — from apartment hunting and paying rent to navigating transit and communicating with landlords.
Essential Apps Every Foreigner Needs in Japan Moving to Japan or planning an extended stay? Your smartphone will quickly become your most valuable tool for navigating daily life. From catching trains and paying bills to translating menus and staying.
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.
Free interactive calculator for foreign residents: estimates annual income tax, residence tax (juminzei), and social insurance contributions based on your gross salary and situation.
Japan Dev's curated list of 20 essential apps for foreign residents: transport (Yahoo!乗換), maps, translation, payments, healthcare, and delivery.
Practical guide to Japan Post for residents: sending letters and parcels, using convenience-store drop-offs, redelivery, and handling mail while away.
Comparison of Japan's main cashless payment apps for foreign residents — PayPay, LINE Pay, d Barai, and IC-card options — with setup requirements for each.
GTN Mobile - SIM for Foreign Residents in Japan
(gtn-mobile.com)
A mobile carrier built specifically for foreign residents in Japan, including a foreigner-only credit card and Japanese-language support line.
Japan SIM Card - Mobal
(mobal.com)
An English-support SIM/eSIM provider widely used by foreign residents, with nationwide free delivery and airport pickup.
Wise's own comparison, useful for understanding when an international transfer service beats using a Japanese bank's wire transfer for moving money home.
Best Japan Banks: A Comparison of Services and Fees
(tokyocheapo.com)
Straightforward fee/feature comparison across the usual English-friendly options (Shinsei, Sony Bank, SMBC Trust) from a long-running expat resource site.