What to do after arriving in Japan
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Hello Smilers! The Japan border is opening up for all purposes other than touring purposes. This means that there will be a lot of people who will be moving to Japan. This blog is for the people who are moving to Japan or would want to move to Japan. We will explain and tell you the things you have to prepare for when moving to Japan.
Table of contents
1. Get your residence card
The residence card(在留カード zairyu ka-do) is your identity card in Japan and you must have it with you at all times. It is needed if you are planning to stay over the period of your travel visa. This is the most important thing and it is the first thing you need when moving to Japan. To get your residence card, there are 2 ways to do it. Firstly, you can get your residence card directly from the airport if you enter Japan through Narita, Haneda, Kansai, or Chubu airport. The immigration officers will hand you the card to you and you have to register your address in the local city hall. You have to do it within 2 weeks of arriving in Japan.
If you are entering Japan from any other airports mentioned above, you have to go to the nearest Immigration Bureau and get your residence card there. The most important thing is to register your address and have it with you at all times.
2. Get your train cards
When moving to Japan, the main mode of transportation is by train or by bus and it is crucial for you to have your train card or transit card on your first day in Japan. You can buy them and charge them in the machine at the nearest train station. If you have your transit card, your trip would be a little bit cheaper than using the ticket. You can also use it to buy stuff in the vending machine and stores that accept payment through transportation cards. It is a must to have it when you are moving to Japan. Take note that you can top up your transportation cards at the nearest convenience store.
3. Make your hanko
In other countries, your signature would be enough for any legal document that you have to sign. But in Japan, you will need a hanko (はんこ) for it. A hanko is a stamp with your name on it and it is advised that you carry it with you all the time just like your residence card. The hanko is needed when you are signing a contract for your phone or when you are renting a house. For foreigners, because our name tends to be longer and not in kanji, you have to make a custom hanko in a hanko store. The price will vary depending on the material, size and the length of your name.
4. Make a bank account
In Japan, making a bank account can be difficult. They will ask you questions like, “what is your purpose for making the bank account?” and sometimes your financial background. If you do not speak Japanese, the process may be difficult for you. The easiest way for you to make a bank account is by registering with Japan Post Bank. for someone who is moving to Japan, we would recommend that you register with Japan Post Bank (ゆちょ銀行, Yucho ginkou). Many foreigners residing in Japan have successfully opened a bank account with Japan Post Bank.
5. Get your Japan phone number
Getting a phone number when moving to Japan is crucial because you will need to enter your phone number in every form that you have to fill in. There are a lot of providers to choose from in Japan right now. A few of the cheap providers that you might want to consider are: Rakuten Mobile, Line Mobile, UQ Mobile and Y! Mobile
When visiting the stores, most of the staff in the store do not speak English, so you will have to ask someone who is fluent in Japanese along with you to explain the various plans.
6. Call the necessary electricity, gas, and water company
When moving into your new apartment, you will not have any water, gas or electricity running. You will need to contact the company yourself and make an appointment with them and they will come to your house and do some work so that your water, gas and electricity are running.
7. Get Wi-Fi for your new home
Once the electricity is running in your house, the next step is to set up your Wi-Fi. You can get Wi-Fi by going to SoftBank, J:Com shops and apply for the Wi-Fi service there. You will not get the Wi-Fi on the same day because you will have to make an appointment for the service people to come to your house and set up the router. For some companies like Rakuten and Nuro, you are able to apply online for your Wi-Fi. You will be offered a lot of different plans and packages. It is best that you get someone who is fluent in Japanese to go along with you so that you will understand everything and make a clear decision.
8. Separate your garbage and get familiar with the schedule
When moving to Japan, the one thing that you need to get used to is separating your garbage. In Japan, the garbage rules are very strict and the schedules vary from one area to another. The main thing is to separate your burnable garbage, non-burnable garbage, bottles, cans, plastic bottles, aerosol spray cans and papers (newspaper, magazine Be sure to put them in separate plastic bags before taking them out on specific dates in your area. Be sure to take them out latest by 8 am so that the garbage truck can take them on time.
9. Find a good remittance company
To wrap things up, for those of you who are planning to work in Japan and want to send money back home to your loved ones, you will need to find a good remittance company that has high rates and is convenient. Smiles Mobile Remittance is the perfect one for you! All you need to do to register to Smiles is only a smartphone and your residence card. The registration process will be less than 5 minutes and you will be ready to remit money to your loved ones!
We hope that this article will be helpful for those of you who are planning to move to Japan.
Here are a few related articles that might also help you settle in Japan:
LINEMO: Is this cheap Japanese SIM Card Worth a Try?
