First time giving blood in Japan. Was prevented for 26 years but they changed the rules last month so... those of us who have lived in the UK or Europe are now able to donate.

400ml of A- blood in the system for when I need it.

Got some cookies and all the drinks I can down in the 30 minute 'rest time'. The lemon ginger drink was really good.

Not busy on a weekday so the whole thing probably took 90 minutes or so, including the initial questionnaires etc. Check in and initial tests/interview probably took 30 minutes, the blood donation took about twenty, and they asked me to rest there for thirty minutes afterwards. Apparently it's a lot quicker on subsequent visits as they already have all your info and you can do the questionnaires in advance online.

I just walked in, but it might be a good idea to make a reservation as they could turn you away if they are busy.

I did all the procedures in Japanese, and you need a reasonable reading ability for the initial questionnaire and briefing. I forgot to ask about foreign language support, but have been told on social media that using translation apps etc. is okay.

Would definitely recommend doing this: it's a fairly low effort way to give back to society and the Red Cross website says that they need new donors.

Got an email with a login notification from a different PC and a different location. Heart went racing given the recent data leaks.

It felt like a race against time to delete my credit card details and change my password. Not sure if I am completely safe yet as I'm worried someone already logged in and stole my information.

This is really concerning! Keep a close eye on your emails folks! Maybe I need to check my other websites that have saved payment methods (Amazon!)

Just wanted to chat with people here about something I’ve been noticing for a while.

I have noticed so many “influencers” or “models” come to Japan and engage in work usually on tourist visas or digital nomad visas. For example, an influencer is absolutely monetized and making content + posting while in Japan during their visit. I also have seen Facebook groups for “models and photographers” in Japan where people explicitly say they’re just visiting but looking for work while here.

From what I understand, this should absolutely be illegal and a visa violation. But I have never seen anyone experience any backlash for this ? I suppose it’s just very hard for the goverment to track which is why it’s gone on for so long.

Personally I think it’s not right. It’s frustrating to see influencers especially come to Japan and use it as a means of making a quick buck. Then there’s also the question if people doing this are getting a tax break in their home countries calling it a “business expense”. But who knows.

I also used to work in the modeling industry back in America and I can absolutely confirm visa fraud is a global issue in this industry. I have worked with an agency who constantly sent models to countries and instructed them to say it was a vacation.

I would love to hear the thoughts and feelings of other people who have maybe noticed this. Maybe I’m just becoming old and bitter. But I am surprised there hasn’t been more said about this. Or perhaps I am out of the loop.

for about two weeks now ive been getting all these pollen allergies symptoms like runny nose, dry eyes, stuffy nose, and none stop sneezing, like ten sneezes in a row. アレジオン kinda helps but its getting really annoying. Is anyone else experiencing this or just me?

So next week I'm visiting my family in the US for my sister's wedding in 2 weeks. She asked me to send her my measurements for a tuxedo she wants me to wear so she can give it to the rental company and they can adjust a tux for me. Supposedly it takes 2 weeks to get ready. So I went to an Aoki and asked if I could get my measurements (told them I wasn't gonna buy anything and apologized) and the lady checked my waist and showed me to the jackets. She pulled one out that was labeled E-6 and told me this was how suits are labeled so it'll be different. I just said thanks and took a memo but the only real measurement I left with was that E-6 and my waist line.

Anybody know if I can convert that info into figuring out my sizes? The jacket did fit pretty good tbh.

BTW I'm like 168 cm and kinda chunky (110 waist).

I actually bought a measuring tape from Muji that I can use to measure myself but I was hoping the people at the suit store would give me more accurate measurements.

I asked my sister what the tux rental needed and she just replied "the usual measurements."

I’m currently job hunting in Japan as an international student, and I recently had a frustrating experience with an IT company.

I attended an online recruiter meeting, and afterward, the company sent me an email explicitly stating:

「面接確約として選考を進めさせていただきます！」

Which basically means, “We guarantee you an interview as part of the selection process.”

I was genuinely interested in the company, so I attended their company information session (説明会), spent time researching the position, and carefully prepared and submitted their entry sheet (ES).

A few days later, I received a rejection email saying I hadn’t passed the document screening (書類選考).

I never even got the interview they had promised.

I completely understand that rejection is part of job hunting. I don’t expect companies to accept me simply because I applied.

But what bothers me is the contradiction. If they were going to reject applicants during document screening anyway, why explicitly promise an interview?

I’m keeping the company’s name private because my intention isn’t to damage its reputation. I’m just disappointed and genuinely confused about how this happened.

Has anyone experienced something similar during job hunting in Japan? Is 「面接確約」 sometimes used to mean something other than a guaranteed interview, or is this unusual?

When I first moved to Japan I lived on a hill two cities away from my Japanese school. 20 min going up hill summer or winter + 1h30 train made me compromise to leave as close as possible to school,work, etc. While I was living in a relatively cheaper city, this new commitment only made my life better.

Now I live 15min walk from university, but pay a central Tokyo average rent. I never rush for class, sleep longer, but feel my money going away in this city.

Have you experienced both sides of this trade-off? What was the best for your peace?

They're a Malaysian brand and are great - very vinegary! I bought them at a Yamaya Liquor and Import store in Osaka. They also have a Sichuan pepper flavour that I did not buy because I'm a weenie.

I'm of Japanese ancestry and will be moving to Japan soon. Both my surname and given name are Japanese, and I'd like to register a 通称名 using their corresponding kanji when I arrive.

According to Asaka City's guidelines, one of the accepted reasons for registering a 通称名 is:

日系外国人が本名の日本式氏名部分を名乗る場合

I also came across this GaijinPot article, which suggests that people typically gather supporting documents showing consistent use of the alias (such as a 在職証明書 or 健康保険-related documents) before applying at their ward office.

My main question is whether it's possible to prepare sufficient documentation before arriving in Japan, so I can register the 通称名 at the same time as my initial address registration.

For example, could I ask my future employer to issue a 在職証明書 using my name in kanji before my start date? Alternatively, I could arrange for mail or other documents addressed to me in kanji to be sent to the address where I'll be living. I am not sure if this is sufficient proof of the name though.

I'm also curious whether anyone with Japanese ancestry has successfully registered their kanji name based on family records. The Asaka City guidelines seem to suggest that a 戸籍謄本 may be useful for verifying the Japanese surname, although in my case it wouldn't directly establish the kanji for my given name. I guess I can request a record just in case though.

Ideally, I'd like to register the kanji name from the beginning so I can use it when setting up bank accounts, insurance, and other services, rather than having to update everything afterward.

Has anyone successfully registered a 通称名 immediately after moving to Japan, particularly under the 日系外国人 provision? What supporting documents did your ward office accept?

Thanks in advance for any advice or experiences!

I'm holding an English conversation event tommorow night (oct 24th) night. Would you like to join? I'll also prepare some topics, so I don't think you'll get bored. After the English session, we're going out for drinks at an affordable izakaya.

Here’s the link to the Meetup page—please join us!

https://meetu.ps/e/QfFvm/BdcPY/i

Topic of the meeting
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/oct/08/uk-banknotes-new-design-barn-owl-bumblebee-puffin-hedgehog?utm_source=chatgpt.com

Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/nagoya_english_conversation?igsh=ZXZneG81MWNwM3Jw

I'm planning to leave Japan in a couple of months. My residence card is still valid for another year, but I won't be living in Japan anymore.

I have a PayPay Card linked to my Yuucho bank account, and an ETC card connected to PayPay Card.

I want to keep the card and account working long enough to make sure all outstanding payments, especially ETC tolls that might be charged after I leave, are paid successfully. I'll leave enough money in the bank account to cover everything.

I don't need to use PayPay Card after leaving Japan. I just want to avoid missed payments or problems with my Japanese credit history. I also expect to receive my retirement allowance several months after leaving.

I know both yuchou and paypay wants you to close everything after you leave but it's risky specially because i cant stop using ETC card and who knows any other payment that takes so long might end up unpaid! I would rather let it chill there one year without using it until it expires with my residency status.

Does it makes sense ? how risky is that ?

I have finally decided to get it over with and begin the long arduous process of naturalization as a Japanese citizen, after living here for 25 years. Can anyone recommend a lawyer in Saitama who is reputable? Any other advice/information from people who have already been through the process would also be appreciated. (I have US citizenship now if that's relevant.)

Hi all!

I'm leaving Japan next year and my family are visiting me in my last weeks to help me pack up. One thing I've always wanted to do is a family kimono photoshoot in either a studio or a live location. We're 3 adults (1 man, 2 women). Ideally, I'd like to do it in a Hinamatsuri, Shichigosan, or Coming of Age vibe but I'm fully flexible to what's available.

Therefore, I'd like to ask if anyone is or knows any freelance photographers who are available in the first week or so of August 2027 and are able to help us with this? Ideally, someone who can also organise studio rental (if needed) and/or kimono rental and dressing. At least organising the studio rental would be nice, the kimono rental I can organise myself if needed.

I don't have an exact budget in mind but bear in mind that my parents are paying but they are not as .... generous.... as me. Ideally Under 40k for the photography, data, (and studio if necessary) would be great. I don't think they'd agree if it was more than that. But I'm willing to negotiate.

Please let me know if anyone has any ideas for this! We're in Saitama but willing to travel around Saitama, Tokyo, or other pretty spots around Kanto for this.

EDIT: Just want to clarify... I'm not looking for a photographer to follow my family around for a day and take photos. We don't want that nor have time for that. We literally want to do a one or two hour shoot on location or in a studio and then get the photos on a usb stick or something like that.

has anyone ever had experience with this clinic in tokyo? i saw an ad for them on social media and they’re doing discounts currently.

I am a student legally residing in Japan and am trying to book a B1/B2 visa appointment at the U.S. Consulate in Osaka.
When booking, I accidentally selected “Japanese citizen” instead of “Japan resident” under the priority options.

I struggled to find available appointments across Japan but managed to get a date in Osaka. It looks like I got a date this time around because I mistakenly selected Japanese citizen instead of resident. I only realised my mistake after booking confirmation . I contacted the scheduling service, but they couldn’t guarantee whether I would be allowed to attend. Everything is correct except the wrong priority option which should have been Japan Resident.

I am worried about cancelling because there are no available dates. Has anyone experienced this at the US Consulate in OSAKA? Were you allowed to attend, or were you turned away? Would you recommend keeping the appointment or cancelling it? Any advice would be appreciated. Thank you !

Not sure if I’m posting this to the right place but long story short: I came to Japan on a working holiday last February, found a job to sponsor my gijinkoku visa, applied for the COE but got rejected. Tried to reapply, i was back in my home country by this time, rejected again. Both for the same company. Rejection reason: “job duties does not fall under gijinkoku”. Second one same reason, however for some reason instead of “gijinkoku” the denial letter said “dependent”. Not sure what happened the second time why I was denied under a complete different category but by this time I gave up. Fast forward now I came back to Japan on a second working holiday and managed to find a different employer willing to sponsor me.

So now I’m looking for recommendations for immigration lawyers/scriveners that can help me with the new application. If anyone has anyone they know (especially ones that also specialise in denials as well, if there is such thing) I am all ears. I just genuinely need as many recommendations as possible so I can see the options I have.

My location: Tokyo
New employer location: Yokohama

Thank you.

Hi everyone,

I’m a foreigner from a non-kanji background, currently doing my master’s at a fairly top-ranked university here in Japan. I speak Japanese fluently and have JLPT N1.

I graduate next March, so I started job hunting the same way Japanese students do. The problem is I still haven’t landed a single interview. Either the company rejects me at the document screening (this happens most of the time), or after the online test.

I’ve studied for the tests (TG-WEB, SPI, etc.), but the language section (言語) is really tough for me, with about one minute per question. Honestly, I also wonder how a test like this can evaluate someone like me fairly when I’m not a native speaker.

What am I doing wrong? I’m confident I can do well in interviews, but if I never get invited to one, I can’t show what I can do.

Thanks in advance for any advice!! ^-^

Update 1: I apologize for the lack of information, I am an MBA student, I actually do have a work experience around 2 years which really puts me in this weird position between a new grad and an experienced hire.

Hey everyone!

A little about me: I'm a Japanese man. I'm based in the Yokohama area, and I'm usually pretty free on weekdays. My partner is American, and we often organize casual get-togethers and drinks with friends from different countries who live in Japan.

I'm curious about your lives, too!

What do you enjoy doing in your free time? Is there anything you wish you could do more often, or something you wish was easier to find in Japan?

Maybe it's making friends, finding people with similar interests, exploring new places, practicing a language, or just having someone to hang out with on a weekday.

I have some free time and enjoy bringing people together, so who knows — maybe we can turn some of your ideas into something fun!

Feel free to share whatever comes to mind. You can speak either Japanese or English!

こんにちは！ 日本に住んでいる皆さんのことをもっと知りたいです。

少し自己紹介すると、横浜周辺に住んでいて、平日はわりと暇なことが多いです。パートナーがアメリカ人で、日本に住むいろいろな国籍の友達と、気軽な飲み会や集まりをよく企画しています。

皆さんは普段、時間があるときに何をして楽しんでいますか？ もっとできたらいいのに、と思っていることはありますか？

友達づくり、趣味仲間、新しい場所探し、言語交換、気軽に遊べる相手など、どんなことでも聞いてみたいです。

私は人を集めて一緒に楽しむことが好きです。

日本語か英語のどちらかが話せれば大丈夫です。気軽にコメントしてください！

Iv lived in an apartment in middle of tokyo for a year now and vacuum 3-4 times a month. In additional to the standard clumpier and fluffy gray dust, I always get this fine white powder, especially noticing it since getting a dyson. Is this normal or is something wrong? It is very fine and feels slippery. I took a picture of the residue of this dust after i emptied my vacuum. I have filters on my air vents in my walls. Havent used a humidifier since last year. My a

AC units dont seem dirty or dusty.

Thank you.

I'm sure they are but one of a spate of hacks recently. What was stolen: Name / Email address / Address / Phone number / Hashed password

Frankly, I'm surprised the password was hashed! They are at the bleeding edge of Japanese IT security, apparently.

Hi Reddit, I have a question on:

1. What is considered normal in Japan for a "clean" apartment on move-in, and
2. What recourse I have if my apartment does not meet this standard, and
3. How long is considered normal for a response from the management company, and
4. Whether it is normal for the fudo-san to control all communications between myself and the management company

I moved into a new condo and discovered that it wasn't deep cleaned. On the surface level, it looked like the mirrors were partially wiped and the floors were swept, but:

1. There was someone's hair and dirt on the floor in the shoe storage area near the genkan.
2. Someone's hair was in some drawers.
3. Most drawers were not properly wiped down. Some of the old tenant's drawer mats were still present.
4. The toilet has some black dotted stain marks.
5. Counters were not properly wiped.
6. Stove has rust that wasn't cleaned.
7. Some mirrors had some smudges and the plastic holders in the shower had water stains.

It was clear to me that the cleaning was half-assed. Now, I don't know if this kind of half-assed cleaning job is normal for Japan, but my expectation is that the apartment is professionally deep-cleaned before move-in. The rent I'm paying is 250,000 yen per month. They charged me 110,000 yen in miscellaneous cleaning fees at move-in, and I am expected to pay 110,000 yen in cleaning costs at move-out. For such an expensive apartment, I think it's absolutely insane that I was (and will be) charged such high amounts in cleaning fees, but they did such a half-ass job for my own move-in.

In addition, I reached out to my fudo-san to complain about the situation more than a week ago but still have not yet received a concrete response from the management company + landlord on what they will do. Is this slow response time normal? In the United States, if you're renting a luxury apartment with a good property management company, you can generally get a resolution to these kind of issues in 24 - 48 hours.

Honestly, I'm pretty pissed at this situation, not just because of the poor cleaning job but also at how slow they've been at responding. It's really put a bad taste in my mouth regarding the so-called amazing Japanese customer service that most people are familiar with. If anyone has any advice on what I can do next, please let me know.

EDIT: This is a regular, unfurnished apartment with a 2-year lease.

Hi! My daughter turned 3 last month, she was born here and never left the country, so, even if my wife and I are hopeless foreigners, we would like to offer a 'kind of' 七五三. 'kind of' because not on 15th of November and probably not with a ceremony but just some photos in kimono in our local shrine. So she can have the same souvenirs as her classmates.

For the occasion we would like to rent a kimono for her, something better than the cheap kimonos from Akachan Honpo, a real one. But I have no clue as I never rented one... I live in Wako (Saitama) and looked at a kimono shop and rentals price, at least for adults, are crazy expensive (130000 yens).

As I am a bit clueless and lost, do you have plans? A good address to rent normal (not bad, not priceless) kimonos for small kids for a day? We hesitate to go to Kawagoe or other temples between Ikebukuro and Kawagoe.

Sorry if it seems stupid (to be honest I ask here because I'm embarrassed to ask colleagues or other parents from her school haha...).

Thanks!

~3 year old in a stroller is screaming for 15 mins, train is 50% full. J parents smiling and chatting with each other. Seen it frequently, even in stores.

Serious question, why is this acceptable? (Btw I’m 20 year resident)