Tokyo International Friends & Events 東京国際交流会
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Your complete A–Z guide to living in Japan as an expat or foreigner. From opening a bank account and getting a SIM card to navigating the healthcare system, Japanese bureaucracy, and daily life hacks. Curated by Peter Chen, 18+ years in Tokyo — so you can skip the hard lessons.
Japan permanent residency revocation 2026: new law effective April 2027 allows PR to be revoked for deliberate tax or insurance non-payment. Who is at risk, what triggers it, and what every PR holder must do now.
Japan's visa system is bureaucratic by design — and navigating it without clear information can delay or derail a move that's months in the making. This guide cuts through the official language to give you a clear picture of what visa you likely need, what it takes to get it, and what changed in 2026.
Mercari’s real cost isn’t just 10% — it’s 10% + shipping + a ¥200 payout fee. Full fee tables, take-home calculator, reverse-pricing formula, and 4 ways to cut fees. Code GUJURR = ¥500 free.
Moving to Tokyo is one of the most exciting decisions you'll ever make. It's also one of the most bureaucratically complex — Japan's administrative setup for newcomers involves multiple offices, specific timelines, and documents that no one warns you about until you need them. This checklist removes the guesswork.
Rode the go-kart 10+ times with my son. Honest 2026 review of Ikenotaira Hotel Nagano — Super Pass breakdown, buffet with baby food, cable car, lake cycling, direct bus from Shinjuku.
Mercari charges 10%, Yahoo! Flea Market only 5%, Rakuma 4.5–10% — full fee comparison with real take-home calculations. Referral codes: GUJURR (¥500) and WWYMXZ (¥1,000 PayPay).
Here's the truth most relocation guides won't tell you: moving to Tokyo is straightforward. Making real friends in Tokyo — the kind you call when something goes wrong, not just the kind you get drinks with twice — is one of the genuinely hard parts of expat life here.
Moving to Tokyo alone is genuinely one of the best decisions you can make. It's also genuinely one of the hardest things you'll experience in the first 90 days. Both of these things are true at the same time. Here's what the experience actually looks like, and how to navigate it.