Tokyo International Friends & Events 東京国際交流会
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Everything expats and foreigners need to know about daily life in Japan. Housing, transport, money-saving tips, Japanese apps, healthcare, schooling for international families, and practical advice for making Japan feel like home. Written by people who actually live here.
JR East raised fares on March 14, 2026 for the first full-scale revision since 1987: 7.1% on average, 12% on commuter passes and up to 22.9% for Yamanote-area passes. Here are the numbers, Tokyo examples and ways to cut the cost.
TIFE（東京国際交流会）の国際交流カラオケパーティーが、2026年10月12日18:15放送のTBS「Nスタ」で紹介されました。放送の内容、私たちの想い、次回カラオケへの参加方法をご紹介します。
Our TIFE International Karaoke Party was featured on TBS's Nスタ (N-STA) on October 12, 2026 at 18:15. Here is what aired, what it means to our community, and how to join the next karaoke night in Tokyo.
Tokyo plans to replace its flat ¥100–¥200 hotel tax with a 3% charge on room rates above ¥13,000 a night from April 2027, and to extend it to Airbnb-style rentals. Here is how much more you will pay and what is still pending approval.
Since April 2026, a child and child-rearing support levy of 0.23% rides on Japan's public health insurance premiums. Here is what it costs per month, who pays it (children or not), when it shows on your payslip, and what it funds.
Since April 24, 2026, JAL and Skymark allow only two power banks per passenger (160Wh or less each) and ban using or charging them in flight. Here is what the notices say, how to check your watt-hours, and what is still unconfirmed.
Since October 1, 2026, renewing or changing your Japan residence status costs up to ¥75,000 instead of ¥6,000, and permanent residency costs ¥200,000. Here are the confirmed numbers, the online discount, and the hardship reduction.
Japan overhauled its permanent residency screening on October 1, 2026: a ¥200,000 fee, an above-average income test, pension records equal to 30 years of contributions, and conversational Japanese. What is confirmed, what is only reported, and how to prepare.