Moving to Japan? Find Your People in Tokyo From Day One

You Prepared for the Paperwork. Not for the Silence.

Your First 30 Days in Tokyo: The Checklist

Paperwork and people, in the order that actually works. Gold steps are the social ones — don’t skip them.

1. Before you fly

   Connect with Tokyo before you land

   • Join the TIFE Facebook group (44,000+ members) and ask your questions — someone has already solved them.
   • Join TIFE on Meetup and RSVP to an event in your first week, so it’s already in your calendar.
   • Sending savings to Japan? Bank wires lose money on fees and exchange rates. Wise uses the real exchange rate and is what many TIFE members use.

   📖 Japan Work Visa 2026: which one do you need?

2. Day 1 · Airport

   Get your Residence Card and a transit card

   • Arriving on a mid- to long-term visa at a major airport (Narita, Haneda, Kansai and others), you receive your Residence Card (在留カード) at immigration. Keep it on you at all times.
   • Get a Suica or PASMO IC card for trains, buses and convenience stores.
   • Use a travel eSIM or pocket Wi-Fi until your Japanese phone contract is set up.

   📖 Japan Residence Card 2026: complete guide

3. Within 14 days of moving in

   Register your address at the ward office

   • Go to your city or ward office (区役所) with your Residence Card and passport. Address registration (住民登録) is required within 14 days of moving into your home.
   • At the same visit, enrol in National Health Insurance and the National Pension — unless your employer enrols you in its own insurance (社会保険).
   • Your My Number is issued after registration. Apply for the My Number Card: since December 2024 Japan no longer issues new paper health insurance cards, and the My Number Card works as your insurance card.

   📖 Paper health insurance card is gone: what to do

4. Week 1

   Go to your first TIFE event

   Don’t wait until the paperwork is done. A language exchange is the easiest first event: it has a built-in format, most people come alone, and you’ll meet both Japanese locals and newcomers in one evening.

   👉 See language exchanges & casual events

5. Weeks 1–2

   Phone contract and bank account

   • Phone: you’ll need your Residence Card for ID verification. Japan is tightening SIM identity checks in 2026 — check the rules before you sign.
   • Bank: bring your Residence Card (with your registered address on the back) and a Japanese phone number. Requirements differ by bank, and some ask newcomers for more documents — Japan Post Bank (ゆうちょ銀行) is a common first account.

   📖 Japan’s 2026 SIM card ID rules explained

6. Weeks 2–4

   Find a home — and furnish it cheaply

   • Not sure where to live? A share house gets you instant flatmates; an apartment gives you privacy. Many landlords require a guarantor — there are ways around it.
   • Furnish secondhand on Mercari, Japan’s biggest resale app. New users get ¥500 in points with code GUJURR — download Mercari here.
   • Ask your ward office or landlord for the garbage sorting calendar — rules and pickup days differ by ward.

   📖 Share house vs apartment · Renting without a guarantor · Mercari guide

7. Weeks 2–4

   Turn first meetings into friendships

   • Go back to the same event type 2–3 times. Recognising faces is what turns acquaintances into friends.
   • Try one activity event — sports, karaoke or a monthly party — to meet a different crowd.
   • Once you have a Japanese phone number, join our LINE community — it’s how most of Tokyo makes plans.

From Stranger to Local: How It Usually Goes

The Best First Events for Newcomers

Picked for people who don’t know anyone yet. All beginner-friendly, all English-friendly.

🔴 Coming up next on the TIFE calendar

Who You’ll Meet at TIFE

What Members Say

Real reviews from TIFE members on TripAdvisor.

Read all reviews on TripAdvisor →

Essential Guides for Moving to Japan

Written by people who’ve lived in Japan for over a decade — the guides we wish we’d had.