Helpful information for foreign residents in Japan.
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An honest 2026 comparison of the best apps to learn Japanese — Duolingo, WaniKani, Bunpro, Renshuu, Anki, Migii and LO-PAL Lingo. Real prices, real strengths, and how to stop paying for five apps at once.
Japan replaces the technical intern visa with Ikusei Shuro on April 1, 2027. Complete 2026 guide for foreign workers: 17 sectors, transfer rules, A1 Japanese requirement, SSW1/SSW2 pathway, and the April 1, 2026 deadline most existing interns miss.
With over 4 million foreign residents, Japan has no single best prefecture. This 2026 guide ranks the top areas by visa, job, cost and family life.
Find English-speaking psychiatrists, counselors, and crisis lines in Japan. NHI coverage, costs, visa impact, Yakkan Shomei, and EAP — May 2026 guide.
Convert your foreign driver license to Japanese in 2026: October 2025 reform, 50-question test (90% pass), JAF translation, 3-month rule, prefecture booking.
Japan's three credit bureaus don't see your overseas history. Map of credit cards, loans, and mortgages for foreign residents in 2026: which lenders approve non-PR, how long bureau records stay, and the path from first card to mortgage.
Japan PR rules tightened: revocation施行 by 2027-06-21, fee cap ¥300,000 (actual ¥100K–¥200K expected), 5-year visa required. Three routes, processing times, and what to do now.
Japan driver's license from scratch guide for foreigners 2026: 教習所 cost ¥250-380K, 指定 vs 届出 schools, 4 tests, 20-language 試験場 support, AT vs MT, October 2025 conversion changes.
2026 visa risk map for foreigners in Japan: 10 distinct threats to residence status with recovery paths. Covers insurance 2027 rule, 3-month/14-day rules, employment traps, Business Manager changes, overstay, and category misalignment.
Pre-signing guide to Japanese employment contracts for foreigners (2026): 10 clauses that cost money, career freedom, or visa status. Covers 固定残業, 試用期間, 契約社員, 裁量労働, 競業避止, and visa sponsorship risks.
Your Japanese spouse can divorce you without your signature — and you'll lose your visa. The 2026 custody reform, the 14-day deadline, and how to protect yourself.
Bank account, phone, city hall, My Number — get the order wrong and you'll waste months. The first-year admin checklist for foreign residents in Japan.
Complete guide to handling emergencies in Japan as a foreigner: lost passport, stolen phone, car accidents, earthquakes, typhoons, police reports, and more.
Complete 2026 guide to Japan's hoikuen system for foreign parents: 5 daycare types, point system, application timeline, fees, daily life, and rejection options.
Complete guide for foreign parents with children in Japanese public school: supplies, lunch, communication, events, PTA, after-school care, and language support.
Complete 2026 guide to money and taxes in Japan for foreigners: bank accounts, payslip, resident tax, year-end adjustment, tax return, remittance, pension refund.
Learn 6 steps for a Tokyo Japanese driver’s license in English—Tokyo booking-only rules, language days, center limits, and document prep.
Japan's license conversion pass rate crashed from 90% to 30% in October 2025. Kadoma and Komyoike booking, the new 50-question test, and driving course tips for Osaka.
Japan's medical system explained for foreigners: clinic vs hospital, referral letters, intake forms, costs, and how to find English-speaking doctors.
5 costly health insurance mistakes foreigners make in Japan: non-enrollment, employer fraud, Myna card transition, premium non-payment, and coverage gaps.
From 育成就労 in 2027 to 永住: ISA's own rules add up to about 13 years, not 18. The ladder, the 10-year and 5-year tests, and what stops most people.
Farm and fishing work under Ikusei Shuro from April 2027: the only two sectors allowing dispatch, and why the 8-hour day does not legally apply to you.
Factory work in Japan under Ikusei Shuro or Specified Skilled Worker from 2027: quotas, the 17 job categories, exams, transfer rules, dispatch ban and pay.
Construction has Japan's biggest ikusei shuro quota: 123,500 places from 2027. The minister-approved plan, CCUS, the JAC levy you must not pay, and safety data.
Japan's Ikusei Shuro caregiving track in 2027: the higher Japanese bar, the two-year transfer rule, the sector exams, 2025 home-visit rules, and the 介護福祉士 route to permanent residence and family.
The cheapest places to live in Japan for foreigners in 2026: real rent by metro, the move-in wall, hidden costs, and why the cheapest city isn't always viable.
Which Japanese city fits you? Compare Tokyo, Osaka, Fukuoka and 4 more for foreigners and expats in 2026 by community, services, jobs and rent.
Fukuoka is a rare big city that is cheap for families. A 2026 guide to rent, daycare, schools, child benefits, low-cost children's healthcare and family visas.
