Banking in Japan

Credits to Jason Yang for providing most of the information. Once you have your Residence Card (在留カード) and a Japanese phone number, you are ready to set up your bank account. Some banks require a hanko as well, but others like Prestia, Sony, and Shinsei Bank don’t – you can just use a normal signature. […]

Taxes Back Home

One of the nice things about Japan is that the company takes care of the taxes. No April 15th, no frantic and confusing filling out of pages of forms. Your company (school, BOE) takes care of everything for you. Unfortunately, the same is not true for most other countries, and even though you’re over here, […]

Checklist for Leaving Japan

Organize the teaching materials you used for your successor. Designate a Tax Representative (for your The Pension Refund). Cancel your newspaper and magazine subscriptions, your keitai contract, your Internet service contract, car insurance contract, etc. Pay your bills! (Your office should help you with this.) Rent Electricity, gas, and water bills (Arrange ahead of time for […]