START A LIFE IN JAPAN, TIPS AND SUGGESTIONS (PART 2)

I finally was able to find some time to write the second part of this blog.

In the first part of this post, I talked about: House hunting, Resident registration, National Health Insurance, and National Pension. If you are interested in those topics you should check this link.

In this second part, I'm going to talk about some practical aspects of the Japanese life (bank accounts, payment methods etc.).

Bank account

If you plan to stay in Japan for more than 3 months you might want to open a bank account in Japan. Depending on the type of visa that you have, this task might be quite challenging. I asked a lot to Japanese friends and read many articles on the internet about Japanese bank accounts for foreigners and here are my suggestions:

JP Bank (Japan Post Bank - ゆうちょ銀行)

• Pro: Easy to open; Cheap; Post offices are everywhere.

• Cons: Internet banking is no good, No Debit card or Credit card, Free withdrawal only at post offices.

How to open: if you have a student or working visa and you still have more than 3 months left before it expires, you can open a JP Bank account. Find the Post office closest to your house, and bring these things with you: Passport, Residence card (在留カード) and your personal seal (印鑑*).

They will ask you to fill in an easy application form (if you cannot read Japanese they usually have an easy English explanation to show you but, if you are still concerned, macha-jp.com did a really good job in explaining the procedure. https://matcha-jp.com/

If you prefer to fill up the documentation before going to the Post office, at this link (https://jp-bank-kaisetsu.japanpost.jp) you can choose between 16 languages and prepare the documents beforehand.

After finishing the application procedure you will receive a bankbook (useful to withdraw or deposit money and check your balance). You will also receive your Cash Card (useful only to withdraw money from ATMs) at your address in a couple of weeks. 

Cash Card and Bankbook

Withdrawals are free at all JP Bank ATMs. If you withdraw from other ATMs a service fee might be applied (usually between ¥110～¥220).

Also remember that, if you change residence, you will have to go to the closest Post office to your new residence and let them know.

Rakuten Bank (楽天銀行)

• Pro: Easy to open; Cheap; Good Internet Banking, Rakuten Points.

• Cons: No physical bank branches.

Rakuten started as an e-commerce website (similar to Amazon or E-bay) but then developed many other services (Bank, Mobile Carrier, etc.). Rakuten Bank is probably the cheapest bank available in Japan (most of the services are free). Even if Rakuten Bank is an online bank (it doesn't have any branch offices), you can use a lot of ATMs from other companies for free (7-Eleven, Lawson, JP Bank, MUFG, Mizuho, etc.). You can withdraw and deposit money without any service fee (for 5 times per month). Even Money transfers are free (3 per month).

How to open: If you have a working or student visa, you can apply to Rakuten Bank online at this link. https://www.rakuten-bank.co.jp/

You will need your resident card (在留カード) and a second identification document like Passport, Health insurance card or Japanese Driving Licence. (The personal seal (*印鑑) is not needed to subscribe to Rakuten Bank)

After applying online you will receive a starting pack containing also a Debit Card at your address.

Rakuten Debit Card (also used as a Cash Card)

One of the most convenient things about Rakuten Bank is that you can get Rakuten Points. These points can be used on the Rakuten e-commerce website to buy other things (every year I can buy many items for free by using the Rakuten points). The more services from Rakuten you use, the more points you get.

（＊）A personal seal (ハンコ or 印鑑) is a little carved stamp used commoly used in Japan to sign contracts and other documents. Recently many companies are starting to accept signs too, but sometimes the personal seal is still needed. If you want to know more, check this link. https://tokyocheapo.com/

Payment methods

If you don't like to use cash or you don't want to open a bank account in Japan, I can suggest you a few services that might be convenient for you.

WISE Multicurrency Account

WISE (ex Transferwise) is a financial company that allows making international money transfers more cheaply and quickly. WISE has some convenient services (like the multicurrency account) loved by ex-pats like me.

If you are planning to stay in Japan for a short period, the WISE Multicurrency Account might be the best choice for you. After registering you will receive a really special debit card that will allow you to not have to pay extra fees even if you are in a different country.

How to use it: From your home country bank account, you can charge the WISE account using a local money transfer (without any extra fee). At this point, you can convert that money in one of the 50+ currencies that WISE holds (for example Japanese Yen) with a cheap exchange rate. You can then use your debit card to pay directly in Japanese Yen (without having to pay any extra fees). If you decide to go for a short trip to another country (let's say South Korea) you can convert part of your money into Korean Won.

For more information check this link: https://wise.com/us/

WISE International transfers

If you don't need a debit card but you need to pay the rent or your school tuition fee, you can use WISE also to send money to a Japanese bank account. WISE allows you to execute international transfers with really low fees and convenient exchange rates. You just need to decide how much money you want to send (or how much should be received), and decide how to pay (money transfer, credit card, debit card, etc.).

With WISE international transfers you can send money to 80 different countries.

You can find more at this link: https://wise.com/us/send-money

Paypay

Paypay is the most popular Japanese mobile payment app. It is accepted in all the major convenience stores, many supermarkets, a lot of restaurants and shops too. (You can check the full list here https://paypay.ne.jp/shop). Other than being easy to use, it also allows you to receive a lot of discounts.

How to use it: to use Paypay you first need to charge some money on your Paypay account. The easiest way to do that is to deposit cash into a 7-Eleven or Lawson ATM through an apposite function. You can also connect Paypay to a Japanese bank account but not all the banks allow it (you can find the list here https://paypay.ne.jp/guide/bank).

After charging your Paypay account you can use your smartphone to pay at shops or send money to your friends. Bigger shops will ask you to show your QR code and will automatically withdraw the money from your Paypay account. Smaller shops will show you their QR code and you will have to insert the amount to pay.

PS: You can connect for example your JP Bank account to Paypay but you will need a Japanese driving license or My number card to confirm your identity. (at the moment the residence card is not supported)

Rakuten Card

If you decided to open a JP Bank or Rakuten Bank account and you want a credit card, Rakuten might be your choice. Rakuten Card is easy to get if you have a working visa (I am not sure how easy is for students).

How to apply: You can apply online through this link. https://www.rakuten-card.co.jp. The website is in Japanese so, if you are not confident about your Japanese skills, you might need a Japanese friend to help you. The website macha-jp.com explained the application process pretty well, you can check their article here https://matcha-jp.com/en/

During the process, you will have to fill in some information about your Japanese bank account too (to connect it with the card). 

Even the Rakuten Card allows you to get Rakuten Points to spend on the Rakuten e-commerce website.

IC CARD (ICOCA, SUICA, KITACA)

IC cards are rechargeable cards most commonly used to pay fares on subways or buses in Japan. There are many different cards (depending on the area) like ICOCA in Osaka (Kansai), SUICA in Tokyo (Kanto), Kitaca in Hokkaido etc.

This card can be charged at every train or subway station and will make your life easier when you board a public transportation vehicle. The IC cards can also be used to pay in several restaurants, shops, vending machines etc.

How to get one: You can get an IC card at every ticket machine in the train or subway station (you will have to pay a deposit of ¥500).

I hope that this blog post could be of some help to you. If you have any question, feel free to ask in the comments. :)

Start a life in Japan, tips and suggestions (part 1)

Moving to another country is never easy. It is even more difficult if you are not able to talk fluently in the language of that country.

So, moving to a country like Japan might end up being difficult and frustrating.

After living in Osaka for more than a couple of years, I have some tips and suggestions to start a life in Japan. I don't claim this to be the ultimate guide to move to Japan, but I think it might be helpful to some people.

House hunting in Japan

In big cities like Tokyo or Osaka rents are expensive and houses are small. Finding a good apartment without spending too much could be challenging. Living in a sharehouse could be a good compromise to start your life in Japan.

Sharehouses are furnished with all the basic home appliances and are far cheaper than any apartment. Usually, it is possible to rent a private room in a sharehouse for even just one month so, if you don't like the place, you can easily move out. If you are also interested in practicing your Japanese, a sharehouse gives you the possibility to live together with Japanese guys and girls.

If you are searching for sharehouses I would suggest you the following portals:

Sharehouse.in

Hituji Real Estate ひつじ不動産 (Japanese Only)

SHARES　

share-share 　

Guest House Bank 　

If you are searching for a sharehouse in Osaka I would also suggest you to check our website: https://www.sharehouse365.com

Resident registration

Resident registration, in Japanese 住民登録 (Juumin touroku)

After finding a home in Japan, it is time for some bureaucracy.

All the foreigners who move to Japan and plan to stay for a medium-long term, are required to register their address at the closest ward office (区役所 kuyakusho). This application must be filed within 14 days from the day you move into a new municipality.

This application is necessary also to be able to receive other public services like national health insurance or national pension.

In case of moving to another city or another residence in the same city, it is also necessary to notify the ward office of your new address.

If you are moving to Osaka, you can find some more information at this link.

National Health Insurance

National Health Insurance, in Japanese 国民健康保険 (Kokumin Kenkou Hoken)

If you move to Japan with a student or work visa, you must learn about the Japanese National Health Insurance.

Unlike many European countries, Japanese Health Care is not free. Visa holders have to pay for the National Insurance. Not enrolling in this insurance is illegal and might cost you a lot of money (if you have some accident you might have to pay all the medical expenses by yourself).

The National Health Insurance covers 70% of the medical bills (you will still have to pay the 30% left). Some Japanese companies provide their employees with an additional insurance that covers the 30% left.

The cost varies from city to city. In Osaka students with no income pay around ¥2000/month (〜＄18). For workers, the fee is more than doubled.

After completing the resident registration, you will receive at home a letter containing a set of bills (one per month). Usually, you will receive enough bills to pay until next year April. A new set of bills will be sent in June.

You can pay the bills for the national health insurance at every convenience store. It is also possible to set up an automatic withdraw from your Japanese bank account.

You will also receive a card similar to the one in the image above. Keep that card always with you! You will need it if you go to a hospital, clinic etc.

National Pension (国民年金 Kokumin Nenkin)

National Pension, in Japanese 国民年金 (Kokumin Nenkin)

As the National Insurance, the National Pension is also mandatory.

However, if you are a student you can ask for an exemption.

To apply for the exemption you will have to visit the closest branch office of the Japan Pension Service. If your Japanese level is not great, I would recommend you to ask for some help from the staff of your school or a Japanese friend.

This post is getting too long, so I decided to split it in two parts.

In the second part, I am going to talk about bank accounts, payment methods, and some other useful things.

I hope that this post can be of some help to you all. :)

The Sharehouse LIFE

When I started to learn the Japanese language in Italy it became pretty clear to me that, without daily exposure to kanji and spoken Japanese, it would have been really difficult to master this language. So, when I made up my mind to move to Japan and decided that I wanted to work and live in this country, I searched for a living environment that would allow me to be exposed enough to the Japanese language. That’s one of the reasons I chose to live in a Sharehouse. 

By living in a sharehouse I was able to talk daily with my Japanese housemates and practice or double-check all the things I was learning at the Japanese language class. Not only was I able to improve my language skills but I was also able to grasp a little bit more the Japanese mentality and customs. Living in a sharehouse made it easier to adapt to this amazing and completely different culture. 

The sharehouse experience doesn’t limit to Japanese people and the Japanese mentality only. I met new friends coming from all over the world: South Korea, Canada, France, Cambodia, UK, Denmark, etc. Understanding new cultures and making new friends from all over the world has been a real blessing.

During this coronavirus pandemic, the sharehouse life allowed me to speak with natives daily even during the lockdowns. Also, unlike a lot of my friends who were living in apartments, I was never alone even when everyone was asked to not leave their residence. While living in a new country, with different culture and language, it is really important to have someone around who could help you if needed. It is so easy to fall into loneliness and give up on a new adventure because you couldn’t find anyone to talk with.

It goes without saying that sometimes the sharehouse life has some bad aspects too. To peacefully live together with other people I had to compromise on some aspect of my life. I ended up living with someone I didn’t really like, or being asked to be more mindful about the other housemates, or having to ask another housemate to be more mindful about me. But overall I believe it is worth the experience. 

No matter where do you go, you’ll always meet people that you like and people that you don’t like. Compromising is an important part of living in a community and, in this case, a sharehouse is a tiny community. Learning from others, teaching something to others, helping others, being helped by others, are all experiences that make us grow as humans. And life in a sharehouse makes it easier to have a lot of these experiences while living in a house. 

That’s why I would suggest to everyone coming to Japan to try the Sharehouse LIFE.

朝潮橋から弁天町まで歩いたよ〜

先週末は天気が良かったですね。
ぽかぽか陽気だったので朝潮橋から弁天町までみなと通りを歩いてみたよ。

今回はKUMOISO（朝潮橋） apt2dk3（朝潮橋）Green Apartment （弁天町）Green Apartment 2nd（弁天町）の住民が通るであろう「みなと通り」の魅力についてご紹介していきます。

港区民大好き「みなと通り」

「みなと通り」は大阪市港区のメインストリートということもあって飲食店が多くあります。チェーン店ならラーメン屋、ハンバーガー店、ピザ屋さん、弁当屋さん、牛丼屋さんなどなど。
飲食店以外にも24時間営業のANYTIME(エニタイム）やスーパーなどもあり、とりえあず迷ったら「みなと通り」に行けば解決するはず。

みなと通りから梅田・難波行きのバスに乗ろう！

大阪市内は色々な場所を繋ぐバス路線通っているのを知っていましたか？
「みなと通り」には梅田や難波行きのバス停があります。
大きな荷物があり、乗り換えがめんどくさいなって思うときなどに大阪シティバスはとても便利ですよ。

クリニックエリア

みなと通り沿いはクリニックが多い！
病院を探すならとりあえずみなと通りの朝潮橋駅周辺には行ってみてください！

市役所や郵便局もあるよ

みなと通りの弁天町駅周辺には市役所や郵便局もあります。
郵便局は平日午後7時まで営業しているので仕事終わりにも利用できるのがいいですね。

食べるとこめちゃあるよ！

みなと通りの有名店！！！

「みなと通り」には今の時期でも利用やすいテイクアウトを行っている店も多い！
上記に記載していないローカルな喫茶店や大阪らしいたこ焼き屋さんなどもありますよ。

港区のデカ盛りといえば「赤丸食堂」

弁天町駅からは少し離れていますが
「弁天町　ランチ」で検索すると必ず上位に出てくる人気店。

全てのメニューがビックサイズで食べ切れるかなと不安になりますが、食べきれなければ持ち帰り用のパックももらえますよ。

でもシェアハウスで住むならハウスメイトと一緒に行ってみんなでお食事を分け合うのもいいかもしれませんね。

去年の春の緊急事態宣言明けには「頑張ろう、港区」と書かれた看板が設置され、港区民を励ましてくれる地元への愛が深いお店です。

行列のできるうどん屋「三福屋」

お昼時にいくといつも行列ができている人気うどん店。
食べ盛りの高校生からご近所のおじいちゃんまでみんな大好きなうどん屋さん。

特に、「カレーうどん」と「カレーおじや」が人気！
スープは少しピリ辛ですが、スパイシーだけではなくダシの味もしっかりと味わえて、お肉もたっぷり。スープが美味しすぎるのでうどん屋なのに「カレーおじや」にしてでも食べたい意味はわかります！
＊もちろん、普通のうどんもとても美味しいですよ。

うどんとミニ丼のセットでも900円ほどで食べれるので、大食漢の人はセットを頼んでみてください。

無添加和菓子「長栄屋」

Sharehouse365周りの人はここの和菓子が大好き（だと思う）
厳密にはみなと通り沿いではないけど、みなと通りから徒歩30秒ほどの所にある和菓子屋さん。

季節の食材を使った無添加の和菓子が沢山並んでいます。
自然な甘さなのでぺろりと食べてしまうので注意。価格もそこまで高くないのでついつい沢山買ってしまう。

早めの時間にいくと商品が沢山並んでいるのでお昼過ぎに行ってみてくださいね〜

最後に

今回は朝潮橋から弁天町までみなと通り沿いに歩いてみました。
ゆっくり歩いたので約20分ほどとウォーキングにはちょうどいい距離でした。

みなと通りにはスーパーなどは少ないですが、ファーストフード、中華、ピザ、地元人気店などの様々なジャンルの沢山の飲食店があります。

「お腹が減った！今すぐ何か食べたい！」という人はみなと通りまで出掛けてお食事してきてくださいね。

梅田・難波まで自転車で行けるよ

こんばんは。

私が朝潮橋のシェアハウス KUMOISOに引っ越して大阪市港区民になって早1年。
住めば都ですが、引っ越してくるまで大阪港区のイメージってそこまでよくはなかった・・・

ということで今回は「弁天町・朝潮橋は意外に都会にあるんだよ！」アピールをしていこうと思います。

何回もいうよ、弁天町・朝潮橋は都会なんだ！

朝潮橋から電車20分ほどで梅田や難波まで行けるけど、
引っ越して数ヶ月でみんな思うはず・・

朝潮橋って梅田や難波まで自転車でもいけるんじゃない？
そうなんです！
朝潮橋、Kumoisoからも梅田や難波まで自転車でいけちゃうんですよ〜
＊弁天町のGreen ApartmentとGreen Apartment 2ndなどなお近し。

Kumoisoから自転車で難波・梅田まで約30分

Kumoisoから自転車で約30分で梅田や難波にアクセスできるので、
緊急事態宣言が出ていた2019年4月頃は自転車で通勤している住民の方もいました～
（JR環状線・大阪メトロ・大阪シティバスなどでも梅田や難波にはもちろんいけます）
＊Green Apartment とGreen Apartment 2nd からだと自転車で約25分。

個人的には今日みたいに気温の高い日は冬でも梅田や難波なら自転車で行っています。
11月頃に（梅田を通り越して）天神橋筋商店街六丁目から朝潮橋に自転車で帰った時にほろ酔い気分で写真をパチパチしながら帰ったのでそちらを勝手に載せていこうと思います。

ほろ酔い気分で梅田から朝潮橋まで自転車で帰宅

天神橋商店街六丁目から出発！

天神橋筋商店街六丁目の商店街からスタート！
ちなみに天神橋筋商店街六丁目はJR環状線大阪駅（梅田）の一駅先の「天満駅」の周辺です。
＊よく関西テレビ系列の番組でこてこての大阪人がインタビューされているのがこの商店街。

夜景デートにぴったり中之島（経過時間15分）

中之島は夜くると本当に夜景が綺麗なのでデートにぴったり。
先ほどまでいたコテコテの大阪エリア「天神橋筋商店街」は全く違う雰囲気です。

少し東に進むと中之島を見渡せる川沿いのおしゃれカフェエリア「北浜」もあるので、インスタ映えしたい休日ランチに来てみるのもおすすめです。

中之島の日本銀行大阪支店旧館などの歴史的な建造物を通り抜け、大阪中央市場近くの橋を渡ります。ここから港通り沿いをひたすら進みます。

九条商店街（経過時間25分）

業務スーパーより安い野菜を書いたいときに利用するのがこの九条商店街！
こちらの九条商店街にある「八百鮮（やおせん）」で新鮮なお野菜を購入しています。
ただし、閉店時間は午後6時、しかも日曜お休みだったのでもちろん空いていませんでした。
九条商店街を右手にまだまだみなと通りを突っ走ります。

大阪ドーム（経過時間27分）

ブレブレの写真ですが、九条商店街から少し走ると特徴的なフォルムの「大阪ドーム」が見えてきます。
もちろん夜なのでライトアップされているわけでもなく、大阪ドームを左手にまだまだみなと通りを進んでいきます！

ただいま、GREEN APARTMENT 2nd（経過時間32分）

みなと通り沿いにあるGreen Apartment2ndには32分で到着！
ここのリビングの光がついてるとなんだかこころがほっとするんだよね〜
まぁ住人ではないけど・・・

ただいま、朝潮橋（到着時間40分）

いい運動にもなるし、エコな移動手段としても自転車はお勧めです。
大阪でシェアハウスを探している人は、大阪市港区での生活もぜひ検討してみてね。

Hiro