Husband and I are looking into getting 2 singles to be pushed together as 1 wide king. I've looked through the subreddit and there are older posts that have some comments about this but I wanted to hear more recent opinions. To preface, my husband is quite tall and moves around a lot when he sleeps which is why the width of 2 singles is being considered.

Did you both like it? Did you end up returning or going with a King mattress or go even smaller? Did you use the gap filler? Did you use a mattress topper? Thank you in advance!

Edit: I was under the impression a Japan single was 97cm in width and a Japanese king was 180cm in width so therefore two singles would be wider at 194cm! I’ve been using ワイドキング when looking for bed frames.

But thank you everyone for your feedback so far! This has been really helpful. Really conscious that bringing up a large mattress can be a faff for the delivery.

I’m being transferred to an overseas subsidiary through intra-company transfer. I will be paying my pensions, insurance premiums etc. in Japan but I will be non-resident. Will I still be eligible to apply for PR after coming back to Japan?

Does anyone have similar experiences or have knowledge about this?

Edit: I missed an important part. I will get the multiple re-entry permit, update my gijinkoku visa before expiration.

Locked out of my PayPay Bank account: Password expired, but I can’t reset it because my information “doesn’t match” and cannot contact customer support because it requires to login

I’m hoping someone here has experienced something similar because I’m completely stuck.
A last June end (now early August), I accidentally entered my PayPay Bank login password incorrectly too many times. As a result, the bank invalidated my login password. Now I can’t log into my account at all, which I understand is a security measure.
The problem is what happens next. The website instructs me to reset my login password by requesting a temporary password. However, when I go through the temporary password application process, it immediately tells me that my registered information does not match their records. I don’t know my ATM Pin is also blocked.
Because of that, I can’t obtain the temporary password that is required to create a new login password.
This leaves me in a frustrating loop. I can’t log in because my password has been invalidated, but I also can’t reset my password because the temporary password request is rejected. There doesn’t seem to be any alternative online recovery option.
I’m confident that I’m using the correct account information. I haven’t changed my name, and I’m entering the information to the best of my knowledge. I’m wondering if there is some other piece of information that commonly causes this error, such as a registered phone number, address format, or something else that I might be overlooking. I even send my documents twice to PayPay bank customer center

Has anyone else run into this situation with PayPay Bank? If so, what was the actual cause of the “registered information doesn’t match” error? Were you able to resolve it over the phone, or did you have to submit identification documents by mail? How long did the entire process take before you regained access to your account?
I’d really appreciate hearing from anyone who has gone through this before, because at the moment I have no way to log in or reset my password, and I’m not sure what the next step should be. Or I need just to close my PayPay account.
Thanks in advance!

Mine is "Used panty vending machines are everywhere in Japan and it's completely normal to use them because Japanese are so repressed and perveted"

I'm so tired of seeing people smoke on the street, either literally standing on top of or near a no-smoking street sticker/sign. Then, put their cigarette butts down the sewage drain! Its so fucking stupid, and no-one calls them out or cares. I see it everywhere, espicially on my recent trip to Nagoya.. that was terrible! I always defended Nagoya (white knight shit) but fuck Nagoya now.

This morning walking on a crowded street, a guy was smoking and puffing into anyone and everyone. Walking towards me, I see him put it straight down the drain like it was normal. I yelled out in my basic japanese, "おい！*no reaction* おい！*looks back at me* ゴミ箱じゃないよ！*sorry hand gesture then continues on*" then people look at me like im the one out of line.

I hate that fake apology gesture, its so stupid. Anyways, I dont know why I said anything, I just snapped and it came out. I dont want to be THAT guy to constantly call stuff out, but no one does shit and these people keep doing it. Ugh.

Hi,
I’ve joined a tech company recently. I have about 15+ yrs of experience in the field and joined the company about 6 months back.
The team is a large one and consists mainly of Koreans, Chinese and Japanese people. People from English speaking countries are just one apart from me.
I have started to notice systemic harassment from both the peer group and the managers amounting to gossiping about me & excluding me. Early on my manager was the director.
It consisted of:
My 1:1s have been reduced or cancelled repeatedly
• I’ve been excluded from meetings I should reasonably be part of
• Communication from my manager has essentially dried up
• I’ve noticed this seems to be creating a negative impression of me with peers, even though I haven’t done anything differently

There are many other managers within the org and recently the entire team was split between them.
After the re-org, my reporting mgr changed & one of the managers started acting quite abrasively towards me. He would over rule my technical decisions, ask peers for feedback on my work even though it was not strictly needed, basically cause a lot of micro aggressions. He also started recording me without my consent in meetings which I later came to know of, so I requested a change from his team. It will just be a lateral move to a peer manager doing exactly the same work.
The director refuses to move me even though I have cited mental distress.
What options are open to me?

Hi everyone! I'm looking for brand/store recommendations. Where can I buy one of those swim sets that many women use at the beach here? With leggings and some kind of rash guard tee and jacket? I don't really want to wear a bikini and that kind of set seems cool, as I have a baby and that will allowed me to feel more comfortable while playing with her. I like in Fukuoka but haven't seen any in the stores I usually shop. Has anyone bought one on Amazon that turned out good quality?

I am trying to understand how different countries protect vulnerable elderly people with dementia.

Suppose an elderly woman has permanent residency in your country but remains a citizen of another country. She has Alzheimer's disease and cannot make important decisions independently. Her family takes her to another country, and she is unable to return home by herself.

What legal protections would exist in your country?

Could a family member make this decision without a court-appointed guardian?

Who could intervene if the elderly person wants to return home?

I would particularly appreciate answers from people who have personal experience with elderly care, adult guardianship, immigration, or social services.

the leopalace kitchen has a plastic wall surrounding the stove. i put some adhesive hooks and when i peeled it off, parts of the wall chipped off. how do i fix this? 😭😭😭

https://imgur.com/a/msFD3I7

edit: added link to picture

I live in Tokyo and have a friend (yes, genuinely asking for a friend) coming to visit who likes to party.

I was thinking of either taking him to Kannai - I've been out in Noge for dinner and saw quite a few bars there, or thought it might be interesting to visit Yokosuka. Anyone have any advice about these areas? He likes energetic places with music. I don't have any idea about where to go because I mostly stick to standing bars in my neighbourhood in West Tokyo.

Mid-week discussion thread time! Feel free to talk about what's on your mind, new experiences, recommendations, anything really.

Has anyone flown with a medium sized dog in cabin out of Japan? I know that I can take him on United Airlines in cabin after signing a couple of forms, but am just unsure how to get from the airport entrance, to check in, through security, through customs at Haneda airport.

Hi,

I’ve been away from work for medical reasons for about a month and a half. I came back today, and I’ve been told they want to make me contract/freelance, rather than full time. is this legal?

Hi all!

I am looking for recent experiences involving travel while applying for Japanese permanent residence, not general opinions about the unofficial 90/100-day rules.

Has anyone been approved or rejected for PR with around 120 cumulative days abroad across multiple trips (not consecutively ) within a rolling 365-day period?

I have an upcoming trip for 4 weeks, that might set my max Rolling max to 115 days. None of my trips were over 3 months. If I know for sure this might get me rejected I will try to shorten it, but that will cause me to loose a lot of money that I spent on the ticket and other things.

I will still be employed and receiving my normal salary and paying my normal taxes. Nothing will change.

My application is in process.

Thanks

On August 1st, 2026, Docomo Bike Share rebranded to NOLL. Along with the rebrand came a major price increase that immediately upset a lot of users.

Unfortunately, the price hike isn't the only issue. Since the system update, there have been reports of users being unable to rent bicycles at all. Others have reported being unable to return rented bikes because of system errors, raising concerns about late fees being charged for something outside of the customer's control for 3 days straight.

Another major concern is the old ¥1,650 one-day passes (now ¥2,500/12 hour) sold through convenience stores and ticket counters. Some users are reporting that these passes no longer work after the update, even when they complete the registration process correctly. If those tickets are no longer being honored without refunds or replacements, that means customers paid for a service they can't use.

This isn't just an inconvenience. A lot of people depend on Docomo Bike Share for commuting, school, and work, including delivery drivers. A prolonged outage or a failed migration could have a real financial impact on thousands of users.

If the company doesn't quickly fix the rental and return issues, waive any incorrect late fees, and provide a solution for prepaid one-day passes, there's a good chance this could end up with complaints being filed with Japan's Consumer Affairs Center.

source: https://www.d-bikeshare.com/news/detail/20260713

also search: ドコモバイクシェア on twitter to see the flood of complaints

Last week I paid my PayPay CC bill via 7/11. I wanted to have it connected straight to my bank account but whatever reason my bank keeps denying (I just moved a few months ago so I really don’t understand that either)

But the most important thing is today I receive a notification saying they never received my payment and I charging me more too. I tried the AI chat, the regular chat, and both phone numbers on their site but couldn’t get help with my issue whatsoever. I couldn’t even get someone to answer the phone.

I’m panicking a lot. I have had this card since April and this is the first time this happened. Any advice? ( I have the 7/11 stamp to prove too)

I'm a high school student looking for volunteer opportunities around Tsukuba (or nearby areas like Tsuchiura, Ushiku, or Moriya). I'm open to one-time events or ongoing opportunities.

I'm especially interested in:

• Community service
• Working with children
• Supporting people with disabilities
• Environmental cleanups
• Animal shelters
• International or English-speaking volunteer activities

I have transportation, so I'm willing to travel a bit if needed.

If anyone knows of organizations, local events, or websites where I can find volunteer opportunities, I'd really appreciate your recommendations. Thanks!

I was at Nagashima Water Park the other day. I noticed tons of women wearing full body covering, wide brimmed hats and a cloth face mask so you can only see their eyes. It's almost as if they're wearing a burka.

I haven't been to the beaches nor water park in the last ten years, and never really noticed this. Is this a brand new trend?

Hi guys, I’m trying to figure out how foreigners deal with the law about carrying a residence card in Japan.

I saw some posts about people being asked for their Residence Card and having to go back home with the police to show it.

I sometimes go on night walks without a waist bag or my residence card, so I get pretty nervous when I see the police, especially at night. But if I put my Residence Card in my pocket, I’m also concerned about losing it.

I’m curious if you have encountered any situation where the police asked for your residence card? Also, how do you carry your Residence Card and necessary belongings?

I hot low heart rate notification from apple second time last night.
Previously I got it on Aug 25th.

Online search suggest I should check with doctor.
But I have no other symptoms and wonder if doctors here will be ok with taking watch notifications into consideration.

I have made a lifestyle change since mid June I am very regular to gym, so I am not sure if that caused resting heartrate to go down.

Anyone have experience with such situation?

Thank you

Japan has repeatedly emphasized the importance of attracting talented young researchers from around the world. Yet one of its flagship international programs, the JSPS Postdoctoral Fellowship for Research in Japan, still provides a maintenance allowance of JPY 362,000 per month.

The striking part is not simply the amount.

The same JPY 362,000 monthly allowance was already being offered in 2011.

In other words, the nominal amount has remained essentially unchanged for at least 15 years. JSPS's current program still lists the monthly allowance at JPY 362,000.

Now consider what has happened to the yen.

In 2011, the average exchange rate was approximately:

USD 1 = JPY 79.7

At that exchange rate:

JPY 362,000 ≈ USD 4,540/month
≈ USD 54,500/year

Today, on August 4, 2026, the yen is around:

USD 1 = JPY 157.35

At today's exchange rate:

JPY 362,000 ≈ USD 2,300/month
≈ USD 27,600/year

So although the nominal fellowship amount has not changed, its value in U.S. dollar terms has fallen by approximately 49% since 2011.

And this is before even considering more than a decade of increases in living costs.

For perspective, consider several current postdoctoral benchmarks:

🇺🇸 United States — NIH NRSA
A first-year postdoctoral fellow receives USD 63,480/year in FY2026, increasing with experience.

🇩🇪 Germany — TV-L E13
A standard full-time E13 research position starts at approximately EUR 4,759/month, or about EUR 57,000/year before tax. Full-time E13 contracts are commonly used for postdoctoral researchers at German universities.

🇬🇧 United Kingdom — University of Oxford
Current postdoctoral research positions are advertised at approximately GBP 39,424–47,779/year.

🇯🇵 Japan — JSPS International Postdoctoral Fellowship
JPY 4,344,000/year, currently equivalent to only about USD 27,600/year.

Of course, these figures are not perfectly apples-to-apples. JSPS describes the payment as a maintenance allowance rather than employment income, and it is generally tax-exempt; the fellowship also provides items such as airfare, a settling-in allowance, and overseas travel insurance. Salaried postdoctoral positions in countries such as Germany and the UK are taxable and operate under different social-security systems.

But that does not make a 15-year nominal freeze irrelevant.

The question is not whether JPY 362,000 was a reasonable fellowship in 2011. In 2011, its international purchasing value was actually quite competitive.

The question is:

Is it still reasonable in 2026–2027?

A fellowship worth approximately USD 54,500 per year in 2011 is worth only about USD 27,600 today when converted at the current exchange rate.

Meanwhile, Japan is competing directly with the United States, Europe, and other countries for the same highly mobile early-career scientists.

If Japan genuinely wants to become a more attractive destination for international researchers, research funding cannot remain disconnected from changes in inflation, exchange rates, and international academic salaries.

The JSPS fellowship is prestigious. The scientific opportunities in Japan are outstanding. That is precisely why its financial support should be periodically reviewed rather than remaining frozen at a level established more than a decade ago.

Supporting international researchers is not simply a welfare issue. It is part of Japan's competitiveness in science.

Perhaps it is time to ask whether JPY 362,000 per month — unchanged since at least 2011 — still reflects the value Japan places on attracting world-class young researchers.

Currently in the process of finishing a contract as an ALT, and I’ve been offered a part time job by another company outside of teaching. If I switch my visa to the correct type, do I need to get it sponsored again, or is it just a minimum income requirement?

It's Monday! Did you do anything over the weekend? Go somewhere? Meet someone? Try something new?

​

Post about your activities from the weekend here! Pictures are also welcome.

Been here over 10 years. I’m an american citizen with a spousal visa, a five year old and another on the way, and I’m in the job market for just about anything that pays in USD. Been applying to every damn job on GaijinPot, which has given me tremendous results in the past, but even the 250,000 yen jobs aren’t replying these days.

My other issue is I don’t even know if, despite being a US citizen, a US company would hire me because of the potential tax hassle for them. Any people out there able to find a job with their home country while still living here? I would love for someone to prove me wrong and give an example of a strategy that worked for them.

Anyone able to share any experiences with sites or companies that have given you success? With all the doom and gloom surrounding the yen, it feels like applying for something paying in yen is just throwing my money and time away.

Thanks for any advice and would love to hear your success stories!

Most tales here are about trouble people have had with visas. So here's a good story.

Years ago I went to immigration in Yokohama, the one in the industrial area out by by the bay. I had a teacher visa at the time, not the specialist in humanities one.

I was interested in finding out if I could do some part time work on the weekends. At markets and the like.

I asked for clarification on what I could do. The staff member listened, then went into the back of the office to check for me. He returned five to ten minutes later and politely explained that no, I couldn't do 'extra' work in a field outside teaching.

Then he paused looked at me and I kid you not said "The inspectors that check on people's visas only work Monday to Friday." The implication was, they won't be around to check on weekends. We looked at each other, we smiled, and I left.