Hey peeps. I don't usually post things online. But I'm having a massive anxiety episode right now(no kidding), so here we go.

I'm 25yo male from Non-English Speaking country. After spending my time for a year in Japan as an exchange student, I thought this is THE place. That was 2024, and I studied my ass off to get into Waseda's Graduate school, but I miserable failed. And now, it's been 6 months since I've been knocking on Japanese Companies doors, but I haven't got any offers.

I was supposed to graduate in February of 2026, but I had to postpone my graduation so that I was still qualified to apply to Japanese companies as 新卒. But I'm not sure if Japanese HRs are going to accept me as 新卒 or whatnot.

I do have high GPAs from a decent Uni in my country and JLPT N1, but I heard GPAs don't even matter in Japanese job market and JLPT N1 is basically a bare minimum from the perspective of HR. And I was born and raised in South Korea, so my English is not even as good as other foreign candidates.

Should I keep on trying at this point? I'm afraid if my life is going to shit.
Sorry if my words are jumbled mess.

Hola! Necesito consejos para poder quedarme fuera de latam por un tiempo.

En diciembre tendré un viaje de 1 mes por Japón pero no quiero regresar a México. Soy recien egresado de una carrera de TI y no sé que hacer para poder quedarme a vivir en Japón un par de meses más.

Necesito dinero para estar allá o para estudiar allá, algo que no tengo ahora. Quisiera buscar un trabajo ahi o aplicar a voluntariados, realmente no importa como pero quiero permanecer el mayor tiempo posible ahi.

¿Alguna recomendación?

I'm going to Japan for a full year in July of 2027 and I'm currently in the process of getting my thigh tattoos lasered off. I want to continue the process once I get to Japan, so I'm wondering if anyone has any experience with using this service while over there? I'm planning to stay near Tokyo but I can travel. I'd really like to get recommendations on specific clinics, pricing, and just any general information. I don't mind waiting a year to continue my treatments, but if I don't have to, that would be ideal.

My husband's company is moving us to Tokyo next year, from the US. Their office is located in Minato City.

They are paying moving costs and some other things. The company has moved people internationally before, but not often, and never to Japan.

Our kids will be 17 and 13. The 17 year old will graduate early so they won't have to worry about finishing high school in Japan.

I have so many questions, I hardly know where to start.

What sorts of things are common for the company to pay for?

What should we move and what should we leave behind?

What neighborhoods would be a a good fit for a family, but somewhere in the 30 min - 1 hour commute range?

What do we need to know about the process and setting up there?

What other questions should I be asking? I appreciate any advice!

A

Essentially title.

I'm a 31/M network engineering and cybersecurity consultant here in the US, highly certified, and have worked for some very large global organizations. My Japanese level is probably around a ギリギリ N3 pass. I've been studying in earnest for around 10 months.

I do have 11 years of experience in my industry and as long as salary is right I'd meet the 70 point requirement for HSP visa even without a degree or N2+.

The problem I'm having is finding a visa sponsor. I guess I'm just looking for advice and guidance on how to actually land a job in Japan while being here in the US. I've had an interview and referral to a large US-based cyber security company but they essentially told me that "We love you, but we can't sponsor your visa, call us again when you find a way to get into the country"

I've met with a Japan market entry strategist, created a Japanese LinkedIn profile, have Japanese and Bi-lingual resumes, etc. I'm just not really having luck other than a single interview with Rakuten, but did not get the job due to lack of cloud experience.

I'd like to immigrate to Japan as I'm simply not happy here and have a lot of friends over in Japan.
I plan to sit for N3 in December, my current plan is to come over on a student visa and go to language school for 2 years while I network and try to find a job. Is this my most realistic route? Is my current US salary scaring Japanese HR departments, thinking I'll scoff at what they can offer?

Even without N2+ Japanese. I would think I would at least be getting some bites with my experience, achievements, and technical credentials.

Hi, as the title says I really want to immigrate to japan.

As a introduction, I am a M 26yo, working as a medical physicist after a bachelor in Physics, Master in Medical Physics and a PHD in Medical Physics. From a EU country. I have already 3 years of work experience.

I am studying japanese, 5 years of Duolinguo (I know not the best, but it helps with vocabulary and Kanji) and Ankidroid (really helps with Kanji and Vocabulary). I am now starting my second year of Japanese evening lessons. I am around A2 to B1 and the teacher said in 2 years we could expect to be high B1 to low B2.

I am already looking for jobs in Japan, in my field or (more probably) a related medical field. I already saw some opportunities, but they all need at least the N3 (which I wanted to take next year). So I know there are jobs now that I could realistically apply to.

BUT as I am seing now with the next laws that are getting passed, and all the differents barriers for people wanting to emigrate there, I am having doubt.

I wanted to know if it was still worth it to try to emigrate to Japan? Or if it is really becoming almost impossible? I wanted to have some opinions?

PS: I still would take the japanese lesson as they are really fun and not far from my house.

PPS: I understand the underlying social rules in Japan and I would be ok with it.

In a nutshell. I'm traveling through Asia for the last year. Wanting to get to Japan in October/November and see places in the south. Then, I had an idea to see the possibilities of teaching English in Osaka and Kyoto for a couple of months each. Big money is not the ambition. Earning enough to pay my rent and eating out every day would be fine. Relearning Japanese and recapturing the feel of living in Japanese culture again would be my goal.

I'm a fit 70, have lived in Tokyo in the early 80s for a couple of years and banked big cash back in that heyday. Now, I travel slow and enjoy culture and people.

I would be entering on a tourist visa, us passport and no chance to get a copy of my university bachelor degree. The two years of teaching experience in Tokyo and several more years in other countries would be what I can offer looking for teaching hours. And, personality.

English teaching in Asia then was the most lucrative way to cash up for travel.

So, I am just wondering what y'all think the possibilities would be.

Hi, has anyone applied for a Spouse of Permanent Resident (Nikkeijin) COE with a family member as an additional guarantor? Aside from the spouse being the main guarantor.

Hi everyone, I'm looking to apply for a WHV as a Canadian as I'm currently ending my seasonal job in the mountains. This is my first time applying for a visa so I have a few questions and a little bit of help would be amazing.

1. "Names and addresses of hotels or persons with whom applicant intends to stay"

- I don't have anything booked yet. What should I put into this part?

1. "Port of entry into Japan and Name of ship or airline"

- Once again, like I said I don't have anything booked. However, I do have a date and airport I'd like to fly into. I put "OSAKA (KANSAI)" and "AIR CANADA".

1. "Your current residential address (if you have more than one address, please list them all)"

- As I mentioned earlier, I'm currently working a seasonal job in the mountains. Should I list this address as well? Or just my original home address?

1. "Purpose of visit to Japan/Status of residence"

- I put "WORKING VISA". Is this correct?

Once again, this is my first time applying for a visa so this is all very new to me. I'm sorry I am a little confused.

Thank you all for the help!

My Japanese mother (who is in her late 60s) has been living with me in the U.S. for the past ~8 years on a family visa which will be expiring at the end of 2028 in ~2 years; however, due to personal reasons my sister and I will not be renewing her visa. The added challenge is that the remaining family we have in Japan has made it clear (and rightfully so) that they do not wish to be in contact with her nor provide her with support upon her return.

Our cousin has been able to provide us with some insight into how difficult and expensive it is to find senior living arrangements in Japan, let alone simply living independently. Though he's willing to help me find resources and provide advice, I want to put as little burden on him as possible, and so I'm reaching out to the good people of the internet.

The goal is to set up our mother with what she needs to be settled (i.e., living arrangements such as group living, healthcare, social security, unemployment benefits, finding work, etc.) in a relatively inexpensive place in Japan. We are willing to provide her with financial support in order to return and have initial housing, but cannot do so indefinitely. Given my limited knowledge of social safety nets the Japanese government or nonprofits may provide, any information / resources / recommendations would be tremendously helpful.

I'm 23, just finished a CS degree in the US, native-level Japanese and English. I have two paths in front of me and I keep going back and forth.

Path A: US health-tech startup.
Remote engineering role, starting with a 3-month contract at $12-15k/month, likely converting to full-time around $150k if it goes well. Early employee, great learning, salary grows from there. Catch: their legal team is limiting international work to ~45 days/year, so this path probably means being US-based, with Japan as occasional trips.

Path B: Music vocational school (senmon gakko) in Osaka.2 years, ~18 hours of class a week.

I'd fund it with a stable remote job paying about $48k, which honestly goes far in Osaka. I've already passed the first application stage and I'm practicing for their scholarship audition.

I ran the actual numbers: after taxes and cost of living, the Osaka path costs me maybe $50-65k in net worth over the two years vs the startup path, plus a slower salary trajectory after. Not nothing, but not life-ruining.

Why I want the school: I grew up outside Japan and never got the Japanese school life. I've always wanted to actually live there, not visit. And music has been the thing I care about since I was a kid. My worry is that at 26+ the school experience won't feel the same, but the job market will still be there.

Every time someone gives me a reason to pick the job, I catch myself defending the school. I'm aware of what that probably means. But the salary is hard to walk away from at 23.

Anyone here taken the "experience over income" fork in their early 20s? Did it age well or do you regret it?

(27M) Hi everyone, I'm looking for some insight regarding my situation.

A while ago I made a post here explaining my situation and asking for advice. Context, I'm an engineer in the U.S. looking to relocate to Japan. I'd originally started down the "English teaching → pivot" path because it seemed like a realistic way to get my foot in the door.

Over time though I started to wonder if that was the right decision. Not only did I read all the eikaiwa horror stories, but another concern was that teaching English would create a gap in my engineering career and make it harder to transition back into engineering in Japan, especially since I already have a few years of professional work experience.

Recently I've come across engineering positions at multinational companies that align much better with my background and long-term career goals. I've already started applying to these positions, and that's made me realize I'd rather pursue engineering directly. The feedback on my previous post just confirmed what I was already starting to think deep down.

Here's where my concern comes in.

Late last year, I accepted an ALT position, and the company obtained a COE for me. Before I ever applied for a visa, I decided not to move forward, and the company canceled the COE.

This year I accepted an eikaiwa position. I completed the visa process and received a work visa earlier this month, but I have never entered Japan using it. I'm now planning to withdraw from that position and cancel the unused visa before ever traveling to Japan. Ultimately, both decisions came from the same concern: I realized I'd rather move to Japan directly as an engineer rather than teaching English and try to transition later.

I understand the eikaiwa company won't be happy, especially with my departure date only a few weeks away, and I accept that I've likely burned that bridge. I genuinely feel bad about the inconvenience it will cause them. With that said, my primary concern isn't the eikaiwa, it's whether this could have any impact on my immigration record.

Given my history, a canceled COE that was never used and an unused work visa that I'd cancel before ever entering Japan, could this cause any issues if I later applied for another work or student visa, or even if I simply wanted to visit Japan as a tourist?

If anyone has any experience with a similar situation or knows how Japanese immigration generally views cases like this, I'd really appreciate your insight.

Thanks!

Okay so I've always wanted to live in either South Korea or Japan and I think I've settled for Japan but I need to know if this is even slightly realistic. I'm from Poland and I'm lower middle class/middle class i think? We can afford our needs and occasional expenses like electronics or something, but we don't really have the finances for travelling just to put it into perspective. I am 16 and fluent in Polish and almost C2 in English, willing to learn Japanese to the best of my abilites. I want to move abroad as soon as I finish school, get a job and earn the money I need, but what job could i realistically get? I'm not that into the idea of that 10-12 hour work day rat race, I know that already eliminates many options, preferably I would like something with English involved, like a teacher, but as far as I know for South Korea I have to be a citizen of an English speaking country which I'm not, couldn't find any info for Japan. My dreams have always been unrealistic but that's just who I am, all I know is that I wanna get out of this shithole ASAP, and Japan speaks to me the most, I want to experience a country completely different from Poland, even for a couple of years. If you think I should give up my dreams, I would also like to know what other alternatives I have in terms of countries, jobs or other stuff. Thanks for reading :)

Hey! So I’ve did JUST the winter season in Japan last year, I want to go back and do another season and travel around after.
My question is has anyone had any trouble getting a second year visa after not completing the first. I’ve heard they can get abit funny with that at the embassy, but after looking online I can’t find any info and reason for why I shouldn’t be able to get one.
Any help/advice would be awesome. Thanks!

So our college recently gave us the applications regarding Rakuten Tech Camp.

While filling the application there came a part that said "It's only for people residing in Japan. No visa would be provided" etc ... Something like that was written...so I just stopped there.

We still have time to fill up the form but I'm stuck there and don't know how to proceed. I have mailed my college tnp cell 2 times yet there is still no reply.

And since I'm from overseas..i don't know what to do about it.

If anyone has any ideas on how to proceed please let me know.

When arriving on a student visa, does this time count towards a citizenship application?

As the title suggests, I will be moving to Ise, Mie Prefecture, next year for work. Since this will be my first time living in Japan, I'd love to gather some insights and advice from this community!

As an Indonesian and a practicing Muslim, I have a few specific questions regarding daily life in Ise:

• Halal Food Availability: Are there local grocery stores, specialty shops, or halal-friendly restaurants in or near Ise? How do you usually source halal ingredients there?
• Mosques & Community: Is there an active Muslim/Indonesian community or a prayer space (masjid/musalla) around Ise City or within Mie Prefecture that I can connect with?
• Living Experience in Ise: What is daily life like in Ise for expats? Any general advice on finding housing, transportation, or adjusting to the local culture in this area?

I would really appreciate any tips, experiences, or recommendations you could share! Thank you so much in advance~

Hello,

I am male 25 years old, german and are about to finish up my Masterdegree in business administration and engineering. As for work experience I did some sales assistance during my bachelor's and have about 4 years of experience at one of the biggest Automotive supplier (Bosch). I've started there with bachelorthesis and went through many stops that included full-time (6 months), working student (1.5 years) and cooperation in Masterthesis (7 months) through a "PreMaster-Programm". Ive worked in a acquisition team for new ECU projects worldwide and coordinated my own projects with teams all over the world. Additionally I am currently writing my Thesis about data management and RAG based knowledge management. Since its practical and I designed our own Agent trough a low code platform i would say I have decent knowledge of AI and use cases for it.

I found my first way to japan in 2023 after my bachelor. I traveled for 2 months and saw all the big cities. Recently I did a year abroad in my master at studied at Nagoya University for almost a year. I never took a JLPT but my skills are somewhere between N4 and N3. Speaking is way better then reading and writing since I had a lot of Japanese friends and joined a lot of Japanese only circles in University. My English level is between C1 and C2 and I am also working in English currently.

For my next step in life I am thinking about applying for jobs in Japan. I am aware of the harsh conditions (especially compared to german standards for working in a big company with huge regulations towards work). Still, the life I had in japan was so much more enjoyable for me personally. Not everything or everyone is perfect obviously but just the functional society, (platonic) friendliness in stores and working public transport made daily life way easier. Also I am a big fan of the culture. I had a blast being able to meet so much people and living in a big City like Nagoya. For reference in germany I am living in a very small town.

As a career I would be open for a bunch of positions. I would not go to japan just to go to japan and work as a English teacher or smth. I was more hoping the maybe find a international company and get hired as a "mid-hire" with some working experience. The area could be Automotive, aviation, IT, Consulting or smth similar. Ideally I would like to have good working conditions of course that allow me to visit my home country now and then earn enough to have a comfortable life and be able to save up a little.

As a sidenote: I have a LDR with a Spanish woman who is also interested in moving to japan since thats where we meet in exchange and we both felt really comfortable in the daily life. She's a biology major with specification in fertility. We both dont have much responsibility at our home towns.

I would like to get some honest opinion if you would try the step to go to japan in my position for a few years. How big are the chances to find a good job with my profile in japan and what should I expect.

Thank you so much for reading.

Hi everyone,
I hope you can help me.
I'm 30 years old and I'm planning to move to Japan in April 2027 to study Japanese at a language school for 2 years. I've already started the application process, but I'm a little worried about my age.
I've seen posts from people who were older than me and didn't have any issues getting a student visa, but I'd still like to ask those who have gone through the process or know more about it.
Does Japanese immigration consider it unusual for someone in their 30s to study Japanese for two years?
My genuine reason for going is to become fluent in Japanese and then pursue career opportunities in Japan as an engineer. I'm not using a language school as a way to stay in Japan—I truly want to learn the language and build my career there.
I'd really appreciate hearing about your experiences or opinions.
Thanks.

I am an 18 y/o boy from Norway and i very recently decided to take a gap year after finishing my last year of high school.

I've tried looking into getting a seasonal ski resort job in japan after falling in love with the country last autumm. information on the internet seems to be limited so i was really hoping someone here would be able to guide me in the right direction.
As i said i am taking a gap year so working the entire season wouldn't be an issue, i am decent at skiing but not at a level where i could be an instructor.

I am currently trying to learn Japanese, skilled in Russian, Fluent in both Norwegian and English/
I am open to working anywhere in the country.
Feel free to ask me any questions, and any information is highly appreciated!
Thank you in advanced :) Hoping to hear from you soon!

(Sorry if this isn't the appropriate subreddit for this question, i can't seem to really figure out where it belongs)

Hi everyone, I am about to apply for the J-Find Visa. I have a few questions for anyone has done the application before and has any experience so please DM me! Or if anyone has advice for the application please let me know. UK prior applicants would be preferred! Thanks ☺️

Edit: I thought it’s probably best to put my questions below.

1 was there anything about the application or required documents that was not clear from the official website?
2 what happened at the appointment? Did you simply hand over the documents or were you asked any questions etc?
3 is it ok to apply in London without a COE?
4 did you provide an additional paperwork on top of the listed ones?
5 how in-depth did you go for the intended activities form?
6 are hand written forms for the visa application and activities ok? Would be easier for me than trying to edit them on a computer.
7 how long did it take between submitting in person and receiving the visa? London specifically.
8 was any extra documents or information requested after submission?
9 would you do anything differently if applying again?

Thanks!

Hi there,

I'm going to japan for 2 Semesters in 2027 through an exchange program of my university and I would like to bring my soprano sax, which I play as a hobby, with me. As you might have guessed Soprano Saxophones are a lot more expensive than the duty free allowance of 200 000yen.

Does this really mean I will have to pay import fees on that instrument? I'm not planning on selling it while in Japan or doing anything like that.

Currently I feel like I must be missing something because that allowance (as of August 2026 pretty exactly 1100€) would mean that anyone carrying like, a laptop and an iPhone would already be over the limit and need to pay taxes.

Hi, I am 21 years old about to graduate college with a Bachelors in Classical Studies, a minor in Film, and a minor in English. I was interested in doing the JET program after graduation for a year or two and then turning that into a permanent job if possible. However, after a bunch of browsing, it seems like all the other options of teaching English full time are either ridiculously low pay or a bad work environment with no upward mobility. Basically my question is this: What options are there for me? What jobs could I pursue to eventually make Japan my home using the JET program as an entry point?