r/movingtojapan

First some background info: I'm currently 47 and I live in the US. I am a retired US Coast Guard veteran. I visited Japan (Tokyo and Osaka) last Sept. I have always wanted to move to Japan and now that I am retired, have nothing holding me to stay in the US, and a good amount of passive income (retirement pension and VA disability), I feel like the time is right.

I won't be applying for my COE (for language school) and visa for another year and a half. I am currently paying of debt to get that out of my way before I move to Japan.

I have "ran the numbers" through 2 different AI programs and they both said that my passive income ($5,515 after taxes) per month would let me live very comfortable. More comfortable in Osaka than Tokyo. It will just be me and my dog (he's a dachshund), so I won't need a really big apartment. I was leaning more towards Osaka over Tokyo because Osaka fits my vibe a little more than Tokyo does.

What I am looking for from you guys and gals is; will my passive income really make living comfortably a reality? Any opinions on the Osaka vs Tokyo thing? Anyone have good recommendations on a language school? AI suggested Human Academy in Osaka. I'm all ears for the good and the bad.

I have done a bit of research into Japan but still feel slightly lost.

[Me and my position]

I am currently 22 and about to turn 23 and just feel like I need to try to have a plan now or I will fall behind. I have a bachelor in comp sci and just got hired into a programming job for mainframes. My Japanese is around high n4 vocab/kanji but weaker grammar. Also a Us citizen.

[My plan]

I plan to do daily study aiming for n1 and I will take the n3 and n2 along the way and also try to raise my income and do the generic savings into Roth and 401k as well as bigger savings. I will try to have 100000 in net worth before I even think about moving. I will also try to get a work visa hopefully relating to my mainframe experience.

[objective worry]

Mainframe is very old niche thing here in the states, I am not sure if this is even desirable in Japan. My college is not part of the minister recommended for PR. I'm not sure if Roth or 401k can even transfer to Japan. I'm confused if during a work visa I also have my US citizenship? I thought you had to remove it to live there.

[Subjective worry]

Leaving my family and dogs worry me and I also I'm just scared even though I really want this.

Those are my thoughts formatted out if anyone has any advice or knowledge on my worrys, I would greatly appreciate it. I Wish to move before I am 30 but I do not want to rush it. And please let me know if there is more I can do to seem as a more desirable candidate like extra certs or a masters.

After my last post on my current position, I don't think any Japanese universities is going to hire someone who is looking to leave their first position after three months nevertheless can't speak the language.

So I am about commit o learn Japanese in the next few years and work towards getting employed in Japan in the higher education administration sector.

I've lived in South Korea when I was young so I know the fast paced work environments and heard that Japan is similar if not, more fast paced and overworked.

I do need people to tell me what the reality is for working in Japan before I take this serious for the next 1-2 years.

Anything will help me. Thank you!

Hi everyone, I’m a current product design student and I’m planning to spend an external study year in Japan, ideally starting around September/October. I’ve been researching a range of options and would really value hearing from people who have actually studied or trained in Japan.

I’m open to different pathways - university exchange, language school, vocational programs, craft schools, or hybrid routes - and I’m particularly interested in hands on, material focused study (woodworking, joinery, making, design with materials).

I’d love to hear from anyone who has:
- Studied at a Japanese university (exchange or full‑time)
- Studied design or a related field in Japan
- Combined language study with practical or creative training
- Taken a less traditional route and still found it worthwhile

Some things I’m especially curious about:
- What route you took and why
- How practical or hands‑on your studies actually were
- How easy (or hard) it was to integrate into daily student life
- Things you’d do differently in hindsight
- Whether the experience helped academically, professionally, or personally

I’m still in the research stage after receiving a rejection letter from ISEP (not the actual Universities I applied to) and want to make an informed decision before committing, so honest perspectives, positive or negative are very welcome.

If anyone would like to list schools, universities, programs or if you have personal contacts in Japan I would greatly appreciate it. I was absolutely gutted by the rejection letter as I have good grades and am proficient to the N5 level which is what most language schools had listed as requirements, not only that one of my lecturers had been a part of the MEXT scholarship program and gave me a seriously incredible letter of recommendation.

Thanks in advance to anyone willing to share their experience.

Hey everyone, can you share your experiences job hunting in Japan, especially for software roles. Also hoping to get some honest feedback on my situation. I will give out awards to helpful comments!

If you’ve gone through it, I’d love to know:

• Your background (YOE, education, tech stack, etc..)
• How long it took to land an offer
• Where you applied (job boards, recruiters, etc.)
• What interviews were like (leetcode/system design or something else entirely)

About me:

• CS degree from NYU (graduated in 2024)
• ~1 year of SWE experience (outside the US)
• Worked with Python, Docker, SQL, AWS, LangChain
• Did some work integrating a legacy ERP system with a newer automation setup

My current plan:

• Go to language school in Japan for 1–2 years and aim for N2/N1
• Start applying while studying (or right after)
• Maybe brush up on C/C++ / embedded / OS stuff to try for robotics or automotive roles

I’m mainly wondering:

• Is this a realistic path to landing a dev job in Japan?
• Or would it make more sense to pivot entirely (like doing a master’s in Europe and going for something like accounting/audit for visa stability)?

Appreciate any honest takes

Hi, upcoming senior here. I've been trying to make heads or tails of the application process while studying for the JLPT, and I guess I wanted to ask a question about what time I should apply.

To my knowledge, there's two usual options; the april semester like most native students will be enteirng in, and the september/october semester. From what I've heard, this one isn't very enjoyable. However I don't officially graduate next year until May. Which is very clearly after April.

Would it be better to apply for the september/october semester, or wait a year? There's a small posibility I may be able to speed up my graduation, but I have doubts that its possible. I'd also preferably like to leave the US as soon as possible. If it's that worth it to start in April, however, I may be able to deal with it.

Any advice is welcome.

I may be joining UTokyo as a self-funded research student, and I would like my spouse to come with me. I am trying to understand what is realistic in this situation. From what I have read, I am still unsure about a few points:

1. Is it realistic for a research student to have any income in Japan? Can I be paid by the lab or uni as an RA or in some other role?
2. If there is no guaranteed income, can I still obtain a dependent visa for my spouse if I have substantial savings?
3. Is it possible to arrange the COE for the student and the spouse at the same time when entering UTokyo? Or is the usual process that the student first comes to Japan and then applies for the spouse’s dependent COE afterward?
4. I have seen people say that it is better not to have the spouse enter first on a tourist visa and then try to switch later. Is that actually true in practice? I'm kinda anxious about being alone, especially at the beginning 😔

I'd appreciate any piece of information related and I'd like to understand the most realistic path in advance.

Hi all, can anyone share their experience who recently applied for a WHV from Canada? Getting an application date at the consulate in Toronto has been a nightmare.

Hey all, I'm a 27 year old Canadian and I'm considering going to Japan under the working holiday visa. The main thing I wanna know about are prescription medications while over there, as there are some I am prescribed for my ulcerative colitis and PSC. I'm wondering if it would be possible to get prescriptions for them while in Japan, and if I'd need to pay for them or if there's some kind of insurance that could cover it. The main medications I've been prescribed by my GI are Rinvoq, Ursodiol, Methotrexate, and folic acid. Any help is appreciated, even just pointing to other sources that may have the answer.

I’m a 23 year old industrial painter with basic Japanese speaking skills how hard would it be to secure a work a visa as an industrial painter? I just want to reset my life and start from square one and as a current American I’ve looked into what is needed for citizenship there and I’m completely okay with going through with that process

Just thought I’d share because I thought getting 5 years was impossible for the first one.

For context: from NZ, married to a Japanese spouse for 9 years with 1 child. Applied in Kumamoto and received COE in 2 months.

This means I should be able to apply for PR after 1 year right under new rules needing a 5 year visa, due to being married for so long?

Hi all! Hope this post finds you well.

Just to provide background on my current situation.

I recently graduated from college with a bachelors degree in education (but not licensed) and I am currently working my first full-time position since February.

I've worked three years in higher education during my college years and am currently still working in higher education. I'm not quite happy with where I am and considering I am still young into my career, I do want a move away from this position. My family is currently residing in South Korea so moving to Japan will allow me to be at least a few hours closer to them. I could work in South Korea but I would need to serve my military service which at this point in my career is a waste of time.

I have worked on learning and studying Japanese but I know that I'm not skilled enough to work at a Japanese University in an administrative position.

Moving closer to my family is one of the biggest reason why I do seek a move to Japan but I don't know if my current experience and lack of Japanese can help that within at least two years. I am bilingual in English and Korean but I don't think that helps with anything.

Any tips will be appreciated.

こんにちは all!

I’ll soon be moving to Japan from Italy for an extended period, following my Japanese wife. Currently, I’m still an Italian resident.

We’re currently waiting for the Spouse Visa to be approved. In the meantime, I’m trying to figure out the best way to manage our finances. My wife has separate accounts in Japan, which is fine, but I’m concerned about my current savings.

I have Wise, REVOLUT and one Italian Bank.

I understand that once I relocate to Japan, I’ll need to close my Italian Revolut account and open a new one there.

On the other hand, Wise offers a different option. I can retain my existing account but will need to provide proper documentation to prove my new residency.

I would like to use Wise to move some funds around €150k of savings from my Italian bank to Wise. And here comes the question:

Does it make sense to convert most of these funds now from € to ¥ taking advantage of the current exchange rate, and then transfer them to a Japanese Bank? Or better to wait and move the € to a € account in a Japanese Bank (like Sony)?

I’d like to exchange euros for yen now. However, I’m concerned that this might cause issues later if I become a Japanese resident. Alternatively, I could wait until my visa is approved and then make the exchange and transfer the yen to a Japanese bank.

Sorry if I wasn’t clear happy to give more details in the comment section.

Ciao!

Hey everyone,

I’m a complete beginner trying to learn Japanese from scratch, and my long-term goal is to clear all the JLPT levels (N5 to N1). I know it’s a long journey and not something that happens quickly, but I’m genuinely serious about it.

The main issue right now is… I’m honestly overwhelmed.

There’s just too much information online.... different apps, textbooks, YouTube channels, courses, “best methods,” and everyone seems to suggest something different. At this point, I’m confused about what actually works and what’s just noise.

What I’m really looking for is a clear and realistic roadmap that I can stick to consistently without jumping from one resource to another.

A bit about me:

• I’m currently working, so I can dedicate a few hours daily but not full-time
• I’m planning long-term to work in Japan, so I don’t just want to “learn casually” — I want proper proficiency
• I tend to overthink and over-research, which is probably making this harder than it should be

Some questions I’d really appreciate help with:

• Is self-study enough, or is it worth investing in a structured paid course?
• What resources would you recommend for someone starting from zero?
• How did you personally begin, and what would you do differently if you started again?
• How important is it to follow one resource vs mixing multiple?
• At what stage should I start things like speaking practice or immersion?

Also, if anyone has a simple step-by-step plan (even a rough one like “first do X, then move to Y”), that would honestly help me a lot.

I’m not looking for shortcuts — just clarity and direction.

Thanks in advance 🙏

(I hope this post can go here)

Firstly I'd like to acknowledge that I'm ignorant of the situation in japan, more because I just got interested on japan like three weeks ago, and I'm very young (18 years old) I'm from Colombia (Latin America country), and I know how to communicate in English (I hope so hahaha). So I'm studying at University systems engineering, and I started learning Japanese as well.

So, I wanted to ask if Japan is as discriminatory with foreigners as many people in social media says and how bad is it? I know that I don't have to idealize any country, that's obvious, I'm not coming from the perspective of a weeb who thinks that Japan is the best thing of the world, but after some research, I noticed the issues with the country (just like many countries do).

So I'll admit that I'm somewhat scared, because future can be scary, and even more considering I'd be leaving my comfort zone. And I've seen this constant rhetoric of japan being very discriminative.

I really just want to work, live and make some sort of social circle there, and well, also enjoy the country with all the cultural things. So I'd like to know how's the situation for many immigrants there? Is immigration that hard? Are Japanese people really so bad with foreigners?

I tried to investigate, but I always get very polarized answers, and I don't know what to do.

There's also this thing about generalizing the country, but I don't have the criteria to tell if it's right or wrong. Maybe it'll depend on the subjective situation, maybe some did great, maybe not, I don't really know. But how's the gray areas in this topic? It's really impossible for a foreigner to live there? How hard is it?

Thanks to anyone who reads this.

Dear Redditors,

I am currently in my first gap year, thinking about moving to Japan for a working holiday in Tokyo (5-6 months approximately)

Because I have worked nearly my whole first gap year, i have a decent amount of savings to go on about. This puts my in a position where I could either travel comfortably around Japan (maybe for 1-2 months) or take on part-time work while I'm there. But I'm scared to not make any friends or acquaintances if I do it solo (and not through a bureau).

However I'm unsure which option would be more worthwhile.

On one hand, working could help me extend my stay, and give me a deeper experience of daily life in Japan. But on the other hand, I wonder if working might limit my freedom and reduce time I could spend actually exploring and enjoying the country.

For those of you who have done a working holiday, would you recommend prioritizing work travel, or both? And did you feel that working significantly enhanced or limited your experience?

I would really appreciate hearing about your experiences and any advice you might have.

Thanks in advance :)

Hi hi,

I'm thinking about 6-12 months at a language school. Mostly for the experience of living in Japan and to scratch a "wish I'd done it when I was younger" itch that won't go away. So went to the interweb to research and wow, the Go! Go! website looks amazing! So many cool looking schools to choose from! I'll have to save hard, but it's doable! Woohoo! Let's goooo....

Whoa, slow down there, cowboy. Something doesn't smell right.

So I did my due diligence and a deep dive background check of the schools on my shortlist, and... my gods, the negative reviews! Are the schools on the Go! Go! website really that bad?! Some 1-star reviews make it sound like I'd be studying in a broken, flooded toilet cubicle with 50 Chinese students and I might not make it out alive.

Are they accurate? Trash talk from rival schools? Reviewed by ex-students with a grudge and terrible personalities? What's the real story?

Like I said, I'm realistic. Only looking at a language school for the visa to live in Japan for 6-12 months, and experience Japanese culture in my own time. I'll make an effort in class, of course. But if these negative reviews are accurate... I think I'll just book a holiday instead. I'd rather have the best 90 days of my life, than 360 days of misery. And for the tuition costs, I could do 90 days easily.

Thanks in advance.

I am an Indian, with 11+ years of experience working as a software engineer. I want to relocate to Japan with a job in hand. I've tried applying for jobs online, but to no avail, almost never got responses. Are there any good agencies that can help with the process or connect me to the right people? I have no Japanese language knowledge or certification yet, however I'm willing to learn. Any help or guidance is appreciated.

Im wondering if i would be able to go to a Japanese university, specifically fashion even if i didn’t have a high school diploma?

Im considering dropping out of high school as it’s overly stressful but i don’t want to give up my dream to be able to study fashion. Ive done a little research and it says I could but is that really the case? Would i have to attend a language school or do an entrance exam / high school efficiency exam? Im aware it states that i have to do some kind of exam but im not sure which is best or if i have to do multiple.

I know i would have to study Japanese which is no issue but is there other exams or qualifications that might be necessary? The one i want to apply to requires 12 years of completed schooling but im very positive i cant achieve that. I would be glad to know if i can work around this issue as its sort of holding me back.

So please if you have any advice or knowledge on this please let me know!!

Im moving to japan in June on a working holiday visa and I would like some tips or recommendations for my situation. My girlfriend is japanese and studies near setagaya so we want to get a place near there if possible. I have about 4million yen saved and plan to work while im there while continuing my hobbies/passions of basketball/MMA/ ONE PIECE tcg. I want to get a job that will at least make me break even so I am not cutting into savings too much, preferably a bakery if I could choose, but I don't know how realistic that is. My japanese is N5 level atm but I plan to keep getting better before and while im there. Do you have any suggestions for finding places to live, finding jobs and pursuing my hobbies?