Living in Japan

Japan announces plans for twenty-fold increase in permanent residency fees, alongside higher visa costs

Government reveals long-awaited fee schedule ahead of proposed October implementation.

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Japan moves to enforce language requirements for foreign nationals seeking permanent residency

Programmes on community etiquette may also become part of the screening process.

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Tokyo cops arrest foreigner for suspected visa violation, don’t know what new residence cards look like

Seems like the people doing on-the-street immigration checks should know what immigration documents look like, doesn’t it?

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Japan announces sudden 400-percent increase in visa fees for foreigners entering the country

First increase to visa fees in nearly 50 years will affect some arriving foreigners more than others.

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Japanese government postpones proposals to restrict real estate purchases by foreigners

Rising security and economic tensions prompting consideration of new rules to make it harder for foreigners to buy property in Japan.

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Japan is so hungry for workers it used up its five-year visa quota in record time

Many people with dreams are poised to save understaffed kitchens, but they’re currently stuck behind a bureaucratic velvet rope.

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Japan reportedly adding Japanese language skill requirement to most common foreigner work visa

Requirement to be added to “jobs in which Japanese is used.”

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Japan now has stricter requirements for foreigners applying for citizenship

Change comes with less than half a week’s notice, new requirements will take five more years to meet.

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Burning through cash just to throw things away tops list of headaches when moving house in Japan

Spring relocations in Japan can drain your budget faster than expected, and garbage disposal fees are the biggest surprise.

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Japan has abolished advance deportation notifications to foreigners’ lawyers

16-year policy swept away with less than a week for transition.

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These are Tokyo train lines people most want to live along【Survey】

In the train-heavy Tokyo area, convenience is what matters most to prospective residents.

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Nearly one in ten young adults living in Japan isn’t ethnically Japanese, statistics show

Japan’s young adult foreign national population is soaring while its ethnically Japanese counterpart is shrinking.

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Japanese government considering raising foreign resident visa renewal fees by 400 percent or more

Proponents say they want to use extra money to improve quality of life for foreign residents, strengthen programs to find and deport illegal residents.

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Where’s the happiest place for foreigners to live in Japan? Study investigates

Ibaraki’s first Foreign Resident Happiness Index finds some surprising variety in its three subcategories.

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Bad-mannered tourists cause chaos at new Mt Fuji viral photo spot, city erects fence to stop them

Fuji City’s Great Dream Bridge becomes a nightmare for local residents.

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Japan apartment hunting – Can you find cheaper rent by avoiding the peak spring moving season?

With tons of college students and office workers looking to move at the same time, is dodging the “new lifestyle” season a smart move?

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Number of foreigners working in Japan hits all-time high, 25 percent come from same country

Study shows often overlooked prefecture has second-highest number of working foreign residents in Japan.

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Moving to Japan as a foreigner to work as a taxi, bus or truck driver may be getting easier soon

Japanese government looking to open a path for immigration to Japan to work in transportation sector.

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If you have an apartment in Japan, your “fire disaster insurance” may also be toilet insurance

Got a busted toilet in your place in Japan? Check for this before you pay the whole repair bill.

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How to convert a cheap car into a Japanese taxi…with tape and a wild imagination

Like a really bad, cheapo episode of Pimp My Ride.

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