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Money & banking in Japan
Money basics for life in Japan — opening a bank account, cards, cashless and QR payments, sending money home, and understanding taxes.
Money & banking (13)
Opening a Bank Account in Japan: What Newcomers Need (2026)
A calm, step-by-step guide to opening your first Japanese bank account — the documents, the right order to do things, and why your phone number comes first. #PR
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Long-Term Care Insurance in Japan: Kaigo Hoken and Support for Aging Family
A calm, plain guide to Japan's long-term care insurance (kaigo hoken): who contributes, how the ward assessment works, and the home and facility services it helps arrange. #PR
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Year-End Tax Adjustment (Nenmatsu Chosei) and Filing a Return in Japan
What the year-end adjustment does, the forms your employer asks for, and when you file your own return instead. #PR
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Claiming Your Pension Refund After Leaving Japan (Dattai Ichijikin)
Miya walks you gently through the lump-sum withdrawal payment you may claim after you leave Japan, and why staying reachable matters. #PR
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Furusato Nozei in Japan: How the Hometown Tax Donation System Works
Hi, I'm Miya! Here's a calm, plain walk-through of Japan's furusato nozei hometown-tax donation system: the idea, one-stop vs. filing, and thank-you gifts. #PR
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Renters Insurance in Japan: The Fire Insurance Bundled with Your Lease, Explained
Hi, I'm Miya. Let me walk you through the fire and contents insurance most Japanese leases attach, what it covers, and how renewals stay easy. #PR
Read the guide →Reading Your Japanese Payslip: Deductions, Insurance and Take-Home Pay
A friendly walkthrough of your Japanese payslip: attendance, payments, deductions and what actually lands in your account. #PR
Read the guide →Income Tax and Resident Tax in Japan: What Newcomers Should Understand
A calm guide to Japan's income tax and the resident tax that surprises people in year two, plus who files a return. #PR
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Going Cashless in Japan: How QR and Mobile Payments Work
A newcomer's guide to QR-code and mobile wallet payments in Japan: scan-to-pay, topping up, and where cash still rules. #PR
Read the guide →Getting Your First Credit Card in Japan as a Newcomer
How a newcomer applies for a first credit card in Japan: what issuers ask for, the general steps, and why checks need a number. #PR
Read the guide →Sending Money Home from Japan: A Newcomer's Guide to Remittance
New to Japan and want to send money home? Miya walks you through documents, steps, fees, and channels for international remittance. #PR
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Setting Up Online and Mobile Banking in Japan
Your account is open, so let's get the digital side working: banking app, online transfers, auto-pay, and mobile wallet. #PR
Read the guide →What Setting Up Your First Month in Japan Actually Costs
An honest, planning-oriented look at first-month setup costs in Japan — housing deposits, utilities, furnishing basics, and staying connected. #PR
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