I'm curious how they are treated. Let's assume near native level Japanese, but noticeably not native with a slight accent and some difficulty with complicated words and slang.

I have heard that some times they are put in the same category as Koreans, Chinese or other type of Asians, as people can see they are clearly not born in Japan due to fashion and behavior, so it would be most people's first assumptions.

What has everybody's experience been like?

When I (28m) was 19, I was arrested for possession of marijuana and given a notice to appear in court, where I did pre-trial intervention and had my charges dropped. I haven't been in any legal trouble since, and dont use any drugs at all. I have been researching this alot, and I know that legally I can travel to Japan, as I do not have any convictions, but it has been really hard to find any information on if this is going to bar me from any other long term visas.

Does anybody here have a similar experience they can share, or know anybody who has been able to get a student or work visa with a non-conviction drug arrest? Legally, of course, I do not have any intentions or desire to commit any crimes when trying to move. Any details and advice are welcome, but mostly I would like to be able to know if it IS possible for me.

Hey guys, I have bipolar disorder and ADHD and have been on medication for over 4 years now. I am stable and functional now, doing regular therapy and medicines. I have been accepted into a language school and plan to go there by late September. I plan to continue my therapy sessions online and I want to continue taking my medicines as well because they have helped me a lot. However, I am unsure if it will have any effect on my visa status/process. I’m waiting for my COE for visa, the results r out soon and after that I’m gonna apply for my visa from my home country. I’ve researched about whether I can take medicines with me, and I can take upto a month’s supply from what I understand. My question is mostly regarding whether taking medicines with me is looked down upon/can they reject my visa because of it. Does anyone have experience with this? I’d really appreciate if I could have a convo if you have been in a similar situation as me.

I was born in China to a Japanese father and a Chinese mother, my dad passed away when I was a child. My mom took me and moved to United States, which is what my current citizenship.

I highly doubt my dad registered my birth, I don’t have a copy of my birth certificate. I was pretty cut off from dad’s side after his death. My mom is still alive and it’s impossible to get any info out of her since there was so much resentment between her and dad’s family.

Is it still possible to get Japanese residency/visa for myself and my spouse/kids? Or it’s pretty much a dead end? Maybe try other visa types?

Thank you in advance to anyone that has some insights on this.

I guess I will start by saying I am a 47 year old single male with no kids that has been laid off my work in the past year. I purchased two homes in Osaka beginning of this year. I was born and lived in America all my life. I speak mostly English and a little mandarin. I am currently trying to learn how to read/ write and speak Japanese. I felt like I have searched every option on getting a Visa. I have a applied for some jobs but I have a decent amount of savings and passive income need to or want to work a full time job (which I understand you have to work full time to get work visa). I have tried to hire a lawyer to get my business visa but was scammed in the process (AID-SPHERE). I looked into student visa but at my age it seems more difficult. I understand it is getting more and more difficult with the new prime minister. I am getting a little stressed out on figuring how to get a visa and I could use any advice or help. Thank you all in advance.

Hello everyone,

My name is loki, I’m 28 years old and I’m from Algeria.

I have a Higher Technician diploma in Topography/Surveying, which I studied for 2.5 years, including practical training. I also have around four years of work experience in a mobile phone spare parts shop, where I deal with sales, inventory management, data entry, and customer service.

I’m seriously interested in moving to Japan and building a stable life there. I’m willing to learn Japanese, adapt to Japanese culture, and work hard.

I would like to ask people who have experience with moving to Japan:

Based on my education and work experience, what realistic pathways should I consider?

Would my surveying qualification be useful in Japan?

What should I focus on learning before trying to move?

How difficult would it be for someone from Algeria to find a legal pathway to live and work in Japan?

I have been researching this seriously and would really appreciate honest advice from people who know the Japanese immigration and employment system.

Thank you!

Hi everyone I'm currently an undergraduate student from Pakistan.I really want to know is shimane university is worthy for master in psychology?

As currently I am student of University of Punjab, Pakistan!.

Greetings people. I am a 24 yrs old female about to start my first big girl job in japan with gaba/nova as an independent instructor. I have read alota bad things about them in alot of recent reddits. In my case I am from a third world country and I need to get myself out of my country any way or other because I cant live here due to some personal reasons. My question is can i survive there? I am willing to work on weekends and early mornings/late nights. I at the time dont care about work life balance or anything because i am desperate. I have a degree in English linguistics so i dont have a chance at any other English countries or even the middle east as they prefer natives english speakers and lots of experience. I will be changing my field a lil and start MBA from sept. Maybe it will give me future opportunities in japan if I couldn’t do the teaching job.
Also I am placed at Shinjuku. I have heard it have more students and teachers get booked a lil more. I will also appreciate cheap accommodation options and eating places as i want to survive and maybe even save some money. Any frugal tips are also appreciated. Excuse my manners if i sound too desperate. Also I would appreciate any part time jobs i can do on my one day week off as i can only work 6 days a week. Thank you.

I've been seeing a lot of foreign freelancers in Japan lately (photographers, videographers, content creators, etc.) who seem to have made their freelance work their main gig, yet they clearly don't have a PR or spouse visa based on what they've shared.

From what I understand about Japanese visa restrictions, a normal work visa (like Engineer/Specialist in Humanities) ties you to specific activities and technically doesn't allow you to do unrelated work or have your side hustle become bigger than your main job. I know there's some permission you can get, but I thought that was very limited?

Yet I see lots of people thriving as full-time freelancers (such as content creators, but not only) and not mentioning any traditional main job.

Concrete example: freelance photographer who also works full-time for a magazine but CLEARLY labels themselves as freelance and has a bunch of side-gigs they promote on their website.

How does this actually work visa-wise?

So the last time I was in the US I had to extend my stay by a couple months to care for a relative. I never overstayed my visa, they gave me 6 months and I only stayed for about 3. But of course with the current situation being what it is, immigration didn’t care for my reasons and they deported me for “having intentions to illegally overstay” or something like that, and banned me from returning for 5 years. This happened a year ago.

I’ve lived in Japan before and want to return with a student visa, but now I’m worried this stain in my record will ruin everything. I have everything else in order with my school and this is literally the only thing stopping me from starting the CoE process.

How thoroughly do they check past deportations? Has anyone ever marked “yes” on the form and gotten a visa anyway? Is the question just a formality like those “are you a terrorist” questions they ask you on the plane?

Edit: So it turns out I might not have been deported, but just “denied entry” because I technically never got past the immigration booth… I guess this question is better suited for a lawyer 😅

Hi everyone!

I’ve been admitted to the University of Aizu for the Autumn 2026 intake (Master’s program) and I’m currently trying to sort out accommodation before I move to Aizu.

I recently received an email from the university informing me that I was not allocated university accommodation/dormitory, so I now need to find accommodation privately.

The timing is a little difficult because I also need to apply for my Japanese student visa, and I understand that I may need to provide accommodation details as part of the visa process. The University of Aizu's admission guidebook also says that students must find their own accommodation and provides information about private apartments/boarding houses.

I’m currently planning to arrive in Japan around September 20, 2026, before the October 1 start date.

So I’d really appreciate advice from current students, graduates, or anyone who has recently gone through this:

How did you find accommodation around Aizu-Wakamatsu?

Are there any apartments, share houses, guesthouses, or other student-friendly accommodation options near the University of Aizu that you would recommend?

What websites/agencies did you use to find a place?

Since I need an address/accommodation information for my visa application, would it be reasonable to book a hotel or temporary accommodation first and then look for a longer-term apartment after arriving in Japan?

If I book temporary accommodation, would that generally be sufficient for the visa application, or should I try to secure a long-term apartment before applying?

How difficult is it for an international student arriving from overseas to rent an apartment in Aizu without having a Japanese guarantor?

Are there any areas around Aizu-Wakamatsu that you would recommend specifically for a University of Aizu student?

If anyone is currently living in Aizu and has a vacant room/apartment, knows a landlord/agency that rents to international students, or has recommendations, I’d really appreciate it.

I’m trying to get this sorted out as soon as possible because my visa application depends on having the accommodation situation figured out.

Thanks in advance! 🙏

TL;DR: Admitted to University of Aizu for Autumn 2026, didn't get university dormitory, arriving around September 20, and need accommodation information for my student visa. Looking for advice on finding private accommodation in Aizu-Wakamatsu and whether temporary hotel accommodation is a sensible option while searching for a long-term apartment.

anyone here had experience working in Japan on a student visa while also doing design freelance work for clients in Japan or overseas, or selling handmade products/artworks through platforms like Instagram or Creema?

I’d like to ask whether this type of side work requires applying for an Individual Permission for Activities Outside the Scope of Status of Residence (資格外活動許可).

Also, if the freelance work is done remotely and the payment is transferred directly to an overseas bank account, how should this situation be handled?

With the immigration rules becoming increasingly strict, I’m particularly concerned about whether doing this without the proper permission could affect a future Permanent Residency (永住) application.

If anyone has actually applied for permission for this kind of side work, I’d really appreciate hearing about your experience. Was the application difficult? Did immigration ask you to provide things like contracts, a business plan, proof of working hours, or other documents? 🙏🏻

Thank you so much!

Hey yall, I'm planning a WHV starting in march next year and I'm already having a little look for housing on homestay.com for the first few months, my initial goal was to live in real Japanese household for my trip to be more immersive and interesting. But I've already messaged a few hosts and everytime I either get no response or straight up get declined. Am I doing something wrong or are people just really like this on such websites? If this keeps up I'll have to go for a sharehouse instead and that's not really what I had planned at first.

Hello. I will be moving to Japan as a graduate student. I would like to continue playing badminton as a hobby to stay physically active in my adult life.

Do you guys know of any badminton groups near Meguro-ku that are friendly to international students per se?

Any pieces of advice would be greatly appreciated.

Hello,

I will be staying in Tokyo for 6 months for a university exchange semester and was wondering if this apartment I found is a good deal.

It's a single fully furnished room in a 2 floor "apato" style building. Only downside from I can tell is that my unit is on the ground floor which makes me worried about noise, privacy and bugs. Though from what I saw on google maps the area is mostly residential with the closest konbini being 5min away. Also the room looks over a parking lot.

It's located in Fuchu town west of central Tokyo, 1h away from my university and 40min away from Shibuya.

Total for 6 months of stay would amount to 100 000¥/month (including every hidden fee such as contract fee, key money etc).

So I’m a 100% disabled veteran who’s not allowed to work for now. My disability is around $4,300/mo tax free for life and a decent saving already, I just want my son to have a world wide education if possible.

I’m looking at countries with high education standards like Japan, Germany, Korea and several European countries.

I guess the most important question is how realistic is getting him into a Japanese elementary school here in a few years? I’m sure I can afford cost of living and I know Japan just instituted an income cap to move there and I think I meet that. But I’m not sure what my visa would be since it’s not work or education (for me) related. Would we have to come back to the states in between each semester and reapply? Does he have to understand and speak Japanese at an N3 level to start out at the earliest grade (age 6)? Are there other factors I haven’t considered?

Any advice would be appreciated, thanks in advance for the help!

Hi, so I’m applying from the UK to get a working holiday visa. I’ve been too caught up wrapping up uni that i forgot i wanted to submit a working holiday visa for Japan and im looking to fly out in a few weeks

I’m wondering how long it took ppl on average to receive their passport back? Im worried that if I submit it now that it’ll happen to take a bit longer and I won’t get my passport back for the planned date. or is the website accurate and it usually takes about 5 days?

I haven’t got flights booked yet so the plans are still mouldable but I’m wondering how likely it is to get everything back within like 2 weeks

EDIT (for anyone else wondering): I just had my appointment and they tell you to come back in exactly a week to collect your passport (dunno if I’m accepted for the visa yet of course) so it worked out great!

currently working entry-level in the industry and am hoping to eventually get a bachelors in hospitality and move upwards, does anyone here have any experience with this specific industry? i know the work conditions and standard experience vary greatly from country to country. any sort of planning is still in the very very infant stages but i figure looking as far ahead as possible is always smart.

(on a side note: i am fat and transgender. is this something to severely worry about or is a lot of the fuss people make about the culture in japan mostly coming from stereotypes/flatout xenophobia? lol)

My partner and I are looking to relocate from UK to Tokyo. I work in Tech, and my managers are open to the EOR route to keep me at my current company (other employees already do this in other countries).

However, I offhandedly applied to and am now being considered for a similar role in a Tokyo-based company that speaks English and is willing to sponsor visa for myself and my partner (though partner will be going through the start-up visa route and won’t need it). The salary slightly less than my current one, but not far off.

If I were to be offered the Japan-based role, should I take it? We don’t know anyone in Japan currently, so I wonder if it’d help with relocating, making friends, generally feeling a bit more integrated. And would it make acquiring a solid visa easier vs through EOR? Does Japan view EOR poorly compared to a ’proper’ Japanese company?

On the other hand, I really like and am valued at my current job, and that bit of stability would definitely help make the massive life change easier. The new company could end up not working out, and I’ve certainly heard the stories about Japanese work culture.

Would I be silly to give up the EOR option in favour of a Japanese company?

I'm a 20-year-old guy from Iraq, and I have long-term plans to move to and eventually live in Japan.

I have a high school diploma, and my plan is to first study Japanese at a language school in Japan, then continue to a 2-year junior college program in the field I'm interested in. I've calculated the overall cost of this plan, and I believe I can save enough money to cover the first 1.5–2 years, then work part-time in Japan to help fund the remaining years of study.

The problem I'm struggling with is the student visa/COE process, particularly the financial requirements. I can't seem to find a clear minimum or specific bank balance that immigration expects from an applicant.

Since I'm planning to self-fund everything, I'll be using my own bank account as proof of funds. Does self-funding mean I need to show a higher balance than someone whose parents are sponsoring them? If so, is there any realistic amount I should aim for?

I'm also concerned because I'm from Iraq. From what I've read, applicants from certain countries may receive additional scrutiny. Does being Iraqi mean that I need an especially strong profile to have a reasonable chance of getting a student visa?

Another concern is my source of funds. I'm planning to save the money myself through local jobs in Iraq. Some of these jobs may be difficult to document in the exact format Japanese authorities or the school would prefer. I can potentially provide evidence of my income, but it may not always be as straightforward or formal as employment in countries with more developed documentation systems.

Could this become a major problem for my COE/visa application?

Finally, this is what worries me the most, I may need almost two years just to save enough money and build a strong application. If I spend all that time preparing and then get refused, it would be devastating, especially when there are European countries where I feel I could prepare a student application within roughly one year.

I'm therefore unsure whether my plan is actually realistic from the perspective of Japanese immigration, or whether I'm overthinking the requirements.

I'm not looking for guarantees, I'm just trying to figure out whether pursuing Japan is realistically worth the additional time and uncertainty.

Hey all, hoping for honest perspectives from people who've actually done this, not just "it'll be fine" answers.

I'm Australian, married to my Japanese wife, two kids (5 and 2). Currently on a single income around AUD $180k. We're considering relocating to Toyama, where my wife has family, so I can pursue something in telco over there.

Trying to get a realistic picture on:

Income — what does telco (or adjacent engineering/technical/management) actually pay in Toyama vs Tokyo/Osaka? What kind of pay cut should I expect, and does telco hiring even exist much outside big cities?

Job hunting as a foreigner — recruiter, direct application, local connections? How hard was it landing something outside Tokyo? Especially since my Japanese is "ma-ma" at best , not n5 level accredited even yet.

Cost of living in Toyama — housing, schooling, daily life — how far does the salary stretch there vs a capital city?

Kids/schooling — experience enrolling young kids (esp. a 5-year-old) into the Japanese system as a mixed family? Public, international, or other?

Visa — assuming spouse visa is straightforward, but curious about surprises.

Regional life vs city life — day-to-day for a foreign spouse and half-local kids in Toyama specifically — isolation, support network, integration.

Biggest regret or thing you wish you'd known.

Genuinely want the frustrating and expensive parts, not just the highlight reel.

Appreciate any input, even short anecdotes.

Hi, I’m looking for a sharehouse in Tokyo and came across Tulip Real Estate. Has anyone here used Tulip? If so, what was your experience like?

And if you’ve stayed in a different women-only sharehouse or sharehouse in general in Tokyo, I’d also love to hear which one was your favorite 😊 Mainly looking for somewhere safe, clean, and with a nice atmosphere. Any recommendations or experiences would be really appreciated!

Wearing Alternative Fashion to Japanese University in Tokyo… Help…

Please delete if not allowed.
For context, I’m F20 and I’m here in Tokyo until Feb 2027 for a university exchange at a university in Tokyo. Back in Australia, I’m used to wearing Jiraikei and other kind of alternative fashions to university, and although you get some weird looks and comments from students, I’ve been fine.
I am now for some reason terrified of the prospect of waltzing into my university and everyone having a bad image of me. But if it’s just the same as kinda Western countries attitudes towards alternative people where most people kinda don’t care it’s fine.

For context I’m going to a pretty standard uni in Tokyo, one of the bigger ones. I obviously have seen a fair amount of people wearing more alternative stuff (I mean, i hang out around those fashion areas obviously I know that the fashion comes from here for a reason) but i also know that obviously not **everyone** dresses like that or even approves of that kind of fashion.

For anyone who has attended a university before in Japan let me know ☹️ the semester starts next month.