Moving Apartments Checklist

You've finally landed that job you've been eyeing since last year! Now, it's time to pack up and move to the location of your new job. Moving apartments is never easy. No matter where you are in the world. It can even be difficult back home, but now that you're in Japan, well, it gets a little more complicated.

With everything else in life, when things get overwhelming, make a list. Lists help us see what's going on, what our options are, and sometimes, it can even help ease your mind by showing you that things are not as out of control as you imagine them to be.

Before you move...

If you are planning to move to a new city, you should start looking for a new apartment at least a couple of months before your desired move date. This is to give you enough time for site visits, plus time to decide. Most realtors will hold a property for you for about a month, which gives you ample time to get the other things in order.

Move Prep

Now that you've decided, and signed with your new apartment, move preparations can begin. It goes without saying that you should try and pack as much stuff as you can leading up to your move date, but, here are some of the other things you will need to do to prepare for your move.

• Save the date

Even with weddings, the first thing to decide is the date. Try to pin down your move date so that you can plan the logistics that come with it. The peak season for moving in Japan tends to fall around April to June as most companies and schools start their year in April. So if you're looking to save some money on moving costs, you might want to either get ahead or put off your move date.

Once you've decided on your date, proceed to inform your old apartment, as well as the new one on when you plan to move out (old) and move in (new).

• Get Quotes for Moving Companies

Moving will require manpower, trucks, time, and money. There are a lot of available options in Japan ranging from: "pack your stuff and bug your friend with a van to help you move" to "all in plan, movers pack and unpack your stuff, even clean your new place". I did some research on this from when I had to move, but I will write a separate post on that to give you in-depth information.

• Cancel and Start (your utilities)

After you've booked your movers (or at least gotten a commitment from your friend), the next step is to cancel your utilities in your old apartment and have them started in your new apartment. Some utility companies allow for you to do everything online, but some (most of the time the water company) will need to be called directly. If you're lucky and the utility company handles both your old and new apartments' locations, you can just opt for a STOP-START service. You can have these things scheduled for your move date. 

Special note on Gas companies: For the gas utility, they will require you to be present to turn it on so they can make sure everything is working and that everything is safe. The other utilities can be handled with or without you on the property.

• Inform your City Hall (old)

A quick trip to the city hall is required so that you can inform them that you will be moving out of their jurisdiction. This also makes sure that you will be paying your taxes, health insurance, pension to the correct city. Just go to city hall and tell them that you plan to move on this date.

• Inform the Post Office

In the rush of all the things you need to do, this often gets forgotten. But this is very important for you to receive your mail properly (while you take care of all your subscriptions and other things to be transferred to your new address). Japan Post will forward mail sent to your old address with your name as the recipient for up to one year.

• Sodai Gomi

When you move out of your old apartment, you can't leave anything there. You will have to throw your trash away, including the big ones that require special stickers for pick up. Other alternatives are, give them away (couches, TVs, refrigerators, washing machines, tables, etc) or sell them to your local recycle shop. You can also place listings on Mottainai Japan or similar groups and websites. But you have to remember that you need to leave the apartment, as empty and clean as you found it.

• Packing lists

You guessed it, I love lists. When you pack your stuff into boxes, it's good practice to attach a list. Having a list attached to the box gives you an idea of what you have in them. Labeling boxes are okay, but if you have a box with a lot of knick-knacks, the list can be a big time-saver.

Moving Day

Moving is a very stressful endeavor, at any time, anywhere. So on the day of your move, just a few reminders:

Keep important documents with you

In the flurry of all the packing and boxes, make sure that essential documents are handy and secure. When I was younger, my mom always kept our important documents in a briefcase. This made moving these documents easy, as well as readily accessible for any situation. (This also works in case of emergencies and stuff.) When moving, don't put these documents in with all your other belongings, carry them with you when you travel to your new place.

Have an overnight bag ready with a change of clothes and toiletries

Chances are, your stuff will be all in boxes and suitcases. And if you had to move far from your old place, I can guarantee you will be tired. Having an overnight bag is convenient for a quick change of clothes so that you can rest before you dive into getting everything in order.

Prepare some ready-to-eat food

You will be busy with everything(packing, unpacking, organizing, etc), and preparing food will be the last thing on your mind. Having a boxed lunch, or at least something you can eat (without much preparation), is essential.

The Aftermath

Whew, otsukaresama desu! You have successfully moved from one apartment to another. Now, there is just one more thing you need to do.

Register with your new City Hall

Within two weeks of moving into your new apartment, you will need to inform your new city hall of your arrival. They will then stamp your new address on your residence card, give you your new health insurance card, and some maps and other reading materials (albeit in Japanese)to help you settle into your new place. You will also have your trash collection schedule there. Each city will differ with its trash rules, so try and check this one at the very least.

And there you have it! A simple checklist for moving apartments!!! 

If you are serious about adulting, why not check out: Tax Refunds - How to File Your Final Tax Return

I'd like to hear what you think! Feel free to comment below or message me on Facebook or Instagram.

Tax Refunds - How to File Your Final Tax Return

Jump to Filing your Final Tax Return

Albert Einstein once said: "The hardest thing in the world to understand is the Income Tax."

Welcome to Adulting 101. As adults and contributing members of society, we all will, eventually, have to deal with taxes. Dealing with taxes even in your native language can be very challenging, imagine doing this in Japan, in Japanese. *cue nosebleed

Before we jump into the steps of filing your Final Tax Return, let's go ahead and explain some of the words you will be encountering while you deal with this.

源泉徴収 (Gensen Choshu) - Withholding Tax

Gensen Choshu(源泉徴収) is the process where your employer estimates how much income tax you will need to pay and will withhold that amount from your monthly salary. In other words, withholding tax. Your monthly payslip will show how much tax you paid and since this is just an estimated amount, there are instances where you either over or underpay your taxes. Whether you overpaid or underpaid your taxes will then be computed around the time of the Nenmatsu Chosei(年末調整) or the Year-End Tax Adjustment.

年末調整(Nenmatsu Chosei) - Year-End Tax Adjustment

To put this simply, Nenmatsu Chosei(年末調整) is the adjustment of the taxes you paid through your monthly withholding tax. Employers usually start preparing for this around the last quarter of the year and will usually compute your actual income tax for the year (from January 1st to December 31st of the year).  This is also the time when you submit the documentation required for possible tax deductions (dependents, social insurances, medical expenses, etc). 

 

Depending on the result, they will either withhold the remaining amount you're required to pay or will reimburse you for the excess amount withheld from your past months' salary. Once everything is done you will be issued a Gensen Choshu Hyo. 

Generally, if you only work for 1 employer, and you have declared all your dependents and submitted all the documentation for the social insurances you personally pay, then there is nothing else you need to do. Your employer will figure this out for you and you will get your tax refund from your regular payroll account.

There are some instances where your employer will not be able to do this for you. Some of these instances are:

• You have more than one employer (side gigs, multiple part-time jobs, etc.)
• You have another source of income that exceeds 200,000 yen annually
• You earn more than 20 million yen in salary
• You have an overseas income

Then you will need to file this adjustment yourself at your regional tax office, and instead of filing for the Nenmatsu Chosei(年末調整), you will be filing for the Kakutei Shinkoku(確定申告) or the Final Tax Return.

確定申告 (Kakutei Shinkoku) - Final Tax Return

By definition, Kakutei Shinkoku is the declaration of your earnings for the previous year from January 1st to December 31st. This will comprise of all your income from all sources, and this is also where you would declare all possible deductions. 

Filing of the final tax return is required for the following situations:

• You have multiple employers
• You are self-employed
• You are employed, but did not file your Nenmatsu Chosei
• You changed employers mid-year

Possible deductions that you can claim are:

• Dependents (in Japan or abroad)
• Social Insurances (that you personally paid and are not automatically deducted)
• Medical expenses exceeding 100,000 yen 
• On-going housing loans, etc

The Kakutei Shinkoku has to be filed at your regional tax office (税務署- zeimusho) and there are 3 ways of doing so: in person, by mail, or online. I have never tried by mail or online because I just feel more at ease when there is someone helping me fill out the final tax return forms.

Filing your Final Tax Return

For foreigners like us, especially Filipinos, we send money regularly home in support of our family back home. This is why it is very important to file this every year. Depending on how many dependents you have you can get possible refunds from your withholding taxes paid throughout the year.

Documents to Prepare:

You can prepare some of these things in advance. Especially birth certificates, marriage certificates, etc.

• Copy of your passport
• Proof of kinship (bring originals to show and copies for submission)
• These are government-issued documents showing proof that you are indeed related to your dependents. This can be birth certificates and marriage contracts where a family relationship can be traced. 
• Dependent's ID showing full name and date of birth. I personally provide copies of my dependent's passport which shows both of these.
• All documents need to be translated into Japanese (Passport copies can be submitted as is)
• Proof of remittance
• This can be a remittance certificate from your banking/remittance provider.
• This also has to be translated, although most remittance providers already include a Japanese translation automatically.
• This can also be the transfer receipts you get every after sending a remittance.
• Important note: each dependent has to have their own account that you remit to. Even if they live in one household, there is a need to show that you sent remittances to accounts matching the names of the dependent you are declaring. If you are remitting to only one account, only the account holder will be considered as your dependent.
• Gensen Choshu Hyo (源泉徴収票）
• This is the tax slip your company will provide you at the end of the year. Here is a sample of a Gensen Choshu Hyo. 
• If you have more than one employer, you will need one from each employer.
• Proof of National Pension Premium Payments (if applicable)
• When you make payments to the National Pension System (国民年金保険料) you will receive a postcard in the mail around the end of October. (Here's a sample)
• If you have a housing loan
• You will need a Home Loan Year-end Balance Certificate or (住宅ローン年末残高証明書) You can request this from your housing loan provider.
• If you have medical bills amounting to more than 100,000 yen
• You will need to present proof of payment such as official receipts from medical institutions.

Other important things to bring

• Residence card (在留カード)
• You should always have this with you anyway.
• Passport
• Hanko/Inkan (印鑑)
• Your personal seal. If you don't have one, this can be your signature.
• Cashcard/Bank book (通帳）
• Where your refund will be credited to

Timeline: February 16 - March 15 (usually)

Step 1

To prevent the spread of COVID-19, you are required to set an appointment to go to your regional tax office. They will only accommodate a fixed number of people and you might get turned away if you don't have one.

You can set your appointment via Line.

Click here for instructions. This will be in Japanese but there are visual illustrations so you will be able to follow them.

Step 2

Arrive on time. Make sure that you arrive within the time frame of your appointment. Once you arrive show your appointment confirmation to the assistant on site. When you're asked, say that you want to file your final tax return and that you want to apply for your dependent deductions. 

"確定申告をして扶養家族を申告したいのですが、どうすればいいですか？" 

- Kakuteishinkou o shite fuyou kazoku o shinkoku shitai no desu ga, dou sureba ii desu ka?

- I would like to file a tax return and declare my dependents. What should I do?

Step 3

Follow the line. Once you're in, no need to worry, somebody will assist you with the things you will need to do. They will ask you some questions, and they will be able to speak at least a little bit of English, at least enough to explain the things you need to know. If you're having a hard time with what they're saying, just ask them to use easy Japanese by saying:

"簡単日本語でお願いします。"

- Kantan nihongo de onegaishimasu.

- Please use easy Japanese.

At the end of the line, you will need to sign your forms, the assistant will then put your application in an envelope, give you your copy, and you are done!

Don't forget to say "ありがとうございました。おつかれさまでした。" to everyone who helped you along.

These tips should help you ease into your daily life in Japan. If you enjoyed reading this, you might enjoy these articles as well:

How to Come to Japan as a Japanese Language Student

How Much Will it Cost to Come to Japan as a Student

Part-time Jobs for Language Students

For questions or if you need help with translation, feel free to comment below or message me on Facebook or Instagram. 

 

Things to Know Before Going to Japan as a Language Student

Living in Japan, even as an exchange student or as a language student means that you have to know how to conduct yourself in society. Manners are required anywhere in the world and the same is true in Japan. You've probably heard the saying "when in Rome, do as the Romans do", well, "when in Japan, do as the Japanese do."

The concept of  "Omoiyari"

If you go to Google Translate and type this in, you'll get "consideration" as its translation. But the Japanese concept of "omoiyari" is more than just that. The full definition of "omoiyari" is the consideration towards others by imagining oneself in another person's position and act accordingly with their point of view. This is the actual reason why the Japanese people exude an aura of politeness. People will go out of their way to avoid causing inconvenience or discomfort.

Building on the concept of "Omoiyari", let's go through a few things to keep in mind when you come to Japan as a language student.

1. Be aware of the people around you

One thing I noticed in Japan is how people will try and avoid bumping into you as much as possible. People try their best not to be an inconvenience to anyone so they try not to bump into you unless there is nowhere else to go (ie a crowded train). This also applies to other forms of inconveniences such as noise and littering.

Backpacks

People try to avoid bumping into you and you should try to do the same. You should wear your backpack in front if you are standing inside the train so that you don't bump other people accidentally. You never know who you're bumping into like old people, children, pregnant women to name a few. You can even see reminders of this in trains sometimes.

Talking on the phone in enclosed places

Talking on the phone may seem like a mundane thing to worry about but people in Japan tend to mind if you talk to someone on the phone in enclosed spaces. You will notice that they go outside to make their call, or in trains, they wait till they get off. 

This also applies to other forms of noise like watching a video or listening to music without earphones, blowing your nose, even typing on a laptop with a noisy keyboard. Generally, a good rule of thumb is to just be as quiet as you can. You can have a hushed conversation with a friend, just keep in mind that there are people around you.

Eating and drinking while walking

It's considered rude to eat or drink while walking in Japan. It's perfectly okay to eat standing up but not while walking. If you eat and walk, you might drop your food, and people who step on it will be inconvenienced with it. You are giving other people who might be in a hurry consideration by not getting their shoes or clothes dirty.

Take your trash with you

You will notice that Japan is very clean, but there are hardly any public trash cans available. This is because people take their trash home. They don't just leave it somewhere for someone to clean it for them. 

Smoking

Smoking is very common in Japan. But there are rules to follow when it comes to smoking. You cannot just smoke anywhere. There are designated places, even in open areas, where you can smoke. This is out of consideration for people who don't smoke. In the past, restaurants offer smoking seats but in recent years, these restaurants are growing less in number. Also, if you do smoke, it's best if you have a pocket ashtray with you so that you don't dirty up the place.

Vaping is considered similar to smoking and people tend to be uncomfortable with the "smoke" (I know it's not smoke, don't argue with me on this) this produces. You will only be able to vape in smoking areas.

2. Follow the signs

Pay attention to signs

There is a multitude of signage all over Japan and you would do well to follow them. Some signs tell you what to do, where to go, what not to do, etc. Don't worry, most of the time, these signs are illustrated, and recently, (initially as preparation for the 2020 Olympics) signages have English translations. 

Follow the traffic lights, cross at the crosswalks

You will notice how people follow the lights even when the streets are empty. It would do you good to do the same. You never know when a traffic light is equipped with a camera that can capture your face. This applies whether you are a pedestrian or riding your bike. 

As a pedestrian, on the occasion where there are no traffic lights, try and see if there are crosswalks (zebra stripes), and cross there. If there are none, try to cross at corners or intersections. Try to walk on the left side of the sidewalk as most people tend to keep left, especially in crowded streets. 

As for bikes, signs show whether you can park your bike.  There are bike parking spaces almost anywhere you go, so make sure that you're leaving your bike where it's supposed to be placed.

Speaking of bikes...

3. Bicycle Rules

Yes, there is a whole, dedicated section for bike rules.

Riding on sidewalks and keeping to the left

Japan drives on the left side of the road. So when you ride your bike, it would be best to keep it to the left. Technically, unless there is a sign on the sidewalk itself, you are not supposed to ride your bike on sidewalks. Well, the rule goes: Children 12 years old and below are allowed to ride on the sidewalk, in a situation where it "seems" dangerous, then you can ride on the sidewalk as well. This is one of the "gray area" kind of rules in Japan. My advice, use your better judgment. 

If you do ride on the sidewalk, always remember that you should always yield to pedestrians. Hitting a pedestrian with your bike will cause you a lot of headaches the moment that pedestrian decides to press charges. Worst case? You end up in jail. 

Get off your bike

In situations where you are entering a people-dense area, it is best practice to get off your bike. When you cross the street at crosswalks it is best to get off your bike, unless you're the only one crossing or all of you are on bikes.  There are also places where you will be asked to get off your bike (in signs) like in underpasses. If you think that maneuvering your bike is risky, just get off the bike. 

Make sure you have bike lights

In Japan, it is required by law that you have a front light on your bike that is fully functioning. In addition to this, you are also required to have a rear reflector and a bell. Biking at night with no lights can get you stopped by police and you might be asked to pay a maximum fine of 50,000 yen. There are rumors that say the police don't really enforce this, but it's better to be on the right side of the law.

Don't ride double, don't ride drunk

Riding double, or 2 people riding one bike is prohibited in Japan. If and when you get stopped by police for doing this you might get slapped with a 20,000 yen fine.

Riding drunk on the other hand will land you in jail for up to 5 years. Plus a one million yen fine. You might notice, or read somewhere, that police don't really enforce this, but are you really willing to risk it? You can always leave your bike and get it in the morning, or simply push it home.

Hands on the handlebars at all times

When riding your bike, make sure you have both hands on the handlebars. You should never hold an umbrella with one hand. On the same note, you shouldn't hold your smartphone while biking. Any of these violations can cost you up to 50,000 yen in fines.

A similar violation is using earphones, earbuds, or headphones while you ride. The rationale behind this is, despite having your hands on your bike, you might not be able to hear oncoming vehicles that would help you react accordingly. This is also fineable by up to 50,000 yen.

4. House Rules

We are all familiar with having to take off your shoes before entering someone's home in Japan, but what other house rules should you be familiar with?

Shoes and slippers

Japan is famously known for the fact that you will have to remove your shoes when you enter someone's home. Upon entering the front door, you will enter the genkan part of the house. This is the part where everybody takes their shoes off to change to their indoor slippers. Most of the time they will offer slippers for you to use whilst at their home. This is also true for some offices (like at the dentist's and some clinics) and some public spaces. Just make sure to look around for a place to put your shoes and when in doubt, always ask if you need to take your shoes off. (靴を脱ぐべきですか - kutsu o nugubeki desu ka?)

Important note: Make sure to take off your shoes on the lower part of the genkan and not in the elevated part. This defeats the purpose if you step with your shoes onto the elevated part. The purpose of the genkan is to separate the outside shoes from the inside shoes. 

On the topic of slippers, toilet slippers are a separate pair of slippers you use only for the toilet. In the context of separating indoor and outdoor footwear, the toilet is considered dirty, thus a separate pair of slippers. Never forget to put your toilet slippers back and trudge around the house in toilet slippers.

Make your presence known

If you live with other people (roommates, dormmates, etc), always announce your arrival. If you live there, announce yourself by saying, ただいま (tadaima) or ただいまです(tadaima desu) meaning I'm home. People at home would greet you back with: おかえり(okaeri) or おかえりなさい(okaerinasai) roughly translating to "welcome home." In case you are entering someone's home, announce yourself by greeting your host and saying: おじゃまします(sorry for the intrusion). 

Alternatively, when leaving your home, announce this to your housemates as well by saying いってきます(ittekimasu) meaning "I'm leaving for the day"/ "I'm off to ~" (lit. I'll be leaving and coming back), to which your housemates would respond: いってらっしゃい(itterasshai) meaning "Have a nice day"(lit. go and come back). If you're leaving someone's home to go home yourself, you can say そろそろ　失礼します(sorosoro shitsureishimasu) which means "I'll be leaving now" and thank them.

Wait to be asked to sit

Whenever you are entering someone's home, an office, or anywhere you have to wait, always wait to be asked to sit. Do not just directly sit wherever. It is good manners to wait for your host to ask you to be seated.

Always ask permission

It's good practice, even with very good friends, to ask permission before doing/touching anything in someone's home. Japan is a culture of respect and it only shows that you respect your host when you ask permission before doing anything like touching stuff and using the bathroom.

Ask to help out with cleaning

Even as a guest, you should still offer to help with the cleaning up. Most likely your host will politely decline, but it is polite to ask.

Coming to a foreign country can always be overwhelming but arming yourself with the most basic of expectations can help you avoid making the common mistakes most foreigners make. This also will prove to your school how serious you are with your studies when they see the effort you put in to really fit in. Don't worry though if you do make a few mistakes here and there, what's important is you learn from your mistakes.

These tips should help you ease into your daily life in Japan. If you enjoyed reading this, you might enjoy these articles as well:

How to Come to Japan as a Japanese Language Student

How Much Will it Cost to Come to Japan as a Student

Part-time Jobs for Language Students

For questions, feel free to comment below or message me on Facebook or Instagram.

How to Send Money Home, International Remittance from Japan

"Will I be able to send money home?" 

How to send money home as a language student in Japan.

Coming from a Filipino background, it's deeply ingrained in our culture to take care of our families back home once we set foot on foreign soil. This is especially true for OFWs (Overseas Filipino Workers). But, being a student, is this really feasible?

In my previous post, I described in detail how much the initial costs are for studying in Japan. It goes without saying that it gets pretty expensive. I also wrote a post regarding a student's monthly budget to give you an idea of how much you will earn and spend monthly. 

As a student, you will be earning an average of 80,000 to 100,000 yen a month for working 28 hours a week, Factoring in tuition, rent, and other necessities, you will probably have about 10,000 left depending on how much effort you put into savings. If you live simply, cook your meals at home, and don't spend much on going out, you can save even more.

There are no hard and fast answers to this question, but technically speaking, yes, you would be able to send money home, but it's not as much as most people expect.

Now that you have established a working budget and will be able to send some money home, let's talk about international remittance in Japan. There are several ways of sending money home including banks, wire transfers, and remittance services.

International Bank Remittance

This is probably the most common and the first thing people think of when you say remittance. Banks are very secure and reliable but they tend to cost more. If you are transferring large amounts of money, going through banks would be the most sensible course but if you are only transferring small amounts (anywhere from 1,000 yen to about 100,000 yen), you might want to go a different route.

Transaction Fees: 4,000 to about 7,000

The best banks to use for international remittance are Japan Post Bank, Shinsei Bank, and Prestia. 

Japan Post Bank

You can apply for remittance by filling up an information sheet, printing it out, and bringing it to the nearest Japan Post Bank branch. They have recently suspended their corporate remittance and will only process individual or personal remittances. They charge ￥7500 for over the counter transactions and ￥3000 for online transactions. I haven't tried this yet but I will try and write a post on how to register for their online services.

Shinsei Bank

Shinsei Bank offers bilingual support which is very beneficial to non-Japanese speakers. They also have a smartphone application available making it very convenient. Their remittance fee is a total of ￥4000 yen and may go up depending on how much you will be remitting.

Prestia (SMBC)

Prestia is another great bank for transfers because of its English language support. They also offer mobile and online banking which makes remittance convenient. They charge ￥3500 yen for the remittance and will charge additional fees depending on the amounts.

Remittance Services

Whereas banks are the first thing that pops into someone's mind when sending money home, more and more remittance service centers are stepping up to the plate. 

These remittance service centers tend to charge less than banks for transactions and with fees depending on how much you send. Remittance centers would be the best choice for transactions below ￥300,000. 

Most remittance services offer to give you a furikomi card for easy sending and recipients at home can choose whether to pick up the money or have them deposited to a bank account.

Seven Bank

Seven Bank gained popularity because of their mobile app that lets you transfer from your smartphone. They offer discounts if you use their mobile app and guarantees no additional fees to be borne by the receiver. Another feature they offer is the option to receive the transfer in local pick up points all over the Philippines. They also offer directly depositing your remittance to local banks.

Metrobank Japan

This is a local bank in the Philippines that operates a branch in Tokyo and Osaka. They function mainly as a remittance service. I personally chose this because it's convenient for Metrobank account holders. I can transfer money and have it received within a few hours.

Japan Remit Finance

I discovered this remittance recently while researching for this article. It's a reputable remittance service founded in 2011 and by far offers the best exchange rates. These remittance services and banks follow their own exchange rates, and though they post it on their websites, they tend to have different rates. The differences are in decimal points but when you're sending a big amount, the difference grows. I have not tried their service as of writing this, but I did apply for an account with them. If everything goes well, I might be switching over to them soon.

SBI Remit

SBI Remit is another long-standing remittance service established in 2010. They offer competitive fees and exchange rates. I was going to use SBI Remit for my remittances but for reasons I can't remember, I just went with Metrobank. They have a very streamlined registration process and they are very responsive. 

Online Money Transfer

For those who have experience working online or shopping online, you have heard of several online payment systems. One classic example is PayPal. I have personally trusted this online payment system for a very long time, and they have never let me down yet. But with the dawn of the digital age, more online money transfer systems are popping up and these are a few that I personally used in the past.

PayPal

I am a fan of PayPal. I learned about PayPal back in the early 2000s when I worked as a chat support agent for eBay. And through the years, they have only improved their security and I have been a member for almost a couple of decades now. To be honest I only ever do online shopping if I can pay using PayPal. As a remittance service, they only charge a currency conversion fee. The catch is, it's a percentage, so the bigger you send, the bigger the fee. Also, they charge you to deposit to your bank account. They charge about 2-3 USD to deposit to bank accounts.

TransferWise

TransferWise is a UK-based online transfer system that I came across in the last 5 years. I made a payment to someone in Thailand using this payment method and the fees were considerably cheaper. A couple of years ago, I couldn't use this account yet because they haven't established their base in Japan yet but I checked recently, they are now fully up and running. I am thinking of trying this service again soon and see which one truly will give me value for money.

WorldRemit

Okay, this one I admit, I have never used. But I did research on it and they function similarly to TransferWise. I did a quick comparison and their conversion rates are very competitive too. This is another way to send money conveniently. 

Depending on your needs and level of comfort transacting online, you can choose from these methods to send money back home.

If you enjoyed reading this, check out our other posts that might interest you:

Study in Japan: How Much Will It Cost Me Initially?

Part-time Jobs as a Language Student

Japanese Language Student's Monthly Budget

For questions, feel free to comment below or message me on Facebook or Instagram.

Japanese Language Student's Monthly Budget

Welcome to Japan! You finally did it! You went through the long process of applying to be a Japanese language student, came up with the funding to pay for the initial payments, and you have finally boarded that plane to study and work in Japan.

Now, get ready to face your first challenge. How much will you be earning and spending as a Japanese language student?

When you're a student, chances are, you don't have much spending money because you only work part-time. Your main focus is to study and thus, you are only allowed to work 28 hours. But this also means you have to work with a budget to avoid mishaps like having to eat instant ramen for 2 weeks because you blew your money on something trivial.

Here's a preview as to how much I earned and spent as a Japanese language student.

Part-Time Job Salary

Money matters

I studied in Oarai, Ibaraki. Much like other countries, the minimum wage will vary from place to place, and since Oarai is a little seaside town, the minimum wage is on the lower end of the scale. Back in 2016, the minimum wage was at 800 yen per hour. As of writing this in 2020, the current minimum wage in Ibaraki is at 850 yen per hour. Depending on your part-time job, your salary will vary a little bit, but on average, a part-time working student earns about 80,000 to 100,000 yen a month. You can also check my post about part-time jobs for students. 

*Note: When you work part-time, you only get paid for the hours you work. You don't get paid leaves and other benefits. Although, you do get paid night differential if you work between the hours of 10 PM till 5AM.

Monthly Salary = 80,000 to 100,000 yen

Tuition

As a student, studying is your priority

I studied at Oarai International Exchange Academy (大洗国際交流アカデミー). Since I enrolled with the 1.5-year program, my total tuition cost was about 1.5 million yen.  The school requires 6 months' worth of tuition in advance before coming to Japan and is paid before the COE (Certificate of Eligibility) is sent to you. This amounted to roughly around 650,000 yen. My school's tuition is inclusive of dormitory and utility fees which made life easier budgeting-wise. The remainder of my tuition is paid in monthly installments of 50,000 yen.

Monthly tuition (inclusive of dormitory and utility fees) = 50,000 yen

Food

A simple, yet beautiful lunch.

One thing I liked about living in Oarai is food. There aren't many fast food joints available in  Oarai. The nearest McDonalds required me to bike about 3 km to get a burger and when you're a student, you just don't have that much time. So, most of the time we simply made our own meals at home which drove costs down. Occasionally, we would buy bento boxes that go on sale around 7 PM till closing time for most supermarkets. And, if you time your supermarket visit right, you can get bento boxes and other foodstuffs (like sushi) at 50 percent off. You can also stock up on cup ramen for days that you just can't be bothered to cook or go out. Your food budget is the most flexible part of your budget and I had months when I would only spend 5,000 yen on food. 

Monthly food budget = 5,000 to 15,000

Phone and Internet

Communication is key

Having a cellular service can be optional for some. When I was a student, I got my first Japanese phone about 3 months into studying. Some of my classmates even got theirs near graduation. Most students opt to just get a mobile wifi router and use the phones they brought with them to save costs. As I wrote in my post about the initial costs of coming to Japan, the initial cost can be a bit pricey, but the monthly bill would average at around 5,000 yen a month (even lower if you are below 25 years old). This 5,000 yen a month budget would afford you about 3GB of data. Calls will be charged on a pay-per-call basis. The telecommunications companies are coming up with better deals all the time so you can get an even better deal, but 5,000 yen would be a fair average cost for your phone bill. If your dorm offers wifi, it might already be included in the utility bill, so kindly check with your school if there is wifi coverage and if not, you can always negotiate to have one installed.

Monthy phone and internet bill = 5,000 to 10,000

Insurance, Tax, and Pension

Health is Wealth! Don't forget to pay for your health insurance.

Everybody in Japan, regardless of nationality, are required to join the National Health Insurance(NHI) and for those above 20 years old, the Pension system. As for the National Health Insurance (国民健康保険), you will have to pay the premiums once you get the bill for it. It's usually cheap for students because you only work part-time. As for the Pension (日本年金機構), you can be exempted for the duration of your studies due to low income. The NHI will cost you about 16,000 per year, and if you choose to pay in monthly installments, roughly about 1,600 a month. You can budget your initial year's NHI premium to your initial costs so you don't need to think about it. Else...

Monthly NHI Premium = 1,600

In Summary

So, it is possible to save a little bit by working part-time and studying in Japan. Although these values fluctuate due to a lot of other factors like you catch the flu and had to stay home for a few days. Or if you had a sudden big expenditure or if you opted to go home for summer or winter holidays. If you're planning to do this as a means of livelihood and support family members back home, this might not be the route you should go. 

Remember, if and when you come to Japan as a Japanese language student, your first priority is to study the language. This means that you have to pay your dues first before spending on anything else. If you really want to support your family back home, think of your time as a student as your "investment" for your future. Once you graduate and get a full-time job, sending money home will be a piece of cake (well, not really but at least you will be better equipped to). 

If you liked this post, you might want to check out our Japan Survival Tips here.

Study in Japan: How Much Will It Cost Me Initially?

 In my previous post, I described the process of coming to Japan as a Japanese language student. Now that you have an idea of the "How  to?", let's now talk about the "How much?"

Will this be enough?

Education, no matter where you are in the world, is expensive. Even more so when you are aiming to study abroad. Studying in Europe averages about 20,000 USD in tuition fees, plus about 4,000 USD for living costs (food, utilities, phone, transportation, etc) per semester. Studying in Japan is no different. 

In a glance, let me give you a simple breakdown as to how much you will need to initially prepare to come to study in Japan.

Tuition Fees

Yearly, language school tuition fees alone will cost about 700,000 yen. The cost will vary from school to school and the length of the program you choose. Take note that this amount does not include dormitory fees yet.

Depending on where you decide to study in Japan, costs do vary from place to place, as well as the size of the school. Most established schools tend to cost more because they are usually located in major cities like Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka. 

In my school, Oarai International Exchange Academy (大洗国際交流アカデミー), there are only two programs available: 1.5-year and 2-year courses that cost 940,000 yen and 1,230,000 yen respectively.  *The English version of the website seems outdated and is showing 4 courses, but confirming with the owner, there are only two programs available.

Depending on the school you apply for, you will be required to pay part of your tuition up front. Some schools, they require a year's worth of tuition paid initially. For some, 6 month's worth. 

Initial Tuition Cost: 250,000 yen to 850,000 yen depending on the school.

Walking to school saves costs

Dormitory Costs

Most language schools offer dormitories or at least will arrange accommodations for you. Compared to tuition fees, dormitory costs vary widely. Initially, a deposit will be required which can be returned depending on the state of the dormitory by the time you leave. When you leave, there will also be a cleaning cost that usually will be covered by the deposit. 

Initial deposit cost: 100,000 yen to 250,000 yen. *Some schools tuck this into the tuition costs so be sure to ask the school whether this will be paid separately.

School Dormitories

These are typically shared rooms. There will always be a toilet and bath for each room but the laundry and kitchen may sometimes be shared.

Price range: In major cities, the price ranges from 20,000 yen to 60,000 yen a month. For smaller cities, it is a bit cheaper ranging from 15,000 yen to about 40,000 yen a month. 

Typical dorm room

Private Renting

For those students who prefer to rent their own, it is possible to find your own accommodation. This will usually be for those who are accustomed to a certain way of life and have more spending power. Rent will depend on the location, size, and accessibility of the apartment. 

Price range: Anywhere from 30,000 yen to 100,000 yen a month.

Homestay (Relatives)

Some students prefer to study in a school in the area where their relatives stay. In this case, schools usually allow students to opt to stay with relatives. This would usually prove to be the most cost-effective as relatives tend to charge less (sometimes free) for their stay.

Price range: Depends on your agreement

Cost of Living

When studying abroad, you will have to take every little cost into consideration. When you live at home, you rarely have to worry about food when you get home because the fridge is always accessible. When you get to Japan as a Japanese language student, you can work for 28 hours a week so you will have spending-money but it is advisable to bring two months' worth of food, utilities, and other allowances when you first come to study in Japan. 

Food allowance: 20,000 to 40,000 yen (depending on how lavishly you eat)

Utilities: 30,000 yen to 50,000 yen (depending on what season it is when you arrive)

New phone plan with a new budget phone: 35,000 yen 

Initial health insurance premium payment: 16,000-18,000 yen

Initial budget (two months worth) Total: 125,000 yen

Food

The average cost for a bento box in Japan is about 500 yen. A bento comes complete with rice, a meat dish, and vegetable side dishes. If you are in a pinch, you can opt to buy an onigiri (riceball) instead. They cost about 100 yen apiece. Cup noodles are also available at about 100 yen. You can save the most if you cook at home and bring your own bento (packed lunch). 

Restaurant meals will usually cost you about 1500 yen for a decent set meal.

Price range: Depending on how picky you are with food, a budget of 10,000 yen should suffice. If you are a big eater or if you prefer eating out, set aside a bigger budget.

Beautiful Japanese-style set meal

Utilities

Basic utilities are electricity, water, and gas. Utility costs vary per season and hands down, winter is the most expensive. On top of these, you also have internet fees and if you drive a car, you will also have to pay a monthly parking space fee.

Price range: Peak season (aka winter and summer) basic utilities can cost up to 25,000 yen a month. On off-peak seasons you can safely allot 15,000 yen a month. Internet fee averages at 5,000 a month (if you have your own connection) and parking spaces cost about 4,000 yen a month.

Phone

If you have a current iPhone (from the last two years), chances are, all you will need to do is to update your country setting and you are all set. If you're using android, your phone might work with some networks, but it really depends. If you want to check if your phone will work you can use this website. Personally, I think that getting a phone with a plan works the best for Japanese language students because the phone will be tailored to Japanese apps and the provider itself. The cheapest phone plan you can get is around 3,500 yen a month for about 1GB of data. Phone providers also charge a processing fee of about 3,500 yen which will be charged to your first bill. If you aren't picky with your gadget, a budget of 30,000 yen for a new phone is sufficient. But if you're planning to get the latest model, prepare about 120,000 yen.

Price range: New phone plan with a new budget phone: 35,000 yen 

Taxes and Insurances

If you are staying in Japan longer than 90 days, you will be required by law to join the National Health Insurance (国民健康保険) regardless of nationality. 

As a student, you will be paying about 16,000 yen per year. You will have the option to pay monthly or pay it as a whole. It is less of a hassle if you just pay it upfront so you no longer think about it. You will receive a bill in the mail that you will have to pay in a convenience store.

Another bill that you may receive is the National Pension (日本年金機構). Anyone aged 20 to 59 is required by law to contribute to the National Pension System although as a Japanese language student you can apply for an exemption due to the fact that you are not earning a full-time wage. If you do get this, you can ask help from your school to apply for the exemption.

Plane Tickets and Visa Application

The last expense that you will need to consider is travel costs. The biggest chunk is will be the plane ticket. I'm from the Philippines and regular priced tickets are around 30,000 yen. If you're lucky and are able to catch a sale, it can go as low as 10,000 yen. Another cost you have to consider is visa processing fees. From experience, I spent about 6,000 yen for the whole process. In the Philippines, the Japanese embassy does not process direct applications so you will have to go through an accredited agency to process your visa. 

Plane Ticket and Visa Processing: 16,000 to 36,000 yen

Grand Total: Anywere from 400,000 to 1,000,000 yen

This is a rough estimate of how much money you will need to prepare to go to Japan as a Japanese language student. From time to time there are even cheaper options depending on the school. The key is to ask. These schools have been in the business a long time and they may have ways of accommodating you so don't hesitate to ask.

Are you ready to study in Japan? Check out my post about part-time jobs Japanese language students can do.

For questions, feel free to comment below or message me on Facebook or Instagram.

,

Part-time Jobs as a Language Student

On our third day in Japan, we started with our very first part-time job or arubaito(アルバイト).

When you come to Japan to study, you will be allowed to work for 28 hours a week to help with your day to day expenses (rent, utilities, food, etc.) At the time, the hourly rate for part-timers in Ibaraki was 800 yen per hour. One good thing about working as a part-timer in Japan is the fact that everyone is paid the same rate. They don't look at age, gender, or nationality. Across the board, the minimum wage is the same.

Update: As of 2020, the minimum wage in Ibaraki is at 850 yen per hour.

There is a multitude of part-time jobs available all over Japan. But if you come here with practically zero language skills, then your options become limited. Let me show you a few of these arubaito gigs that can be done even when you barely speak Japanese.

Let me tell you our story...

After the school orientation, we were given the rest of the day off. Or so we thought. At around 3pm, (if memory serves) we were told to report to the school's field office. We called this place jimusho(事務所). This is where we would go whenever we needed administrative stuff; work issues, problems with our apartments, payments, or when you accidentally get bit by your neighbor's dog (true story XD), among other things.

So, we were told to go there because they decided what our part-time jobs would be and when we would start work- which was the next day. We were told to buy work boots and hats. Hmmm... what was this job going to be?

The next day.

So we went to school and had our first day of lessons. We were then loaded on to a van to be taken to our very first job. We ate our lunch in the van, en route to our destination. 

Farm Work

Sweet potatoes...as far as the eye can see...

We were taken to a large field with exposed sweet potatoes for the picking. Digging the crops are done by a machine but the initial sorting is still done by hand and thus we had to go, pair by pair into the field and pick out the big ones first, and then the smaller ones.

休憩中 - Breaktime

This is one of the jobs available for students who are still at the very basic stages of learning the language. It's hard labor, we all had muscle aches the next day, but it was a very fun day.

Some other farm work part-time jobs in Oarai are:

Harvesting cabbages and other vegetables

Harvesting strawberries

Note: Harvest jobs are typically seasonal. 

Factory Work

The next day, the boys continued with the farm work, and the girls were taken to the factory to help with the packing of the finished products. We were given a white long-sleeved shirt, a yellow apron, and a head covering.

Guess who???

This is what factory part-timers usually look like, especially the ones working in the food industry. Uniforms vary depending on the work they do. In this factory, we had to arrange the dried sweet potato in a way that it will look beautiful inside the packaging.

Nihongo wakaranai!

Going back to the story

We thought that we would stay with this part-time job till we graduated like most students. But the sweet potato industry only operates in full capacity from autumn through winter. So when spring comes around, they let all their part-timers go. A lot of industries will have peak and off-peak seasons so there is a possibility of needing to change jobs from time to time.

We were then transferred to a different food processing company.

"Why am I always the one holding the camera?"

From sweet potatoes, we moved on to vegetables. We prepared vegetables for restaurants and bento making factories. 

"Aren't we supposed to be working?"

Some other factories that employ part-time student workers are:

Fish/Seafood processing plants

Bento (boxed lunch) processing plants

Industrial laundromats

Restaurant/Cafe Staff

The saga continues...

When we were transferred from our sweet potato life, we were divided into two groups. Three of us were sent to vegetable processing, the other three were sent to a seafood restaurant. 

Prep time!

Another entry-level job students can get while studying is in restaurants and cafes. When you can't hold your own in a conversation yet, you will most probably be placed in the kitchen where you will wash dishes all-day-long. 

But as you progress with your Japanese language skills, you will slowly, but surely, be introduced to other aspects like taking orders or manning the register.

And sometimes, you get to wear cute uniforms!

Hotel Staff

Oarai may be a small town, but it does have a number of hotels. Students can get jobs in housekeeping, cleaning, kitchen staff, etc in some of the hotels in the area. 

Do not disturb me!

Other Arubaito

For students who come to Japan with some Japanese skills, you can find other part-time jobs. I listed these jobs for last because most of the time, students come with almost no Japanese language skills. 

Convenience store clerk

Whenever you take a customer-facing job, it will require you to speak and it goes without saying that you will need language skills for this one. I never experienced this myself so I really have no opinion about this.

English Tutor

For those with English speaking skills, you can sideline as an English tutor. The biggest downside to this would be having to find your own students. Although there are a lot of available websites to do this.

Supermarket Staff

This is similar to the convenience store clerk job where you have to man the register. Although sometimes you just need to stock the shelves or put discount stickers on bento boxes two hours before closing.

I'm sure there are other part-time jobs I may have failed to mention here. Not to worry, the key is to be open to any available job and you can't go wrong. Besides, no matter how difficult, it makes for a good experience.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some of the usual questions students have. If you have any other questions, feel free to comment below and I will update your questions here periodically.

Q: Can I have more than one part-time job?

A:  Yes. But you still need to abide by the 28 hours per week rule. During long school vacations (golden week, summer vacation, winter vacation, etc), you can work up to 40 hours a week.

Q: Are we allowed to work night shifts? Do we get paid night differentials?

A: Yes. You may work any shift as long as it does not interfere with your class schedule. Yes, the night differential is paid. It's set at 25%.

Q: Do we get paid holiday premiums?

A: Depends on your company. Some pay it, some don't. Same with weekends. It really depends on the company you work for.

Q: How much do you earn a month?

A: Part-time workers earn about 80,000 to 100,000 a month.

What do you think? If you liked this post, read about how a usual day goes in our life as a student in Oarai. For questions, feel free to comment below or message me on Facebook or Instagram.