Japan Life Guide
Your first year in Japan.
Most preparation stops at departure. Most arrival guides stop at 30 days. This one covers the practical reality of your first year — banking, remittance, healthcare, community, and the financial patterns that set you up for the long term.
¥0
to use JFIE support
Free multilingual labor consultation
~1%
remittance fee (Wise)
vs 3–5% via bank transfer
June Y2
resident tax begins
Plan for ¥15k–¥30k/month more from year 2
How to use this guide
This guide covers the six areas that trip up most SSW workers in their first year — not at the crisis level, but at the level of not having set things up right. Each section has expandable detail. Check items off as you complete them. Progress is saved to your browser and tracked in your achievements.