Resident registration
After arriving in JapanWithin 14 DateRegister as a resident at the local government office where you live. Please go to the government office and say, ``I would like to apply for resident registration/transfer notification.''
What to bring
- Passport
- Residence card
- Seal (inkan)
- Make a note of your address and date of entry in advance
- Documents that can confirm family relationships and their Japanese translations (if moving in with a household of two or more people)
- Transfer certificate (if you live in Japan and move to a different location)
Table ① is required to be filled out at the government office. If you do not understand Japanese, please ask for the English format. If you don't know how to write it, please ask the staff at the office.
Words you should know before writing
- Notification date (Todoke Debi):The day when you go to the government office and complete the procedures.
- Transfer date(Idoubi）:The day you started living at your new address
- Transfer(Tenyuu）: moving from another place to a new place
- Domestic transfer (Konaitenyuu):When moving to Japan from overseas
- Head of household(Setainushi）:Representative of the household listed in one resident card
- relationship(Continued）: Please write about your relationship with the head of household. If you live alone, please write "the person".
Once you have completed your resident registration, your address will be written on the back of your residence card. Please check if the address is correct.
Procedures for joining National Insurance
After completing resident registration, you will need to apply for National Health Insurance.
A National Health Insurance Card is an insurance card that can be used when going to a hospital.
When you enroll in National Health Insurance, you pay only 30% (you), and the remaining 70% is covered by insurance premiums. Anyone living in Japan for a long time must subscribe. Be sure to pay your insurance premium.
Once the procedure is complete, your insurance card will be sent home within two weeks.
The person or family member must receive it. It will not arrive directly in the mail.
If no one is home, there will be an absentee note in the mailbox or delivery box. If there is, call the phone number on the absentee note and let them know when you can pick it up and have them send it to you.
Notes
If you work as a full-time employee at a company, the company will handle the insurance procedures for you, so please mention that you are a company employee when you register as a resident.
Application for my number card
In Japan, there is a number called My Number (individual number). This means that each person has one number. Once you start working in Japan, you will need your My Number. When you apply for a move-in notification, the government office will provide you with instructions on how to apply for a My Number, so please apply according to the instructions.
My number card (front)
My number card (back)
Information on how to apply for a My Number notification and My Number card will be sent home. Once you receive it, you can also scan the QR code and apply online. You can also fill out an application and submit it by mail. You will receive your My Number Card one month after applying. Once you receive it, please keep it in a safe place.
About joining the national pension system
Japan has a pension system. All people aged 20 or over and under 60 are required to join. By paying a pension, you can receive money after you reach retirement age. However, international students may be exempted through special procedures, so please contact the government office for details.
In addition, those who work as full-time employees at a company are enrolled in the Employees' Pension rather than the National Pension. The company will handle the procedures for you, so please inform the government office that you are a company employee when registering as a resident.
Creating an account (passbook)
Once you start working, you will definitely need a passbook. You need to go to a bank to create a passbook. The banks below are banks that are easy for foreigners to establish. There are many other banks, but please ask the bank directly if you can make one.
Once you complete the account opening procedures, you will receive your passbook on the same day, but your cash card will be mailed to your home within two weeks. (This must also be received in person. Cash cards will not be posted in the post.)
Banks commonly used in Japan
- Japan Post Bank
- Mitsubishi UFJ Bank (MUFG Bank, Ltd.)
- Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation
- Mizuho Bank, Ltd.
What to bring when making a passbook
- Residence card
- My Number Card (if you have one)
- Seal (inkan/stamp)
- Admission letter/student ID (for international students)
- Employment contract (if working)
- Memo (writing your address, name and address of the company you work for, phone number, etc.)
mobile phone contract
There are three major phone carriers in Japan. Softbank, AU, and Docomo. You can also buy SIM cards from these three carriers.
If you want to lower your phone bill, there are cheap SIM cards available.
For example, AHAMO, Rakuten Mobile, Y Mobile, and UQ Mobile. If you want to know more, please go to the store and ask.
You can easily contract Rakuten and AHAMO Mobile from the internet, so please check it out.
There are three types: standard SIM, microSIM, and nanoSIM.
Find out what size your SIM card is in advance.
What to bring when buying a SIM card
- Residence card and my number card
- passbook and cash card
- Inkan
- Memo (writing your address, name and address of the company you work for, phone number, etc.)
I want to ride a bicycle
In Japan, bicycles have the same rules as cars. Bicycles, like cars, ride on the left side of the road.
What not to do when riding a bicycle
- Riding with two people (children under 5 years old are fine)
- to drink
- riding side by side with other bicycles
- to hold an umbrella
- Using a mobile phone (smartphone)
- don't turn on the light at night
- don't wear a helmet
Bicycle crime prevention registration
If your bicycle is stolen, register it for crime prevention so that it can be found.
The procedure can be done at the bicycle shop. If you buy a bicycle online, you will need to register it for crime prevention. Please complete the procedure at a crime prevention registration office (bicycle shop, supermarket, home center, etc.) that has a sign saying "Bicycle Crime Prevention Registration Office" posted.
Once the formalities are complete, a sticker will be affixed to your bicycle.
bicycle insurance
Japan has bicycle insurance. Participation is compulsory in some regions. Please check carefully.
Participation is mandatory in the Kanto region such as Tokyo, Chiba Prefecture, and Kanagawa Prefecture, and in the Kansai Region such as Osaka Prefecture and Kyoto Prefecture.
Be sure to check about bicycle insurance at your city hall or when you buy a bicycle.
If you think about what will happen if you get into an accident while riding your bicycle, it is better to get bicycle insurance.
This is because the insurance company will pay the injured person.
What you need when registering your bicycle for crime prevention and purchasing bicycle insurance
- Identity verification (residence card My number card)
- Memo (written with your address, phone number, etc.)
- cash
How to separate garbage
In Japan, garbage is separated by type and thrown away.
Please dispose of garbage according to the rules of the place where you live.
When you register as a resident, the government office will tell you how to dispose of garbage and the collection dates.
Some government offices will give you a calendar that lets you know when you can dispose of different types of trash. Additionally, many municipalities charge a fee for garbage bags. You can buy it at convenience stores and supermarkets.
Here we will tell you the main types of garbage.
Burnable garbage/Burnable garbage
This refers to food waste, household waste, etc.
incombustible garbage
It's made of plastic. Broken plates, cups, light bulbs, etc. need to be further sorted depending on the region.
Recyclable garbage
Plastic bottles, cans, books, newspapers, cardboard, etc. that can be recycled.
bulky garbage
Things like chairs, desks, large furniture, and bicycles. Check with your city hall for information on how to dispose of bulky garbage.
Depending on the region, there is a fee to throw away items.
home appliance garbage
Home appliances such as air conditioners, televisions, refrigerators, and rice cookers. Check with your city hall for details on how to dispose of household appliances. Depending on the region, there is a fee to throw away items.