MMoving to Japan

What are some caveats you only discover after moving to japan ?

  • December 4, 2025

Something like how backward banking is in japan, ATM working hours, complicated home internet setup, etc …

by sohailoo

4 comments

  1. I mean the go to is the garbage system, it’s not that difficult but something you got to learn.

    Pedestrian crossings, you have lights, no lights but a crossing, no crossing but they stop anyway, half the paths also just turn into roads you walk down.

    Speaking of walking what side do I walk on? Yes…

    For me it’s the paper work. You want to move house?
    Deal with the real estate, tell your current ward office, the new ward office, NHI etc etc.
    And you want to ride a bike?!!?! Well that’s even more!

    That said probably why a lot of things do just work. So worth it.

  2. My shoulders are too wide for a Japanese MRI machine to get a full image. And I am in no way a big person – I just have wide shoulders compared to Japanese.

  3. I have to order most of my shoes and clothes from abroad and I’m not even that big. 

    Finding children’s acetaminophen with no additional meds included is really tough. 

    It’s hard to find decent whole wheat bread and after a while all the regular grocery store bread here tastes too sweet. 

    Bagged salads are ridiculously small in the grocery store and mostly iceberg lettuce. If you’re used to the ease of American style kale bagged salads you’ll be sad. Actually, if you like salads in general you’ll be sad. Hard to find a good kale salad that’s not super expensive. 

    ETA: a lot in general seems to be set up with the idea of having a housewife or someone who doesn’t work normal hours. Like to get my regular prescription filled I have to pick up the written prescription during the day, and walk it over to the pharmacy, etc. Similarly, it was hard to find a dog walker that would come by when I wasn’t home (which to me is the point of a dog walker), because again they assume a housewife is always there. 

  4. Not having central heating and air takes adjusting in various ways! Not being able to dry my hair and use the microwave at the same time without the power cutting off was tough too!

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