INTRODUCTION

Are you new in Japan? Congratulations you made it this far. So I’m guessing you have applied & were granted a visa, which is one of the first major hurdles when considering the big trip to Japan. For those of you who are still contemplating visiting Japan or for readers who are just curious about life for foreigners here, hopefully this site will give you some valuable insights.

The reason I wanted to write is to give you, a fellow ‘gaijin’*, some hints on how to make your stay in Japan a more pleasurable one. How did I get to be in the position to offer you advice, by making mistakes of course, tonnes of them. We’ve all been told as kids to learn from our mistakes. Maybe it’s too late for me, I’ve already made them, or have witnessed friends who have, but it’s not too late for you! With this knowledge it is my hope that you will be able to make your money go further, make less impolite mistakes, and significantly reduce the amount of frustration you are bound to experience when living in a foreign country. And believe me there can be a lot-the obvious language barrier, cultural differences, homesickness and more.

Oh and by the way, although I have made mistakes I did get some things right and I would like to share these with you too.　Most of the content is based on my own experiences of life in Japan. I have lived here for seven years, and within that time I have had many experiences from what life throws at us, some personal, some not so.

Please note I have spent nearly all of my time living in the Kansai region, mainly Osaka, so the information offered may be slightly different in other areas. However I believe most of this information is relevent to everyone.

Please feel free to ask questions, add any comments, or add some helpful information of your own.

Good luck with your life here.　Ganbatte kudasai!

*Gaijin; a foreigner/a non-Japanese

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