Rakuten Mobile to Delay Launch of Full Service, Will Offer Free Limited Mobile Service to 5,000 People
Rakuten Mobile has announced that it will delay full-scale launch of its mobile phone carrier service until spring of 2020, significantly behind the planned start date of October 2019. Rakuten’s official entry into the mobile carrier market has been eagerly... More
Living in Japan
Osaka and Tokyo Named Among Top 10 Most Livable Cities in the World by EIU
In its 2019 “Global Liveability Index“, the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) has named Osaka 4th and Tokyo 7th in its ranking of the world’s 140 most livable cities. The Index examines over 30 different factors across five categories: stability, healthcare, culture... More
Restaurants in Tokyo to be Required to Post Signs Starting Sept 1 Indicating Whether Patrons Can Smoke
In order to prevent second-hand smoke, starting September 1st, the Tokyo metropolitan government will require all restaurants in the city to post stickers or signs indicating whether or not smoking is permitted on the premises. Also starting in September, all... More
What’s the hardest thing about living in Japan as a foreigner?
There are a lot of awesome things about living in Japan as a foreigner. If you’re reading this in country as a resident foreigner, we’re sure you have your own Top 10 list! But there’s a flip side, too. When... More
How to Fill Out a Medical Exam Form at a Doctor’s Office in Japan: With Japanese-English Translation
When you visit a doctor’s office or hospital in Japan, you’ll be asked to be fill out a short medical questionnaire / examination form. In Japanese, this form is called a 問診票 (monshinhyou). Basically, this is the intake form where you... More
Obon Holidays in Japan 2019 and What to Expect
The Obon festival will not significantly affect businesses in many industries, but some real estate agents will be off for all or part of August 10th to 18th. Below is a brief overview of what to expect next week. We’re... More
What is the minimum wage in Japan? 2019 Ranking By Prefecture
In this article, we breakdown the current hourly wage in Japan by prefecture for 2019 and the projected minimum wage increase for the 2019 fiscal year. As reported on JapanToday, on July 31st, a government panel proposed that the average... More