Give me some advice on my to-do list after landing in japan and starting language school
by EvanMcSwag on Mar 22, 2026
I will be moving to Japan and attending a language school for 2 years and job hunting on the side in the hope that I can stay longer
My to-do list so far:
1. Get the residency card at Haneda
2. Register at the local city office where my dorm is
3. Get a phone number with my foreign credit card (I've read that this is possible even without a Japanese bank account, but would love some clarification)
4. Go to JP Post Bank to open an account and get a card of some sort.
One big question for me is banking: from what I've read, you can't really go to any banks other than JP post until after 6 months of residency, but JP post is kinda bad at everything. JP post website says they give a cash card only when you open an account and debit card is another application. Is a debit card necessary, or should I wait until I can work with a better bank? I've paid my tuition and dorm fees already, so I shouldn't have a lot of big spending
That's what I've planned for the immediate steps after landing. Does this look good? Did I miss anything? And if there's anything that's not urgent but you recommend doing, please let me know as well. Thank you!
Comments
by ikwdkn46 on Mar 22, 2026
You have a degree, right?
It may be hard to believe, but on this sub, we often see people who dream of immigrating to Japan without realizing that obtaining a work visa is extremely difficult without a degree. (or practically impossible unless you have specific, long-term experience) They mistakenly believe they can "easily" find a job just by attending a language school. I just want to make sure you’re not one of them.
by EvanMcSwag on Mar 22, 2026
Yeah I’ve read about that. I do have a master’s degree in food and nutrition science from a top 40 US university and got n1 after graduating. I’m not really happy with my current situation and wanted to explore some options in Japan.
by Advanced_JP_Tourist on Mar 22, 2026
You’re attending language school even though you already have N1? So the assumption is that you want to improve your spoken Japanese while looking for a job? You haven’t tried applying while you’re sill in the US?
by EvanMcSwag on Mar 22, 2026
I’m not from the US and I would’ve gone for a jet program or some kind of English teaching job to get started if I was. I speak English fine but I’m technically not a native speaker. I tried applying overseas but It was very frustrating navigating the whole Japanese job hunting process by myself on my Navi or other job hunting websites. My resume in Japanese was also translated pretty roughly by myself. I thought being physically in Japan would open up more options and more resources.
by Advanced_JP_Tourist on Mar 23, 2026
This I agree with as I also went through language school here myself before I was able to find work. From what you’re telling us I think you’re all set but if I may offer some more advice, if you feel your spoken Japanese needs more work then you should get a baito while you’re studying and if possible also get a hobby that will force you to speak often. Your N1 should get you noticed by employers and recruiters but it’s your speaking that will get you the job you want. 頑張ってください
by SteakComprehensive35 on Mar 22, 2026
I fly out for Language school tomorrow and I have the same plan as you. Although, I got a esim with Mobal, since it seemed easier to get a number and data before I arrive to Tokyo. They don't have the cheapest plan, so I intend to use the Mobal phone number for right now to fill out applications and open a bank account, then transfer to ahamo 110gb plan.
by dalkyr82 on Mar 22, 2026
>you can't really go to any banks other than JP post until after 6 months of residency
This is not necessarily true if you're coming to Japan on a work visa, but as a student it's correct. JP Bank will be your only real option.
>but JP post is kinda bad at everything.
Honestly it's not *that* bad. Limited features, but they handle basic banking fine.
>Is a debit card necessary
Not really, no. It can be helpful, but you'll pay things like rent using bank transfer and cash is always accepted. Places like Amazon and most other online retailers will take foreign cards.
by kanata_tycoon on Mar 22, 2026
JP Post was my first bank, it’s not that bad. Sure it’s not as good as the mega banks, but it works just fine.
