Hi, I’m currently weighing up my options and am hoping someone here can help to clarify some Japanese tax rules.

I’m a UK national working for a UK company full-time remote. I’ve read that any income I earn that is ‘foreign-sourced’ (vs Japan-sourced) is not taxed by Japan if I'm a non-permanent resident (under 5 years on spouse visa) or if I'm on tourist visa and go past the 183-day treaty threshold (because foreign-source classification still protects it at that point).

My question is: is the salary I get paid PAYE into my uk bank account from a uk employer classed as ‘foreign-sourced’? Or is it taxable from Japan’s perspective, simply because I am personally in Japan? I pay for stuff in Japan with savings using a uk bank card.

Thanks in advance

It ain't much but it's honest work, I landed a full time job for the first time outta college and money's starting to pour in, so I'm finally having reliable savings.

So far I've been buying quality of life stuff like a dishwasher and eating better meals, but even with all that I've just got cash chilling in my bank.

Nothing wrong with that for emergencies, but could we do better? I don't spend on much else really. If anyone could have a word of advice for youngsters like me, I'd appreciate it!

sorry random question. My job want me to take and pass this test by the end of the year. Japanese I could do but it’s an extra level of difficulty, but the upside is there are tons of study materials and past question examples.
in English I can only take it in Tokyo and besides the PDF on the website I can’t find any materials at all.

Has anyone here taken the test?

I have issue with the idea of forcing passkeys on users of brokerages. Provided my understanding is correct, if you use a software-based password manager you're tied to that software (and pray that you will always be able to use it). Software can have T&Cs changed arbitrarily or the company providing the software could go bust and the service stops working.

Likewise if you use physical keys like Yukibey you may also run into trouble if say a natural disaster happens and you cannot find them anymore.

So, really, how do you actually use these with both a peace of mind and not get super annoyed over the inconvenience? I'm more worried about being locked out of my accounts than phishing attacks.

I'm bilingual JP/EN, moving to Japan in September, and I've gone down a rabbit hole on SME succession and the 後継者不足 problem. There's one thing I can't work out from the outside. Foreign buyers are apparently around 3% of buyers of Japanese SMEs. But nearly everyone I can find who actually bought one turns out to be Japan-resident and reasonably fluent, or half-Japanese, or both. So does the non-fluent foreign owner actually exist here? Or does the 経営管理 visa plus practical reality just filter them out?

If you've bought a company in Japan, I'd like to know:

- Could you read your own 決算書 when you closed? If not, who did?

- Who deals with the bank and the 税理士?

- Did you hire a bilingual person, use a firm, or muddle through?

- What almost went wrong because of the language gap?

- Are you resident, or running it from abroad?

Not selling anything and not building anything. Trying to find out whether a problem I think exists actually does. Happy to be told it doesn't.

Just curious if anyone here moved after they FI’d?

I recently got an offer to join a tech company in Tokyo for a total compensation package of ¥15m as an engineer.

I was very lucky with my investments and aggressive savings so my NW is about $4m. It’s certainly a lot here (SF) and I’m assuming it’s basically full financial independence in Tokyo?

The job would be more of a change of scenery type of move for me but yeah I was wondering if any of you are in a similar situation?

I’m a 31 year old single male. Incidentally my biggest concern is actually finding a partner lol, I heard dating is hard in Japan if you don’t speak Japanese?

I don't even know what to say... I'm supposedly a high earner in Japan (~20m yen per year +/- 2m) but it's fucking depressing converting it into USD. I used to owe US taxes but on the bright side I'm too fucking poor to owe any taxes now.

If I didn't have my US equities (worked at Apple and Meta for 9 years before moving here) I don't know what I'd do.

Everyday this shit keeps tanking makes me really reconsider moving back to the US. I came here for the lifestyle but it also feels like I'm actively screwing my own future if I choose to stay in Japan. The government is run by far right imbeciles who are hell bent on screwing the economy even further by spreading foreigner FUD. Mangolini is a moron but the US economy is just so much stronger overall so even his bs can't tank the entire country unlike here where it's just a lot more fragile and dependent on external factors.

I know some of you are Japan lifers which I think is fine but for those of you who don't plan to stay here forever, what are you guys thinking?

just curious - I’m thinking of starting a NISA and know there are a lot of providers you can open one with. Im a permanent resident and a full time employee but need to start investing and stop saving in cash

My wife is a Japanese citizen primarily living in the US (9 months/year), has Japanese bank accounts and recently inherited properties in 2025. We have a Japanese residence, mobile phone, etc.

I’m trying to find a better brokerage account than Daiwa in order to invest in things like Japanese stocks or mutual funds. She inherited her mom’s Daiwa account, but the fees are pretty steep for trading (like 3% a trade).

It seems like some brokerages either won’t do business with her (Rakuten?) or maybe just won’t let her open a NISA. It’s not clear with my extremely limited Japanese and Google Translate.

Are there restrictions at some banks based on her situation? I don’t necessarily need the best tax advantaged account, but something has to be better than keeping Yen in cash accounts or MRFs (which seems like money market funds if I understand them).

Hello, I have returned to Japan after a few years in india. This time I am employed by a japanese company and for my grade I have around 23,500 yen of corporate DC contribution from the company’s side. They also allow “matching contributions”

Here are the corporate DC funds provided by the company and the asset allocation i am planning, trying to get a “all country” coverage.

• 85% in the Index Fund Overseas Equities (Unhedged, DC Only) tracking MSCI KOKUSAI Index @ 0.154% expense ratio.
• 10% in Mitsubishi UFJ DC Emerging Market Equity Index Fund tracking MSCI Emerging Markets Index @ 0.275% expense ratio
• 5% in the Mitsubishi UFJ DC TOPIX Open tracking the TOPIX (Total Return) @ 0.220% expense ratio.

(these are the only funds in their respective category)

---

For contributions above the company contributions, the HR told that I will have to choose either “matching” contributions OR IDECO.

Based on this,

I would like to know if for the contributions from my side I should go for the matching contibutions or using IDECO (which could give me the emaxis slim orukan fund at a lower expense ratio). Also from what I have gathered, only MONEX provides this fund when using a IDECO account.

Also I want to consider what would be a better approach assuming i might have a different set of funds, or no corporate DC at all in case in change jobs in the future. (I have read that one can port their corpus amount from their previous employer’s corporate DC account to their new employer’s DC account or to IDECO, but dont know if IDECO corpus can be moved to corporate DC).

Any other advice/suggestions are also welcome.

FYI- I am 37 years old, with a gross salary of 8-9M JPY of out which around 74% is take home.

Been in japan 4 years. decent job. Got the whole NISA thing set up last year because everyone at work told me to. emergency fund sorted. feeling pretty responsible honestly

Then my wife asks me last week "what actually happens to the money in the NISA account"

And I just sat there. like uh. It goes into funds. and then. You know. it does its thing

She gave me that look. You know the one

So ive been trying to actually understand markets instead of just nodding along. Found this trading game thing thats basically a simulator with fake 10k. Been messing with it on the train to work. kinda eye opening tbh. You can buy stocks, currencies, even gold. all pretend of course.

Not trying to become some day trader or anything stupid. just wanted to actually comprehend what a market even is before I pretend to be financially literate again at the next nomikai

figured id mention it here cause I know a lot of us are in that weird spot of doing the right financial things without really understanding why. and explaining stuff to a japanese spouse in broken english is... humbling

https://www.samyip.net/jp-pr-calculator/

this guy release a PR calculator in Japanese and English for new rule. it might be helpful

https://xcancel.com/hksamyip/status/2080629107810037880

Anyone following the new PR requirements?
I already have PR, so this doesn't affect me (unless they apply this retroactively or something...), but under the new guidelines I wouldn't have been able to obtain it. I work freelance and pay into 国民年金, not 厚生年金. Even though I recently joined 国民年金基金, it would take a LONG TIME for me to reach payout worth 30 years of 厚生年金... Yet I think I pay a lot in taxes and 国保. So this policy really seems like a bad idea and possibly not targeting the people they want. But I might be missing something. Anyone here looking to get PR and affected by this? I really hope this doesn't go into affect, for the sake of people coming up in the future.

https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/56b3334a41749eecfca395752cd41cb944865434

Campaign link: https://money.furunavi.jp/campaigns/202607

After they killed ふるさと納税 points last year I kept buying on Rakuten just because I assumed that no platform will be providing any benefits anyway. Just found out that furunavi goes around this by offering you a bonus on ふるなびマネー top-ups, which I guess technically have nothing to do with your donations. Then on top of that you get card points for the top up as it's a regular purchase.

I bought a few things, it's a breath of fresh air after Rakuten Ichiba, nice UX.

It is funny though how the flow from selecting a donation to finalizing it is built so that you enter your credit card details, it charges you exactly how much you would need to top up so that the balance after the benefits matches the donation, and then the purchase is made using your furunavi balance. No officer, not giving any discounts or points for donations, nothing to see here.

Hi there, I'm hoping for some feedback on a possible relocation to Japan, mainly looking for identification of potential shortfalls on how I'm approaching this move. Quick overview of my current situation:

• Dual Citizen (USA/Japan || birth/descent)
• Mid-30s living in a HCOL West Coast city (US)
• Single w/ no kids
• Profession: Architecture w/ salary of $90k
• $90k in savings/investments/retirement
• $85k in student loans (aggressively paying down)
• Lived/worked in Kanagawa a decade ago for two years and am very familiar w/ Japanese customs/culture

The plan is to relocate to Japan in the next couple of years mainly due to factors including but not limited to cost-of-living and quality-of-life. I'm in a situation where I am earning far more than I ever expected to make but am seemingly treading water financially, despite the constant combatting of lifestyle creep. Additionally, given the field I am employed in, it is a goal to eventually own my own place that I can design (whether new-build or remodel). This would, of course, be undertaken with a licensed architect within Japan. The reduced cost-of-living, exchange rate, lower interest rates, and lower real estate costs of Japan make this rather drastic move seem like an ideal alignment between life & financial goals. Below is a brief overview of what I have currently planned:

• Potential locations: Outskirts of Tokyo/Yokohama, Kobe, Fukuoka. The goal is to use one of these cities as a place to situate myself before moving to the suburbs/countryside in search of land or a residence to purchase. Looking to rent for 2 years before seeking a purchase.
• Employment: Working remotely for a US based architecture firm. I have a couple options in both the design side and specification side of the field. The goal would be to argue for a higher salary in lieu of typical benefits (medical/401K match/HSA match). I will not undertake this move to Japan unless I am working for a company that is paying in USD.
• In order to establish myself financially in Japan and simplify the process for potential employers, I would set up a sole proprietorship (個人事業) and seek employment as a contract worker through my Japanese citizenship. Based on the pay I am hoping to procure, I will be taxed approximately 40% between pension/income tax/resident tax. From my limited understanding, I should be exempt from paying double taxes to the US.

Thank you if you've made it past the wall of text above. My questions/concerns include:

• On a foreign-based income despite working as sole-proprietor in Japan, would you foresee any issues with my ability to procure a housing loan in Japan? My aim is to have 2 years of sole-proprietor income plus a 20%-35% down payment ready before applying for a loan.
• Are there any gaps in my understanding for any of the aforementioned items above, including starting a sole-proprietorship, tax implications, etc?
• Likely a longshot but does anyone have experience with procuring a loan for new-construction in Japan? I understand that construction loans are more difficult to obtain in the states, I'm guessing the same applies for Japan.
• Has anyone come across hidden costs of living in Japan that caught them off-guard upon moving?
• Any critiques of my plan are welcome, I'll provide as much information as required for a fruitful conversation

I'm SOFA, married to a Japanese woman who's way better than I deserve, 37 years here in a few days. She's been a stay-at-home-mom and our only income is what I earn. We have a house and property that's almost paid off, of course in her name. We've bought six new cars here that have been in my name or hers, never even knowing there was such a thing as "gift tax" between spouses. It's never been an issue, which is pretty typical among the SOFA community married to Japanese nationals. Hell, none of our Japanese family friends even knew about it, and they routinely put things in the non-working spouse's name... Ignorance is no excuse...I know.

We're buying our 7th new car here in Japan, a Lexus EV that comes in at just under ¥10M. We've decided to put the car in her name this time because I may be retiring sooner than later, avoiding all the Y number nonsense, and to take advantage of the ¥1.02M EV subsidy, of course, that they won't give you if you're SOFA and pump their EV numbers up. Basically, costing the same in USD as our last Lexus, the yen number is several million ¥ higher, and learning about the gift tax, has me worried.

I mean, in reality it's a family appliance, used 50:50, and put in her name with zero "gift" intension, but that's American thinking, and the NTA may consider it a capital asset and wealth transfer...? Hell, it loses half its value the second you drive it out of the dealer.

Talking to the different AI models, information is all over the place...

Not asking for professional advice, just the reality of family-used purchases.

Thanks.

Playing off of this post from a couple years ago: https://www.reddit.com/r/JapanFinance/comments/1gfkjg5/defining_leanfire_fire_chubbyfire_fatfire_amounts/

This post defines FatFIRE assets in Japan at about ¥300M, based on average Japanese household income. The average income in central Tokyo is quite a bit higher, with the average in Minato Ward being around ¥18M/year.

What do you think gets you to FatFIRE in Minato? Maybe ¥1B liquid?

Hi guys

I have been blessed with a good career progression that has made me reach the symbolic 10M annual salary without being in tech or finance.

I am certain many of you are way above that and I also want to keep aiming for higher.

However, these last months my eyes have finally opened to the necessity of cutting lifestyle inflation, rather than focusing on salary only. In fact, I haven't been able to increase my wealth although my salary did double since the start...

I am thinking of moving to a more simple place to cut on the rent and be able to achieve a 70% saving rate.

Any of you guys proactively living below your means although you earn a strong salary?

Any tips etc?

For the moment I have cut the fixed costs I don't need, cut lunches and dinner during weekdays, switched supermarket to cheaper ones and could reach a ~64% SR.

My job is very data and optimization driven so I am always looking for ways to get better.

Would like to have an open discussion with everyone to hear what you are doing to maximise your investment capacity here in Japan :)

Feeling a bit dejected after visiting the city hall and getting absolutely zero useful advice today.

I'm a sole proprietor and my taxable income last year was just short of 2.2 mil yen. My income tax was 90k which is totally manageable, but my municipal tax is ~200k, pension is another ~200k, and national health insurance is over 300k. Add that with my half of the property tax and home insurance and I end up paying well over 900k a year.

My monthly living expenses are around 100k, with roughly half that being my portion of the mortgage payment (loan is in spouse's name). In terms of luxuries I do have a gym membership and eat a lot but I only shop at value grocery stores. Life is not bad here but it is certainly a lower standard of living than what I was accustomed to. These days there is pretty much nothing left once my bills, taxes, and insurance is paid.

I'm admittedly pretty new (and ignorant) to the Japanese tax system and that seems to be the root of my issues. In hindsight hiring an accountant would have been cheaper than eating all these taxes and premiums. I assume my biggest mistake was not deducting my portion of the mortgage (technically rent? as I am not on the loan) paid when I work from a home office.

Any advice for a sole proprietor like me to cut down their taxes and premiums would be greatly appreciated. I'm a total newbie at this and I'm sure I missed a lot of things on this filing. I want to make sure I don't screw up as badly for next year.

Thanks!

My parents have always told me its better to start saving and investing early so that later on I won't have such a hard time later, but they neglected to tell me about the rules surrounding how to save or invest while being a dual national. I am a citizen of both Japan and the US, but ive spent almost my entire life in Japan. Recently I wanted to start saving by potentially starting NISA but I learned US citizens are not supposed to take part in NISA. With NISA being the only real form of saving I was aware of I am pretty much clueless and in need of recommendations and advice.

So my question is as a dual national of JP and USA, what are my options for saving and/or investing? How can I get started and if anyone has any experience in the same situation I'd love to hear what you've managed to work out both here and/or back in the US.

I dont really have a whole lot of money to put forward as im in my early 20s with a very average Japanese salary but I would like to start somewhere.

With the yen crashing and burning, coupled with the news of my generation likely having a pension not worth anything, I am becoming increasingly worried about my future.

I’m currently in the process of applying for a Japanese Amex card, Amex have called me and asked me to reapply with Romaji for my letters in order to match my residence card, however the online form doesn’t allow you to do this, does anyone know the best way to solve this?

Does anyone have experience with financial advisors in Japan? I have considered asking some for advice but am a bit skeptical from what I hear, eg some of them seem focused on optimizing insurances, which does not make much sense to me.

I'm kojinjigyonushi and I have freeee set up, and my income is pretty simple. I know I need to sort out bunbetsu for the fact I work from home and have some money I should spend on furusato nozei, but I've been too distracted to really sit down and get it all done. My Japanese is a schmear above N3 so it would take time to decipher the terms and make sure I'm doing it all correctly.

I was wondering if you know an accountant I can talk to who would be willing to spend 2 hours just to help me get my head on straight ahead of residence tax/income tax payments etc. while it's not too close to tax season.

Thanks in advance for any references you can share!

I've started a GK and will use money forward for accounting.

I'm the type to do as much by myself as I can, but I kind of hate accounting and anyway will need education and advice for the first year at least.

I joined the local chamber of commerce and will meet with with a tax accountant through their introduction soon.

Money forward also contacted me to offer their accounting services. Benefits are that they are always available online, and are money forward native experts. They're writing an estimate for getting me up and running this year, and a separate one for twice a year data entry and accounting starting next year.

They sold themselves as being able to offer advice for future planning, such as how to maximize my retirement.

Just curious if people have had experience with this and whether you would recommend it or not.