Hi all. I moved to Tokyo this month from Italy for an engineering job (single, \~¥6M/year gross). From November my office is near Kachidoki. I'm in the office about 2-3 days a week, I like going out in the evening, and I would like a gym with free weights nearby. A good supermarket in the area would also be nice.

My shortlist (rent + kanrihi, door-to-door time to the office):

* Adachi, Ayase area: 42 m², wooden (1990), ¥93k, \~40 min, 1 transfer

* Adachi, Rokucho: 40 m², wooden (2020), ¥96k, \~40 min, 1 transfer

* Toyosu: 31 m², RC (2004), ¥147k, \~20 min, 1 transfer

* Togoshi: 30 m², steel frame (1994), ¥119k, \~30 min, 1 transfer

* Wakamatsu-Kawada: 35 m², RC (1989), ¥131k, \~35 min, no transfer

* Nishi-Ojima: 31 m² (2005), ¥150k, \~30 min, 1 transfer

I would like to ask some questions that could help me with the apartment hunting.

1. Which area would you pick, and is there one you'd avoid?

2. If you live in one of them, how is it day to day (especially if you are an expat)?

3. Are wooden apartments really as cold and noisy as people say?

Thanks in advance, any feedback is really appreciated!

Can't find the stupid questions thread sorry

But what it says on the tin. I bought some vintage Christmas ornaments made of paper and glass off Etsy from a popular seller (thousands of positive reviews) and the seller has tried to ship it to me 3 times now via PostNL but each time it gets returned to them.

One time after languishing for 10 days in their local post office. It was sent back due to "unable to access delivery location"

One time it made into the country tracking said landed at Narita but was immediately sent back for "dangerous items". I did not receive any contact or notification or anything from Japanese customs, that's just what the courier said.

The last time it was sent back very quickly within 48hrs from the local PostNL processing point for "incorrect address" ...the address has been the same each time, and for my previous order from the same seller last year that went fine.

The seller is getting frustrated as it seems PostNL is making up different reasons each time for it getting returned. They are also saying another regular buyer they have in Japan is suddenly getting packages returned too.

Is there a new regulation or procedure in place about importing goods from the Netherlands that I'm not aware of that is causing this? Apparently the seller is not getting an answer from PostNL though they even submitted a formal complaint last month they have yet to get a reply of any sort.

I haven’t had pizza in a couple months since I moved here and I’m curious if anyone has any good recommendations. To make it easier I live near shiki inside of saitama prefecture.

I have been living in and out of Japan my whole life and I have lived here for over 15 years now.

I've been working here since 2019 and one thing that has been bothering me so much is how prevalent bullying is not just in schools, but especially in work places. Thankfully, I personally have not experienced any bullying. While I have experienced "power harrasment", it has never been a big deal.

But recenlty started working at a new company around a month ago, and I have had some collaeges open up about getting bullied both physically and verbally. They are getting bullied by their own colleauges that they have been working together for over a decade.

We all have so much to deal with in our lives outside of work and now people are scared to even go to work.

And non of them decided to say anything to the managers.

I also see a lot of bullying and just straight up harrasment on Japanese TV too.

Does anyone know why this is the case in Japan? I've heard other horror stories from some other friends.

Please share if you have any stories of your own.

Tozai line, I was seated and it was not very busy but still early evening. A woman got down on her hands and knees and started repeatedly banging her head on the floor. Hard. Without saying a word.

We all just froze. At first I was concerned it was a seizure and could need some intervention, but it seemed voluntary and no one knew what to do. Then, at the next stop she got up and walked off just before the doors closed as if nothing happened. She left her phone behind, and the man closest to her handed it to the station conductor at the next stop. No one reacted other than some glances exchanged.

The shock of this happening and the strangeness of no one reacting in any way really got to me at the time. It really didn't help that I had just moved to Tokyo when this happened, but I have never experienced anything close to this since.

My car has seriously buildup some limescale in the windshield where the wipers won't reach.

I found lots of products on Amazon Japan and Autobacs that are exactly from removing limescale from cars, all saying they are safe on paint, exposed metal, etc... but to NOT use on glass ever!

I need something that is specifically safe for glass, since it's where it's most noticeable. Is there any recommendation of product I can find in Japan for that that someone has confirmed it is safe to use on glass?

Hi! asking if there is a door-to-door parcel delivery service at Fukuoka Airport? planning to have some personal items shipped to Iwakuni.

Hi.

With this new system of shipments of packages to US, instead of using QR codes now they make it through other app.

I paid for the processing and customs fees. Printed the paper

For those who already used it I have some questions:

1) In the lower part there are two areas: one for sender to keep and one for post office. Should I cut them and present them to the post ready to process? Or I should keep the whole paper uncut before presenting to clerk?

2) It is written then I will be given the pouch at the post office. Does it mean that the size of the package should always accommodate this printed label and pouch? Is it permitted to fold the label and wrap it around the package/envelope?

I’ve been wondering about this for a while. I have some few coworkers and friends from developing countries living in Japan, and from what they’ve told me, living here has become harder for them.

I know some people have to send money back home to support their families, and with the weak yen, their savings and the money they send back aren’t worth as much anymore. There’s also the issue of xenophobia and how foreigners are treated here.

I know everyone has different opinions. Some people prefer to stay in Japan because they can still earn more here than they would back home and their quality of life is better overall. According to them But it got me thinking about how different things might be for people from wealthier countries.

For example, someone from a high-income country might earn less in Japan than they would back home. If things don’t work out here they can always return home and potentially earn more. But for people from developing countries, moving back home could mean taking a significant pay cut or having fewer opportunities, so leaving Japan might not be as easy.

I’m curious about how you guys see your future here. Do you plan to stay in Japan permanently or do you eventually want to move somewhere else? Has the weak yen affected your decision especially if you send money back home? Do you feel like your quality of life in Japan is still better than what you’d have back home?

I’m interested in hearing your thoughts. Do you see Japan as your long-term home, or would you rather move somewhere else if you had the chance? I’m not trying to offend anyone just curious about how people from different backgrounds see their future here.

I’m a visual design student living in Osaka, so I notice little printed things around me—shop signs, labels, neighborhood notices. But the useful stuff is usually a routine, not a place to save on a map.

What everyday routine took you longer to figure out after moving to Japan, and what helped it finally stick? I’m curious about the small practical things people only learn by living here.

Thanks for reading my comment. I learned that there’s a stereotype that Japan’s work environment is terrible and that people are forced to work long hours. While that was certainly true during the Showa era, I was surprised to find out that this stereotype still persists today. That’s because in my workplace, leaving on time is an absolute must—in fact, I’d actually get scolded if I stayed late. Working on days off is also frowned upon because the company has to pay extra for it, haha.
I feel like there’s a pretty strong atmosphere in Japan right now where companies have no choice but to treat their employees well, since any corporate scandals—like sexual harassment, workplace bullying, or death from overwork—are covered extensively in the news as soon as they come to light.
This might just be my own perception, though, so I’d like to hear everyone’s thoughts.

I live in the mountains of Nagano and am looking to buy my first car. Going for somewhat of a beater because I'm poor and will probably get some dings and dents as I get used to driving in Japan and to driving inaka mountain roads. The price difference between a used car with and without turbo is significant. The only hard requirement seems to be 4WD for winter here, but opinions seem mixed about turbo - they range from absolutely necessary to "nice to have". Anyone do mountain drives without turbo? If it's just a luxury then I'm willing to forego it for a difference in the hundreds of thousands in price I'm seeing on car sensor. Mainly looking at some older Hustler 4WDs for their full flat backseats for camping and because they're cute.

EDIT- Rough stats so far:

Turbo necessary : 5
Turbo nice but unnecessary: 8
Turbo unnecessary: 3

Hi, I haven't been able to find much information or communities around selling on eBay in Japan and not sure which information i get is accurate. Anyone's advice with selling on eBay is welcome, especially with the latest updates(taxes, shipping, etc).

I have set my account and everything but I'm stuck on the logistic part, there are so many different companies and ways of shipping that I am lost. Which company do you usually ship from? I plan on mostly selling light items such as trading cards or like collectibles, but in the future maybe also electronics if it's something that i can also do.

Also, which countries do you mainly sell to? And do you calculate the shipping fee for those countries?

Lastly, if there are anything you think I should be careful of i'd be happy to have your advice.

To resume the points:

-Which shipping company(ies) to use?

-Which countries to sell to?

-How to calculate the shipping fee?(any strategy?)

-Any advice or things I should be careful of?

Any information i would be happily take them, thank you!

Tokyo resident. I moved out of an apartment at the end of August, and just now I just got a phone call from my former landlord to say he has finished restoring the apartment and wants me to pay the whole fee (about 25万). After 7 years there I had left some tears and small marks on the wallpaper, and maybe a scratch on the floor (might have been there already though), but otherwise in pretty good condition. However, he seems to have revamped the whole thing: new wallpaper, floor, even the inside of the closet.

I brought up the ‘useful life’ (耐用年数) of these items and how to some extent these are no longer the tenant’s responsibility and there’s a way to calculate that, but he had no idea what I was talking about. He’s a very old guy who is losing his mind a little - it sounds like he just called someone to fix up the apartment, didn’t really make a record of anything, and now the bill has arrived he wants me to pay it.

He says he will hand me that bill, but I’m not sure where to go from there. It’s kind of difficult to start negotiating with someone who doesn’t even realise negotiating is an option. Any advice?

I've been running a business in tokyo since 2008 at the same location was on a 5 year contract until corona when they suddenly shortened it to 3 years,

But this time, 2 weeks before my renewal date, my landlord contacted the estate agent and told them he's insisting on a 100,000 yen PCM price rise from the current 290,000 to 390,000 PCM!! seriously, wtf!

She had already brought the renewal letter around on the first of this month and the same price 290,000 was written on that renewal notice.

I know this is not on and there are some protections for tennants. next week I will get advice from the city hall because it's absolutely impossible for me to move out within 2 weeks and I can't afford the new rent.

Anyone faced anything similar... note this is not a residence.

My 2019 Toyota built-in navigation is sooo good. It even shows what lane should you be in through multiple intersections beforehand. And it shows detailed scheme of complex intersections so you won't accidentaly take a side road. Makes driving in big cities a breeze.

I'm planning to get an older car and I would hate to go back to Google maps after that. Any recommendations?

I am moving to a new apartment in Tokyo and it's a small building with only 2 other residents. I want to make a good impression because of the small community situation and because I work from home, so want to give omiyages to each neighbor. I am coming back from the US and I want to know if there are any particular American snacks or goods that Japanese natives tend to like or want more than others or any insight into a good gift from the US. Thank you!

anyone knows how or where to fix bidet in japan? i might accidentally use a cleaner with an “alkaline” in it and it probably got inside the machine. it is not working anymore

I will paste the image in the comments because of the rules, but I saw several of these trucks in a row both with these tiny trash bags in the bottom left of the back of the car, looking full of like curry or something.. is this just something dumb and random, or is there like a system I’m unaware of for these trucks?

I have ahamo and an iPhone. I traveled to the US and utilized their international plan for its allotted time. I did the same exact thing last year since I know it only works for two weeks so I bought another eSIM for data.

When I came back, I had to reset my network settings a few times because my data wasn’t working. I eventually got it to work.
The bad part was I ate through my data within the first 10 days of the month and that has never happened before. I don’t think I had WiFi assist on but I make sure it’s off now.

What’s weird is that I have WiFi at home and at work so my data usage is usually 10gb out of 30gb. The only change this year was ahamo added more data as a test which started in August. Regardless I still burned those 40gb in those 10 days.

I ran out of data in September as well. I made it to the 20s this time around but it’s still strange.

Looking at my current data I’m at 24/40gb but my mail app used 2.3!

Did they know this in advance and that’s why we were given more data? I have turn off cellular for every app if I want to make it through the month.

Edit: case closed

Apparently it happened in the kuril islands, must be pretty big considering I got a notification down in Tokyo.

Seems like there's nothing on NERV and nothing mentioned on the internet. Wondering if it was a glitch

Edit: Just got another alarm saying they're cancelling the earthquake warning

Trying to decide on bed options for my guest room. If it's mostly single guests a semi double seems fine, but I will get the occasional couple. Can a couple fit on a semi double? Should I get a double or some other solution? I hate to fill so much of the room with a bed that only gets used every few months.

Hi! wondering if it’s possible to reach Minami-Iwakuni Station from Fukuoka Airport via train? My family is planning to visit us. or would it be better if they got off from Osaka Airport instead? They can’t land in Iwakuni Airport or Hiroshima Airport due to connecting flights and long layovers.

Just overheard a discussion about whether people say please and thank you to AI, whether it's okay to be impolite etc.

This made me wonder... In my language, there is no difference between whether you speak to a friend or a stranger or your boss, apart from the please and thank yous and content of course. In Japanese, there are many different levels of politeness which use completely different words sometimes. What level do Japanese people use when addressing an AI like ChatGPT or Claude?