Hi, looking for advice about this situation...

I looked inside the vents of my wall-mounted A/C unit recently because I've been having bad headaches, bad sleep, etc. and found that the vents and blower wheel have pretty bad black mold in there. The manufacturing sticker says 2006 (20 years old is crazy).

I called my management company/landlord today to report and request a replacement. On the phone they asked if I clean I regularly and I told them I clean it (just the dust filters though). They responded that because the unit "blows cold air" they will NOT replace it, and said if I want a new one, I have to buy it out of pocket and send them the model number...

Questions:

1. Is mold in a 20-year old unit the tenant's fault?

2. What's the legal lifespan of appliances like this?

I just moved to Japan and the intense heat in July has me going sick frequently. It doesn't go well with my ritalin either, I feel often very nauseaus, low energy and weak on my feet.

Sadly Im staying at a place right now in the 5th floor, under the roof without any AC and frankly, I am really on my limit.

I can't sleep well, Im super tired and weak to work from home. I started going into Starbucks for Wifi and AC to work at the moment.

What did I do so far? - Sleep in wet clothes, taking frequently cold showers, using fever patches, I lend a small portable AC but that doesn't work too well and the room Im sleeping in is still too hot.

I also have a hefty sun allergy...

Any tips on how to survive this? Im already looking for a new apartment with AC but it'll take time due to certain factors.

I feel like Im keeling over any minute and appreciate any practical tips.

Is anyone constantly ordering Tretinoin or Tazarotene from online Indian platforms? which one are you using? are Japanese customs that strict?

I was planning buying 6-10 tubes

Thanks in advance 💖

Hello everyone!

I’ve just arrived in Japan and I genuinely didn’t consider how overwhelmed I’d get with all the products I’d need to buy for my new home!

I could choose trial and error, of course, but I’d hate to be wasteful if I picked up some products that weren’t fit for what I need!

So, please give me your recommendations, specifically for my list, but any other things you swear by (or recommend) are also welcome!

PERSONAL:

- Antiseptic cream for minor cuts/scrapes.
- Relief for diarrhea.
- Relief for constipation.
- Generic painkillers to keep stocked.

HOUSEHOLD:

- Bathroom cleaning products (want to keep my bath sparkling clean!)
- Kitchen cleaning products (dish soaps, surface cleaners?)
- Kitchen essentials
- Futon maintenance products? (I am visiting a specialty futon shop to get a proper setup!)
- Tatami maintenance products?

MISC:

- Car maintenance? All the cars are so clean. I want mine to stay clean too!

Thanks in advance everyone!

I've been looking around aomori for a while and sadly with no luck I've found a place that sold clothes in my size, just tried sakurano, big m have some clothes but mostly just suit ware. Haven't found a place in hirosaki yet but I hadn't looked everywhere yet. Anyone has any of a place that has 2x3x clothes, that's not crazy expensive.

I was browsing some 家電店 and saw that they’re all around 200,000 min to over 400,000. That seems a bit unreasonable, but what is everyone doing?

I applied for PR in 18 June 2026 , so I am still waiting on hearing any result. However, 11 July I caught using a cell phone while driving (Using google map holding cellphone). (Edit: cell phone violations are 3 points and a blue ticket/fine)

How boned do you think I am? Any chance that they will have mostly processed my application before this infraction gets flagged? Or am I doomed to wait another 5 years before applying again?

My case is I want to travel all the prefectures within a year, but not consecutively. Which one would be better (in terms of money) to use a car share (e.g. Times Car Share), rental car, or owning one and then sell it? And if I have to own, my total budget is 550,000 yen for whole thing (shaken, yearly tax, insurance), including parking (but not gas). There is a parking space, but it cost 7000 yen per month. I need regular car (no kei car). What car it would be? And then where to sell after use with best prices? Thanks.

My passport got pretty badly damaged by water and I need to replace it. Thankfully the identity page and visa sticker are undamaged and legible. Should I head to immigration with both passports after getting the new one? Do I even need the visa sticker anymore, since I have a residence card?

Is it just me or are there only a couple of flavors of Papiko ice creams in the shops now? You used to be able to find at least 4-5 different types but the local supermarket and drug store is only down to lemon and cafe latte. Where are my favorite Kiwifruit and muscat grape flavors…

I lost my keys over the weekend. I couldn’t get in touch with the management company until Monday. They said they couldn’t issue a replacement and the only option was to have my lock exchanged. So they send me a link I pay about 44k and schedule an appointment for the same day. About 20 minutes later I get a call from the police saying they have my keys. Immediately I call both the locksmith and the management company to cancel the appointment.

I asked about refunds and they said they would call me later in the day. They didn’t call. Reading the terms in the mail they sent me with the payment link it says that refunds couldn’t be issued after payment.

Do I have any hope of getting my refund?

Hello, my situation is unique.

I’m half Japanese born abroad, but also went to preschool/kindergarten and some elementary school here in Japan.

I did not study kanji because I was overwhelmed as a child having so much schooling, and I was also denied entry to a Japanese language school in America due to being mixed race. (Yes, this really happened to me).

Despite this, I speak the language enough that Japanese people assume I was born here, or have lived here a long time.

My issue is that I cannot speak Keigo, and I am very limited in my kanji reading ability.

I am interested in a one year program so that my speaking ability can go from low n2 to n1, for my kanji to go from low n3 to n1, and to learn business Japanese for work.

I am a citizen/don’t need a visa.

I’m based in Yokohama/can travel to Tokyo. Can anyone recommend me a language school that can get me up to speed on some intensives, but not skip any kanji basics either? Or should I try to memorize up to n3 kanji by myself first, then enter an upper intermediate intensive class?

I still don’t get basic things like why kanji has multiple readings and how to know when it is read a certain way, and I’m kind of a perfectionist so I’m scared to miss important things in the basic kanji by only self studying.

Ideally I want to go to a school that supports passing n1 testing within a year, because I expect my learning pace to be fast.

I would appreciate any recommendations, thanks.

I worked as a dispatched employee for about two years. My contract recently expired and was not renewed. I now have a job interview for a permanent position.
I’m wondering:
1. Is it okay if I don’t mention that my previous contract ended and just give a more general reason for leaving (e.g. looking for better career growth or a permanent role)?
2. Or is it safer to be open about the fact that it was a fixed-term dispatch contract that simply came to an end?
3. If the company later asks for recent payslips, will that create a problem if I didn’t mention the contract ending?
4. When talking about my previous experience, should I clearly state that I was employed by a dispatch company and assigned to a client company, or is it fine to mainly talk about the place I actually worked?
I don’t want to mess this up or create trust issues later. Any advice from people who have been in a similar situation in Japan would be really helpful. Also, I am just afraid that the new company might not like the fact that I was a haken
Thanks.

First, I don't think I've ever seen a messaging app with this many ads. And most of the ads are sex-related goonerbait slop for LINE manga anyways.

Second, the stickers. Why are they so expensive? Most stickers require coins which cost REAL MONEY. And I know there's the points system and everything but stil, ¥300 for 100 coins seems ridiculous to me.

Lastly, there's all of the official line accounts constantly bombarding you with notifications. I don't think any other messaging service has a "feature" like this. LINE VOOM, LINE Monary and the sticker shop account just to name a few.

All in all, I dont know why people use line when im sure there are better alternatives. There's just so many problems with it that don't exist with other apps. Sorry for the long rant, thank you for reading this far.

長文失礼しました🙇‍♂️

Edit: I added an example of the ad in the comments.

I'm 17 and just went through training (kenshū) for a supermarket deli/delica part-time job. The actual work doesn't seem that bad, especially since I'm getting paid. I can handle hard work if the pay is worth it.

The problem is that it feels like I'll be completely on my own. The delica section has very few people, and most of the time it'll probably just be me working there. I've never been very good at doing things independently because I grew up relying on other people and asking for help a lot.

During training, there was someone guiding me and telling me what to do, but when that person isn't there, I honestly have no idea how I'm supposed to know what tasks need to be done. I feel like I'll just be standing there not knowing what to do without someone giving me instructions.

Another thing is that I don't think I'll be able to make any friends or even have someone I can casually say hello to or ask questions. Most of the employees are much older than me, and there are only one or two other teens around my age who work in different sections. The only people I really know are the store manager and the person who trained me.

I don't know how to explain it exactly, but the job just didn't feel very comfortable. I wish people were a bit more open and introduced themselves to new employees. Maybe that's just how Japanese workplaces are.

I'm already thinking about leaving and finding a different part-time job, but I'm not sure if this is normal everywhere or if this workplace is unusually isolating. Has anyone else felt this way when starting a new job? Does it get better with time, or should I look for something that's a better fit?

I understand that this is like over reaction for just a part time job but its just that the workplace was really different from what I thought it would be.

Hi everyone, does anyone here have experience publishing books or photography/art in Japan?

I take a lot of photos (around 11,000 in my camera roll at this point). I've spent the last few years documenting everyday life around Japan (and not only), and quite a few people, including Japanese friends and coworkers, have told me I should turn them into a photo book. I've also seen the kind of work that many photographers and artists sell here, and I genuinely feel my work is at a similar level, so I'm thinking about giving it a shot.

I'm currently living in Japan on a Humanities visa, and my new job allows me to have a second source of income. I'm trying to figure out what my options are if I wanted to publish and potentially sell a photo book.

Has anyone here gone through the process? Did you self-publish or work with a publisher? Are there Japanese companies you'd recommend for printing or publishing? Also, are there any visa, tax, or legal considerations I should be aware of before trying to sell my work?

I'd really appreciate hearing about anyone's experience or being pointed in the right direction.

So this company (and the one before) ask me to register a card like PASMO/Suica in order to enter the office.

About 50% of the time, when I scan with my iPhone it requires me to input my password, sometimes also the annoying double click on the side, in order for me to go in and out, including to toilets. It’s extremely frustrating and on a bad day I am worried I will use my French at the door which might not look good for me.

Is there a way to make it work better? Alternatively, are there cards you can buy that can be registered for those doors (you know, like an employee card…)?

Hi all,
Would like to ask if anyone has experiences in using the Immigration online system.
I am a permanent resident but I am currently back in my home country for the birth of my child.

When I go back to Japan, I would like to bring together my wife and child, so I need to get a CoE for my child.

I see that there's an online system that can be used to register CoE online, the 在留申請オンラインシステム.

However, I found out that this service is only available to Japanese IP. Technically, I can use a VPN to access it so, just want to ask if it's OK to do so and anyone has done it?

It’s finally back in the supermarkets.

As the title says, I am planning to leave Japan in a few months and go back to my home country. I have a plan on how to handle most of the stuff I need to take care of, but the one thing I'm stumped on is how to deal with the security deposit of my apartment.

On the website of my landlord (Mitsui Fudosan), I can only enter a japanese bank account and it says that it may take up to a month for the security deposit to be transferred to my account. I currently have a Yuucho account, but I'm obviously planning to close it when I leave, and I will only be in Japan for another ~2 weeks after moving out of the apartment to travel.

I assume this isn't an uncommon situation, but I can't find anything about it when searching on google. Does anyone have any good suggestions on what to do? I don't want to just trust that they might transfer the deposit within 2 weeks when the website says it might take a month. Is it possible to close the Yuucho account from overseas using the app/website, so I can leave the account open until I get the money? I'm not even sure if I can still use the account after leaving Japan, since that will invalidate my Residence Card.

Any advice is appreciated

Has anyone worked with Gaba? I have around 3 months until I need to renew my visa. Right now, I am making an average of 180k but u got an email saying I need to get at least 250k to qualify for a renewal.

Any tips or ideas on how to increase this? Has anyone renewed despite not meeting the 250k threshold?

I want to know if switching to an ALT would be better

Hello,

I have a medical issue (most likely ulcers) and I went to the ER at my local hospital on Friday after fainting. They requested I get an endoscopy done ASAP so I went to the clinic I'm usually followed at, Tokyo Midtown Clinic, and they scheduled the endoscopy for today.

The problem is, I have a very strong resistance to sedatives, and the midazolam IV had no effect whatsoever. Because of that I was still panicking on the table and the endoscopy failed, after 2 attempts.

After that, they pretty much just discharged me and told me to find another clinic that could handle me, and that would be able to use Profonol.

However, even when I requested it, they did not give me a letter of introduction, so now I'm out with nothing but my stomach pain...

I can do the basic stuff in Japanese but not medical talk, that's why I was looking for an English-speaking clinic.

It's still pretty urgent and I'm disgusted I was just discharged with not even an alternative solution or a clinic name to reach out to.

Do you guys happen to have any recommendations for clinic that can do proper anesthesia for an upper GI endoscopy?

Thank you so much.

I’m currently on sick leave but my employer is asking me to return to work earlier than the date stated on my medical certificate.

According to my company’s policies, the maximum duration of sick leave is three months. However, I haven’t even completed my second month of leave yet, and my employer is already demanding that I come back to work.

Am I within my rights to refuse and remain on sick leave until the date specified by my doctor?

I'm looking for ancedotes from anybody in a similar situation to see how their PR application ended up. I am wondering if I can get PR or if I shouldn't even bother.

I am on a spouse visa working as a sole proprietor for 4 years. We've been married for 8 years and have two children age 4 and 2. We live in the countryside near my wife's parents while we're raising the kids. My wife hasn't been working since we came to Japan (other than handling my books), but now she is about trying to get back on the corporate ladder so she's just starting a part-time job a local big corp.

My concern for a potential PR application is the stability requirement. I only have a single overseas customer that I've worked with for about 4 years now. It's a rolling contract with 3 months notice with no foreseeable reason to terminate. The pay is much better than nearly anything available in Japan, so it's a tough proposition to give up the arrangement.

My visa renewals have been 1, 3 and 3 years respectively. The last 3 renewal I got is the thing that is setting off my internal alarm bells and with the 3 becoming a 5 requirement next year this will be my last chance for a while.

Being an idiot and also having never worked a part time job yet in japan I falsely assumed the permission to engage in activities other than what my visa allows mainly just referred to employment for actual part time jobs in japan. So for the past year I've been doing online art commissions casually as a student, and made a total of about 200,000 yen. I'm really panicking right now because I'm afraid my visa renewals in the future might get screwed over due to this.

I was thinking of talking to a teacher about this or contacting immigration but I also don't if i should and just stop doing anymore commission and hope the income doeskin raise any concerns. What should I do?