FOR FOREIGNERS MOVING TO JAPAN
Land in Japan with the paperwork already figured out.
The first 90 days here are a dependency chain: no phone number, no bank account; no bank account, no apartment. This is the kit. Every step in the right order, tested first-hand, kept current.
- 5 steps, in order
- 90 days covered
- 0 stock photos
- 済 first-hand tested
Your first 30 days, in the right order
Each step unlocks the next one. Do them out of order and you'll be standing at a counter missing a document. In order, the whole thing is boring. Boring is the goal.
- Day 1
Get a phone number
Everything downstream needs it. Land with an English-support SIM, switch to a cheap carrier plan later.
The phone plan playbook → - Week 1
City hall, then a bank
Register your address, then open the account that says yes to new arrivals. Your salary needs somewhere to land.
Which bank actually approves you → - Week 2
Move your money in
Don't wire savings through your home bank. There's a cheaper way, and it arrives as a domestic transfer.
Wise vs Revolut, honestly → - Month 1
Real home internet
Escape pocket-wifi purgatory. Fiber if you're staying, home 5G if you're moving, tethering while you wait.
Fiber, 5G, or neither →
The guides
Every one is something we did ourselves, with the prices, forms, and mistakes included. When we haven't used a service, the guide says so.
KIT-01 / PHONE
Switching from Sakura Mobile to ahamo: When and How
Sakura Mobile is the right landing SIM. After 6-12 months, moving to ahamo can roughly halve your bill. The honest step-by-step, including what you give up.
KIT-02 / BANK
Best Bank Account for Foreigners in Japan (2026)
Which Japanese banks actually open accounts for new foreign residents: the six-month rule, what documents matter, and where to start on day one.
KIT-03 / MONEY
Wise vs Revolut in Japan (2026): Which One to Use
Both work in Japan, but the Japanese versions are different products than the ones you know from home. When to use Wise, when Revolut earns a spot, from someone using both here.
KIT-03 / MONEY
Revolut Japan Review (2026): Good Card, Smaller App
Revolut works in Japan, but it's a slimmer product than the European version. What actually works, what's missing, and who should bother.
KIT-04 / INTERNET
Home Internet in Japan for Foreigners (2026)
Fiber, home 5G, or pocket WiFi: what to get, what it costs, and how to avoid two-year contract traps when you don't read Japanese.
THE KIT / FREE
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