Living in Japan follows a clear administrative sequence, and it is the same sequence for everyone. Your residence status, your municipal address registration, your My Number, your bank account, your health insurance and your tax position arrive in that order, and each one tends to unlock the next. Where arrivals diverge is settling in, and a family carries extra work here, from nursery waiting lists to choosing a district that suits children as well as the commute. This guide sets out each step in the order you will meet it, with separate settling-in advice for individuals and for families.

Living in Japan in 2026: what to expect

Japan combines highly organised public infrastructure with a daily culture that rewards preparation. Trains run to the minute, public services are precise, and most processes are completed in person at a municipal office rather than online. The country has widened its immigration routes in recent years to attract skilled professionals, and English-language support has improved in the larger cities, though Japanese remains the working language of most administrative offices.

Our expat checklist covers everything to organise before and after the move in a structured, phase-by-phase format.

Work visas and residence status for Japan

A status of residence is your legal basis to live and work in Japan, and the right category depends on your role, qualifications and income. Most employees arrive on a Certificate of Eligibility obtained by the employer in Japan before the visa is issued at a consulate abroad. An immigration lawyer confirms the correct category and prepares the application.

For a detailed breakdown of each status category, eligibility requirements and application timelines, see our work permits for Japan guide.

Route	Who it is for and what to know
Engineer, Specialist in Humanities, International Services	The most widely issued working status, covering engineering, finance, marketing and similar professional roles. Requires a relevant degree or documented experience and a contract with an employer in Japan.
Highly Skilled Professional	A points-based status scoring education, income, experience, age and Japanese ability. Seventy points qualifies, and eighty brings a shorter route to permanent residency and broader work rights for a spouse.
J-Skip	A shortcut into Highly Skilled Professional status without calculating points, for those with a master’s degree or ten years of experience and income of at least twenty million yen, or five years of management experience and at least forty million yen.
Intra-company Transferee	For employees moving from an office abroad to a group company in Japan, having worked for the group for at least one year. The employer and its immigration lawyer manage the filing.
J-Find	A job-search status for recent graduates of designated top-ranked universities, allowing up to two years to find qualified work.

Residence card, municipal registration and banking

Your residence card, the zairyu card, is issued on arrival at a major airport and carried at all times. Within fourteen days of moving in you register your address at the local city or ward office, which triggers your My Number, a twelve-digit identification number used for tax and social insurance. Obtain several copies of your residence certificate, the juminhyo, while you are there, since it is requested repeatedly. A bank account follows, requiring your residence card, My Number, a Japanese phone number and your address registration.

Finding somewhere to live in Japan

The rental market runs on upfront costs and guarantors rather than on speed, so budget for the initial outlay before viewing. Alongside the first month of rent, landlords commonly ask for a deposit, the shikikin, non-refundable key money, the reikin, an agency fee and a guarantor company fee, and two to five months of rent in total is a realistic assumption in the larger cities. Most private landlords require a guarantor company, and many employers act as guarantor for relocating staff.

For a full breakdown of how international household goods moves work, see our guide on moving household goods internationally.

Healthcare and insurance in Japan

Health insurance is compulsory and arranged from the start of your employment. Employees of most companies join employees’ health insurance, the shakai hoken, with contributions shared with the employer and deducted from salary, while those outside that system enrol in national health insurance at the municipal office. Both cover around seventy per cent of medical costs, leaving a thirty per cent co-payment with a monthly ceiling for high expenses. You receive an insurance card to present at any clinic and are free to choose your own doctor.

For a broader guide to the full range of insurance products expats need when living abroad, see our guide on insurance for expats.

Understanding Japanese tax basics

Income tax is withheld from salary each month, with most employees settled through a year-end adjustment by their employer rather than a personal filing. The point that catches new arrivals is resident tax, the juminzei, a local tax charged on the previous calendar year’s income and billed from the following June. That timing means a first partial year feels light and the following year noticeably heavier, and a departure part-way through a year can leave a balance outstanding.

For a detailed guide on how expatriate tax compliance works across jurisdictions, see our expatriate tax compliance guide.

Cost of living in Japan in 2026

Cost of living in Japan depends heavily on the city, with Tokyo standing well above the rest and regional cities offering considerably more space for the money. Mercer, ECA International and AIRINC all publish cost of living research that mobility teams use to compare locations. Treat the ranges below as an indicative starting point and build your own budget around your district and household.

Cost area	Indicative monthly range in 2026
Rent, one-bedroom in central Tokyo	Around 120,000 to 200,000 yen, the most expensive market in the country
Rent, one-bedroom in Osaka, Nagoya or Fukuoka	Around 70,000 to 110,000 yen, with more space for the same budget
Groceries, single person	Around 40,000 to 60,000 yen, higher for imported goods
Commuting	Season tickets are commonly reimbursed in full by employers
Utilities and internet	Around 15,000 to 25,000 yen, with summer and winter peaks

Culture and daily life in Japan

Daily life in Japan runs on shared consideration for the people around you, and that principle explains most everyday conventions. Trains are quiet, queues are orderly, punctuality is expected rather than admired, and public spaces are kept clean by the people using them. At work, decisions are often built through consensus before a meeting rather than during it, so early involvement in informal discussion matters more than a strong performance in the room.

For more on how organisations can support expatriate wellbeing throughout an assignment, see our guide on promoting work-life balance for expatriates.

Settling in as an individual

Settling in alone is mostly a question of language, location and routine. Tokyo offers the largest international community and the widest range of English-language workplaces, Osaka and Fukuoka are noticeably more affordable and known for being sociable, and Kyoto suits those wanting a slower pace within reach of a major employment market. Studying Japanese, even to a conversational level, changes daily life more than any other single decision.

For a practical overview of what learning Japanese involves as a relocating professional, see our Japanese language guide for expats.

Settling in as a family

Settling in as a family adds schooling and childcare, and these often determine both timing and district. International schools concentrate in Tokyo and Yokohama, with a smaller number in Osaka, Kobe and Nagoya, and places are limited enough that applications are worth submitting before arrival. For a full breakdown of how dependent visa applications work and what rights family members hold in Japan, see our guide on what happens to your dependent’s visa when you relocate for work. Local public schools are free and of a high standard, with lessons in Japanese and additional language support in some municipalities.

For a broader look at how organisations structure family support within a relocation programme, see our guide on expat relocation: supporting employees and families abroad.

Moving to Japan as a company assignee

Where an employer relocates you to Japan, most of the steps in this guide are coordinated rather than left to you to arrange alone. If you are still weighing whether to accept the offer, our guide on should you accept an international assignment? covers the questions worth raising before you decide.

Companies commonly work with a relocation management company that brings together the immigration lawyer, the tax adviser, the destination services provider and the household goods provider, so that your Certificate of Eligibility, home search, address registration and shipment connect in the right order. The MOVEPLUS™ platform gives the mobility team a single view of key dates, documents and approvals through our relocation service coordination and the MOVEPLUS™ dashboard shows where each step sits at any point. The sequence itself is the same one set out above.

Get in touch to find out how MovePlus can support your Japan relocation.

Frequently asked questions

1. Do I need to speak Japanese to live in Japan?

Many international workplaces in Tokyo and Osaka operate in English, and daily services are increasingly signposted in English in the larger cities. Municipal offices, medical clinics and rental agencies largely work in Japanese, so conversational ability makes daily life considerably easier and widens your social circle.

2. What should I do in my first two weeks in Japan?

Collect your residence card on arrival, then register your address at the local city or ward office within fourteen days. That registration produces your residence certificate and triggers your My Number, both of which you need for your bank account, your health insurance and most later paperwork.

3. How much money do I need upfront to rent in Japan?

Budget for two to five months of rent in total in the larger cities. Alongside the first month, landlords commonly ask for a deposit, non-refundable key money, an agency fee and a guarantor company fee. Many employers act as guarantor for relocating staff, which removes a common obstacle.

4. How does health insurance work in Japan?

Health insurance is compulsory. Most employees join employees’ health insurance through their company, with contributions shared with the employer, while others enrol in national health insurance at the municipal office. Both cover around seventy per cent of medical costs, leaving a thirty per cent co-payment with a monthly ceiling.