A practical 2025 guide for foreign parents raising children in Japan—covering education costs, subsidies, school options, and real challenges to expect.

Confused about overtime pay in Japan? Learn how contract clauses like fixed overtime and discretionary labor affect your rights—and how to protect yourself.

Learn how to read a Japanese payslip and withholding tax slip (源泉徴収票). Understand deductions, taxes, insurance, and avoid common expat mistakes.

Why does Japan have the world’s longest life expectancy? Explore diet, walking habits, healthcare, mental health, and longevity secrets expats can actually apply in daily life.

A complete guide to owning a pet in Japan: import rules, pet-friendly housing, food brands, grooming, daycare, and lost-pet procedures.

Teach your kids financial literacy in Japan from age 6. A complete expat guide to money habits, investing for children, minor accounts, and future-ready skills.

Relocating to Japan soon? Here’s the practical step-by-step guide covering visas, COE, movers, pets, housing, banking, and settling in.

Is working in Japan worth it? Compare Tokyo vs. Chicago suburb salaries, taxes, cost of living, benefits, and work culture to see what life in Japan really offers.

When someone in your family becomes seriously ill or reaches a stage where daily care is needed, the question always arises: Can they stay at home? Yes, and here is how.

Learn how to resign from a Japanese company the right way. This complete 2025 guide explains your legal rights, notice period, final pay, non-compete clauses, and visa steps — plus cultural tips for a smooth and professional exit as a foreign employee.

Tax season in Japan is just around the corner. If you’re employed full-time, you might assume your company has already taken care of everything through year-end adjustment (nenmatsu chousei). In most cases, that’s true — but not always.

Understand Japan’s pension, retirement allowance, and iDeCo/NISA systems. Clear guide for expats on eligibility, payments, and how to avoid common pitfalls.

Discover how Japan’s mandatory health check system works. Learn what to expect, how to handle Japanese forms, and why annual checkups reflect Japan’s culture of preventive Medicine.

Learn what Japan’s 2025 Business Manager visa reform means for entrepreneurs — new capital rules, staffing, and qualification requirements explained.

After Shohei Ohtani’s extraordinary performance in the 2025 NLC Championship Series — ten strikeouts, three home runs, and not a single earned run — I couldn’t help but write about Japanese baseball.

Taking a leave of absence in Japan—whether for mental health, physical illness, maternity, or family care—is usually straightforward. But returning to work can be far more challenging.

Starting October 1st, 2025, Japan’s gaimen kirikae (foreign driver’s license conversion) system has become significantly stricter.

Learn about Japan’s employer duty of care—health checks, stress checks, overtime rules, and workplace safety laws that protect employee well-being.

Learn from our real-life experience managing U.S. Social Security, credit cards, and foreign exchange (FX) while living in Japan.

Discover how Buddhism quietly shapes daily life in Japan — from family altars and temples to the enduring traditions of festivals and ancestors.