Living in Japan

Whether you want a rental car for road trips or need a Japanese license for long-term life here, the rules are strict and the paperwork matters. This guide covers the three legal routes for foreign drivers, what changed in the conversion process on 1 October 2025, and the traffic rules that catch people out.

Japan does not use one universal consumer score the way some countries do, but your local credit history still matters a lot. This guide explains how Japan’s credit bureaus work, why foreigners start from zero, and how to build a stronger profile step by step.

A practical guide to understanding double taxation when living in Japan. How Japan determines tax residency, how bilateral tax treaties (DTAs) work, and what expats from any country need to know to avoid being taxed twice.

A complete beginner's guide to income tax in Japan for foreigners in 2026 — how to read your payslip, understand income tax and resident tax, file your return, avoid the resident tax trap, and save legally with Hometown Tax Donation (ふるさと納税), iDeCo, and NISA.

A full breakdown of Japan's resident tax (municipal tax + prefectural tax) — how it's calculated, when it's due, and what expats need to know, including whether working holiday participants must pay and how to handle it before leaving Japan.

Planning to leave Japan? This guide covers the complete pre-departure checklist: filing a move-out notification (転出届), claiming tax refunds through a final tax return (確定申告), settling resident tax, handling your bank account, and securing your deposit refund — everything you need for a smooth exit.