There are MANY types of visas depending upon the reason and length of your stay in Japan. For more detailed information, visit www.Japan-guide.com.

In order to visit Japan , you may need only a valid passport or you may need to apply for a visa become visiting. Temporary visitors from most countries are allowed to stay in Japan for up to 90 days.

Foreigners, who wish to work in Japan , need to apply for an appropriate visa. There are about a dozen types of working visas, each allowing the holder to engage in paid activities only within a defined professional field. For example, there are visas for artists, professors, engineers, instructors and entertainers.

If you change jobs while you are in Japan , you also need to change your status of residence, provided that the new job falls into a different professional field. Most working visas are valid for one or three years and need to be extended before they expire. A prospective employer is needed as sponsor when applying for most types of working visa.

Please contact the Japanese Embassy in your country to ensure you have the correct paperwork to enter the country.

All foreigners, who stay in Japan for more than 90 days, need to apply for an alien registration card within the first 90 days of their stay. Applications can be made at the local municipal office (e.g. city hall). The alien registration card is an important document required for opening a bank account and similar activities. Foreign residents are required to carry their alien registration card with them at all times.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs
http://www.mofa.go.jp/j_info/visit/visa/index.html

Some of the world's most expensive land can be found in central Tokyo . Consequently, even tiny apartments in the city center are very expensive. However, housing costs are distinctly lower in Tokyo 's suburbs, surrounding prefectures and in other regions and cities of Japan. Additional commuting costs are often more than compensated by the savings on the rent, especially as many Japanese companies pay part or all of their employees' commuting expenses.

Apartments are usually rented through real estate agents rather than landlords. Real estate offices can be recognized by listings of available apartments in their show windows. They also advertise on signs in the neighborhood and in various publications.

The rental system of many conventional real estate companies is not very foreigner friendly.

Real estate companies, which specifically target Japan 's foreign community, exist mainly in Tokyo and other large metropolitan areas. They offer private and shared apartments for conditions that are much more suitable to the needs of foreigners, and often have staff trained in foreign languages.

For example, they offer rental contracts for much shorter time periods and lower and fewer initial fees than conventional companies. In addition, their apartments are often already furnished, and the cost for utilities may be included in the monthly rent.

The official language is Japanese.

The currency used in Japan is the Yen.

• Notes (Yen): 1, 5, 10, 50, 100, and 500
• Coins (Yen): 1000, 2000 (very rare), 5000 and 10000

The best way to exchange money is at a foreign exchange office or at any bank. It is important to carry some cash with you as some places do not accept credit cards.

Japanese banks offer automatic teller machines (ATM) and cash dispensers (CD). At ATMs one can pay withdraw, deposit and transfer money and pay bills, while at CDs it is usually only possible to withdraw money. Most ATMs and CDs are unavailable on weekends and during the night, but the number of 24h ATMs is increasing. The machines found in convenience stores, for example, are often available around the clock.

As a traveler in Japan , be aware that most Japanese ATMs do not accept foreign credit cards. Only the international ATMs found in post offices and in a few major department stores and airports accept foreign credit and debit cards.

Common forms of payment:

•  Cash
•  Debit card
•  Credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, Diners Club, American Express)

In order to open an account at a Japanese bank, a foreigner requires to present his/her Alien Registration Card, the document any foreigner needs to apply for when staying in Japan for more than 90 days. An inkan (personal stamp) or signature is also needed.

There are basically two types of insurance in Japan. One is the National Health Insurance, the other one is Social Insurance. National Health Insurance is for people who don't have a job, or self-employed. The city you reside cover 70% of your medical expense. And your insurance fee is decided based on your previous year's earning.

Social Insurance is provided by your company, and the fee is usually shared between you and your company.

There are many international schools where English is the main language for learning (from preschool to University level). Please see below for a list of schools (not exhaustive).

Local supermarkets are relatively inexpensive if you stick to Japanese food such as seasonal vegetables, seafood, soya bean products and rice. If you visit supermarkets shortly before closing time in the evening, you can purchase remaining perishable products at big discounts.

Modern Japanese supermarkets are organized much in the same way as their Western counterparts. They offer all kinds of goods such as fresh fruits and vegetables, fresh seafood, meat, tofu, pickled, dried and canned food, bread, dairy products, snacks, ready-to-eat meals, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages and household articles.

The goods are usually beautifully presented and of excellent quality. Also the cashier system is well organized and efficient. The packages and portions in Japanese supermarkets are usually smaller than comparable packages sold in Europe or North America in particular; nevertheless, they are rarely cheaper.

There are dress codes for formal occasions.

It is not common to have a maid.

Foreigners, who are married to a holder of a working visa, can apply for a dependent visa. A dependent visa is valid for between three months and three years and needs to be extended before it expires.

Holders of a dependent visa are not allowed to engage in any paid activities, unless they get the permission of the immigration office. Even then, dependent visa holders may work only a set maximum number of hours per week.

The Japanese entertainment industry is one of the world's largest and most innovative, and despite the culture and language barrier, various forms of Japanese entertainment have become internationally popular.

There are many expatriate women clubs available in Japan (see below for a list, not exhaustive).

The Japanese love to practice sports. Popular sports include baseball, football (soccer) , golf and the martial arts.

Most municipalities offer gyms and community courses to their residents at fair prices. In addition, there are private companies.

See www.Japan-guide.com for more details.

Visiting Japan can be enjoyable in every season of the year. Since the country stretches for 3000km from sub-arctic in the extreme north to sub-tropical in the far south, there is plenty of variation throughout the year. The rainy season is roughly from mid-June to mid-July. From April into May when the snows and chills of winter retreat, peach and plum blossoms appear is the sign that Spring has arrived.