The 3 Hardest Things About Moving to Japan (And How to Overcome Them)

Author

Foreign Professional
July 06, 2025

In partnership with

The easiest way to stay business-savvy.

There’s a reason over 4 million professionals start their day with Morning Brew. It’s business news made simple—fast, engaging, and actually enjoyable to read.

From business and tech to finance and global affairs, Morning Brew covers the headlines shaping your work and your world. No jargon. No fluff. Just the need-to-know information, delivered with personality.

It takes less than 5 minutes to read, it’s completely free, and it might just become your favorite part of the morning. Sign up now and see why millions of professionals are hooked.

The Japan Work Report
Serious about working in Japan?

Stay ahead in Japan's job market with weekly insights tailored for foreign professionals in our paid newsletter. Each issue includes curated job listings (with salary ranges), visual breakdowns of hiring trends across 5 industries, and recruiter-level tips to help you land a role. Whether you're job hunting now or planning your next move, this newsletter gives you the data and direction you need, in one place, every Friday JST.

  • Exclusive Job Listings

  • Salary & Language Info

  • Visa & Location Details

  • Hiring Trend Insights

  • Actionable Recruiter Tips

  • Tailored For Foreign Professionals

What you should know
What I wish I Knew Before Moving to Japan

Moving to Japan from abroad is incredibly exciting, but it comes with three major hurdles that trip up even the most prepared. Today, we’re diving in and giving you proven solutions:

  1. Getting your first visa

  2. Finding affordable housing

  3. Building a support system when you don’t speak Japanese

Your First Visa
Getting Your First Visa

Why it’s hard
Many believe you must have a tech degree, fluency in Japanese, or a Tokyo-based job to enter Japan. That isn’t the case.

Best visa options from abroad

  • Specified Skilled Worker (SSW): No degree required. Work fields include agriculture, food processing, hospitality, logistics, construction, and more.
    Official SSW portal:
    https://ssw.go.jp/en/

  • Working Holiday Visa: Ideal for 18–30/35-year-olds from eligible countries. Grants up to one year in Japan with work rights.
    Japan’s MOFA info:
    https://www.mofa.go.jp/ca/fna/ssw/us/overview.html
    Basic guide on eligibility and quotas:
    https://www.mofa.go.jp/j_info/visit/w_holiday/index.html

  • Student Visa: Enter through language school, work part-time, and switch to a work visa after upgrading language proficiency.

  • Engineer/Specialist Visa: Requires a university degree or 10+ years of related experience. Leads to corporate roles, tech and creative jobs.

How to start

  1. Choose the visa that matches your background

  2. Prepare for required exams (e.g., JLPT N4 or JFT-Basic for SSW; language tests for student visa)

  3. Apply for jobs with visa sponsorship via YOLO Japan or Jobs in Japan

  4. For Working Holiday or Student visa, apply through your local Japanese embassy

Finding Housing
Finding Affordable Housing

Why it’s hard
Leasing an apartment in Japan often requires a large upfront cost: key money, deposit, 1–2 months’ advance rent, agency and guarantor fees, which totals between ¥300,000 and ¥500,000.

How to make it affordable

  1. Share houses
    Furnished, community-oriented, and much cheaper up front. Typical initial cost is ¥100,000–¥150,000 including utilities.

  2. Guarantor services instead of personal guarantor
    Avoid needing a Japanese guarantor by using a guarantor company. Fees range from 30% to 100% of one month’s rent plus ¥10,000–¥30,000 annually.

  3. Company housing
    Some companies provide shataku (company-owned housing) as part of relocation packages. Ideal if you're being relocated.

  4. Short-term rentals & serviced apartments
    Suitable for the first few months in Japan.

Language Issues
Avoiding Language Isolation

Why it’s hard
Living in Japan with limited Japanese can feel alienating, especially if your job site and daily life are in Japanese.

How to feel at home

  1. Pre-arrival language prep
    Start learning with apps and remote courses that emphasize practical, daily-use Japanese.

  2. Community housing
    Choose shared houses or regional relocation programs designed for foreigners. These include integration support and Japanese language mentors.

  3. Set realistic language goals
    Focus on practical communication: banking, pharmacist visits, explaining work needs. Aim for steady daily improvement.

  4. Public Japanese courses
    Many cities run free or low-cost Japanese classes for foreign residents via local public offices or foreign support centers.

CONCLUSION
Wrapping It All Up

Moving to Japan from overseas means facing three big challenges: visa, housing, and language. But each one can be tackled with proven methods, the right planning, and patience.

Anyone who’s succeeded has done so by preparing in advance and taking a structured approach.

Learn AI in 5 minutes a day

What’s the secret to staying ahead of the curve in the world of AI? Information. Luckily, you can join 1,000,000+ early adopters reading The Rundown AI — the free newsletter that makes you smarter on AI with just a 5-minute read per day.

Need Help Landing a Job in Japan?
Here are a few ways I can support you:

✅Resume Writing Tutorial + Templates
Step-by-step written guide + the exact Japanese resume formats I used to get hired. Perfect if you’re not sure how to write a 履歴書 or 職務経歴書.