Live and work in Japan, with your next step clear.
Guides, checklists, and cost worksheets for the decisions in front of you — each with its Japanese terms, dated primary sources, and an honest next step.
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Featured guides
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Moving to Japan: First Steps Before and After You Land
A practical sequence for your first two weeks in Japan: status of residence, residence card (在留カード), municipal registration, and the documents to prepare before you travel.
Arriving in Japan: Connectivity, SIM Cards, and Your First Phone Contract
How to get connected on day one and choose a mobile contract in your first month: what identification providers ask for, how address registration affects sign-up, and where to verify current plans.
Finding Rental Housing in Japan: From Search to Signed Lease
How renting (賃貸) works in Japan: initial costs such as deposit (敷金) and key money (礼金), guarantors (保証人) and guarantor companies (保証会社), and the contract (契約) steps in order.
City Hall Registration and Setup: Address, My Number, Health Insurance, and Pension
What happens at the municipal office (市区町村役場): moving-in notification (転入届), residence record (住民票), My Number (マイナンバー), National Health Insurance, and pension — in one planned visit sequence.
The Takken Qualification Explained: Japan's Real Estate Transaction Specialist Licence
What 宅建 (takken) is, what a licensed 宅地建物取引士 may legally do, who regulates it, and how registration differs from passing the exam.
The Takken Exam: Structure, Subject Areas, and a Study Method That Works
How the 宅建試験 is organised by the official exam body, the subject areas it covers, and a practical study sequence built around past questions — with all dates and fees verified at RETIO.
Building a Real Estate Career in Japan: Roles, Employers, and the Takken Advantage
Where 宅建 fits in a Japanese real estate (不動産) career: brokerage, leasing, management, and international-facing roles, and how to verify employer and licensing facts at official sources.
Tools & practical guides
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The words you will meet
Kanji, reading, and plain-English meaning.