Wednesday, July 21, 2010

How much does it cost to live in Japan

How much does it cost to live in Japan?
I plan to take a year or so off in my career and just stay in Japan. My question is how much would i need to save up so that i can cover the cost of a studio apartment for a year? (Food and stuff will come separately.)
Japan - 4 Answers
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1 :
I found cheap studio apartments here... http://www.tokyocityapartments.com/
2 :
If you're an American, you can only stay 90 days on a visitor visa.And it can only be used twice in a 12 month period.
3 :
You can't live in Japan without visa no matter how much money you have. You usually need working or student visa to live in Japan. For working visa, you have to get a job offer from a Japanese company. But you can't look for a job in Japan without a visa. So you need it before you enter Japan. For student visa, you have to be admitted to a Japanese college. You need to pay tuition and living cost for 4 years. It could be about $80,000.
4 :
No matter what your circumstances are, be prepared. The cost of living is VERY high.






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Posted by Live in at 4:58 PM

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Can I get Japanese Citizenship for my daughter even though we dont live in Japan

Can I get Japanese Citizenship for my daughter even though we dont live in Japan?
My husband is a Japanese native and we have been married for 2 years. We just had a daughter. She is only a week old. I am German and my daughter was born in Germany and we live in Germany, but is it possible for me to still get Japanese Citizenship for my daughter? Or would she automatically lose her German Citizenship if we did? Is there no possibility she could have dual citizenship?
Japan - 8 Answers
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1 :
yes, and no you wont lose citizenship in germany
2 :
You husband has to go the Japanese Embassy for your daughter citizenship within 3 months of born. I don’t know about German. But Japanese is required by law to choose only one nationality on 18 years old.
3 :
As another said, you can go to Japanese Embassy or Consulate and register her as a Japanese citizen. And it should be done within 3 months after her birth. She can keep dual citizenship now. But she must choose either one by the age of 22.
4 :
Your daughter is already a Japanese citizen, but she will automatically lose it if your husband does not register her in his family register before she turns 3 months old. I'm no expert in German laws but it looks like Germany allows dual citizenship if the person obtained it at birth, as in your daughter's case. So, yes, she's a dual citizen.
5 :
This is in reply to your additional question. She will have dual citizenship at least until she's 20. They only ask the person to choose when they try using their Japanese passport over 20 or so years of age, so if she's only visiting Japan as a 20something she could use her German passport and no-one would know. If she lives in Japan she'll only be asked to actually choose if they know she's got dual nationality, and there's little reason to mention it. (I know my hubby didn't mention it when he applied for our kids' Japanese passports, and I didn't mention it when I applied for their UK passports, there was no sensible place to put that information so I didn't bother.) If your daughter does ever decide to officially take up her Japanese nationality, she'll have to sign documents stating that she'll denounce her German nationality as soon as reasonably possible. A lot of people 'forget' to actually denounce it, but normally no-one checks so they secretly keep their dual nationality anyway. They have to be careful to use their passports sensibly though, because someone might spot a discrepancy if she tries using both. If your daughter decides to live outside of Japan then it won't affect her. She'll get any relevant visa put into her German passport before leaving the country, and if she visits Japan as a tourist, even if it's to visit relatives, no-one will question it or ask whether she's got dual nationality. It really doesn't need to affect your daughter unless she actually decides to live in Japan, as an adult. And she will only have to lose her German nationality if she chooses to be just Japanese as an adult, until then she can have two passports and use the EU one to leave and enter the EU, and the JP one to enter and leave Japan. That's what most people do, including us. Don't let it worry you for now, they might change the rules by then and allow adults to retain dual citizenship.
6 :
I found some information relevant to your question. As the previous answerers said, you must register the birth of your daughter within 3 months of her birth. She will lose her entitlement to her Japanese citizenship, otherwise. I went to Japanese Embassy in London to register the birth of my son just before he turned 6 months old, and I was told that it was too late to register his birth (so, he only has a British citizenship). She can keep her German-Japanese dual citizenship until she has to make a decision of which citizenship she would like to retain by the age of 22. Here is some information about how to register your daughter's birth and what to do when she makes a decision of her nationality in the future. The information is in Japanese, but I am sure that your husband would be able to explain it to you. http://www.de.emb-japan.go.jp/nihongo/konsular/02koseki.html 出生届 届け出期間： 生れた日を含めて３ヶ月以内。なお、出生により外国の国籍も取得している場合は、 この届け出期限を過ぎますと日本国籍を失いますので、日本側への出生届は出来 ません。 届出人：原則として父または母（外国人でも可） 届け出方法：公館窓口に直接提出、または郵送（本籍地市区町村へ直接郵送も可） 必要な書類：出生届書（当館に用意してあります）、出生登録証明書または医師 作成の出生証明書の原本、同和訳文 留意事項：出生により、ドイツの国籍も取得した場合は、３ヶ月以内に出生届と 共に日本の国籍を留保する意思を表示（出生届の「日本国籍を留保する」欄に 署名・押印する）しなければ、出生の日にさかのぼって日本国籍を失うことになり ますのでご注意下さい。 国籍の選択について 　外国の国籍と日本の国籍を有する人（重国籍者）は、22歳に達するまで （20歳に達した後に重国籍になった場合、重国籍になった時から2年以内）に、 どちらかの国籍を選択する必要があります。選択しない場合は日本の国籍を失う ことがありますので、ご注意下さい。 国籍の選択の方法： 国籍の選択は自己の意思に基づいて、次のいずれかの方法によって行って下さい。 なお、国籍離脱届以外は郵送による届け出も可能です。 日本国籍を選択する場合 戸籍謄本を添付して、当館または日本の市区町村役場に「日本の国籍を選択し、 外国の国籍を放棄する」旨の国籍選択届を出して下さい。 外国の国籍を選択する場合 1.管轄の在外公館または日本の法務局･地方法務局に戸籍謄本、住所を証明する 書面、外国籍を有することを証明する書面を添付して、国籍離脱届を出して下さい。 2.選択した国の法令に則り、その国の国籍を選択したのち、外国国籍を選択した ことを証明する書面を添付して、当館または日本の市区町村役場に国籍喪失届を 出して下さい。 The following information about German Nationality Law might also be of your interest. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_nationality_law Hope this helps.
7 :
1) Japan does not recognize dual citizenship. As you have seen, the age of making this decision is somewhere around 20. 2) My situation is a bit different from yours because I live in Japan, but the U.S. consulate told me that although the above is the 'law', if you don't say anything they really don't have a task force out there to track down people and make them choose. Keep your mouth shut about the situation and you probably won't have any problem renewing either passport. 3) Considering the above, if you are living in Germany going to the Japanese embassy/consulate to renew a Japanese passport might raise some questions. I really don't know.
8 :
i had japanese passport and green card. but i think they will not issue me japanese passport if i turn usa citizen. as to your daughter your husband must register her at the consulate, and she can get her citizenship, but when she become of age she must choose her citizenship.






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Posted by Live in at 4:56 PM

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

where is the best most comfortable place to live in Japan for Western people

where is the best most comfortable place to live in Japan for Western people?
where you can stay in touch with many Western culture and English speaking people ? How do I meet them? What most westerners do in Japan anyway ?
Japan - 8 Answers
Random Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions :
1 :
There's a America town in Osaka. But it's just a shopping area and run by Japanese. Tokyo and Osaka will have the most English speaking people. Most people teach English.
2 :
It's difficult to an extent. But in answering the last part of your question, what do westerners do in Japan, as Carl said, they teach English. Most teach English at English schools. And that is where you meet most of your foreign friends. The second option is at gaijin bars, which can be found in all the big cities. Fun, fun, let's go meet some drunk foreigners. Then there is a third option that you seem to have ignored. Since the population of Japan is about 98% Japanese, how about making some Japanese friends rather than trying to insulate yourself inside your previous culture? Just a thought, you know? @Pillbox.... you don't know me. Do I speak Japanese fluently? No. Can I struggle by? Yes. The last time I went out with some of my friends we discussed their religious beliefs regarding Buddhism. Seems that they knew very little about the actual doctrine, which I explained to them, with a lot of difficulty, but they got my point and were able to express their own views on the matter in a way that eventually got across to me. Does that count as small talk? Or something of a deeper and more complicated issue? You draw your own conclusions. Don't draw conclusions about someone when you have never met them or had a discussion with. An a**hole is easy to identify without actually being fluent in their native language. Easier to do so when you speak said language. I will leave you with the comment that if you speak Japanese fluently enough to work in a Japanese company, then I have admiration for you. I really do. But that doesn't give you the right to come down on others who simply struggle by, but generally get the job done. Blow your horn as loudly as you want. I'm happy with the friends that I have and the relationships that I have developed. NOTE 2: Yes, this was relayed in English, but one of the guys who speaks, well, decent English said he enjoyed the conversation about Buddhism. But I guess that Pillbox is the expert on the quality of the conversation and the enjoyment that the people there experienced, even though he wasn't there. Must be cool to be able to judge the conversations that other people have without actually being there, huh? NOTE @ Pillbox..... Nice deletion. Probably appropriate. Myself? I don't delete my posts. If people think I am wrong, I take my licks. But even in real life, I give as good as I take.
3 :
Most westerners or English speaking people live in the major cities of Japan which are Tokyo, Osaka, and Nagoya. The majority of these people work as English language instructors and usually hang out together. Where is the most comfortable place to live in Japan as a foreigner? I would say the most international place to live in Japan is either Yokohama or Kobe. Both are port cities with a large expat community and are very comfortable places to live. Yokohama is right next to Tokyo and Kobe is close to both Osaka and Kyoto, making them very convenient.
4 :
The best place to live in Japan would depend on what you prefer. If you would like to experience a more traditional Japan the countryside is the place to be. If you prefer a more modern definition a large city or suburb would work best. Be sure not to surround yourself with English speakers while you are here. You don't want to "insulate yourself inside your previous culture".
5 :
MT fuji where Cherry blossoms fall like snow in spring =) *only a dream*
6 :
Western Tokyo, especially Harajuku, Shinjuku, Roppongi
7 :
don't go to japan go to an english speaking place. most americans are teachers of english conversation,
8 :
How about Roppongi in Tokyo? There is an American School, Roppongi campus. http://community.asij.ac.jp/Page.aspx?pid=1831





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Posted by Live in at 4:55 PM

Thursday, July 1, 2010

Can a former Canadian Soldier live in Japan

Can a former Canadian Soldier live in Japan?
I Was wondering this question before i enter the forces. I really want to join the forces, and i might (not sure yet) want to live in japan someday. I Would just like to know, could Japan stop me from becoming a citizen if i have a record with the Canadian Forces?
Embassies & Consulates - 1 Answers
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1 :
yes they could and then they would say to you "blame Canada"




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Posted by Live in at 4:49 PM
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