Tim Odagiri
Is Japan’s Mercari a Secret Government Entity?
The popular auction site Mercari is asking me lots of probing questions. Is it, perchance, a clandestine branch of the Japanese government?
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Tim Odagiri
Sep 164 min
Japan, Where the Impossible is Possible (and Vice Versa)
Japan, it turns out, has lots of paperwork. Citizens are somehow able to jet right past the formalities, be they printed forms in...
Tim Odagiri
Jul 22 min
Getting Past Japan’s Foreign Resident Banking Barrier
Japan imposes a six-month waiting period on foreign resident bank accounts. Nihon Plus You’s new white paper explains the reasons why...
Tim Odagiri
Feb 74 min
Why Foreign Residents in Japan Need a Name Stamp
If you have spent any length of time in Japan, you have encountered name stamps, those handheld seals used to mark documents. Embossing a...
Tim Odagiri
Aug 29, 20233 min
Does Japan Have Too Many People?
Anyone who cares about Japan and its people knows that it is going through some demographic turbulence right now. A large baby-boom popul...
Tim Odagiri
Aug 15, 20234 min
Do Foreign Residents in Japan Have an Obligation to Fit In?
I participate in a variety of online groups where foreigners living in Japan mingle to discuss their experiences. Recently, in one such g...
Tim Odagiri
May 30, 20235 min
The Sad, Sad Tale of a Major Japanese Bank
Once upon a time, there was a young American boy who grew up to become a handsome prince. Oh wait, this isn’t a fairy tale. That young...
Tim Odagiri
Apr 4, 20236 min
Why I Took a Japanese Name
In Shakespeare’s most famous romantic tragedy, Juliet tells her lover Romeo, “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other na...
Tim Odagiri
Mar 14, 20234 min
Japan Stops Using Masks (in Theory)
This Monday, March 13, was a bright day in Japan, not just from the increasingly springlike weather, but also because of a newfound facia...
Tim Odagiri
Jul 26, 20224 min
Banking Woes for Foreigners in Japan
A core requirement of many grown-up activities in Japan is having a savings account. But there are some adults—law-abiding, financially s...
Tim Odagiri
Jul 7, 20227 min
Renew Your Driver’s License in Japan
When I first arrived in Japan, getting a driver’s license was a piece of cake. I moved from a place that had a full reciprocal agreement ...
Tim Odagiri
Jun 2, 20223 min
When the Honeymoon with Japan is Over
When foreigners first move to Japan, they typically enter the “honeymoon” phase. During those first months or years, “God’s in his heaven...
Tim Odagiri
Mar 15, 20223 min
The Curse of Having a Middle Name in Japan
I was told this day would come, the moment when the honeymoon with Japan would end and the scales that kept me from seeing the reality of...
Tim Odagiri
Mar 9, 20226 min
Japanese Income Tax Season is Here
As March arrives in Japan, many people across the country are wishing away the brisk air and looking forward to flowering cherry-blossom ...
Tim Odagiri
Feb 8, 20224 min
How to Apply for a Japanese Residence Certificate
I can probably count on one hand the number of times I had to visit city hall back in the United States. Not so in Japan. In the few year...
Tim Odagiri
Jan 27, 20213 min
The Many Political Parties of Japan
Today I am going to introduce you to the major political parties in Japan. Don’t get too excited; as is the case with other countries, th...
Tim Odagiri
Jan 20, 20212 min
Your Japanese Bank Account and the US Government
You can’t avoid death or taxes, and if you are an American citizen or recognized alien, you can’t avoid reporting your Japanese bank acco...
Tim Odagiri
Nov 26, 20202 min
Getting the Right Name Stamp
One of the things I looked forward to most about moving to Japan was the chance to get my very own hanko (ハンコ) name stamp, complete with ...
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