An apartment block in Tokyo, Japan. Photo taken by Kristian Stevens

Houses and apartments resemble each other to an extent in industrialized nations. With that said, houses and apartments vary from country to country and even from city to city in some places. When I first came to Japan I didn’t really know what to expect. Obviously, I knew the houses and apartments would be different; especially since America and Japan are on the opposite ends of the earth. There are numerous differences and books have been written about them. Let me just touch on a few. (more…)

Next year the rules for renewing a visa in Japan change, requiring every foreign resident to undergo a new process in order to extend their stay. Listed below are the key things to keep in mind.

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Japan has a long history of dealing with Mother Nature’s mood swings. From typhoons to earthquakes to tsunamis, its people have learned the importance of preparing for the worst. Foreigners who move here and wish to develop a similar sense of environmental awareness might want to dedicate an afternoon of their lives to roaming the Ikebukuro Bosaikan.

Even if you are fairly secure in your apocalyptic response capacity, this safety “museum” can be very entertaining if you go with the right crowd. The staff will guide you through various simulations of common emergency situations. For starters, you and your companions can sit around a table in the fake kitchen and role play the proper way to react when your whole world starts to shake. (more…)

Shopping in Japan can be expensive especially when you don’t know where to go. But fret not! I’m going to share with you my little hidden spots of outlet shops, vintage boutiques and low-cost shopping – places you can go without you having to give up your sense of style.
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The port city of Kobe, which has a long history of openness and acceptance toward non-Japanese, has sent a letter to Japan’s national government about the new Immigration guidelines.  The Kobe City Assembly, chaired by Mr. Kenji Yoshida, has drafted a consensus demanding clarification of the proposed guidelines and the criteria that Immigration will use when determining whether to renew visas.  The letter was sent to a number of high-ranking government officials, including Prime Minister Hatoyama, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the President of the House of Councilors, the Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications and the Minister of Justice. (more…)

Any foreigner who’s been in Japan for a while can tell you that there’s a lot of ups and downs to living life out here. As a country, Japan seems to prize itself on it’s homogeny, and as such, one sees everything from  the Japanese government’s 1986 proud announcement of it’s ‘mono-ethnicity’ (despite having a multitude of indigenous ethnic minorities, populations of people who migrated from southeast and far east Asia over the centuries, and a continuingly growing population of people with mixed nationalities)  to the fact that when asked for their personal opinion on a matter, locals will often respond, “Well, we Japanese think…”. As a foreigner out here this translates into living an existence where both all of your strengths and all of your weaknesses stem from the fact that you are blistering different, and few books I’ve read have so eloquently and honestly portrayed that fact as Wayne Aponte’s ‘The Year of No Money in Tokyo”. (more…)

In April 2010, the Immigration Bureau will begin requesting foreigners to show their social health insurance cards as a prerequisite for visa renewal.

Why is this a bad idea?

The guideline was intended to compel employers to observe the law by enrolling their employees in social insurance. However, it puts foreigners between a rock and a hard place because their employers may force them to join the national health plan instead. Foreigners not previously on the social system would have to pay up to two years of back premiums – up to five in some cities. Such action would undoubtedly force many honest and hard-working foreigners to leave Japan, while coercing dishonest or otherwise-legal foreigners “underground.” Ironically, this is precisely the opposite of the intended effect of the newly passed Immigration laws that seek to curtail foreigners from overstaying their visas.

The guideline is too ambiguous and a violation of human rights . . .

It does not specifically state whether foreigners who are not able to enroll in social insurance will be denied visa renewal or if they would instead be required to join the national health plan in order to qualify for extension. It gives individual Immigration officials complete and total discretion in determining whether or not to renew a visa – discretion based solely on personal judgment rather than on concrete principles or instructions.

The Free Choice Foundation will therefore petition the government under Article 16 of the Japanese Constitution to revoke the new guideline.

Please join our online petition drive at:

http://www.FreeChoice.jp

We welcome your support

In July I had an opportunity to make a short trip back to Europe after several years of not traveling anywhere outside Japan. After a long and exhausting flight we arrived at the hotel and the first thing that came to my mind was shower. After I couldn’t find any shampoo or even soap supplied at the hotel, I made a quick enquiry at the reception. “M’am, I’m really sorry,” the clerk said after desperately trying to find something under the bar. “Seems like we’ve ran out of shampoo…” “That’s alright,” I said, “Do you have any idea where I can purchase it from?” “M’am,” she addressed me politely again,” It’s Sunday afternoon. I doubt you’ll find shampoo at that time. Can’t you wait until tomorrow?”

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The Swine Flu. Novel H1N1. S-OIV. 2009 H1N1 Influenza. Whatever you want to call it, it’s out there and wreaking havoc. Out of season and out of control, swine flu appears determined to stay, at least for a while. No need to panic, however, as most of us, swine or not, will survive. Here is a little Q & A that may help you avoid the virus and take the appropriate action if you pick it up.

1. What is Swine Flu? It is a viral infection caused by a new type of influenza A virus, first detected in April of this year. Because it is new, most people lack immunity to the virus and it has spread worldwide, prompting the World Health Organization (WHO) to declare a “pandemic” state on June 11, 2009. Although it shares some genetic components with influenza viruses known to infect pigs, it is a distinct virus, so it has most recently been referred to as the “2009 H1N1 Influenza A Virus” by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (more…)