About Tebiki Lab

Living and Working in Japan: What Tebiki Lab Is All About

If you’re planning on living and working in Japan — or you’ve already made the leap — you know how overwhelming it can be. Visa paperwork, finding an apartment, opening a bank account, understanding the health insurance system… it’s a lot to figure out, especially in a country where the language and bureaucracy can feel like a wall.

That’s exactly why Tebiki Lab exists: to make living and working in Japan simpler, clearer, and less stressful for English speakers.

Living and Working in Japan: What We Cover

Tebiki Lab is a practical resource for English-speaking foreigners navigating life in Japan. From the moment you start researching visas to the day you finally feel at home, we cover every step of the journey.

Visas and Legal Status

Understanding your visa options is the first step to living and working in Japan legally. We cover work visas, permanent residency, spouse visas, the Highly Skilled Professional (HSP) visa, and Japan’s emerging digital nomad visa — all explained in plain English. For official visa information, visit the Japan Immigration Services Agency at www.isa.go.jp.

Housing in Japan

Finding an apartment as a foreigner is one of the biggest challenges of moving to Japan. We break down how to navigate real estate agents, what guarantor requirements mean, how to read a Japanese lease contract, and which neighborhoods work best for expats in Tokyo, Osaka, and beyond.

Money, Banking, and Taxes

Living and working in Japan means dealing with a financial system that can be surprisingly difficult for foreigners. We cover how to open a Japanese bank account (including which banks are foreigner-friendly), the best international money transfer services like Wise and Remitly, and what you need to know about Japanese taxes as a foreign resident.

Health Insurance and Medical Care

Japan has a universal healthcare system, and as a resident you’re required to enroll. We explain how the National Health Insurance (Kokumin Kenko Hoken) system works, when private insurance like SafetyWing or Cigna makes sense, and how to find English-speaking doctors across Japan.

Work and Career in Japan

From job hunting on platforms like GaijinPot and LinkedIn Japan to understanding work culture, freelancing legally, and navigating remote work visa rules — we cover everything you need to build a career while living and working in Japan.

Daily Life as an Expat

The practical stuff matters too. We cover getting a Japanese SIM card, setting up utilities, converting your foreign driving license, learning Japanese with apps like italki, and finding your expat community in Japan.

Who Tebiki Lab Is For

Tebiki Lab is for 7 types of people making the move to Japan:

1. Software engineers and tech workers relocating for a job
2. Remote workers looking for a new base in Asia
3. Digital nomads exploring Japan’s new visa options
4. Students transitioning to work visas after graduation
5. Spouses and partners of Japanese nationals navigating the spouse visa
6. Retirees considering Japan as their permanent home
7. Anyone who has always dreamed of calling Japan home

If you want honest, actionable information about living and working in Japan — without the fluff — you’re in the right place.

Why “Tebiki”?

In Japanese, 手引き (tebiki) means a guide or handbook — something that leads you step by step. That’s what we aim to be: your complete, step-by-step guide to making Japan your home. Think of us as the resource you wish you’d found on day one.

Our Approach: Honest, Actionable, Updated

Every guide on Tebiki Lab is written to be actionable. We don’t just explain concepts — we walk you through the actual steps, the real costs, and the things nobody tells you until it’s too late. We update our content regularly to reflect changes in Japanese law, visa policies, and daily life in Japan.

A Note on Transparency

Some links on Tebiki Lab are affiliate links, which means we may earn a small commission if you sign up for a service through our link — at no extra cost to you. We only recommend services we genuinely believe are useful for people living and working in Japan. This helps keep Tebiki Lab free for everyone.

Explore Our Guides

Ready to start? Here are the best places to begin:

• Japan Visa Guide: Which Visa Is Right for You?
• How to Open a Bank Account in Japan as a Foreigner
• Renting an Apartment in Japan: Step-by-Step Guide
• Best Money Transfer Services for Japan Expats
• Japan Health Insurance Explained for Foreign Residents

If you have questions or want to get in touch, visit our Contact page.

Welcome aboard — let’s get you to Japan. 🇯🇵