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Rogue 7 posted:Hello soon-to-be-fellow Japan goons! I'm sitting in LAX right now waiting for my flight to Narita. I was on this flight.
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Dec 9, 2013 11:28
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mystes posted:Power converters aside, that thing is huge and weighs 80kg. How could it possibly be worth it to ship it to the US? I assume they're going to ship it along with the rest of their belongings through air cargo, via a broker, manifested as "personal effects". Actually moving companies like Kuroneko might be able to roll that part into the moving process; I remember they extensively advertised on TV that they can do international moves between the US and Japan. On a semi-related note, would running a mochi-making machine (like this) on a converter be a bad idea? Zojirushi doesn't make domestic mochi making machines anymore, so buying one in the U.S. isn't an option. I am OK posted:If you do go, make sure you go to the Inari shrine. It owns so hard. Fushimi-Inari is really neat, but be sure that you give it enough time. The climb up Inari-san is long. Don't make the mistake of thinking you cam cram Fushimi-Inari Taisha along with a bunch of other sights. Also, if you go late in the day, a lot of the shops along the stone path will be closed, which means no grilled sparrow.
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Dec 9, 2013 21:04
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Anyone familiar with obtaining a JR Rail Pass if you are a Japanese national living outside Japan. The JR rail Pass page informs me that I must provide "written proof of the following: Right of permanent residence AND That they are living in a country other than Japan". However, it is not clear on how I can show proof of residency. Has anyone had any experience with this and how to show proof?
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Dec 10, 2013 03:31
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Busy Bee posted:Anyone familiar with obtaining a JR Rail Pass if you are a Japanese national living outside Japan. The JR rail Pass page informs me that I must provide "written proof of the following: Right of permanent residence AND That they are living in a country other than Japan". Passport should do it.
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Dec 10, 2013 03:42
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Mister Roboto posted:Passport should do it. I have a Japanese passport and living in the United States so I don't think that will work for me.
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Dec 10, 2013 03:44
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Busy Bee posted:I have a Japanese passport and living in the United States so I don't think that will work for me. Or are you a dual citizen? In that case it's probably hopeless
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Dec 10, 2013 03:57
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Busy Bee posted:I have a Japanese passport and living in the United States so I don't think that will work for me. If you have both passports and you're over the age where you were supposed to choose then you're possibly hosed. You could lie and say that you don't have a Japanese passport, but I don't know if they have some way of checking and you could potentially put one of your passports at risk. If you're a permanent resident, and not a citizen, in the US then, just show the US immigration status, is what Mister Roboto was saying.
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Dec 10, 2013 04:37
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LimburgLimbo posted:If you have both passports and you're over the age where you were supposed to choose then you're possibly hosed. You could lie and say that you don't have a Japanese passport, but I don't know if they have some way of checking and you could potentially put one of your passports at risk. The key point is supposed to be that the US doesn't care about dual citizenship now. Obviously this would preclude a JR pass though (the US passport wouldn't have the proper Japanese documentation but on the other hand if you showed the Japanese passport you would have no way to establish US permanent residency).
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Dec 10, 2013 05:03
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mystes posted:I think I've heard that having both passports isn't a problem unless you somehow go out of your way to draw attention to it, although I'm not clear on the exact mechanics (like I assume you're supposed to enter Japan on the Japanese passport, but then when you return to US using the US passport do you have to explain to US customs why it wasn't stamped?). Yeah I've heard similar, but I don't want to be responsible for giving some dude advice that causes him to lose one of his passports. If he had a US passport he wouldn't need any Japanese documentation, though. Then he'd just appear like any other foreigner as far as they're concerned.
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Dec 10, 2013 05:11
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LimburgLimbo posted:Yeah I've heard similar, but I don't want to be responsible for giving some dude advice that causes him to lose one of his passports. Need to use the US passport to enter the country though, since it needs to have the tourist stamp on it. That's what keeps people like us from getting the rail passes.
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Dec 10, 2013 05:30
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Ara posted:Need to use the US passport to enter the country though, since it needs to have the tourist stamp on it. That's what keeps people like us from getting the rail passes. Yeah of course, that's my point, he'd enter the country on his US passport as if he were a regular foreigner.
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Dec 10, 2013 05:46
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Utility bills usually work as proof of residency. Dunno why you guys are talking about two passports though, sounds to me like he only has the Japanese passport and that's it. zmcnulty fucked around with this message at 06:36 on Dec 10, 2013 |
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Dec 10, 2013 06:34
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You just need to show your "residency" visa, which I guess is the "green card" for the USA?
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Dec 10, 2013 08:02
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Elec posted:I lived in Okegawa during my year in the JET program in 06-07. There are a few places to go shopping I guess, you'll definitely want a bike unless you don't mind walking. You can get to Ageo like Rabite said, and Urawa is close too, home of the Reds soccer team. I never went to a game but sometimes if I happened to be walking by a bar and there were a ton of people in Red shirts shouting at a TV I'd stop in and absorb the atmosphere. That was fun. I'm from northern New Jersey, so "bedroom community" is pretty much par for the course! I had a brief time walking around today getting registered and signing up for health insurance, and it seemed quite nice. I'm in a hotel in Warabi for the week since my apartment isn't quite ready, and it's a lot more built-up. My time in Korea was spent in a very built-up area, so being in an area that's a little more spread out is nice. The closer cities look to be cool places to hang out, and 45 minutes-an hour is what I'm used to for getting into a city, so I think it should work out very well. My school's been very nice to me so far- I'm getting something like 2 weeks worth of training, where after one day in Korea, I was teaching a full schedule already. Also I'm working Tuesday-Saturday, which is going to be an interesting change of schedule.
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Dec 10, 2013 09:06
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Lemmi Caution posted:I was on this flight. My mind was boggled by how big the Airbus A380 was. Pretty comfortable, too.
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Dec 10, 2013 09:07
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How much does a smartphone data plan run per day at the airport? I'm not making the mistake of relying on wi-fi again.
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Dec 10, 2013 09:10
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Rogue 7 posted:I'm in a hotel in Warabi for the week since my apartment isn't quite ready, and it's a lot more built-up. Haha, cool! I did a homestay for a week in Warabi just out of high school.
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Dec 10, 2013 09:40
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Rogue 7 posted:I'm in a hotel in Warabi for the week since my apartment isn't quite ready, and it's a lot more built-up. Play some pachinko.
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Dec 10, 2013 09:50
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Grand Fromage posted:How much does a smartphone data plan run per day at the airport? I'm not making the mistake of relying on wi-fi again. If you came to Hong Kong this would totally not be a problem because I have a spare pocket wi-fi for my Gooooonz. The SSID is : "mom's basement" try air busan. smart 7 days, only 220 USD, 15 days 270 USD.
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Dec 10, 2013 09:58
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LimburgLimbo posted:Yeah of course, that's my point, he'd enter the country on his US passport as if he were a regular foreigner. Thank you everyone for your input. I am actually a dual citizen and have both an American and Japanese passport. I have been entering Japan with my Japanese passport every time I go there so I would not feel comfortable entering Japan with my American passport just for the rail pass. That is why I'm curious to know what kind of "proof of residency" I can show besides a green card (which I don't have). I don't think I'll run into any problems since technically I am a Japanese national living in the US.... But of course I do not want to risk losing my passport.
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Dec 10, 2013 10:22
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Pompous Rhombus posted:Haha, cool! I did a homestay for a week in Warabi just out of high school. I lived two stations away from there for three years. Warabi has the highest crime rate of any city in all of Japan if I remember right.
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Dec 10, 2013 11:22
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Ara posted:I lived two stations away from there for three years. Warabi has the highest crime rate of any city in all of Japan if I remember right. Which is still effectively nothing
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Dec 10, 2013 12:00
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Ara posted:I lived two stations away from there for three years. Warabi has the highest crime rate of any city in all of Japan if I remember right. Oh right there was a (reported) crime in 1968?
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Dec 10, 2013 12:01
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I read a blog about a guy who claimed he was in a Yakuza-owned street for a year or so, but the closest he ever gave as evidence was that occasionally Uyoku dantai buses would blare past and yakkity yak. That about summed my knowledge of crime in Japan. e: Oh right, also the Zaibatsu poo poo
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Dec 10, 2013 12:22
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WarpedNaba posted:I read a blog about a guy who claimed he was in a Yakuza-owned street for a year or so, but the closest he ever gave as evidence was that occasionally Uyoku dantai buses would blare past and yakkity yak. That about summed my knowledge of crime in Japan. That's Tim Rogers, you'll want to take that with a truckload of salt.
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Dec 10, 2013 12:23
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LyonsLions posted:That's Tim Rogers, you'll want to take that with a truckload of salt. I take my Tim Rogers with a bowl of miso.
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Dec 10, 2013 12:38
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Busy Bee posted:Thank you everyone for your input. I am actually a dual citizen and have both an American and Japanese passport. I have been entering Japan with my Japanese passport every time I go there so I would not feel comfortable entering Japan with my American passport just for the rail pass.
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Dec 10, 2013 13:11
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Busy Bee posted:Thank you everyone for your input. I am actually a dual citizen and have both an American and Japanese passport. I have been entering Japan with my Japanese passport every time I go there so I would not feel comfortable entering Japan with my American passport just for the rail pass. I would just forget about the rail pass if this were me, multiple passports is not something worth risking over cheap train tickets. When you enter the US, do you do it on your US passport? Do you have to show stamps from your Japanese passport? Doesn't Japan wonder where the hell you've been in the giant gap with no stamps besides the Japanese exit stamp? I actually really want to know specifics of this because I might have kids who have to deal with it eventually.
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Dec 10, 2013 13:20
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caberham posted:If you came to Hong Kong this would totally not be a problem because I have a spare pocket wi-fi for my Gooooonz. The SSID is : "mom's basement" 500 the dates I can travel + the 200 I already spent on unrefundable tickets. Send me that and I'll come. 
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Dec 10, 2013 13:30
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Busy Bee posted:That is why I'm curious to know what kind of "proof of residency" I can show besides a green card (which I don't have). I don't think I'll run into any problems since technically I am a Japanese national living in the US.... But of course I do not want to risk losing my passport. Hello fellow halfie. Unfortunately I am well past 20 and gave up my Japanese citizenship about a decade ago. However, until that point my siblings and I traveled very often to Japan using our US passports with no issue. When you enter the country they do not cross-reference or anything like that. We also used the JR pass to visit family while we were in Japan. To the best of my knowledge this is not illegal since you're will fully entering the country as a US citizen. If you're over 20 though and you try to renew your Japanese passport there's a good chance they may catch on that you're a dual-y and ask you to pick one country as Japan does not allow dual citizenship. If you do not want to risk your Japanese passport, do not take it with you. If you can give me about 12 hours I can ask my mother how she did the JR Pass before she became a US citizen. EDIT: You may be better off calling JAL or ANA's overseas office and ask them what constitutes as proper paperwork. The link below has their overseas offices. http://www.japanrailpass.net/05/en05_2.html If they can't give you an answer I can give the JR Pass providers a call on your behalf and ask them. riderkick fucked around with this message at 15:40 on Dec 10, 2013 |
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Dec 10, 2013 15:30
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riderkick posted:Hello fellow halfie. Unfortunately I am well past 20 and gave up my Japanese citizenship about a decade ago. However, until that point my siblings and I traveled very often to Japan using our US passports with no issue. When you enter the country they do not cross-reference or anything like that. We also used the JR pass to visit family while we were in Japan. To the best of my knowledge this is not illegal since you're will fully entering the country as a US citizen. This is all true, but isn't it possible just to choose Japan, then keep the US passport? They can't take it off you since the passport isn't yours (but the property of the issuing govt)... There are issues with this method if you don't plan on coming back to Japan every now and then to renew your passport, but otherwise it's pretty much foolproof.
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Dec 10, 2013 19:14
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Ara posted:I would just forget about the rail pass if this were me, multiple passports is not something worth risking over cheap train tickets. With kids, as long as they are under 21, no one seems to care. My kids leave NZ on their NZ passport (we give both to the immigration people), and arrive in Japan on the japanese passports (once again giving both to the immigration people), they don't even raise a eyebrow. But they will need to decide on which passport to travel with when they are older. As it will likely raise flags when the immigration records don't match the flight records.
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Dec 10, 2013 21:00
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riderkick posted:You may be better off calling JAL or ANA's overseas office and ask them what constitutes as proper paperwork. The link below has their overseas offices. When I was there in June, they explicitly searched my passport for a tourist SoR stamp before issuing me the JR rail pass.
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Dec 10, 2013 21:54
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Got a response from my Ma', when she went to Japan as a Japanese citizen living abroad she used her green card. You may want to check with one of those vendors to see what are acceptable documents. The only thing to avoid is entering with two passports, that may be an issue because although not enforced Japan would like you to enter the country as a Japanese citizens, and if you are over 21 they you may need to revoke one or the other.
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Dec 10, 2013 23:40
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Busy Bee posted:Thank you everyone for your input. I am actually a dual citizen and have both an American and Japanese passport. I have been entering Japan with my Japanese passport every time I go there so I would not feel comfortable entering Japan with my American passport just for the rail pass. Why not just use the US passport for this trip? You don't need to worry about any visa poo poo, and Japan definitely doesn't keep a name-matching database that will blink because a Japanese passport with the same name was used before. Gaijin it up and get that Rail Pass!
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Dec 11, 2013 09:16
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My daughter travels on US and JP passports, no one ever checks our stamps. The US is poo poo about stamping anyway. Some countries don't stamp departure. After she turns 20, if they catch her, I'd suggest she keep the US passport and get the Child of Japanese National visa. Hopefully she can do a Working Holiday on the JP passport before then.
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Dec 11, 2013 09:19
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peanut posted:My daughter travels on US and JP passports, no one ever checks our stamps. The US is poo poo about stamping anyway. Some countries don't stamp departure. What's wrong with just keeping both? I really don't mean to be a dick by pressing the issue but so long as you always "give up" your non-J citizenship there's nothing the Japanese government can do, really.
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Dec 11, 2013 12:06
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That's the plan, mate. Also naively assuming the laws will be changed in 17 years
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Dec 12, 2013 10:31
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Hey J-Goons, I am considering moving to Japan. I am currently an English teacher in Korea and I realized I don't want to be in Korea long-term. I have been to Japan 4 times and I love it. If you live in Japan and have a moment, could you please answer a few questions? 1) What do you like about living in Japan? 2) How do you feel about the politeness etiquette? All of the sorry's, excuse me's, being considerate someone's status in the hierarchy, etc.? I am a polite but direct person, and I try not to pander to anyone. I am concerned that this quality about me may be too abrasive with expected Japanese etiquette. 3) For people that work non-english teaching jobs, what are your feelings on the Japanese work environment? I read about the overtime, boss-gods, and so forth. Korea has a similar situation, and foreigners are generally exempt from it. 4) Do you feel there is a lot to do in Japan? I like Korea, but after 1 year here I feel I am running out of things to do already in this small country. There are only so many mountains and temples. Japan seems to have a lot more cultural background, diversity, and interesting output than Korea. 5) If you could change one thing about Japan, what would you change? Thank you in advance if you had a minute to fill this out. I appreciate you taking the time to write about your experience. Nexus42 fucked around with this message at 15:40 on Dec 12, 2013 |
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Dec 12, 2013 15:01
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Nexus42 posted:Hey J-Goons, I am considering moving to Japan. I am currently an English teacher in Korea and I realized I don't want to be in Korea long-term. I have been to Japan 4 times and I love it. 1. It's an actual thriving country rather than a shoebox full of fire ants with an inferiority complex. I used to live in Korea and I don't miss hearing how Korea invented paper money/fireworks/everything else, Did you know that our country is amazing for [stupid reason], Can you use chopsticks, getting stared at on the subway for 30 minutes straight, people spitting inside elevators, shiny suits, Gee Gee Baby Baby Baby etc. People are less xenophobic and, while people here are in general kind of emotionally stunted from a Western perspective, it's nowhere near as severe as it was in Korea. Interesting people actually exist without ever having lived overseas. Also no FAN DEATH 2. It's cool, as long as you're willing to do what's appropriate for social situations rather than GAIJIN SMASH 3. Depends on your job, as a translator I haven't had any real problems. 4. Yes. Korea is a garbage country. It depends what you're looking for, but I can't think of any single way that Korea was better than Japan. EDIT: Heated floors. That was literally the only better thing in Korea. At least I thought of one, good job Korea. 5. Easier permanent residency without marrying a Japanese If you've been an English teacher in Korea, be prepared for some of the poo poo parts of the job being the same. If you've been here and loved it, you'll almost certainly be much happier as an English teacher here. Ara fucked around with this message at 18:29 on Dec 12, 2013 |
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Dec 12, 2013 18:22
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