English guides / All guides

All guides (151)

Every calculated money guide, in one place. Zero bias — if something loses you money, we say so.

Japan travel — money for visitors (50)

Arashiyama: the ¥0 bamboo trap vs the ¥880 train worth booking Chubu Centrair (NGO) to Nagoya cheapest: skip the ¥1,430 μ-SKY? Do kids pay for trains in Japan? The child-fare rules tourists miss Do you need cash in Japan? Cash vs card vs IC vs code-pay for tourists (2026) Foreign card in Japan: the "pay in yen not your currency" (DCC) trap + which ATMs actually work Fuji-Q's "Free Pass" costs ¥6,000+ — the break-even Getting a taxi in Japan: use the GO app — but it's not cheaper Getting yen in Japan — the cheapest way (airport exchange vs 7-Eleven ATM vs travel card) Hakone Free Pass (¥6,100): worth it if you do the loop — the math Himeji Castle from Osaka/Kyoto: the ¥1,520 train, not the ¥3,000 Shinkansen Hiroshima Airport to the city: the ¥1,500 bus (there's no train) How much does a week in Japan cost? A real 2026 budget (and the hidden costs) Is the Tokyo subway pass worth it? The break-even for tourists JR Pass worth-it calculator — is the Japan Rail Pass worth it? Japan peak-season hotel prices — when to book, and how to dodge the spikes Japan tax-free shopping is changing (from Nov 1, 2026): pay tax first, get a refund at the airport Japan's hotel tax (宿泊税): the per-night charge that isn't in your booking price Konbini vs drugstore vs 100-yen shop in Japan — where to buy cheap as a tourist Kyoto to Nara: the ¥760 train — and why the ¥720 one can cost you Kyoto's "¥2,000" kimono rental isn't ¥2,000 — the add-ons that double it Kyoto's ¥700 bus day pass is GONE — what to buy now (and the ¥1,100 trap) Miyajima's floating torii is nearly free — the ~¥21,000 is getting there Mt Fuji day trip from Tokyo: ¥5,000 DIY or ¥12,000 tour? Naha (OKA) airport to Kokusai-dori cheapest: the ¥270 monorail New Chitose (CTS) to Sapporo cheapest: skip the U-Seat surcharge? Osaka to Kyoto cheapest: the ¥410 train the JR won't tell you about Phone dying in Japan? Rent a battery for ~¥165 — don't buy one Raining in Japan? Rent an umbrella for ¥110 — stop buying ¥500 ones Regional JR Pass vs the Nationwide Japan Rail Pass (2026): When a Regional Pass Wins Shibuya Sky tickets: what it really costs, and the sunset trap Shinkansen vs flight, Tokyo–Osaka (and Tokyo–Fukuoka): the real door-to-door cost & time Snow monkeys from Tokyo: a ¥23,000, 12-hour day — is it worth it? Sumo tickets: that "¥38,000" seat is for FOUR people — the tourist money guide That "¥25,000" ryokan is actually ¥50,000 — how ryokan pricing really works That ¥3,000 "Kobe beef" probably isn't Kobe beef That ¥400 dish you didn't order in Japan isn't a scam — it's otoshi The 10 worst money mistakes tourists make in Japan (with the math) The Japan Expressway Pass is GONE — what road-trippers actually use now There's no train to Shirakawa-go — the bus you must reserve Tokyo Disney: the ¥10,000 ticket that quietly becomes ¥20,000 (Premier Access, scored) Tokyo has TWO teamLabs — book the right one (and don't get shut out) Tokyo street go-karts: the ~¥15,000 licence trap that gets tourists turned away Tokyo to Fukuoka: Shinkansen vs flight — the ¥23,000 trap Tokyo to Kamakura: the ¥940 JR train — and when a pass beats it Tokyo to Mt Fuji (Kawaguchiko): the ¥2,200 bus vs the ¥4,200 train Tokyo to Nikko: the ¥1,400 Tobu train, not the ¥5,680 JR route Tokyo's ¥3,700 skyline view — or the same city for ¥0 USJ tickets: the date you pick can cost ¥3,000+ more Welcome Suica vs Mobile Suica vs regular Suica — which IC card should a tourist actually get? Your JR Pass does NOT cover the fastest bullet train (the ¥4,960 Nozomi trap)

Living in Japan & everything else (101)

100-yen shops (Daiso/Seria) vs Nitori vs recycle shops — furnishing an empty room in Japan Amazon Japan vs Rakuten vs Yodobashi — the cheapest way to buy online as a resident Buying a bicycle vs share-cycle in Japan — the break-even, and the bōhan tōroku rule Can a dependent-visa spouse work in Japan? The 28-hour rule and the permission you need first Can foreign residents use NISA and iDeCo in Japan? Eligibility, the leaving-Japan catch, and the US-citizen problem Can't afford Japan's National Pension? The exemption most foreign residents don't apply for Category 3 insured (dependent spouse) in Japan's pension — pay ¥0, still earn a pension, until it breaks Changing jobs in Japan: the health-insurance & pension GAP that can bite your visa renewal Changing jobs in Japan? The health-insurance gap that gets backdated — and how to cover it cheaply Cheapest Tokyo ⇄ Osaka for tourists: the ¥3,000 night bus vs Shinkansen vs the "¥5,000 flight" that isn't Cheapest way across Japan: Seishun 18 vs highway bus vs LCC vs Shinkansen Child allowance (jidō teate) in Japan for foreign residents — the 2024 expansion, and how to actually claim it Childcare in Japan for foreign families — hoikuen costs, the free-from-3 rule & how spots are allocated Claiming overseas dependents on your Japan tax (扶養控除) — the 2023 rules that quietly excluded most relatives aged 30–69 Coin laundry vs buying a washing machine in Japan — the break-even for your stay Converting your foreign driver's licence to a Japanese one (gaimen kirikae) — steps, tests, and who skips the exam Cooking at home vs eating out every day in Japan — what it really costs Daily coffee in Japan: konbini (¥100) vs café (¥500) vs home — the yearly cost Do foreigners have to pay into Japan's pension? The 'opt-out' myth, agreements, and getting money back Do you actually have to file a Japan tax return? A foreigner's must-file checklist (¥200k side income, two jobs, leaving mid-year) Do you need a hanko in Japan as a foreigner — and which kind? Do you tip in Japan? No — and why trying to can be awkward Fukuoka Airport to the city: ¥260 in 5 minutes — Japan's closest airport (and the international-terminal catch) Furikomi fees in Japan — the cheapest way to pay rent and send money by bank transfer Furnishing your place in Japan: new vs secondhand vs rental — for a limited stay Furusato Nozei for foreign residents — can you actually save, and how much? Furusato nozei limit calculator (hometown tax) for foreigners Furusato nozei limit, calculated — how much can you donate before you LOSE money? Getting a credit card in Japan as a foreigner — why you get rejected, and what actually works Gym vs home workout vs the municipal gym in Japan — cost per actual visit Having a baby in Japan as a foreign resident — the real cost, the ¥500,000 lump-sum, and the subsidies you must claim High-cost medical expense benefit (kōgaku ryōyōhi) in Japan — the monthly cap for foreigners How much eSIM data do you actually need for Japan? Most tourists overpay — the sizing, calculated How to read your Japanese payslip (kyuyo meisai), line by line — and why year 2 is smaller Is furusato nozei worth it for a foreign resident? The ¥2,000 truth (it redirects tax, it doesn't save you money) Is the Japan Rail Pass worth it in 2026? The break-even, calculated Japan inheritance & gift tax and foreigners — does it reach your OVERSEAS assets? The visa + 10-year rule Japan inheritance & gift tax for foreigners — could an inheritance from ABROAD be taxed here? Japan luggage forwarding vs coin lockers vs hotel hold — what to do with your suitcase Japan pension refund (dattai ichijikin) + 20.42% tax reclaim estimator Japan social security agreements & pension totalization — combine your periods, or take the refund? Japan take-home pay calculator (net salary) for foreign residents Japan travel eSIM vs pocket WiFi vs roaming — the cheapest way to get data as a tourist Japan's 4 peak-price windows: the dates when flights, hotels and trains all spike — and how to dodge them Japan's 8% vs 10% food tax — take it out (8%) or eat it in (10%)? The reduced-rate rule, decoded Japan's Invoice System for freelancers — should you register and lose the consumption-tax exemption? Japan's cheap healthcare isn't for tourists: you pay 100% — and from April 2026 an unpaid bill can bar re-entry Japan's exit tax (kokugai tenshutsu-ji kazei) — the ¥100M unrealized-gains trap for long-term residents leaving Japan Japan's income "walls" (¥1.03M / ¥1.06M / ¥1.30M / ¥1.50M) for foreign residents — calculated Japan's medical cost cap (kōgaku ryōyōhi) — the "calendar-month" trap that charges you the cap twice Japan's rent guarantor company fee (hoshō gaisha) — the move-in cost foreigners almost always pay, plus the yearly fee nobody mentions Japan's resident tax (juminzei) shock — the delayed bill that hits in year 2 and when you leave Kaigo hoken (long-term care insurance) in Japan — why your deduction jumps at 40 Kansai Airport (KIX) to Osaka & Kyoto: the cheapest way for tourists — and why the ¥930 train beats the ¥1,880 express Konbini ATM vs your bank's ATM in Japan — how withdrawal fees quietly cost you Konbini vs supermarket in Japan — what the daily convenience-store habit really costs Leaving Japan mid-year? Your FINAL income tax return — file before departure, or appoint a tax agent (nozei kanrinin) Leaving Japan with money on your Suica? The ¥500 deposit, the ¥220 fee, and the balance you never get back Leaving Japan? Claim your pension lump-sum — and reclaim the 20.42% tax Lost your job in Japan? Unemployment benefit (koyō hoken) for foreign residents Lost your job on a work visa in Japan — how long can you stay, and will your visa renew? Medical Expense Deduction in Japan (iryōhi kōjo) — the tax refund most foreign residents miss Missed the last train in Japan — taxi, capsule hotel, manga café, or wait for first train? Moving apartments in Japan — the real cost, and the address-change admin you can't skip My Number & the My Number Card for foreign residents in Japan — do you need the card? Narita & Haneda to central Tokyo — cheapest vs fastest way in (2026) Need a suit in Japan? Buy cheap vs rent — the break-even by number of uses One good umbrella vs a ¥500 conbini vinyl umbrella every time it rains — the real cost in Japan Opening a Japanese bank account as a foreigner — which banks accept new arrivals, and how not to get rejected Ordering from overseas to Japan — when you owe customs duty + consumption tax (the ¥10,000 rule) Osaka Amazing Pass (¥3,300): worth it only if you do this — the break-even, calculated Permanent residency in Japan — the money & tax reality most guides skip Pocket WiFi vs home fibre vs tethering in Japan — which internet for your stay Quitting or losing your job in Japan as a foreigner — the money & admin checklist Remote work & foreign income while living in Japan — tax residency & double taxation, explained Renting a car in Japan: no International Driving Permit = no car — and 6 countries can't use one at all Retirement allowance (taishokukin) tax in Japan: the deduction + half-taxation, and the one form that stops a flat 20.42% SIM / eSIM in Japan with no Japanese credit card — the cheapest path, calculated Sending money home from Japan the cheapest way — bank wire vs Wise vs remittance services Set up electricity & gas in Japan — the cheapest way (and the trap) Shakai Hoken vs Kokumin Kenko Hoken — which health insurance you're in, and what it costs Shinkansen reserved vs non-reserved vs Green Car — which seat is worth it? Staying warm cheaply in a Japanese winter — aircon vs kerosene vs kotatsu Suica / PASMO for tourists in Japan — Welcome Suica vs mobile Suica vs paper tickets (2026) Suica/PASMO vs cash on Japan's trains — and when a commuter pass (teiki) pays off Tap water vs bottled water in Japan — is tap safe, and what's cheapest per litre Tax-free shopping in Japan for tourists — how the 10% refund actually works (and the 2026 change) The "¥1.03M wall" is outdated: Japan's 2025 reform moved the spouse-deduction walls to ¥1.23M / ¥1.60M / ¥2.01M The Shinkansen ¥1,000 luggage trap: bags over 160cm need a (free) reservation — or you pay The money & admin roadmap for foreign residents in Japan — what to do, when, and how not to overpay The real move-in cost of renting in Japan as a foreigner — key money, deposit, guarantor, all of it The ¥1.06M / ¥1.30M social-insurance wall, calculated — the take-home dip and when crossing pays off The ¥20,000 MNP cashback deal in Japan — do the numbers actually work? US citizens investing while living in Japan — why NISA/iDeCo reject you, the PFIC trap, and what works Vending machine vs supermarket vs my tumbler — the daily drink habit in Japan, calculated What is a tax representative (nōzei kanrinin) — and why leaving Japan without one costs you money Where to stay in Tokyo to save money — and the "cheap area" trap that eats your savings in train fares and time Why your National Health Insurance (kokumin kenko hoken) is cheap in year 1 and jumps in year 2 Year-end adjustment vs filing a tax return in Japan — which you need, and the refunds foreigners miss Your Japanese bonus (shoyo): why the take-home is smaller than the number — and the caps that quietly help ¥1,000 quick-cut vs a full salon in Japan — cost and the language barrier