[drderidder]

SevenEleven ATMs generally take foreign interac debit cards if you need cash (yen). Most places accept credit cards. When given the option on the debit card machine to pay in yen or convert to USD / CAD etc always choose yen, to avoid high conversion rates charged by the processor. Allow your credit card company to convert to your home currency at a much better rate. Get a Japan Rail pass. Pack lightly and hit a Uniqlo on arrival. Call hotels to book rather than using western-based online booking platforms whose prices are a lot higher, or use Jalan.net. Remember you’re a guest in a foreign country, stay humble and be polite, it’ll get you further. Seriously, get a Japan rail pass. Get an esim for your phone upon arrival using an app like Ubigi or similar (1 month with 10gb for ~$20). Be prepared for reverse culture shock when you return home.

[rippercushions]

A lot of this advice is out of date.

- Most bank ATMs in Japan now accept foreign cards.

- Credit card acceptance remains low by international standards, although things have improved a bit with the "cashless" drive. Carry cash (yen), you'll need it at many restaurants and even some hotels.

- Most rail companies now sell discounted advance fares and LCC airlines are competitive as well, so a Japan Rail Pass is no longer the no-brainer it used to be, although it's still a good deal if you plan to travel a lot by train (say, Tokyo-Hiroshima and back).

- Instead of calling hotels, which will be a struggle because they often won't speak much English, use Japanese booking sites like Rakuten or Jalan.net, which have thorough coverage, the best rates and functional English interfaces.

Have a read through https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Japan, it goes into too much detail at times but is a pretty good primer for all the things in Japan.

[drderidder]

Sorry, but it’s not out of date. Based on very recent extensive travel and living there. But yes of course there are additional places to get cash (yubinkyoku etc) and various rail passes. The JR pass really is a nobrainer though.

[suggestion]

This is all great and relevant advice! I have actually considering moving there, any tips with respect to that? For example could I, as a US citizen, work remotely for a US company while living in Japan indefinitely (not necessarily permanently, but at least as an option)?

[elcamino44]

Visas will be your challenge. Unless you’re married to a Japanese person, it will be hard for you to get a work visa without being employed by a Japanese company. Any way to try to get around that is gonna be a lot of work (and a bit of money too).

However, if you wanted to take a 1 year sabbatical, you could get a job as an engineer with a Japanese company, work for a year, apply for fast track permanent residency at the end of that year (you’ll need to meet some education/income requirements), then go back to your old job remotely. There are software jobs that hire people who don’t speak Japanese.

[drderidder]

Basically no. But if your company has a Japanese branch and is willing to transfer you there, then maybe. But be aware that visiting Japan as a tourist vs living and working there are very different experiences, and plenty of expats burn out within a year. Visit first, maybe do the digital nomad thing for a bit.

[midoridensha]

>For example could I, as a US citizen, work remotely for a US company while living in Japan indefinitely (not necessarily permanently, but at least as an option)?

NO.

You must have a work visa to live here, and you won't get that unless a Japanese company sponsors your visa. A US company can't do that for obvious reasons, unless it's a company with a Japanese branch office.

The only way to do what you ask is to get permanent residence first, but that means living here for a while on a work visa or spouse visa.

Also, on top of this, the US company may have issues with you living outside the US while working for them, but that'll be the case for any other country. This was discussed within the last week or so here on HN.

[warabe]

Just out of curiosity, why are you considering moving to Japan?

I am not trying to discourage you, but if you really want to live in Japan, you have to learn Japanese, which is not an easy language to learn, especially for English speakers, even if you live in Tokyo.

edit: wording

[DoingIsLearning]

> Get a Japan Rail pass

I am going next month, the Japan Rail pass sounds like a big saving, can I also use Shinkansen trains with the Rail Pass? Specifically the Tokyo to Kyoto route (JR central)?

[midoridensha]

Look carefully at it; probably you won't be able to use the fastest trains with the JR pass.

Also, if you're just going to Kyoto from Tokyo, it really is not worth it to get the pass. Just buy regular tickets. The pass is useful if you're doing a lot of train travel in a short time.

[whoosh3]

You can use the Kodama (all stops) and the Hikari (limited express) with a JR Pass. You'd have to pay extra for the Nozomi (superexpress).