One of the first things you will be told to do if you’re lucky, is to go register yourself at the town office. If you come from the US, this is something that you may not have known about until moving to Japan. Anytime you change residencies in the country you must inform your old ward and your new ward that you’re moving to.  If you are working for …

The seasonal weather in Japan is constantly changing. The summer brings strong heat waves, while the winter can be very cold with snow. The spring and fall have mild temperatures and are known for their seasonal beauty. Because of the radical shift in seasonal weather, you may find that you have to change your mindset when dealing with the weather. There are more ways than just putting on seasonal …

One aspect of living in Japan that most people overlook is how laundry is handled, here is our Village House deep dive into all things laundry. Most rental apartments come equipped with washer hookups inside or outside the building. Almost no apartments have dryers, since most apartments have spaces to hang clothes. Coming from western cultures, this can be a big change of process. Something that took two hours …

Japan is famous, or infamous, for the size of its housing. Throughout the country, it is normal for houses, apartments, and other living areas to be small. The idea is to only take as much space as needed, since there isn’t much room to go around on the island. This idea has influenced the way the Japanese design their housing, even after Western designs were introduced. General Info Apartments …